Patricia Kelly Yeo

L.A. is great and all, but sometimes you need a change of scenery. If you only have one day to spare, consider one of these quick day trips from Los Angeles to some amazing nearby destinations. Luckily, living in L.A. means it’s an easy (well, depending on traffic) and often scenic drive to SoCal’s best beaches, small towns, wineries and gorgeous desert landscapes—all within three hours of the city. Oddly enough, taking advantage of the ease with which you can get out of L.A. is easily one of the best things to do in L.A. From wine tasting in Santa Barbara and vintage hunting in Palm Springs to camping in Joshua Tree or feeling the sand between your toes in San Diego, you’re sure to find a short trip (as opposed to a longer road trip) worth taking on this list. Note that all of our commute time estimates are based on a trip originating from Downtown L.A. in light traffic (so your mileage may quite literally vary). RECOMMENDED: The best weekend getaways from L.A.

New York City is iconic (there’s no arguing with that) and while there’s an abundance of luxury spaces, stays with knockout views or spots with incredible pools which would really make your trip, you can’t beat finding a hotel which embodies everything that makes this city so effortlessly, timelessly cool.  After all, a hotel might just be a place you’re planning to rest your weary, tired head after a long day of shopping, eating and sightseeing, but when you think about it, they’re basically your gateway into the city. From oh-so-authentic downtown spots to swish FiDi skyrises and boutique Brooklyn outposts, there’s plenty to choose from. New additions to Time Out’s list for 2025 include The William Vale, The Hoxton, Williamsburg, and The Standard, High Line, but scroll on for an expertly-curated list of the coolest hotels on the block when it comes to where to stay in NYC. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York City How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more in

Southern California’s apple picking season, which generally runs from Labor Day through Thanksgiving, draws apple-loving Angelenos to comparatively rural counties nearby for a fresh taste of fall and a change of scenery. The closest apple picking area to Los Angeles is Oak Glen, a small unincorporated town in San Bernardino County where a cluster of longtime orchards allow purists to pick apples straight off the tree and indulge in timeless fall treats like apple cider, apple cider doughnuts and hot chocolate (even if the actual weather outside still hovers above 80 degrees).  While the trek to Oak Glen typically takes an hour to two hours’ drive from most parts of L.A., many of these U-pick farms offer a day of worthwhile family-friendly activities, from fresh cider pressing to petting zoos and archery—hence why they’re part of our guide to the best things to do in the fall. If you’re willing to spend three or four hours in the car, the sleepy town of Julian in San Diego County is an even more charming apple picking town—albeit better suited to an overnight trip or a longer day trip for those willing to get up even earlier to make the drive. From late October (the last few weeks of prime apple picking season) to early November, the remote mountain town also transforms into one of SoCal’s true fall foliage destinations and local bakery Julian Pie Company turns the fall bounty into some of the best pies in Southern California. When to pick apples near L.A. Though it usually r

Within the densely populated blocks of Koreatown, you’ll find the most diverse and highest-quality selection of Korean restaurants in the United States. If you’re wholly unfamiliar with Korean cuisine, there’s no better place to start your exploration than the neighborhood’s various strip mall restaurants—a task that might take the better part of a lifetime. Still, there are a few eateries outside Koreatown worth paying attention to, including a few Korean barbecue restaurants and new-school fine dining options in the Arts District and Little Tokyo. As a starting guide, we’ve rounded up the city’s very best Korean eateries, both inside and outside of Koreatown. While many do offer bulgogi, bibimbap and galbi, now known and loved across the country, we’ve also included a great many other restaurants that specialize in equally worthy options. Think seafood, bubbling cauldrons of tofu soup or kimchi stew, noodle dishes, dumplings and more. If you’ve only experienced the barbecue side of things, consider this a solid introduction to the rest of L.A.’s Korean cuisine.August 2025: In this annual update, I’ve added Restaurant Ki, Jang Choong Dong Jokbal, Damsot LA, ABSteak and Gol Tong Chicken. Since last year, Yangban has also sadly closed, while Chosun Galbee and Genwa have slowly gone downhill and/or raised their prices, so I’ve removed these listings. Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star rat

What is it that they say about L.A.’s smog? Oh yeah, the reason for its beautiful sunsets that never get old. Make the city’s pollution and marine layer work for you at these sky-high cocktail bars, where the views rightfully rival the booze. With so many new rooftop restaurants and bars in town, we’ve narrowed this list to the best drinking-oriented spots in the city, rather than full-blown dining destinations. They run the gamut from lowkey Westside rooftops to see-and-be-seen hotspots in West Hollywood, with a few longtime favorites thrown in for good measure. Most take walk-ins, thankfully, and those that require reservations aren’t necessarily the places we’d endorse paying for a full meal anyway. None of our picks require a cover fee or drink minimum, unless stated otherwise. (There are many more rooftop bars than the ones featured on our guide, but trust us, we’ve visited every single one of them, and not all of them merit paying premium cocktail prices.) From rooftop watering holes in Downtown and Hollywood to a few tried-and-true beachside bars in Venice and Santa Monica, here are the city’s—literally—top rooftop bars. August 2025: Since my last major update, Grandmasters Recorders and the Sauced pop-up atop the former Ace Hotel have closed, and Cha Cha Chá announced plans to close.  New to this season’s guide is Kassi, the newest concept atop Venice’s Hotel Eriwn. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

