Patricia Kelly Yeo

Before the Yelp ratings and “best of” accolades start to roll in, how do you know what’s actually good or not among L.A.’s just-opened eateries? Every month, I put myself through the wringer attempting to visit every new, notable restaurant around Los Angeles. Usually, I enjoy revisiting the city’s best eateries and sipping cocktails at tried-and-true bars, but scouting for the best new restaurants and bars in L.A. is, to put it nicely, kind of a grab bag. Whenever I’m out scouting for the latest openings, I’m just as likely to blow hundreds of dollars on an overhyped dud as I am to stumble upon the city’s next truly great restaurant. With Time Out’s guide to L.A.’s best new restaurants, you don’t need to sift through pay-to-play influencer videos and user-generated reviews to decide where to head next—I’ve done the work for you, from looking for parking and waiting in line to trying those ultra-pricey tasting menus, since there’s nothing worse when dining out than wasting your precious free time and, of course, money. I also strive to include valet prices and parking information for every restaurant—further taking the headache out of trying the next great new spot. Questions I ask myself before including a spot on this guide: Does this new restaurant offer something more interesting, delicious or unique than any of L.A.’s existing restaurants? Is it worth the hype (and money)? Is it worth going out of the way for? If the answer to any of these is “No,” I don’t include it. Ge

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: I’ve updated listings for Accomplice and the Let’s Go to reflect changes in the two venue’s menu and happy hour offerings, respectively. For more on our editorial policies and ethics, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

Los Angeles is still home to one of the most innovative, exciting and most importantly, culturally diverse food scenes in the country, despite the ever-rising cost of doing business (and more recent ICE-related raids, related protests and overall chilling effects on the local economy). Brick-and-mortar restaurants, Instagram pop-ups, street vendors and food trucks: No matter the form, you can find amazing food in a city whose reputation is built as much on off-the-beaten-path tacos and pop-ups as it is on fine dining-trained chefs making quick work of farmers’ market produce and mainline access to top-notch Pacific seafood.Decades of immigration from Asia and Latin America have translated into genre-bending formats, eclectic hybrid cuisines and some of the country’s best omakase restaurants, fine dining institutions and strip mall hidden gems. At a time when L.A.’s undocumented communities are being targeted by federal agents for detention and deportation, I think it’s more important than ever to acknowledge the indispensable role immigrants play in our country’s food system, from picking crops to washing dishes, bussing tables and working the line at your favorite restaurant. And if you’ve ever dined out in Los Angeles, something on your plate or the plate itself has likely been touched by an immigrant.  Every month, I visit dozens of bustling restaurants across the city looking for amazing eats, great ambience and top-notch customer service. Last month, however, felt a lit

Though we consistently cover new restaurants with killer cocktail offerings, new bars in L.A. are few and far between—but deserve just as much attention. To keep you up to date on the city’s bar scene, we’ve got a quarterly guide to the city’s best new bars, where you can find the city’s freshest places to drink that are actually worth checking out.  Plenty of newer drinking-oriented establishments straddle the line between bar and restaurant, but on this list we prioritize venues where it’s not strange at all to order a single nightcap or aperitivo—without your server trying to upsell you on bar bites when you aren’t hungry. We also strive to include establishments that stay open past 10pm on weekends, though we of course make exceptions for standout spots.  While these fledgling watering holes and lounges might lack the storied reputations of the city’s best bars and cocktail dens, they make up for it with stylish interiors and unique booze offerings. Some even have delicious bar bites perfect for whenever you’re feeling peckish, but this list focuses on destination-worthy venues with excellent drinks or first-rate atmosphere for going out (ideally, a combination of both).  So just how new are these drinking dens? We limit our list to bars, lounges and breweries that have opened in the past nine months. We check out each bar personally to make sure it’s worth your time and hassle—since there’s only so much booze money to spare. July 2025: This quarterly update includes four

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. April 2025: Since my last major update, a few more L.A. rooftop bars have opened (and the Shay Hotel at Culver City has reopened its rooftop restaurant), but not all of them are worth going out of your way for. New to this year’s guide are Sauced and Florentín, both in Downtown L.A. A few places have come off the list, reflecting changes in service fo

