The best new restaurants in Los Angeles to try right now

What is it: A 14-course (plus extras) Santa Monica omakase off Ocean Avenue from restaurateur Adrian Taylor, Osaka-born chef Yasu Iwai and beverage and operations director Sarah Daisy Jackson, with just two seatings a night for up to 10 guests ($295 per person).

Why we love it: Iwai, who trained under Hiroyuki Sato of Tokyo’s Hakkoku, skips the usual suspects. You’ll never see kampachi here, since every sushi spot serves it. Instead, he brings in rare picks from Toyosu Market, like yagara (cornetfish) with a shiso leaf, served over exquisitely handled, 100 percent Koshihikari rice. Other nigiri standouts include ishigaki dai (spotted knifejaw), amadai (tilefish), tachiuo (largehead hairtail), torched kamasu (barracuda) and a tuna flight. Just as much of the menu comes from down the street: Iwai and Jackson hit the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market every week, and one or two dishes change every two to three weeks based on what they find, like bruléed figs over sesame paste or Asian pear with wakame and lobster. The cooked dishes shine just as bright: cherrywood-smoked fuefuki dai with house ponzu, Indonesian blue crab in dashi, sweet summer uni over sushi rice with ikura, and Iwai’s obachan’s (grandmother’s) truffle lobster chawanmushi. The house rule is that no one leaves hungry. Jackson’s desserts, like a plum granita with three types of plum over lemon curd, finish things off with the same hyper-seasonal approach.

Drinks are just as thoughtful. Jackson, formerly the lead bartender at Bavel, met Taylor across her bar, where the two bonded over a shared love of vermouth. Vermouth is now the backbone of Kogen’s high-altitude-inspired beverage program: bottles from the Alps, the Andes and Catalonia (surprisingly great with sushi) share the list with Hakkaisan snow-aged sake served at a near-frozen 30 degrees and low-ABV sake and shochu cocktails. The shiso-and-sake forward East Side is wonderfully herbaceous and crisp. Sake, cocktail and vermouth flights are all available, but the vermouth flight is the one to order; you won’t find anything like it at other omakases.

Time Out tip: Not drinking? The NA libations are worthy in their own right and in keeping with the farmers’ market philosophy, like a strawberry and shiso soda made with Harry’s Berries strawberries.

Address: 109 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Opening hours: Tue–Sat 5:30–11pm

What is it: An 11-course dry-aged seafood tasting menu ($280 per person) led by Liwei Liao, L.A.’s dry-aged fish guy, and served at the butcher’s counter of Joint Seafood’s new DTLA flagship, where fish is broken down all week. It runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm for up to eight guests.

Why we love it: If you’ve had dry-aged fish in Los Angeles, there’s a good chance it passed through Liao’s hands. The fishmonger-turned-chef supplies 30-plus restaurants, including Michelin-starred heavyweights like Somni, Kato and Providence. At the Butcher’s Counter, he makes the case for dry-aging as the way we should keep and eat fish. Blood is what makes fish fishy, so each fish hangs in a chamber held just above freezing while gravity drains it, with no salt or preservatives. The result is cleaner, sweeter flesh that stays consistent for about a week. Liao is passionate, kind and incredibly knowledgeable, and he lays down one rule so no one leaves hungry: every course comes with an extra “replay,” and whoever speaks up first gets it. So, don’t be shy, or polite. Every course is an excuse for Liao to put fish on a pedestal. Standouts include New Zealand king salmon belly, sliced from the whole fish right before your eyes and dressed with little more than salt, shiso and wasabi-leaf olive oil. There’s also a showstopping miso soup, where Alaskan gindara gets a tableside pour of almost crystal-clear stock made from dry-aged fish bones. Then Liao breaks down bluefin in front of you, carving out the prime akami, just two pounds per side from a roughly 500-pound fish. That tuna marinates in five-year-aged soy for 20 minutes before resurfacing in one of the four hand rolls that round out the meal, alongside smoked squash blossoms stuffed with Japanese scallops and Liao’s favorite, a dry-aged Westholme wagyu tartare with uni “risotto.” My favorite of the rolls, though, is the week-aged iwashi, a fresh take on tinned fish seared with a welder’s torch. Sardines’ dark blood is what makes them taste fishy. Aging does away with that, brings out their oily richness, and puts them closer to what you’d expect of mackerel. Even dessert keeps fish on a pedestal, or at least its eggs: an Astrea caviar, yuzu sorbet and cream cheese sandwich. It’s BYOB for now, until the liquor license comes through (hopefully by year’s end). If you want to be a good dining neighbor, bring a bottle to share. Ours kept the sake flowing. 