If it seems like every other Angeleno spends their birthday doing a bar crawl with friends in Glendale or the Arts District, it’s because we do—and because L.A. County is full of fantastic, pet-friendly taprooms and multi-story beer tasting emporiums. Though we’re years past the zenith of the city’s craft beer scene, the Southland is still home to plenty of breweries making fantastic beers in all kinds of flavors. In fact, there’s so much great locally made beer in this city that compiling a list of best breweries had to come with restrictions: Here, I’ve focused on the breweries that have a taproom you can actually visit (hence why Craftsman, a veritable Pasadena brewery with a devoted following but no actual public space, is not on here), and those that actually brew in Los Angeles. So put down your crusty old Miller Lite, get out of the house and raise a pint to L.A.’s excellent craft beer scene. August 2025: This guide has been fact-checked and reformatted in line with new Time Out editorial guidelines; the company has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues are now also accompanied by editor-assigned star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

After years of struggling through the pandemic, L.A.’s bar scene has learned to roll with the punches, and there’s always no better time than now (or this weekend) for a good, well-made drink, preferably with a side of good, old-fashioned camaraderie with slightly buzzed strangers. After all, bars, like restaurants and public parks, give rise to the sought-after sense of belonging and community that characterizes what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third spaces.” Right now, L.A.’s drinking scene is back and better than ever, and we’re glad to be back at a busy bar, credit card in hand, hoping to flag down a bartender. L.A. might have cozy dives near the beach, happy hours with views of the Hollywood Hills, and plenty of buzzier new watering holes, but if you’re really asking us, here are the best bars in Los Angeles—for any occasion. July 2025: After a long overdue (and full disclosure, hosted) visit to Death & Company, I’ve updated its listing and revised its ranking from No. 17 to No. 7. For more on our editorial policies and ethics, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

The city of West Hollywood and surrounding neighborhoods has no shortage of cocktail bars—as well as arguably the best gay nightlife scene in Los Angeles—but you're going to need a little caffeine to keep up with this bustling neighborhood. Enter: The WeHo coffee shop, a solid place to work or just nurse your hangover. Coincidentally, some of Los Angeles’ best coffee shops are located in this tiny city, or just over the border in Melrose and Hollywood. Read on for the best coffee shops in West Hollywood, solid places to grab a cup of joe or a light bite to eat in the area.August 2025: In putting together this guide, I glossed over overhyped spots like Community Goods and corporate names like Blue Bottle and Starbucks in favor of predominantly locally run cafés with some combination of excellent espresso, standout tea, tasty food menus and great ambience. I also removed Urth Caffe and Alfred Coffee, which have both gone slightly downhill in recent years. For reader convenience, I’ve included whether each spot has Wi-Fi and which ones are best for getting some work done. Happy sipping!

Sipping cocktails while toppling high scores is that beautiful utopia where adulthood meets childhood: You can stay out as late as you want, the retro vibes never cease, the beer flows freely and games cost as little as a quarter. We’ve compiled a list of the best adult-friendly arcade bars in the Los Angeles area, the kinds where you can both order a cocktail, some natural wine or a beer and play some Space Invaders. From a trendy Arts District bar to a Koreatown spot that doubles as a karaoke lounge, here’s where to unleash your inner pinball wizard in L.A., all grown up. August 2025: In this annual update, I’ve added Lucky Strike (which recently opened inside the Beverly Center) and Koreatown’s Eastwood. Since last year, Button Mash has also sadly closed, and Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

We’re convinced there’s a sushi restaurant for just about every occasion, and each one serves a purpose. Take the family-owned neighborhood spot, for example. Perfect for a reliable bowl of miso soup and chirashi on a random Tuesday night when even heating up ramen means getting your life together in some impossible way. Then there’s the date-night stunner with a rare sake list and gold-flaked nigiri that costs more than your car payment, but will make a hell of an impression on an important occasion. And we’d be remiss in excluding the refrigerated cases at the local gas station or supermarket for quick—and gastrointestinally regrettable—lunches on the run. Classic.  But then there’s the Mount Olympus of sushi restaurants. God-tier establishments doling out bites of thinly sliced fish and delicately padded rice that would make Poseidon weep (perhaps, even, quite literally). That’s what we have on this list. Restaurants that’ve elevated sushi to its purest art form and have won their fair share of awards and accolades along the way. From a sleek, minimalist counter manned by a protege of Jiro Ono (yes, that Jiro) to a speakeasy-style den of omakase in Nashville (yes, we’re serious), here are some of the best sushi restaurants in America.   August 2025: We’ve updated this list to reflect some of Time Out’s recent reviews of sushi restaurants around the country, along with current pricing, hours and menu offerings for some of our favorites. This guide will be periodically updat

It’s been years since Popeyes released its fried chicken sandwich, but L.A.’s chefs and restauranteurs keep dreaming of new ways to put a piece of crispy, deep-fried yardbird into a sandwich. The city is already full of amazing fried chicken options, but we went one step further and found the very best in sandwich form. While there’s some overlap between the two, a few restaurants around town make standout fried chicken sandwiches without necessarily frying up wings and tenders—so read on for the 15 best places to crunch your way through the city’s best fried chicken sandwiches. Stacked with outrageous sauces and slaws, these sandos will make you rethink your allegiance to a juicy burger the next time you’re craving a quick, greasy bite.