Move over, New York City: You might have dollar-ish slices, but these days, the Los Angeles pizza scene has grown to encompass dizzying variety of pizza styles, including Detroit-style squares, classic NYC-style triangles, Tokyo-style Neapolitan, Roman pinsas and yes, the California-style flatbreads first made famous by Spago and later, California Pizza Kitchen. Since the pandemic, it’s become easier than ever to grab a slice of great pizza in L.A., no matter where you live—almost as easy as stopping by a taco stand or stumbling across some great strip mall sushi.In researching this guide, I've tried (and retried) over 70 different L.A. pizzas, pitting imports from elsewhere like Phoenix’s Pizza Bianco, New York City’s Emmy Squared and Naples’s very own L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele against beloved hometown favorites and up-and-coming newcomers. While they all make wonderful pizzas, I also excluded more upscale, less specialized restaurants like Bestia, Gjelina, Jon and Vinny's and Evan Funke’s powerhouse trio (Felix, Funke and Mother Wolf) since while they all make great pies, pizzas generally a nice-to-have at these restaurants, not an essential part of your meal. I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest pizzas in L.A., and I’m not afraid to drop old-timers from the list if quality has dropped off. Gourmet or lowbrow, takeout or dine-in, thin crust or thick—these places are serving the best pizzas in Los Angeles right now. February 2025: Since I last updated this g

Let’s be real: Could a French tire company really encapsulate what good dining in Los Angeles entails? Apparently, they’re still going to try. The largely Eurocentric international guide has released its 2025 guide for California, and thus the City of Angels. In 2025, Michelin maintained almost every one-star and two-star designation in L.A. County from the year before, but upgraded Providence’s two stars to three stars—the guide’s highest honor. The new one-star eateries this year are Restaurant Ki and Mori Nozomi. As is usually the case with Michelin, all new starred places this year fell into the Japanese or “tasting menu” category, with prices in the four dollar sign range. The 125-year-old Big Red Book proves that while age is just a number, culinary elitism is timeless.  For those blissfully unaware of what the Michelin Guide is, here’s how it all goes down: The star ratings, while not universally celebrated, are considered the most prestigious award any restaurant could ever receive. One star denotes “a very good restaurant,” two signifies “excellent cooking that is worth a detour” and three stars, most coveted of all, translates to “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” A newer Bib Gourmand category, added to their 2019 guide to California, also recognizes more affordable spots, with three new L.A. area additions in 2025: Komal, Rasarumah and Vin Folk. To determine these ratings, the guide’s anonymous inspectors visit and judge restaurants according to

Lined with palm trees, designer stores and police surveillance cameras on almost every corner, Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive is world-famous for a reason—it’s one of the ritziest shopping districts in the world, and the cornerstone of the city’s tony downtown area, also known as the Golden Triangle. Whether you’re shopping for luxury goods or just strolling around as a tourist, an afternoon of walking around these handful of blocks will probably work up an appetite.  You’ll find plenty of restaurants and cafés in the area, but most places along Rodeo Drive proper are overpriced tourist traps. I would know: As a Westside native, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in and around downtown Beverly Hills, from eye doctor appointments (really) to evening visits to the area’s newest, buzziest restaurants. From years of eating out in Beverly Hills (and wincing once the bill arrives, most of the time), I’ve assembled a handy guide of the best Rodeo Drive restaurants, no matter the price point or time of day. If you’re willing to walk just a few blocks over, you’ll find a few of the city’s best restaurants and great options for lunch, brunch and coffee at every price point—just in case you blew through your shopping budget.June 2025: I’ve updated this guide to include options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and dinner. 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 “ama

