Where to eat and drink near L.A. Live

So you want to be a baller, huh? Floor seats to a Lakers game is one way to do it, but to accompany your night spent courtside, you may want to splurge on a thick cut of steak from Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. There's plenty of meaty options to choose from here—ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon—along with truffle lobster, lump crabmeat and a prime rib dinner. The steakhouse also operates as a wine bar, so you can end the night with a glass (or bottle—we're not judging) from one of Prime's 100+ available wines.

Located on the lobby of the JW Mariott at L.A. Live, Ford's Filling Station showcases simple American cuisine with a California flair. Chef Ben Ford (yes, he's the son of Harrison) pays attention to organic, sustainable ingredients, offering dishes like pan seared sea bass and polenta cake. Fresh, seasonal cocktails and a built-in cruvinet offering 32 wines by the glass round out Ford's beverage options.

Amidst L.A. Live's gastropubs and coffee chains is Katsuya, a sushi powerhouse that delivers fresh and original rolls alongside stellar cocktails. For lunch, there are traditional bento boxes filled with miso cod and shrimp tempura, plates of yellowtail sashimi topped with jalapeño, and their signature Katsuya roll. Heading here for dinner? You can pick and choose from their extensive dinner menu, but splurging on omakase—the tasting menu—is a worthwhile pick.

WP24 (see below) recently reinvented its adjacent bar area to create NEST. Here, hotel guests and visitors can stop by for both food and drinks, snacks or a full meal from chef John Lechleidner. Pork belly "Bao Buns" are sweet and pillowy with a honey-garlic glaze, perfect for snacking on with a beer while watching a basketball or hockey game on one of NEST's stragetically placed flat screens. For something lighter, the Szechuan cucumbers are fantastic and provide the necessary crunch factor, while the Chinese pork crackling is a softer (yet still indulgent) version of the traditional snack.

For a taste of Wolfgang Puck's modern Chinese, head to the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Downtown. With spectacular views of the city, the main dining room offers an expansive menu in a more formal setting, while Nest at WP24 offers an abbreviated menu of plates to share (sushi rolls, dumplings) and Asian-inspired cocktails. Stop by pre- or post- event at the nearby Staples Center or for Sunday dim sum dinner.

When you want to be close to the action but not quite in it, Yard House is your go-to gastropub for watching the game. The L.A. Live eatery has enough TVs scattered around the space to get a good view from any seat while you nosh on buffalo wings, nachos, poke or garlic noodles. If the thought of chicken wings makes you squirm, there's a full vegetarian section on the menu. Oh, and the most important part: Yard House boasts a massive list of beer. Get there during happy hour (Mon-Fri 3-6pm) for discounted drinks and bites.