The most socially acceptable way to drink before noon, bottomless brunch wasn’t invented in L.A., but we’ve certainly perfected the sport of pairing our bacon and eggs with a side of sugary, great-tasting booze. For the weekends when you’re not headed to the hiking trails or getting away from the city, these restaurants are ready to fill your cup with sparkling white wine and orange juice, plus Aperol Spritzes, Bloody Marys, margaritas, sangria and rosé. They may not all offer the best brunch (we’ve got a separate list for that) or brunch with a side of drag, but these eateries faithfully serve the best drink deals for those hoping to day drink on special occasions—even if the occasion is just the weekend. Find yourself a designated driver, remember to stay hydrated and party with the best bottomless mimosa deals from the Westside to the Valley. August 2025: This update adds two options for bottomless brunch at Beaches WeHo and Meet in Paris in Culver City. All other listings have been fact-checked for accuracy, with addresses, pricing and bottomless drink deal hours added. Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies and has also standardized how most listings are structured. Most food and drink venues are now also accompanied by editor-assigned star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good”; anything lower than that is left unrated and is typically not included. For more on our new policies, feel free to c

After a nearly yearlong stint at Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine and Meteora, chef Ki Kim is once again pushing the boundaries of modern Korean fine dining. Located in the same Little Tokyo complex as Sushi Kaneyoshi and Bar Sawa, the chef's new tasting experience ($285) is one of the most interesting, essential fine dining experiences in the city right now. For the jet-setting gourmands among us, Restaurant Ki is a place that conceptually stands on its own two feet even as it pays homage to Atomix, Jungsik and Benu (all three being multiple Michelin-starred Korean restaurants where Kim has worked). As someone who first became acquainted with Kim’s cooking through Naemo, a short-lived dosirak pop-up during quarantine, Restaurant Ki translates into a glorious culmination of the chef’s growth, both personal and professional. Beyond that, it’s also, for the average L.A. diner who doesn’t concern themselves with Michelin stars, an undeniably delicious, utterly delightful way to spend nearly $300 on a fancy dinner.  Over a dozen rotating seafood-centric courses, Kim uses a mix of traditional Korean and classic French, fine-dining techniques to craft a uniquely L.A. Korean tasting menu experience rooted in farmer’s market seasonality. Salmon roe and smoked tomatoes offset a delicate, verdant quenelle of perilla leaf sorbet in a bowl framed by an enormous dried leaf—a plate technique with a direct throughline to Kim’s former employer, Jordan Kahn, who offers similar presentations at Vesper

This breezy Mediterranean-inspired rooftop lounge atop Venice’s Hotel Erwin comes from the same group behind Elephanté and Belle’s Beach House. The Greek-accented concept Kassi features the same dreamy sunset views plus a surprisingly solid light bites menu and striking Aegean-inspired design touches. Like Wish You Were Here Group’s other properties, Kassi offers lavish vacation vibes without the actual getaway—and despite the occasionally uppity Westside clientele (a woman rudely closed the elevator in my face), I still managed to have a wonderful time here thanks to the first-rate staff and the must-order fried zucchini crisps. Nothing on the menu reinvents the wheel, but there’s enough to put a full meal together if you’re feeling hungry, and the breezy drinks are delicious, if a little bit light on actual alcohol. And again, remember, Kassi is Venice’s only rooftop bar—so unless you’re willing to hop on over to Santa Monica, you don’t have any other real options in the surrounding area.

For a glamorous modern stay in Los Angeles, there might be no finer hotel than the West Hollywood EDITION, which perches at the top of one of the steepest streets adjoining the Sunset Strip. The 13-story nightlife-oriented Marriott property offers 190 guest rooms, 48 suites and two penthouses and shares a handful of amenities with the adjoining nine-story luxury condo tower. With a guests-only rooftop pool, a stylish and opulent (if overpriced) spa and excellent on-site food, drink and nightlife options, you don’t even need to leave the hotel to have an amazing trip to West Hollywood or even Los Angeles as a whole. The stunning lobby area features a pool table, a small outdoor area with a fire pit and a beautifully appointed bar that turns into a complete scene most weekend evenings—security, velvet ropes and all. The comfortable, well-appointed rooms and stunning design details further cement how indispensable Ian Schrager’s boutique hotel brand has become to L.A.’s sprawling hotel scene. Why stay at the West Hollywood EDITION? If the thought of paying up the nose for a dusty old room at the Chateau Marmont or the Sunset Tower makes you want to throw something out of a window, the EDITION is the right luxury property for you in L.A. The hotel prioritizes modern comforts and sleek design over Old Hollywood glamour—and attracts an equally monied, see-and-be-scene clientele, whether they’re noshing on breakfast on the roof, shooting pool in the lobby or, in some cases, actually