Los Angeles has the most diverse, expansive and wide-reaching sushi scene in the country, so how does one even begin? This highly vetted guide, for starters. Over the last three years, I visited dozens of Valley strip malls, Little Tokyo shopping plazas and swanky counters in Beverly Hills in search of L.A.’s best sushi restaurants. These days, pricey omakase experiences predominate my top sushi picks (a reflection of L.A.’s changing sushi bar demographics), but you can still find a few high-quality, affordable à la carte options around the city (if you’re willing to wait, it’s still hard to beat Sushi Gen’s sashimi lunch special).Why should you trust my expertise? I’m an L.A. native who enjoyed my first set of tekka maki at Hide Sushi on Sawtelle (which is still around, by the way) and cycled through love affairs with unagi (freshwater eel), saba (mackerel) and SushiStop’s famous dynamite rolls in adolescence and college. Though it’s hard to turn down freshly pressed Edomae-style sushi, I’m still fond of a good spicy tuna crispy rice once in a while, and I’ve even sampled a few of the city’s vegan sushi options. Over three years, I’ve tried 50 different L.A. omakases, dined at over 70 different sushi purveyors of various price points, and I’m always on the hunt for new (or new-to-me) places to try.In the high-end realm, I look for places that maximize overall wow factor; even within the upper echelons of L.A. dining, I take price, atmosphere and booking convenience into cons

Hot, sunny weather can make an appearance any time of the year in Los Angeles, which means it’s technically always ice cream season in our city. Slowly but surely, I’ve trekked across L.A. County, sampling dozens of different kinds of ice cream, soft-serve and yes, non-dairy desserts like paletas and vegan ice cream—all of which deserve just as much recognition as dairy-based classic frozen treats. I’ve decided to exclude excellent restaurant-bound ice cream options like the traditional Italian gelato from Antico Nuovo and Nancy Silverton’s Mozzaplex, not to mention the soft-serve from Jon & Vinny’s and Yang’s Kitchen, simply because you don’t need to always spend money on entire meal every time you’re in search of amazing ice cream in Los Angeles.  The next time temperatures climb (and sometimes even if they don’t), treat yourself to the city’s tastiest frozen treats, many of which are built on fresh fruits and herbs from L.A.’s incredible farmers’ markets. Whether you’re looking for jam-swirled seasonal flavors, globally inspired scoops or straight-up classic combos done right, L.A. has it all—and then some more. June 2025: In this seasonal update of the best ice cream in L.A., I’ve shuffled rankings slightly, with Fosselman’s now rightly attaining a spot in the top 10 ahead of Fluffy McCloud’s. I’ve also added new information for Fosselman’s, Kanomwaan, Mateo’s, Honeymee and Handel’s. New to this year’s guide is Arcadia’s 626 Ice Cream, which has improved since my first vi

In Los Angeles, there seem to be as many good-to-great taco spots as there are stars in the sky, but how can one even begin to decide where to start? After all, you can easily find chef-driven tacos in the $10 to $20 range made with the finest ingredients—though we'll have little to none of that on this list—as you can find $3 street tacos, ready to be popped straight into your mouth while you're standing on the sidewalk. Our non-exhaustive best tacos list serves as a carefully curated selection of what we think are the city's finest tacos (some of which have even landed on our best restaurants list), along with a few more practical considerations like more regular operating hours and consistency in quality and service. (In our eyes, a “best” taco only the most dedicated, patient fans can get after waiting several hours isn't really a best taco at all.) Whether you’re a visitor or a local, read on for an excellent guide for anyone hoping to become a well-rounded taco connossieur. May 2025: This most recent update adds Tijuanazo and Barbacoa Ramirez, both of which rank in the top 15 tacos in a taco-laden city. I’ve also removed Tacos La Guera (which is still open in SoCal, but the Venice and Highland Park locations are no longer listed on the official Instagram). In the last year, the critically acclaimed Guerrilla Tacos also closed its doors, and thus has been removed from the guide. Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in how most listings are structured. For more

In a city known for its vegetarian and vegan appeal, we sometimes forget about the bounty of steakhouses serving prime cuts of meat around L.A. True, Angelenos tend to prefer their red meat in Korean barbecue or smashburger form, but there’s nothing like a steakhouse to seal the deal on an important contract or impress someone after a great first date. After a year of research and a seemingly endless number of martinis, wedge salads and sides of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and char-grilled broccolini, I’m pleased to present you with our guide to L.A.’s best steakhouses. To exhaustively update this guide, I visited over two dozen steakhouses, criss-crossed L.A. County and made sure that the spots on this guide are the places in L.A. to find a perfectly cooked dry-aged (or wet-aged) steak, plus killer sides, appetizers and dessert. These protein-heavy joints are the ideal spot to kick back with a martini or two, level up a relationship (or, you know, not) and find solace with other meat-eaters. Check out our list of the best steakhouses in L.A., and keep your knives at the ready. June 2025: Since my last update, 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. This seasonal update includes new information on the brunch offerings at Smoke House and Ba