Time Out tip: Before you leave, take some fish home, or a container of that fish bone stock, sold unseasoned so you can salt it to taste. And if you want the Butcher’s Counter to yourself, it is available for full buyouts (up to eight guests) any night besides Friday and Saturday, with a week’s notice. 

Address: 600 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Opening hours: Daily 9am–9pm; Butcher’s Counter seatings Fri, Sat at 7pm

What is it: A top-notch French-Cali bakery across from Santa Monica Airport drawing lines out the door daily for its four-day croissants, decadent sausage rolls, impeccable épis baguettes and a butter-tasting menu.   

Why we love it: It’s hard to picture Francois Pied as anything but a baker, let alone a guy who spent nearly two decades in advertising (at Apple’s agency, no less). But that’s the very-L.A. backstory of Matilda’s founding baker. Born in the south of France, Pied returned to the motherland to turn a pandemic hobby into a calling, training at École Lenôtre in Paris and baking at B.O.U.L.O.M. and L’Amaranthe in his hometown. He came back to Los Angeles to join Bub and Grandma’s, where he met Matilda’s now-lead baker, Abel Pulsifer. Together they’ve created a menu that’s French in spirit and Californian in practice. Everything is slow-fermented for at least 18 hours, and the grain comes from either France or Arizona’s Hayden Flour Mills, including White Sonora wheat, a variety dating back to the 1600s. Show up at the right time (a tall order, since you never know when things will hit the marble) and you might spot Pied behind the glass partition, taking a bite of a sandwich in beta and kindly telling his team it’s not there yet. Spoiler alert: That sandwich eventually made the cut. It’s prime rib, arugula and horseradish, and I crave it weekly. Disclaimer: I live about a mile away, so I come here quite a bit and have had the pleasure of trying everything on the menu thus far. My favorite indulgences include the pain au chocolat, loaded with TCHO chocolate (probably the best rendition in town at the moment), and the sausage rolls, stuffed with Peads & Barnetts organic pork sausage and served with A1 sauce, which manage to be rich without feeling heavy. As for seasonal items, a shakshuka danish erupts with tomato goodness, just the right amount of spice and a jammy egg yolk. A guava and passionfruit danish layered with custardy vanilla bean cream cheese is among the best guava and cheese pastries I’ve ever had—and I’m a Miami girl. Even the ready-made sandwiches outdo most in L.A., like a ham and Comté with a generous swipe of DOP butter, or a turkey and havarti with sprouts, pickled onions and aioli. And butterheads, rejoice! Matilda’s offers a selection of the world’s finest artisanal butters by the one-ounce tasting portion or, in some cases, the full stick. Go butt-er go home? To drink, there’s Caffè Luxxe coffee and ceremonial matcha with a velvety, house almond milk. Coffee and matcha snobs, be warned: The matcha satisfies, but it’s on the lighter side, and coffee drinks come from a fully automatic machine, so if you like the barista touch, you might want to skip.

Time Out tip: For the full pick of the litter, show up at 8am. Unless you’re after an épis baguette—those tend to come out a little later. And don’t trust the inventory on the board or online—things change rapidly.

Address: 3200 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Opening hours: Wed–Sun 8am–noon

What is it: The beloved Woodland Hills sushi gem’s Beverly Hills expansion, giving chef Moriyuki “Mori” Kanamaru (Jinpachi, Asanebo), now a partner, a more expansive, proper stage for omakase.

Why we love it: Sit at the 14-seat counter and you might notice a bobblehead peering at you from behind the marble. It’s a replica of Kanamaru, keeping watch as guests take in his creations. Kanamaru is a bit like an orchestra conductor: His eyes are everywhere, his hands move in mysteriously harmonious and intuitive ways, and his words are few but deliberate. Prior to joining Brothers Sushi, he spent many years at Jinpachi and Asanebo. Solo diners will have a lot of fun here, reveling in the ceremony of his nigiri-making. The $160 omakase is quite the deal for the amount of food and the quality of the fish. You get a handful of appetizers, eight pieces of nigiri, miso soup and dessert. On my visit, I particularly enjoyed the mozuku (a silky Okinawan seaweed) in tangy vinegar with sweet raw shiro ebi (Toyama Bay white shrimp); salmon sashimi with ice plant and pickled tomatoes; Mori salad with seared scallop and truffle; and a theatrical and fragrant smoked kanpachi sashimi served under a glass cloche to trap the smoke. The nigiri mixes dry-aged and classic cuts, running the gamut from king salmon and toro to shima aji and uni, some with unexpected touches like dill. Should you go the à la carte route, several dishes are exclusive to this location, from warayaki-smoked chutoro sashimi to more fusion-y fare like an A5 wagyu teriyaki slider and a wagyu sando.