This South Korean chain specializes in sotbap, or pot rice—the most famous of which is bibimbap, a mixed meat and vegetable rice dish found at most Korean restaurants in Los Angeles. Literally named for the stone pot or cauldron in which sotbap is made, Damsot LA is a standout no-frills, fairly affordable lunch or dinner option with few comparable alternatives in the city’s Korean dining scene. (Technically, there’s Lasung Tofu House & Pot Rice, but the pot rice quality is much better at Damsot.) A protein-topped rice bowl on its own may not seem particularly special, but the restaurant dresses up the individually portioned crispy-bottomed sotbap with the likes of spicy eggplant and pork, abalone (along with sumptuous abalone liver) and flavorful bits of house-aged steak with egg yolk and green onions. Beyond those menu highlights, there are options for pescetarians and vegetarians, and the most expensive dish, the abalone sotbap, clocks in at $29. Each entrée comes with salad, miso soup and three solidly prepared banchan, plus a kettle of barley tea to pour over the remainder of your sotbap to make nurungji tang, or crispy burnt rice soup, at the end of your meal. Time Out tip: Your server will probably recommend you scrape out your damsot at the start and put the rest of your meal into the separate bowl provided, but I personally prefer to skip the nurungji tang and eat the nurungji on its own like an uncultured heathen once I finish the rest of the vegetables, protein and

This review was originally published on September 13, 2023, and has since been been updated to reflect more recent changes in price and dining trends.  Back in 2023, ganjang gejang had a bit of a moment on TikTok. Featured in mukbangs, home cooking tutorials and restaurant recap videos, users have leaned into the multi-sensory appeal of the Korean marinated raw crab dish: Cracking open the shell, squeezing the body with gloved hands and capturing how the soft flesh pops out on camera. (I’ll leave any metaphorical comparisons to your imagination.) Here in L.A., that culinary obsession extends to Koreatown seafood specialists like Rich Crab, Crab House and my favorite, Master Ha, a polished strip mall spot on Western Avenue serving two versions of ganjang gejang with an element of hanjeongsik—a traditional Korean tablescape of rice, soup, side dishes and mains that makes any meal feel downright opulent. For the very best soy-marinated crab, I still prefer the much-heralded Soban, but Master Ha's version is a close second. The marinade runs a touch sweet for my liking—over a meal, it can grow almost cloying—and unlike others I don’t enjoy making handrolls with the gim (dried seaweed) that accompany every order. The restaurant compensates for any minor differences in quality with optionality and presentation; instead of whole crabs, diners can spring for the marinated crab rice bowl, which comes with sides of soy-marinated egg and shrimp, plus bright yellow pickled radish and red

This review was originally published on January 3, 2024 and has since been been updated to changes in the Koreatown dining scene and the decline in quality of Lee Ga’s dumplings. (They’re still good, but nothing to write home about.) On a chilly winter evening or the morning after a long night of drinking, there’s nothing more life-affirming to me than a steaming hot bowl of soup. Enter Koreatown, where the options to sate my craving are endless: the multitude of beef tangs (broths) at Sun Nong Dan; LA Tofu House’s bubbling cauldrons of soondubu; the iconic milky, oxbone-based namesake of Han Bat Sul Lung Tang; the ultra-pale, subtly delicious dwaeji gukbap at Jinsol Gukbap; the hand-cut noodle and dumpling soups at Hangari Kalguksu; Chunju Han-Il Kwan’s army stew, served hot pot-style; and the list could go on and on. The choices seem unlimited, but I’d like to make the case to allow room in your stomach for one more: Lee Ga (pronounced “ee-ga”), located in the same strip mall plaza as 40-year-old neighborhood institution Kobawoo House.  Open since October 2022, this Vermont Avenue eatery serves an amazing take on North Korean-style mul naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles in icy beef broth) and an array of hearty, mostly beef-based soups, braises and stews made with Korean taste buds in mind, but available for all to enjoy. The chewy housemade buckwheat noodles also come in the form of bibim naengmyeon, which douses them in a medium-spicy sauce flavored with gochujang and red pepp

Located next to Sun Nong Dan, Hangari Kalguksu, true to its name, specializes in Korean kalguksu, or hand-cut noodles. We recommend the milder chicken kalguksu on a cold day, or a spicy seafood soup if you're in the mood for a bit of heat. The menu’s hidden gem, however, are their bossam platters, which come with delicate slices of boiled pork belly, crunchy cabbage leaves, radish kimchi, rice, plus slices of jalapeño and garlic for extra spice and flavor. Hangari Kalguksu also offers third-party takeout and delivery with a generous delivery range—so there’s a good chance you can order your bossam and noodle soup to the comfort of your home.  

Who knew fruit could pair so well with fried chicken? At Gol Tong Chicken, Kil Chae Jeong offers the quirkiest, best-tasting Korean fried chicken in Koreatown. An erstwhile South Korean film director and Seoul-based fried chicken shop operator, Jeong is the shop’s only employee. His bushy eyebrows and mustachioed visage can be seen all over the screen-filled strip mall restaurant, which blasts a combination of K-pop and Korean TV shows. Dine-in customers can slip on disposable gloves to chow down on Jeong’s saucy fried chicken, which comes in original, soy garlic and sweet chili. Each made-to-order plate comes topped with sesame seeds and a rainbow of jalapeño slices, blueberries, strawberries, avocado and pineapple. Note: Takeout orders are only taken over the phone or in person.