This Arts District concept from Bay Area fine dining veteran Joshua Skenes is a soda-slash-tea fountain masquerading as pricey fast-casual fried chicken concept. Two Sichuan-inspired tenders, a “liquid” waffle (it’s a regular waffle dipped in waffle-infused maple syrup), fries and a soda may cost $26 at Happies, but Skenes knows how to make seriously great spicy fried chicken. The real reason I’m recommending Happies, however, is for the great, over-the-top array of desserts and drinks, both boozy and booze-free. I'm talking an impeccably crafted cold brew topped with an entire Krispy Kreme doughnut; a boozy, light purple Kyoho grape slushie; and a slate of housemade milk teas and sodas that includes an alpine strawberry soda and a must-try milk and honey oolong tea. The same soft-serve made famous at the now-closed Angler LA and more recently, Skenes’ Leopardo (which is slated to reopen later this year) is also available at Happies with several different sauces, including butterscotch and passion fruit. The concept shares a space and kitchen with Tatsu Ramen, so if you find yourself anywhere near Downtown L.A. (after the anti-ICE protests and related curfews, the entire region certainly needs the business!) and are looking for a quick jolt of culinary dopamine, Happies more than fits the bill.

This reservation-preferred second-floor Melrose Avenue cocktail bar from the same team behind Benjamin, which is located downstairs. The service is great, the interior design is impeccable and drinks here are on par with some of the best bars in Los Angeles. While many Angelenos are still catching onto the excellence going on behind the counter at Bar Benjamin—or merely figuring out that cocktail bars without standing room exist, for starters—locals and hospitality industry insiders have already begun flocking to this dimly lit, cocktail-oriented concept from Ben Shenassafar, the co-founder of The Hundreds, nightlife veteran Jared Meisler (Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch) and marketing and brand strategist Kate Burr. Every guest receives a complimentary welcome drink—for now, a clarified carrot-hazelnut-aquavit milk punch—before diving into a cocktail and bar bite menu that includes the tom kha-inspired Tommy Boy, two of the Benjamin’s signature martinis and one of the best non-alcoholic cocktails I’ve ever tried, anywhere (the strawberry- and gochujang-flavored Aura Farm, which uses a tequila alternative). The food menu is pricey and rather simple—think a way-too-mustard-heavy steak tartare, a shrimp roll and mixed nuts. The bites, however, generally complement the cocktails. My favorite drink is the Dead Heat, which comes with four different chili oil options to spike your drink with, depending on your spice tolerance. (You can also do the same with the Mala Margarita.)

Untamed Spirits is L.A.’s first women’s sports bar and an inclusive, queer-friendly casual hangout spot in Silver Lake. The food’s delicious, the drinks are cheap and several flatscreens stream the latest game as guests munch on well-executed renditions of typical sports bar fare like burgers, tacos and chicken wings. All of the drinks are under $15, and the bar also offers a very long happy hour (Wed–Sat, 4–7pm) that includes $10 margaritas and glasses of wine and discounted bar bites. On the weekends, Untamed Spirits ups the ante with $24 bottomless mimosas and a breakfast burrito served with housemade aioli and salsa verde. The spacious outdoor patio and parking lot also includes areas for games like cornhole, and the place is queer- and women-owned. What's not to love?

This stylish Fairfax lounge and restaurant serves a tightly curated menu of Afro-Caribbean cuisine unlike anything else in Los Angeles. Unlike many spots in nearby West Hollywood, Lucia manages to capture the glitz and glamour without much of the same pretension—and the restaurant’s culinary game is on point as well. Founded by serial restauranteur Sam Jordan, the upscale restaurant isn’t just a dinner destination, it’s also a late-night cocktail lounge for those looking to get dressed up for a lively night on the town. Jamaica-born head chef Adrian Forte, who’s also worked as a private chef for Black visionaries like Drake, Alicia Keys and Virgil Abloh (as well as appeared on Top Chef Canada), has put together an elevated, lounge-style menu of dishes and drinks that nod to traditional Caribbean fare. Think a martini topped with pickled okra, jerk-marinated rib eye and a sorrel (a.k.a. hibiscus) lychee ceviche. Not every dish totally wowed me—the coconut fried chicken was a bit dry, and the $30 trio of wagyu patties were comically small—but paired with the excellent drinks and stunning ambience, Lucia easily earns a spot on my list of this summer’s must-visit restaurants. This summer, look out for Forte’s late-night bites menu for the after 10 o’clock crowd. 