Time Out tip: Pair your meal with the Brothers x Daina sake (a collaboration with Kikunosato Shuzo). It’s crisp, dry, viscous and goes great with dry-aged fish.

Address: 255 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Opening hours: Tue–Thu noon–2pm, 5:30–9pm; Sat 5:30–9pm; Sun 5–8:30pm

What is it: The signature restaurant atop the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition Park, serving elevated American classics for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch—in a midcentury setting that’s more Mad Men than Millennium Falcon, with a side of Skywalker Ranch lore and panoramic views of Los Angeles.

Why we love it: Skywalker Ranch needs no introduction, but we’re gonna flatter George Lucas anyway, because, well, it’s the stuff of legends! Since 1978, Lucas has been growing his sprawling filmmaker’s retreat in the hills of Marin County, complete with vineyards, a lake named for the Ewoks, its own fire brigade, a garden, and cattle that supply the ranch’s kitchens. For decades, the only way to get a taste of Skywalker Ranch’s famed wagyu burger was to be invited to work there. So when my husband was working on A Murder at the End of the World and staying on the premises, I went with, obvi. And yes, I rode my bike through the ranch, locked eyes with the cows, and then reverently enjoyed said wagyu burger. I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. Now anyone can indulge, no access badge required. Skywalker Grill’s burger is made with the same beef, topped with grilled onions and aged cheddar on brioche. It’s massive, meaty and juicy, and the fries are perfect. Story goes that the Skywalker Ranch Wagyu pasta is Lucas’s favorite dish, but if it’s between that and the burger, it’s a no-brainer—or should I say no-burger? Yes-burger? Get the burger. The rest of the menu is what you’d expect from a museum restaurant, only elevated: a beautifully plated chopped salad, Dungeness crab cakes, chicken tenders with ranch crème fraîche, honey-miso-glazed salmon, and chicken and wild mushroom crêpes, an homage to another Lucas favorite from the long-shuttered Magic Pan chain. At dinner, we’re told there are exclusive off-menu cuts of beef, some from the ranch, so be sure to ask your server. Save room for the citrus sundae, layered with vanilla gelato, olive oil cake, lemon curd and toasted meringue. As for the vibe, if the museum feels like you’ve boarded a ship from Star Wars, Skywalker Grill is its grounded, glamorous, midcentury counterpart. There are no harsh edges (or Stormtroopers) anywhere. Cherry wood panels wrap the walls and ceiling, and seemingly defy gravity. Chandeliers scatter warm light, and softly glowing white onyx Corian tables reflect it right back. There’s even eucalyptus and a fresh rose adorning every table! 

Time Out tip: Good luck scoring a reservation anytime soon; it’s currently booked through the end of the year. You can try your luck walking in for bar seats, though you should expect a wait.

Address: One Lucas Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Opening hours: Mon, Tue–Thu 10am–5pm; Fri 10am–9pm; Sat 9am–9pm; Sun 9am–5pm

What is it: A laid-back, Aussie, surf-inspired, daytime cafe in Santa Monica with standout all-day breakfast and Amigo Roasters coffee and matcha, plus an open-door policy for laptops.