Bubbling, red-tinged bowls of comforting tofu soup are now commonplace across Los Angeles, but this Koreatown eatery inside a former Mexican restaurant (look up at the cactus chandeliers) takes an unusually artisan approach to its soondubu. All the tofu at Surawon is made in-house (a relative rarity), and for a slight upcharge, there’s also a unique black soybean variety that lends a complex, almost nutty aftertaste to the soup’s typically neutral soy foundation. The same attention to detail makes for delicious takes on Korean standards, including the sizzling platters of barbecue chicken and generously portioned fried mackerel. Sure, Surawon might lack the late-night hours of other soondubu specialists, but when the main attraction is this fresh and delicious, we wouldn’t head anywhere else during regular business hours.

Sullungtang, alternatively romanized as seolleongtang, is a milky-white broth made from ox bones, brisket and occasionally other cuts of beef. Though you might see the dish pop up on other Korean restaurant menus, the consistently excellent version at Han Bat Sul Lung Tang is our favorite no-frills place in town whenever we’re craving a high-quality bowl of Korean beef soup for dine-in or takeout. Prices have gone up in recent years, but Han Bat’s clean-tasting broth, seasoned to your liking with salt, pepper, spring onions and red pepper paste, is still the finest sullungtang in town. A bowl of white rice and tender slabs of brisket, tongue or mixed cuts add substance to your bowl (available in medium or large), and with limited seating and little in the way of ambience, the move here for those dining in is to get in, eat quickly and get out.

This old-school dumpling and noodle specialist previously known as Myung Dong Kyoja is famous for its deliciously garlicky kimchi, freshly steamed pork mandu and comforting bowls of kalguksu, or knife-cut noodles. For warmer weather, MDK also serves an excellent spicy naengmyeon (which uses chewy, ultra-thin strands made of arrowroot flour) among several other traditional cold noodle dishes. Though “noodles” may now be in its official name, we always suggest adding the delicate steamed mandu to your order—they’re among the very best when it comes to Korean-style dumplings in Los Angeles. Truly, there’s no wrong order here, since everything's pretty great. That being said, I would caution against getting the kong guksu (chilled chlorella noodles in soy milk broth) unless you have an open mind or know what you’re getting yourself into, since downing an entire bowl of seasoned cold soymilk is not exactly a universally beloved dining experience.

Tteokbokki—alternatively romanized as ddukbokki—can be found on many bar bite menus across Koreatown, but this namesake specialist offers the best version of the popular spicy rice cake in town. Anointed with copious amounts of gochujang (Korean fermented red pepper paste) and red chili powder, the mellow, pleasantly chewy logs form the basis of a delicious, fiery snack commonly sold as street food and pub grub in South Korea. At Yup Dduk, thin sheets of fish cakes, sausages, cabbage and a shower of mozzarella cheese accompany the dish, which can be upgraded with toppings like instant ramen, boiled eggs and fried dumplings. Luckily for the less spice-inclined among us, the shop lets diners customize their spice level, but as a word of warning: Even the mild version still packs a little bit of a kick.

There are two vital pieces of information you should know about my tastes as a critic: I don’t have the largest appetite, and I believe there's nothing worse than leaving a tasting menu hungry. Most days, when I’m planning on a tasting menu for dinner, I stick to an extremely light, homemade lunch—or I will not make it through dessert, period. And nothing will disqualify a prix-fixe menu faster in my heart (or in my notes) than when I leave a restaurant in need of a few street tacos to ward off any stomach grumbling in the middle of the night.  Beautifully plated dishes made with impeccably sourced ingredients might taste good and look impressive, but if I’m literally left wanting more, you’ve already lost me. No matter how difficult the economics might be, a rumbling stomach is one of the fundamental tenets of hospitality: Restaurants are meant to nourish guests, not deprive them. This is why I was never the biggest fan of Koreatown’s now-closed Kinn, a wildly ambitious starter pack of a restaurant run by Ki Kim, a South Korea-born, Colorado-raised chef who cut his teeth cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens in New York City and San Francisco. In both cities’ fine dining scenes, upscale modernist Korean cuisine has firmly taken root among more traditional Japanese and French interpretations—including several kitchens Kim has personally passed through. Photograph: Courtesy Jesse HsuA hen of the woods mushrooms and uni dish at Kinn. To anyone remotely familiar with national f