This seasonal Cal-Italian restaurant in the heart of Mar Vista has wowed the Westside with its charming ambience, reasonable prices and most importantly, impeccable culinary execution.Since opening in late March, Beethoven Market has filled up at all hours with diners in search of a delicious, not-too-pricey meal of pasta, pizza and other small plates offerings determined by the farmers’ market. In a part of town that’s downright lousy with Italian restaurants, a logline like that might sound like a snoozefest, but talented executive chef Michael Leonard (an alum of Rustic Canyon and all three of Evan Funke’s restaurants) makes the crowd-pleasing menu shine through high-quality ingredients and an industry veteran’s attention to detail. The classic caper-topped tuna crudo here is one of the best I’ve ever had, and the three-day fermentation process for the pizza dough translates into a wonderfully chewy, lightweight crust that stands out in L.A.’s Neapolitan-heavy pizza scene. The reasonably priced cocktail menu is overseen by lead bartender Nicole Mitchell, an alum of now-closed Cassia, who has revived a version of her former employer’s beloved piña colada, strawberry lava flow and all. Nothing here reinvents the wheel, but the convivial atmosphere and first-rate dishes and drinks translate into a lovely way to spend a summer evening on the deep Westside.

If you want a break from the Zoomers livestreaming in front of Erewhon and prix fixe power lunches, this no-frills old-school option is here for you. Just don’t expect your meal to be cheap: A breakfast burrito here costs $19, a classic pastrami sandwich costs $28 and two potato latkes with sour cream and apple sauce will run you about $14. But Nate n Al’s has stuck around for over 70 years for a reason—the food’s decent and the vibes are even better. Look for the giant, orange cursive lettering and you’ll find a wormhole to decades past, complete with leather booths and a massive deli case that’s packed with black-and-white cookies, potato salad and smoked fish. Breakfast is served all day here, but I’d recommend the matzo ball soup or the hot corned beef over a regular plate of eggs or a lox bagel. For dessert, you can also order slices of pie from the Apple Pan, one of the best pie shops in Los Angeles.

The first time I visited Il Pastaio, I was prepared to hate everything about it. But l the efficient, thick-accented waiters and reasonable prices—yes, even in Beverly Hills—wore me down, and now I love it. The cooking here is simple but high-quality, with plenty of options for large groups and those with dietary restrictions. During my visit, I ordered the paccheri “alla Justin Bieber,” which turned out to be a subtle pink vodka sauce and the timballo di zucchine, a light vegetarian dish featured in Stanley Tucci’s cult classic Big Night. The place bustles with locals of all ages, including families and couples on dates, and is open all day (and until midnight on weekends), so you can grab a relaxed midafternoon meal if the occasion calls for it. Still, if you’re coming on a weekend, I’d book a reservation or be prepared to wait—this well-run machine fills up fast and is pretty much busy at all hours. 

These days, a trip to Erewhon for tourists and influencers is as essential as a visit to Rodeo Drive. Thanks to this nearby location, you can kill two birds with one stone, which thins the crowds at other outposts for busy locals like me, who are trying to just get in and get out. While the prices for grocery items and smoothies are indeed mind-boggling, the hot deli and salad bar items here are nutritious, delicious and dare I say it, worth the price, especially compared to other dining options in Beverly Hills. Skip the sugary $20 smoothies—I can’t say I’ve ever finished one in its entirety, despite ranking every single one—in favor of whatever items in the deli catch your fancy. The sushi is overpriced, obviously, but it’s fresh and tasty as well. Make sure to peruse the large selection of bottled and canned drinks—for better or for worse, I’ve seen drinks at Erewhon I can’t find anywhere else.