Why we love it: There aren’t many easy-breezy, beautiful lunch spots on the Westside that actually want you to stay awhile. Tucked into the Colorado Center office complex, Bower has become a de facto coworking space for the laptop crowd, and nobody’s going to rush you out. The Wi-Fi is as strong as the matcha (get the Sky matcha with honey and a coconut cloud), and the seating is ample, indoors and out—and plush, especially the booths. What’s more, chef Robert Song (Mina Group, Girl & the Goat) has built a menu that’s approachable and seriously craveable. Don’t be surprised if you wake up thinking about the breakfast burrito. Or the coconut mochi pancakes, fluffy like pancakes should be but with the springy chew of mochi—it’s a texture best experienced firsthand. If you want to secure a stack, show up before noon or it’s a roll of the dice. Beyond breakfast, the menu runs the gamut from decadent focaccia with ricotta, pistachio, olive oil and red chile to market-catch ceviche with corn tostadas and lettuce cups, plus a lineup of salads, bowls, wraps and sandwiches that hit every mark. For those getting work done, there’s plenty to sip: house-made sodas, horchata lattes, smoothies and a caffeine-free mesquite “coffee” latte with vanilla cold foam and sea salt. There are also cocktails and organic wines. And if you’d rather celebrate the end of the day, happy hour from 4 to 6pm brings $4 beers, $9 wines and a $10 burger with fries. In other words, you can get lunch, happy hour, dinner and a full workday for around $50—unheard of in L.A.  

Time Out tip: Parking in the area can be a nightmare, but fret not: The Colorado Center garage is free for up to three hours with validation from Bower.

Address: 2501 Colorado Ave #190, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm; Sat, Sun 9am–3pm

What is it: A wildly popular and TikTok-able New York transplant that leans heavily into maximalism, psychedelic snake decor and boozy beverages.  

Why we love it: Horace gave us carpe diem, and Ancient Romans liked to turn a feast into a little reflection on mortality, sometimes with the help of a memento mori in the form of a skeleton. Bad Roman swaps the skeletons for snakes, but the message is the same: You only live once. Walking by the Beverly Hills facade, a neon slithering serpent beckons you inside, where, well, you’ll encounter many more serpents: in the walls, on doors, in painted panels. The space is mesmerizing and packed to the gills regardless of the day or time. So, order a round. You might come here thinking you won’t drink, but you’ll quickly reconsider once you clock the pepperoncini martini. Martini purists might find it offensive, but if you love pepperoncini, you’ll be delighted. Surprisingly, the tequila granita proves boozier than the martini. It somehow feels like a snow cone, if a snow cone were made of habanero shaved ice and Calabrian honey with loads of Dobel Diamante Cristalino. Line your stomach accordingly. We recommend the roasted garlic babka, the paccheri amatriciana (ask for the off-menu Baked-n-Burnt version, with extra cheese and extra time in the oven), and the jumbo asparagus. There’s an entire off-menu menu, but these three dishes plus dessert are a surefire way to have the most fun at Bad Roman (for a party of two). If you’re only getting one dessert, make it the blood orange sorbet with whipped zabaglione. Actually, get the tiramisu ice cream cake too. Come on, live a little. You’re going to die either way.  

Time Out tip: Skip the filet mignon meatballs. L.A. is a town with many great balls, and these sadly don’t measure up.

Address: 267 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 11:30am–3pm, 4:30–10pm; Fri, Sat 11:30am–3pm, 5–11pm; Sun 11:30am–3pm, 4:30–10pm

What is it: A Californian restaurant in Santa Monica from Phillip Wojtowicz, one of the chefs behind the Central Coast’s legendary Big Sur Bakery, hence the name.

Why we love it: If you drove through Big Sur before Big Sur Bakery burned down in May 2024, chances are its iconic sign is etched in your mind’s eye. That’s what made me take notice as I drove past Big Sur Grill while it was under construction—there was no way that font was an accident. Sure enough, Wojtowicz is behind the food, which draws largely on California’s Central Coast. The focus is seasonal ingredients and wood-fire cooking. Think seared halloumi crowned with dates, honey, lemon and salt; a Big Sur salad showcasing the best greens Cali has to offer; and Lily’s roasted half chicken in garlic gravy. It wouldn’t be an L.A. restaurant without a crudo or two, and Big Sur Grill provides. The rest of the lineup is fairly straightforward: split pea soup, branzino and the usual meaty suspects, including filet, New York strip, short rib and lamb chops. As for the vibe, it’s a mixed bag. On one visit, a trio of high-powered entertainment lawyers discussed their clients’ box office hits next to a Gen Z birthday party, complete with balloons and flower arrangements. Which is to say, Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Big Sur anymore.

Time Out tip: Word on the street is that a daytime café with almond croissants and other pastries may be on the way, and that might be as close as we’ll ever get to Big Sur Bakery again.

Address: 2518 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 5–10pm

What is it? The triumphant return of chef Casey Lane’s tasting-style restaurant on Abbot Kinney, and what I consider to be the single best opening of the year thus far. 