In spite of the mythos surrounding chefs and the intangibles of hospitality, the success of a restaurant often boils down to a few smart real estate decisions, and the three-month-old Baby Bistro is no exception. The buzzy, self-described “bistro of sorts” is the final piece of the puzzle completing Alpine Courtyard, located in Victor Heights. As of writing, the trendy commercial complex is single-handedly gentrifying the tiny, oft-forgotten neighborhood at the border of Chinatown and Echo Park, just north of the 110 freeway.  The place’s vintage charm is obvious before you even spot Baby Bistro, which you’ll find tucked away towards the back of the complex. Owned and painstakingly developed over several years by preservation-minded architect-developer Jingbo Lou, it consists of six converted buildings, including a 1908 Craftsman house and three Victorian era homes (one of which houses Baby Bistro), arranged around a brick-lined central courtyard with a lush, carefully maintained garden full of banana trees, bougainvillea and plenty of herbs and vegetables. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutAlpine Courtyard’s garden during the day. In a city of sun-bleached asphalt, minimal shade cover and other hostile urban features, it feels downright heavenly to step into Alpine Courtyard. By day, Angelenos pick up plant-based pastries at Bakers Bench, specialty caffeinated drinks from Heavy Water Coffee and gourmet banchan from Perilla LA. After 4:30pm, when Perilla closes up

If you spot a seven-foot-tall Spam musubi barreling down the streets of L.A., you’re not imagining things. In partnership with supermarket giant Kroger, the iconic luncheon meat brand widely beloved in Hawaii, the Philippines and South Korea (yes, for American imperialism-related reasons) is celebrating National Spam Musubi Day (August 8) with a larger-than-life food truck shaped like Hawaii’s iconic handheld treat. Earlier this year, Spam began selling sushi products at Kroger property sushi counters, including at various locations of Ralphs, one of the corporate grocer’s most visible outposts in L.A.  On Thursday—today—from noon to 2pm, you’ll find the Musubi Mobile at Ralphs at 260 South La Brea Avenue in Central L.A., one of the locations close to Miracle Mile and the Grove. Then, from 5 to 7pm, the Musubi Mobile will pop up in West L.A. at the Ralphs at 11727 West Olympic Boulevard. Tomorrow, on National Spam Musubi Day, the Musubi Mobile will make an appearance at the Ralphs at 2600 West Victory Boulevard in Burbank from noon to 2pm. At all three pop-ups, L.A. shoppers can score free samples of Spam musubi and norimaki, play outdoor games, pick up Spam coupons and more. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out For those who can’t catch the Musubi Mobile in person, don’t worry: You can now score Spam musubi at Ralphs stores across L.A. County and the rest of the country, plus other Kroger outposts, with a digital coupon

Beginning tomorrow, Dine LA is back. Now in its 17th year, L.A.’s biggest restaurant week offers prix-fixe menus starting from $15 per person, though many places now opt to offer menus in the priciest, wide-ranging category: $65 and above. For the next two weeks, Angelenos can score a handful of small discounts at restaurants across the city, including a few of what I consider the city’s best restaurants. For those who were going to splurge anyway, you can even score a two-Michelin-star meal at a $75 discount over at Mélisse in Santa Monica. For all of those hunting for an actual bargain, I’ve found 17 different places across Los Angeles that I’d consider a good deal, in one way or another. My personal favorites include the pair of $25 and $35 meal deals from Koreatown’s Soban, home to L.A.’s best soy-marinated crab and one of the best banchan selections in the city. (Any genuine lover of Korean cuisine knows that the complimentary side dishes provided with your meal are one of the best representations of a given restaurant’s true culinary capabilities.) Did I mention Soban is also one of the city’s best restaurants?  RECOMMENDED: The 17 best deals for Dine LA restaurant week, summer 2025 Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Another truly great option is the $65 prix-fixe menu from the Girl & the Goat in the Arts District, which includes five family-style dishes and a matcha tres leches with rhubarb-strawberry sorbet for dessert. While Top Chef alum Stephanie Izard’s

Well, we all knew it was coming: The Tesla diner and drive-in in Hollywood is finally opening at 4:20pm today (ugh) after several years of construction and permitting delays. According to Tesla-focused blog Not a Tesla App, the Texas-based electric car company held a preview event for first responders over the weekend complete with several Optimus units walking around on-site. (It’s unclear if the diner will actually employ said Tesla robots as servers.) Ah, to be alive in 2025! Elon Musk’s pet project was first announced to the public back in 2022, well before the South African-born tech billionaire began dabbling in politics and gutted several federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency. (More recently, he’s started his own political party with former Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang.) The now-controversial Tesla diner went without a culinary lead for some time before ghost kitchen chef Eric Greenspan was hired to oversee the menu earlier this year. Per New York Times reporting, veteran restaurateur Bill Chait (Bestia, Vespertine, Destroyer, among others) is also involved. The project also caused local backlash when Margarita and Walter Manzke, the co-owners of L.A.’s award-winning République voiced support for the diner. NEWS: Tesla's Hollywood Diner and Supercharger officially opens to the public this Monday, July 21st!• 80 V4 Supercharger stalls• Drive-in movie theater with two 45-foot LED movie screens. Audio of movies/videos play