The reasonably priced Mediterranean-leaning menu is the same as always, but every Bacari has a different look and feel, and the new location at Brighton Way includes a handsome sidewalk patio for people-watching and a warmly lit dining room with bistro-style chairs and immaculately tiled floors. Plus, Bacari is open every day of the week, with an all-day menu that offer a little bit of something for everyone. My favorite items here are mujadara, a Levantine dish of lentils and basmati rice with roots in Syria; the glazed pork belly, topped with sesame seeds, lemon juice and green onions; and the medjool date cake topped with brown sugar caramel and crispy bacon. Bacari is also home to one of the best happy hours in the city (Mon–Fri, 3–6pm) and a nightly 90-minute open bar that nets you unlimited wine, sangria and beer for $32, plus well cocktails for an additional $5 more.

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo's namesake all-day restaurant is now available right in Beverly Hills, where a smaller space along Bedford Drive reliably churns out the mini-chain's excellent  chef-driven takes on Italian American classics. A standing-room-only Helen's Wines countertop pulls espresso by day and pours natural wine by night, and the spicy vodka fusilli and other Jon and Vinny's classics are better than ever. While evenings all but require a reservation, you can usually squeeze in for a relaxed lunch or have the place to yourself during breakfast.  

Within the underground parking structure of a Rodeo Drive shopping center lies the omakase-only follow-up to Sushi Note, chef Kiminobu Saito’s popular Sherman Oaks sushi bar. As with the original, Sushi Note Omakase offers two wine pairings, though the real prize is the 20-course $220 tasting experience that includes appetizers, impeccably crafted nigiri, a delicate toro and Japanese pickle hand roll and special-order yuzu gelato made by Hollywood’s Gelato Festival. While the price point is naturally higher than the 818 original, Saito and his apprentice Earl Aguilar make sure the more premium offering at Sushi Note Omakase still delivers in terms of deliciousness and overall value, particular for the area. 

Pitch-perfect cocktails and juicy, marbled steaks might be run of the mill in Beverly Hills or Downtown L.A., but there's something special happening at the Rex, a standout South Bay steakhouse serving well-executed classics of the genre with hints of pan-Asian flair. Run by Faith & Flower alum Walter Nunez, the Redondo Beach chophouse offers a version of the now-closed Downtown restaurant’s critically acclaimed milk punch, plus a unique, umami-rich steak tartare studded with black garlic and preserved mushrooms. Two different steak flights, including a Wagyu option, allow diners to try a little bit of everything; you can also opt for the bone-in tomahawk or porterhouse cuts, which easily feed two or even three, if you factor in the Rex’s ample vegetable sides. For dessert, the butter cake is better than Mastro’s (I said what I said), but lighter options like soft-serve and a deconstructed pavlova reflect Nunez’s commitment to first-rate culinary distinction, even in more provincial parts of Los Angeles.     

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

With nearly a century of celebrity-studded history under its belt, the Chateau Marmont is the living, breathing embodiment of Hollywood, old and new alike. In 1929, the French-inspired hotel opened on Sunset Boulevard; in the decades since, the Chateau has earned a well-deserved reputation for glamour and mystique. Entire books have been written on the famous actors, musicians, industry execs and other creatives that have slept, partied and even died within its walls. Recently, Miley Cyrus hosted a private concert at the Chateau for close friends, family and a handful of lucky superfans; prestige TV showrunner Ryan Murphy redecorated two different suites; and Doja Cat was snapped sitting inside the lobby, deep in conversation. Every year, countless high-profile parties and magazine launches are hosted in the lobby, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s annual Oscars afterparty.  The restaurant and bar attached to the hotel are far more recent additions. In 1995, current owner André Balazs added Bar Marmont, a cocktail bar down the street, which reopened at some point after the pandemic but remains closed as of writing. The ground floor restaurant followed in 2003. In 2020, Balazs briefly considered converting the entire hotel into a members-only club and laid off the majority of the staff after they attempted to unionize. (A deal was eventually reached in 2022, and the hotel is still in operation today.)   Photograph: Gerry Matthews for ShutterstockExterior of Chateau Marmont Hones