Why we love it: While TV reboots should be put to bed (hot take), restaurant reboots—namely on Abbot Kinney—are reinvigorating the famed boulevard. See RVR (formerly MTN), the new and chicest location of BADMAASH, Damian's seafood-forward follow-up, San Damián, and now, the second coming of The Tasting Kitchen. The iconic Venice restaurant—a Jonathan Gold favorite and four-time James Beard semifinalist—shuttered in 2023 after a fire. And like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the restaurant is back stronger, and Lane wiser. Hospitality shines here, thanks to a sharply dressed staff who want you to drool over every aspect of the experience—the curated vinyls and live DJ sets, the high vibe, the wonderfully crafted cocktails and, of course, the food. Start with the smoked olives, obviously. You'll find oldies like spaghetti pomodoro and bucatini or rigatoni all'Amatriciana (depending on the night), brought to bolder life with onion and tomato conserva. Lane's skill has always shone brightest with pasta, and the menu has plenty to choose from there. The cacio e pepe with a trifecta of pepper (pink, black, and white—which Lane charmingly and quizzically calls "very barnyard") is a standout, as is the Josper-oven mackerel escabeche, the boqueron-and-anchovy "matrimonio toast" with a buoyant spread of piquillo butter, and the luscious roasted mission figs with marinated ricotta and a hit of balsamic. With so many options and some pricier mains, it's worth investing in the tasting menu (four courses for $115, five for $135) and letting Lane take the helm. The beauty of it: he flows with the moment—and with any preferences you relay—so no two tables have the same experience. Call it chef's intuition. The carnivorous four-top next to us got a 50oz bone-in ribeye and picanha with chimichurri and bordelaise; we asked for a pescatarian-forward lineup, and Lane stunned us with a Dover sole bathed in caper beurre meunière, then finished us off with an eye-popping selection of farmers' market fruit on ice.

Time Out tip: If you know Lane, you know he loves nothing more than scoring some gorgeous produce at the market and putting it to good use in the kitchen ASAP. On the menu, he calls the mystery dish “shepherding of God’s work” and you should definitely order it.

Address: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 5-11pm; Fri, Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-11pm 

What is it? The evolution of the Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizzeria that took LA by storm, now with an expanded kitchen, menu and even more palate-bending pies.

Why we love it: Pizzeria Sei's original Pico-Robertson shop is now Sei Pizza Bar, and Pizzeria Sei Palms is the bigger and, quite frankly, better outfit from husband-and-wife partners in life and pizza, William Joo and Jennifer So. Here, pies transcend the Neapolitan style that made Pizzeria Sei one of the city's best pizzerias—a reminder that to evolve, you have to change. Joo's career is walking proof, having moved through the kitchens of Providence, Ronan and Pizzana before venturing out on his own. His maturation is evident in the dough of his signature Neapolitan, elevated to be slightly lighter. The Sei Margherita adds buffalo mozzarella and just a bit more tanginess than the traditional Margherita. But it's the new pizza styles—fried montanara and thin, crispy Roman-style scrocchiarella, both of which Joo spent serious time perfecting—that make Pizzeria Sei among the most exalted pizza experiences one can have. The 4 Culture Diavola, which Pizzeria Sei opened with and is rumored to be swapped out sometime this fall, should be at the top of your to-eat list. On it: gochujang romesco, bits of maple-candied guanciale, 15-year-aged balsamic, stracciatella, basil, and thinly sliced Iberico chorizo. A beautiful pie both visually and in execution, it's a rainbow of flavors in perfect balance—and yet each of the five basic tastes still gets to shine. Then there's the Riviera, a fried-then-baked montanara pie with a light, crisp base and a pillowy center, ideal for holding heavier, unexpected toppings—namely heaping amounts of tuna conserva. It's not a red pie. It's not a white pie. It's a squid ink, salsa verde, aioli and caramelized onion jam pie, finished with lemon zest and copious amounts of dill. So, mostly a green pie? Who cares, you need it. Pizza aside, creamy, crunchy, sweet corn croquettes burst with truffle and fior di latte. They hit the appetizer spot and set you up for all the salt and acid of the pies to come. There's also a beautiful gem-and-herb salad with white miso and the appropriate amount of shallots every salad should have (a lot). For a sweet finish, do not miss the tiramisu parfait layered with mascarpone, citrus, and housemade gelato. Chef Joo's really excited about the gelato machine he got, and it shows in spades.