L.A. may not have the late-night dining scene of New York City, but it’s still possible to find a great bite to eat after hours. Just ask the hardworking, talented chefs behind some of L.A.’s best new restaurants, who kindly shared their favorite places to go after they get off their evening shifts or their rare days off. In honor of Time Out’s month-long celebration of all things nightlife, I reached out to six different hospitality industry veterans to find out where they like to go off the clock.  Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Alan Sanz of Daisy Margarita Bar (Sherman Oaks) / Mírate (Los Feliz)  “After the shift, I really like to go to the Normandie Club (Koreatown) for a drink. [Daisy/Mírate bar director Max Reis and I] go to a place called Johnny's Bar in Highland Park, close to Max's house. We go together there often. Sometimes, we go to Jones (Hollywood) for pizza and their martinis. We like their pizza (chuckles). Sometimes we take the caviar from Daisy and put it on top of our pizzas with our martinis.” Photograph: Jakob N. Layman for Time Out Michael Leonard of Beethoven Market (Mar Vista) (Editor’s note: Leonard started off this conversation by saying he usually just goes straight home.) “If I am really hungry, I do have my spots here on the Westside that are open somewhat late. Probably, my go-to is In-N-Out. Extremely reliable, consistent and open until what, 2am? [Editor’s note: It closes at 1am]. My favorite one is the one on Venice [Boulevard

The fairly sleepy city of Pasadena just gained another stylish rooftop in the form of Osa Rooftop, a brand-new eatery atop the newly opened AC Hotel Pasadena. The predominantly outdoor restaurant, which made its public debut last Friday, is located in the Playhouse Village District. Come New Year’s Day, the sixth floor vantage point will make for great viewing of Pasadena’s world-famous Rose Parade—the hotel restaurant sits along a key part of the route. For the other 364 days a year, however, guests can look forward to sweeping views of the San Gabriel Mountains and a beautifully designed open-air terrace with string lights, fire pits and other landscaping elements inspired by the nearby Angeles National Forest. The interior design sports a desert-inspired color scheme inspired by Baja California and the work of world-famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out While I’m normally bearish (pun intended—“osa” translates to female bear in Spanish) on hotel rooftops in general, I was able to visit Osa firsthand over the weekend, and I can honestly say the new opening is a major win for Pasadena. After all, the California cuisine restaurant comes from Boulevard Hospitality Group, the restaurant and bar veterans between Yamashiro, Adults Only and Inglewood’s Cork and Batter. Head chef Carlos Couts, formerly of Encino’s Sushi by Scratch and Hollywood’s Rokusho, offers a globally influenced, ingredient-first approach to standard, crowdpleas

タイムアウトロサンゼルスのベストピザランキングでトップに選ばれた「ピッツェリア セイ（Pizzeria Sei）」が、再び栄誉を手にした。 今回は、イタリアにルーツを持ち「世界最高のピッツェリアを紹介する最初のガイド」と自負する業界有力誌「50 Top Pizza」からのもの。その2025年アメリカ版「50 Top Pizza USA」で、見事2位にランクインしたのだ。 ウィリアム・ジュウが手がけるピッツェリア セイは、ロサンゼルス郡から唯一このガイドに選出。2024年は8位にランクインしていたが、今年は一気に6ランク上昇する快挙を達成した。 「ローナン（Ronan）」や「ピッツァナ（Pizzana）」などのロサンゼルスの名店で腕を磨いたジュウが、「街一番」にふさわしいピザとして提供するのは、東京スタイルのナポリピッツァ（ジュウは中目黒「聖林館」に影響を受けたことを公言）。薄く焦げ目の付いた円形の生地に、厚みを持たせた縁が特徴で、結果として「餅」のような食感が楽しめる。 これまでも数々の賞を獲得し、すでに大人気店だが、現在の店構えは比較的小規模。2025年の後半に、ピコ・ロバートソン地区からパームス地区への移転する予定だというので、今後は、より多くの人がその味を体験できるチャンスが増えそうだ。 今年の「50 Top Pizza USA」でトップに輝いたのは、ニューヨークの「ウナ ピッツァ ナポレターナ（Una Pizza Napoletana）」。南カリフォルニアからは、ハンティントンビーチにある「ナルド（Nardò）」（カルヴァーシティにも支店がある）　が24位に、ダナポイントの「トゥルリー ピザ（Truly Pizza）」が9位と、トップ10入りを果たした。また、ピッツェリア セイおよびトゥルリー ピザの両店は、国際的な「Best Pizza Awards」でも近年表彰されている。 「50 Top Pizza USA」は、世界版と比べると競争はやや穏やかだ。とはいえ、ニューへブン、デトロイト、シカゴ、そして言うまでもなくニューヨークと、地域ごとに個性豊かなピザ文化が根づくアメリカで、こうした評価を得ることは依然として極めて困難といえる。 なお、同ガイドの順位決定に当たっては、世界各地のピザ屋を匿名で訪れた審査員たちが、生地の品質、トッピング、サービス、そして総合的な体験を評価基準にして審査し、投票している。 関連記事 『This Tokyo-style L.A. pizza joint was just named the second-best pizzeria in the U.S.（原文）』 『東京、ベストピザ2025』 『東京、ニューヨークスタイルピザ5選』 『タイムアウトが「世界のベストピザ 19」ランキングを発表』 『イタリア人も称賛するピッツァの名店「ダ イーサ」が目黒川沿いに移転』 『大阪、薪窯焼きナポリピッツァ5選』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら  

