Clockwise from upper left: Hokkaido scallop dish from Baroo; Oaxacan meat platter from Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria; oxtail bourgignon from Shirley Brasserie; cod dosirak and kimbap from Perilla L.A.; cocktail from Bar CDMX.
(collage by Brandon Ly / Los Angeles Times, photos by Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times, Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times, Nicolas Osuna)
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers
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Fall has descended upon Los Angeles and even the weather seems to be in agreement — for now. Embrace our version of autumn with local renditions of the pumpkin spice latte that Starbucks first popularized 20 years ago. Some of L.A.’s best coffee shops are whipping up artisanal versions with fresh ingredients and house-made syrups.
And now that the heat has tapered, home cooking feels all the more cozy, especially when armed with recipes like extra-crumbly Hungarian Kokosh cake or a satisfying single-pot braised minced pork belly dish from author Clarissa Wei’s “Made in Taiwan” cookbook. If you’re still salivating over the one-of-a-kind bites served at L.A. Times Food Bowl, try making one of the featured restaurants’ customer-favorite dishes. For something less labor-intensive, you could go get one of the hearty Italian subs on columnist Jenn Harris’ recent list of favorites or place an order for a pizza from critic Bill Addison’s guide to the best slices.
As the end of the year barrels towards us, there’s reason to be optimistic. For one, the months-long WGA strike is over, with the SAG strike expected to end soon. That’s good news for local restaurants, many of which were hit by the loss of business from striking workers and still stepped up to provide discounts and deliver free drinks and food to picketers. Secondly, there are plenty of new places worth savoring around town, including two Mexico City-inspired spots, the return of a nationally recognized Korean restaurant, a small-batch chocolate maker in Torrance, a slice shop in Cypress Park and more. Here’s every must-try restaurant and bar to put on your L.A. dining agenda this month:
Showing Places
(Nicolas Osuna / Bar CDMX)
Bar CDMX
Downtown L.A. Speakeasy Bar $$
The hospitality group behind Las Perlas, All Season Brewing Co., the Normandie Club and other stalwarts in L.A.’s bar scene has opened Bar CDMX, a new, Mexico City-inspired speakeasy that focuses on agave- and rum-based cocktails. Lead bartender Dante Chavez infuses influence from his hometown of Oaxaca into drinks like the agave old-fashioned and mango mezcal margarita with house-made mango syrup, though you’ll also find a pineapple caipirinha and a dangerously smooth planters punch, as well as a few draft cocktails. Located down an alley behind Hotel Per La, the underground watering hole hosts a daily happy hour from 3 to 8 p.m. with mix-and-match beer and a shot pairings for $10 and a selection of beers for $7-$8.
Read about downdown’s underground drinking den.
Read about downdown’s underground drinking den.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Baroo
Downtown L.A. Korean $$$
Upheld as one of the most inventive, forward-thinking restaurants in L.A. when it opened in 2018, Baroo, from chef Kwang Uh and partner Mina Park, has returned, reimagined with a formal bent that includes a tasting menu. Instead of an East Hollywood strip mall, the new location is in the Arts District and twice the size of the original, with a chef’s counter that faces an open kitchen. The $110 tasting menu involves five courses with eight dishes that chart different life phases, including a Hokkaido scallop with puffed rice in a verdant puddle of gim and minari, plus the crowd-favorite banchan and pickles from Baroo’s previous iteration. Wine and nonalcoholic pairings are available, as well as a la carte items, from a drink menu crafted by beverage director Jason Lee (formerly of n/soto and Pijja Palace).
Read about reimagined and reopened Baroo.
Read about reimagined and reopened Baroo.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Calic Bagel
Westlake Bagels $
When husband and wife Alex and Sun Sohn started experimenting with garlic bread during the pandemic their Instagram almost immediately went viral with orders. Now, with ALMG Hospitality, the couple has opened a storefront in Westlake with hand-rolled bagels and Korean pantry items. While traditional bagel options like plain, sesame and everything are available, Calic also stands out for bagels stuffed with garlic cream cheese and mashed potatoes, ham and cheese, including a variety of cream cheeses that draw upon Korean flavor profiles like sweet corn and jeju hallabong. The bagel shop is within a larger space called MarkEat 8 with plans to launch additional food concepts including a Detroit-inspired pizzeria.
Read about the innovate bagel shop in Westlake.
Read about the innovate bagel shop in Westlake.