Time Out tip: Securing a reservation takes diligence—they open a week in advance, at noon daily—so set a reminder. Walk-ins can expect to wait a couple of hours or more.

Address: 10700 Tabor St, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Opening hours: Wed-Sun 4-10pm

What is it? A rising Spanish star in West Adams from the restaurant group behind Santa Barbara’s beloved Loquita.

Why we love it: As diverse as LA’s dining scene is, Spanish restaurants para picoteo are few and far between. For the uninitiated: picoteo is the art of eating small plates (i.e. tapas). Picala, and chef Luis Sierra (formerly of Lulu at the Hammer Museum), are out to change that with a menu of about 20 tapas plus paellas and a handful of entrées, but before we get to the food, we need to talk about the drinks. Picala pours some of the best NA cava I’ve yet to find. The house-made sangria is excellent—the rosé is the sleeper hit, minty and herbaceous with subtle tempranillo and vodka. If Brandy and Allspice is your thing, the red sangria has your number. From the cocktail list, La Mancha mixes passionfruit, manchego-washed tequila, and orgeat and comes with a literal wedge of manchego, which I now want with all my cocktails. The saffron-bourbon-bitters number is a simple but elegant twist on an old fashioned. As for foodstuff, traditionalists will appreciate the prerequisite citrus-marinated olives and plate of jamón ibérico with baguette. Crispy ham croquettes oozing with decadent, silky béchamel rival the ones I just had at one of Barcelona's best taperías. Tuna crudo gets a piquant mojo verde treatment that demands to be drunk off the plate. I love it when a place woos me with its mixed greens, and Picala's iteration—date vinaigrette, toasted nuts—has me thinking about it days later. Same goes for the vibrant, acid-forward sardine escabeche on pan de cristal, dolloped with aioli to round it out. Gambas al ajillo do the classic justice in all the ways you'd expect—the head-on prawns are tender, garlicky and finger-licking (but also head-sucking) good. When I spotted fideos in the paella section, I could barely contain myself, only to find the noodles aren't cooked in a paella pan. They're well executed, but it's not traditional fideuà, so I wouldn't order it again over the paella (and I wish the menu made the distinction clear). Still, Picala left me wanting to come back for arroz negro, cochinillo, pescado frito, y más. Picoteo accomplished.

Time Out tip: During pinxtos hour (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5-7pm), every drink you order comes with a complimentary pinxto (bar bite). Start with the NA off-menu Madrid (think a negroni-spritz hybrid) before going all in on the nitro carajillo with Amaro Montenegro, Cynar, Evil coffee, and a dusting of shaved espresso bean.

Address: 3337 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 5:30-9pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-10pm; Sun 5:30-9pm

What is it? Enrique Olvera’s mariscos-forward follow-up to Damian on the Westside. 

Why we love it: A marisquería is exactly what Abbot Kinney has been missing since always. You may have been here when it was Atla, Olvera's unfussy Mexican spot from the same group behind Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York. San Damián is his ode to the seafood bounty of the Pacific. Sure, you'll find potato flautas, pollo frito and carne asada on the menu, but you'd be remiss not to make it a full-on mariscos outing when there are bright queen clams, lip-smacking poached shrimp aguachile, and vermilion rockfish ceviche crowned with uni to choose from. There's also tuna or crab tostada and an octopus cocktail—and that's just the starters. As for mains, the head-on prawns taste of ocean and garlic in the best way. Olvera has reinvented al pastor yet again—this time swapping the duck you'd get at Damian for a gorgeous achiote-glazed kanpachi fillet that—cliché oncoming—melts in your mouth. Take the first bite unadulterated, then layer it onto a fresh tortilla with a spread of pineapple butter underneath and thinly sliced pineapple on top. My only complaint is that there isn't more of it (I could easily put away a serving solo). The palo santo tepache is perfect for the new-age Venice crowd that's strongly represented here. If you want a drink drink but keep it healthy-ish, the carrot-cucumber-poblano mezcalita is as vegetal as it is spicy.

Time Out tip: When it comes to dessert, the clear winner is strawberries and (chantilly) cream. 