In yet another bit of pizza-related news, L.A.’s Pizzeria Sei (also known as Time Out’s top pick for pizza in Los Angeles) continues to rack up culinary awards—this time from 50 Top Pizza, an influential industry guide with roots in Italy and the self-described “first guide of the best pizzerias in the world.” William Joo’s tiny, multiple-award-winning Pico-Robertson pizzeria, which is slated to move to Palms later this year, just clinched the No. 2 spot on the 50 Top Pizza USA guide at an awards ceremony held earlier today inside NYC’s Chelsea Market. Last year, the same guide ranked Pizzeria Sei at No. 8. In 2025, the Tokyo-style pizzeria jumped an astonishing six places and continues to be the only pizzeria in L.A. County recognized by 50 Top Pizza. Two other Southern California pizzerias also made 50 Top Pizza’s annual U.S. list: Nardò in Huntington Beach (which also has a satellite location in Culver City), ranked 24th in the nation, and Dana Point’s Truly Pizza, which came in at No. 9 and thus made the top 10. Both Pizzeria Sei and Truly Pizza were also recently recognized at the international Best Pizza Awards. To determine its regional rankings—a recent ranking also dropped for all of Europe—the 50 Top Pizza judges use anonymous inspectors to sample pizzerias across the globe in search of high-quality dough, toppings, service and overall experience. While a national guide naturally isn’t as competitive as an international list of rankings, it’s still pretty darn diffi

In a move that probably won’t surprise local pizza lovers, three different standout Southern California pizzerias—and the chefs behind them—just made the top 100 list of the world’s best pizzas at the third annual Best Pizza Awards in Milan. William Joo of Pizzeria Sei, also known as Time Out’s top pick for pizza in Los Angeles, came in at number 44 in the world, beating out dozens of pizzaiolos in New York City and cities across Italy. Justin De Leon of Apollonia’s Pizza (another one of our favorite pizza joints) ranked number 58, while Chris Decker of Truly Pizza in Orange County’s Dana Point clinched the highest spot among SoCal recipients at number 42.  Organized by the Best Chef Awards, the Best Pizza Awards first began three years ago and puts an emphasis on individual chefs, rather than restaurants or the places they inhabit. The European awarding body was founded in 2015 by a Polish neuroscientist and an Italian gastronomist and emphasizes a transparent, “chef-led” voting and selection process. Both Joo (Pizzeria Sei) and De Leon (Apollonia’s) have previously earned recognition from the Best Pizza Awards; 2025 is the first year that Decker (Truly Pizza) has made the awards’ global top 100 list. Photograph: Courtesy @pizzaphile_ The Best Pizza Awards praised Joo for making Tokyo-style Neapolitan pies that are “technically refined and full of character.” In particular, the European awarding body recognized Joo’s “salt-punch” technique, which involves sprinkling salt i

Tonight, Michelin announced its list of starred California restaurants for 2025 at an awards ceremony in Sacramento, and the results for Los Angeles are now in: Two all-new one-star additions; three Michelin stars (the city’s first) awarded for Somni, the most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles; and a highly coveted third star for Providence, Michael Cimarusti’s longtime Hollywood fine dining institution, which has held two stars every year that Michelin has rated L.A. restaurants since 2009. (The guide left L.A. for a decade, returning in 2019.)  One of the world’s most famous dining guides (as well as a multinational French tire company), Michelin decides what it considers worth visiting by sending anonymous inspectors all over a given city, state, region or country. In North America, the guide’s overall bias towards Japanese omakase and French fine-dining restaurants is well-known, though it also includes a variety of unstarred restaurants in terms of cuisine and price point within each edition of the guide. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutThe lamb course at Restaurant Ki in January 2025. This year in L.A. was largely no different. The two newest one-starred L.A. restaurants for 2025 are Restaurant Ki, a modern Korean tasting menu in Little Tokyo run by eponymous chef Ki Kim (who also earned Michelin’s Young Chef Award) and Mori Nozomi, a standout, female-led omakase experience in West L.A. by eponymous chef and Osaka native Nozomi Mori. Almost every other tw

When I see influencers of every stripe and specialty posting about a buzzy new L.A. opening, I tend to take a wait-and-see approach before going—if I bother to even visit at all. Which is why, despite loving tea (and preferring it over coffee), I waited nearly two months before trying the brand-new Chagee Tea House at Westfield Century City, a brand founded in Yunnan, China, one of the world’s most important tea-producing regions.  In April, the fast-growing Chinese company, which has over 6,400 locations around the globe, made its debut on the Nasdaq and is reportedly worth approximately $6 billion. Given that valuation, some folks in the media have billed Chagee (pronounced “CHAH-jee”) the “Starbucks of tea." After trying the drinks firsthand earlier this month, I wholeheartedly agree with that metaphor—Chagee serves the same exact kind of premium mediocrity as the multinational Seattle-based coffee chain.  Photograph: Courtesy Chagee USAThe Chinese tea company’s ornate branding is a blatant ripoff of Dior While I wouldn’t say the drinks are terrible, per se, there are much better milk tea options in the San Gabriel Valley, including a handful of independently run boba shops and tea houses you probably already know and love. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why the masses love Chagee. The aspirational, Dior-esque branding and high-touch customer experience carries the patina of luxury, even if the semi-automated brewing leaves much to be desired in the taste department. In