Jon Yao, the Taiwanese American chef behind Michelin-starred Kato in the Arts District, took home one of the top prizes at the James Beard Foundation Awards—the only nominee in Southern California to do so. The annual awards ceremony, which takes place in Chicago (almost) every year, recognizes excellence in restaurants, bars and food media, including books, broadcast media and journalism and is widely understood as the Oscars of the (American) food world. In 2016, Yao first opened Kato inside a West L.A. strip mall, and moving the restaurant to the Arts District in 2022. Immediately, the then-scrappy restaurant attracted the attention of critics for its uniquely Asian American spin on fine dining. Over the years, the self-taught chef has honed his craft and grown into one of the city’s best restaurants, at least if you ask me. In 2022, Kato earned its first Michelin star; last year, the restaurant was named as “one to watch” by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants organization, which has yet to name any L.A. eatery to its prestigious annual list.  Photograph: Courtesy Jeni AfusoThe dining room at Kato. In his acceptance speech, Yao thanked his staff, past and present, and acknowledged the ongoing immigration raids happening across Los Angeles and the nation. “L.A. is a city built by the toils of immigrant communities, and right now, those same communities are being ripped apart,” he said. “As the children of immigrants, I’m sure many here can imagine a scenario where we couldn’

Since last Friday, much of L.A. has been in uproar over widespread immigration raids, with many Angelenos taking to the streets to protest and others still turning to grassroots organizations to make an impact through donations, grocery drop-offs, reporting suspected ICE activity and other mutual aid efforts. In the city’s hospitality industry, where a sizable portion of the workforce is made up of immigrants, restaurants and bars have been preparing for the possibility of ICE raids.  Now, with the nightly curfew Mayor Karen Bass imposed on greater Downtown L.A. last night, restaurants, bars and other businesses in the area have been forced to adjust their hours, with some closing entirely out of an abundance of caution, either due to the ongoing raids or due to the possibility of civil unrest. Others, aware of confirmed ICE activity in the area, have opted to close their doors temporarily to protect immigrant communities. It’s important not to underestimate the gravity of these business decisions; between the wildfires and the lingering impacts of the slowdown in the entertainment industry, many places in L.A. have already been quietly struggling with fewer guests.  In alphabetical order, here is a confirmed list of restaurants, bars and other food-related businesses in and around the nightly curfew zone—which includes Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District and parts of Boyle Heights—which have either closed or announced curtailed hours to allow workers and guests to get

It’s the seventh straight day of immigration raids, protests, and a region-specific nightly curfew in Los Angeles, and a handful of L.A. County restaurants and organizations are showing up to support the immigrant and undocumented communities for the long haul. Across the nation, but particularly in L.A., undocumented individuals are an indispensable, often invisible part of the restaurant and bar industry and the food system as a whole. From the agricultural workers who pick and process our fruits and vegetables to the dishwashers, busboys, and other important jobs that help transform restaurants and bars into places of celebration, pleasure, and escape, immigrants are an essential part of L.A.’s hospitality industry. Through street food, often in the form of tacos, they contribute to L.A.’s vibrant, ever-shifting food culture, where affordable dining options are just as venerated as fine-dining institutions. Of course, many people in L.A., including food and drink business owners, haven’t accepted this state of affairs without question. Beyond protests and other grassroots efforts to protect marginalized communities, hospitality operators are preparing their staff for potential encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Across the city, many restaurants and street vendors have closed their doors or paused operations while they figure out how to protect their immediate communities. Local advocacy group Independent Hospitality Coalition has even proposed

Today is National Doughnut Day, and in case you needed another reason to reach for a deep-fried treat, Culver City’s Helms Bakery will be frying up a weekend-only special doughnut in collaboration with beloved chocolate brand See’s Candies. The locally founded company operates one of its main chocolate factories just a few blocks away on a busy stretch of La Cienega Boulevard.  The See’s Toffee-ette doughnut ($5) consists of a raised yeast round filled with toffee cream and topped with chocolate glaze, crushed Toffee-ettes and drizzled white chocolate. I actually had the opportunity to try the doughnut in a day-before preview, and it’s delicious. The toffee cream isn’t overpoweringly sweet, and the chocolate glaze plays nicely with the crushed nuts and toffee and hint of white chocolate.  Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out The limited-time item is available from today (while supplies last) through Sunday, June 8, with the potential to continue into subsequent weekends, depending on popularity and supplies. By our accounts, Helms Bakery is already home to some of the city’s best doughnuts—though fewer than a half dozen flavors are available at any given moment. The Toffee-ette doughnut is the first of a series of limited-time collabs between the two iconic L.A brands, according to Sang Yoon, the chef-owner of the newly revived Helms Bakery. Over the summer, the Culver City bakery, deli and gourmet market plans to unveil at least three unique items—a pastry, a sundae