Address: 1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Opening hours: Wed–Sat 5–9:30pm; Sun 1–8pm

What is it? Another delightful Eastside neighborhood bistro with an old-lady name (looking at you, Henrietta)—in this case, the grandmothers of childhood friends and owners Marco Gagliardi and Anthony Dragotto.

Why we love it: Chef Marco Gagliardi honed his chops at places like Zahav in Philly and Bon Délire in San Francisco, so it's no wonder his first solo venture is as cool as it is sophisticated. Housed in the former Bowery Bungalow—a Craftsman-style cottage—Josephine conjures the feel of the restaurant you'd dream up as a kid playing pretend at home (guilty, anyone, or just me?). You can sit by the open windows at a bar table, in the quaint dining room where you and your neighbors compete to talk over the rock music, or on the romantic, string-lit back patio. It took Gagliardi and Dragotto a minute to figure out what Silver Lake wanted from Josephine—it started as a tasting menu with à la carte only at the bar, before they quickly pivoted to fully à la carte and found their groove rotating a good number of dishes every month or so. Mainstays worth repeat visits include the citrus-forward fennel salad with olives and pine nuts; whatever local crudo is on deck; and a bold beef tartare in a pool of jus with beef-fat aioli for good measure. On my visit, the perfectly al dente duck tortellini (on its way off the menu) with cherries and mustard seeds left me wanting more—so if there's duck pasta on offer, order it.

Time Out tip: I'm never one to push chicken as an entree, but it's Josephine's signature main for damn good reason: both Josephine Gagliardi and Josephine Dragotto passed down generational chicken recipes to Marco and Anthony. The result is an Italian-French blend of technique and juicy flavor that is reminiscent of Thomas Keller’s revered Bouchon roast chicken. 

Address: 4156 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 5-10pm

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What is it? Comforting yet inventive Afro-Caribbean fare, natural wines, and solid mojitos in a Silver Lake strip mall.

Why we love it: Unlike most restaurants on Sunset Junction, you can walk into Amiguita without much fuss (or a line) and have an excellent meal for $50 a person (wine or mojito included). This space has said goodbye to a lot of restaurants—Trois Familia, Eszett, Ruby Fruit—and we're hoping it stops with Amiguita. Maybe, just maybe, this gem gets a 20-year run like OG spaceholder Alegria. It's certainly poised to, thanks to the approachable, craveable and economical menu from chef Alejandro Eusebio. The fried whole red snapper, at $38, is the priciest thing on the menu—and with perfectly crispy, dense tostones, zesty wasakaka, and some version of greens and herbs, it's a hefty main for two. You don't need much more, though you should add the Haitian coconut rice and beans. If you're really hungry, yuca latkes and dessert round things out nicely. Of course, you'll want to come back for spicy salmon tartare with mango, avocado and passionfruit atop tostones. Or quarter jerk chicken and guava-grilled wings. Or plantain gnocchi doused in Nigerian curry. True to its name, Amiguita feels like a friend you’ll want to keep. 

Time Out tip: The flan is non-negotiable—impeccably eggy, velvety and light. 

Address: 3510 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm

What is it? The beloved DTLA and Fairfax Indian fusion joint, now dishing out its butter chicken samosas and chicken tikka poutine alongside too-easy-to-drink cocktails on Abbot Kinney. 

Why we love it: Brothers Nakul and Arjun Mahendro, and their pops Pawan, can be found cycling through the moody dining room and the kitchen on any given night. Every dish comes with a delicious anecdote. If you let him, Nakul will tell you how the slow-roasted lamb neck korma was a dish for the emperors of Northern India, or how the Alphonso mango mousse is Top Chef Michael Voltaggio's favorite. As I inhale dahi pooris (crispy puffs made from semolina and stuffed with yogurt, chickpeas, tamarind and mint chutney), Nakul tells me he keeps opening restaurants to give his old man a sense of purpose—and Abbot Kinney was always a dream destination. It's easy to understand why. The vibe here is a far cry from BADMAASH's other, more casual outposts. You'll find the usual BADMAASH suspects, including the signature steak frites, plus some new creations like garlic naan with garlic confit and green garlic butter, and whipped ricotta toast with seasonal fruit and tamarind jam. It is Venice, after all.

Time Out tip: Steve LaFountain (Horses, Little Prince) is responsible for BADMAASH’s foray into cocktail territory, so do have a dirty martini, a mezcal margarita, and anything with chai or orgeat.   

Address: 1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Opening hours: Daily 4:30–11pm