The first time I dined at Bar Cecil, my visit to Palm Springs had been planned less than 48 hours before. It was in the midst of the devastating January wildfires, and my sinuses were screaming in protest, even with two air purifiers running in my apartment. I was lucky enough to live outside of the evacuation zones, but I could not sleep well, I could not breathe well and after two days of inhaling toxic chemicals, I could barely think straight. Guiltily, my partner and I decided to flee to the desert. The suburban sprawl of the San Gabriel Valley was bathed in ominous, orange-tinted sunlight as we drove east. Eventually, we reached the Inland Empire, where the skies were once again a peaceful, comforting shade of blue.  By the time we arrived at the Plaza Del Sol Shopping Center in Palm Springs, it was nearly 5pm and we were hungry, both literally and for a taste of normalcy. We parked the car and I sprinted to put my name down. Alas, I was too late: The 12 walk-in bar seats at Bar Cecil were already full. In the end, we opted to wait in the tiny, tranquil courtyard for over an hour. The chilled, expertly made martini that followed, as well as the green salad, duck liver pate, flat iron steak frites and chocolate chip cookies that accompanied it, turned out to be one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in Southern California this year—and I’ve visited over a hundred restaurants since. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Since opening in 2021, Bar Cecil has been

If you haven’t been to the Third Street Promenade lately, we don’t blame you. Santa Monica’s outdoor shopping district has struggled in recent years to attract locals amid empty storefronts and increased public safety concerns due to the sizable increase in the area’s homeless population. While the area still sees heavy tourist traffic in the summer and on the weekends, even newer restaurant openings like an oceanfront Din Tai Fung have largely failed to lure back the Promenade’s pre-pandemic crowds. Now, Santa Monica will be turning the entire three-block area into an open container zone sometime in June—which means you’ll be able to walk and drink freely along the Promenade from approved to-go containers between 6pm and 2am. ABC 7 Los Angeles reports that the zone’s borders will be between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway. Last night, the city council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance in a likely bid to change the fate of the struggling commercial district.  The move seems to dovetails perfectly with the newest occupants of the Promenade, which has seen the departure of major retailers. These days, area landlords are experimenting with “experiential retail,” according to the Los Angeles Times, which includes pickleball and boozy art classes. Last fall, the area saw the opening of Holey Moley, a mini golf club that sells booze and offers Instagrammable courses. Apparently, per the Times, people are also live-selling on TikTok on the Promenade. The new “Outdoor Enter

From the whimsical yellow giraffe at the front entrance to the red number stamped on the back of the menu presented at the end of the evening, every aspect of Somni has meaning, intent and purpose. The outdoor sculpture, according to chef-owner Aitor Zabala, nods to the animal’s meaning in some cultures as a symbol of good fortune, elegance and tranquillity. The little red digits correspond to the thousands of diners the newly revived tasting menu restaurant (back after a four-year hiatus) has served since its buzzy debut in West Hollywood last November.  Before you even take a single bite or sip, there’s the breathtaking hidden courtyard, where dreamy white cloud sculptures suspended from the trees overhead sway in the breeze. (The feeling is no coincidence—Somni means “dream” in the chef’s native Catalan.) By the time you nibble on a delicate cheese feather and crunch into a fried almond painstakingly reconstructed to resemble the original in its shell, you can almost forget the fact it costs at least $840 per person, with a minimum party size of two, to be there. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutThe courtyard at Somni, where guests enjoy early snacks and drinks. Six months after reopening, Somni is undisputedly L.A.’s most dazzling, destination-worthy fine dining experience. Playful, elegant and downright delicious, the Spanish-influenced meal is full of avant-garde delights and insider nods to now-closed Michelin giants like Spain’s famous El Bullí—where Zabal