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(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Homestate
Atwater Village Tex-Mex $
Some of the city’s best breakfast tacos can now be found in two new locations on opposite sides of town. The counter-service restaurant features 70 seats at the new Atwater outpost and 50 at the freshly opened spot in Culver City (10000 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 104) that was formerly occupied by Konbi. Both are perfect for ordering up hefty breakfast tacos from founder and Texan Briana “Breezy” Valdez, with fillings ranging from morning staples like eggs, bacon, potato and cheddar to all-day options like brisket, guacamole and cabbage slaw. Rounding out the menu are quesadillas, Frito Pie in a bag, queso, guacamole and various chips and dips, as well as sides and tortillas that can be taken home, and drinks that range from drip coffee featuring a house blend to refreshing teas and lemonades and cocktails that can be ordered over ice or frozen.
Read about Homestate’s expansion to Atwater Village and Culver City.
Read about Homestate’s expansion to Atwater Village and Culver City.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Joyce
Downtown L.A. Seafood Soul Food $$
A new, Lowcountry-inspired seafood restaurant has opened in the former Red Herring space downtown from former Preux & Proper chef Sammy Monsour and co-owners Prince Riley and Kassady Wiggins. Every dish at Joyce, named after Riley’s mother and daughter, has a story, like the Edisto Island cornbread that highlights the South Carolina sea island, Louisiana crawfish hush puppies rolled in Lowcountry boil spice and black tiger prawn and oyster perloo, a South Atlantic staple with Carolina gold rice. Desserts follow a similar theme, including beignets, blueberry bourbon cobbler and banana custard pie. Not everything is Southern-fried either: Indulge in a raw bar with rotating oyster options, seafood platters, ceviche and aguachile; a shockingly affordable caviar service; or Sunday brunch with tinned fish, plant-based dishes and breakfast items. Serving as beverage director, Wiggins is behind the restaurant’s zero-landfill cocktail program, with highlights like the Gussied Up, guaranteed to propel you through the day or night with vodka, rum, coffee liqueur and sorghum chicory cold brew.
Read more about Downtown’s latest Southern seafood destination.
Read more about Downtown’s latest Southern seafood destination.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Kitchen Mouse
Mount Washington Vegan Breakfast/Brunch $$
Highland Park’s popular vegan cafe has expanded to a new location in Mount Washington with a walk-up window. The building sports the same signature mint green as the bakery and the original location, with ‘60s-inspired design flourishes. The menu includes the plant-based pastries, buckwheat waffles, coffee drinks and other breakfast items that Northeastsiders have come to love, in addition to fresh-baked bagels with coconut- and cashew-based schmear and toppings like smoked carrot lox, cucumber and dill or banh mi with walnut pâté and pickled veggies.
Read about Kitchen Mouse’s Mount Washington walk-up window.
Read about Kitchen Mouse’s Mount Washington walk-up window.
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(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria
Valencia Oaxacan $$
One of L.A.’s best Oaxacan restaurants with the largest small-batch mezcal collection in the States has expanded to a spacious new location in Valencia. Owned by Ivan Vasquez, who sources directly from his home state of Oaxaca and incorporates his mother’s recipes on the menu, this larger location features a bright interior with an exposed ceiling and Oaxacan sculptures and textiles, as well as a gorgeous mural that spans an entire wall. The wood-accented covered patio comes equipped with ceiling fans and plush booths for settling in over exclusive mezcal flights. In addition to over 500 bottles of mezcal, many of which are exclusive to Madre thanks to Vasquez’s long-held relationships with producers, there are craft agave cocktails, Mexican wines and beer and tepache. On the food side, expect squash blossoms bursting with quesillo, a colorful selection of moles, tlayudas, tamales and tacos. Located just off Magic Mountain Parkway and near the California Institute of the Arts, Madre’s latest outpost is sure to find an audience in Santa Clarita.
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(Marsatta Chocolate Experience)
Marsatta Chocolate Experience Centre
Torrance Chocolate shop $$
After operating his chocolate bean-to-bar concept under a ghost kitchen format, chef Jeffray Gardner has launched a storefront and tasting room in Old Torrance. Here, customers can shop for small-batch chocolate bars, bonbons and participate in weekend “tasting journeys” that explore the intricacies of the chocolate-making process.
Read about the chocolate shop in Old Torrance.
Read about the chocolate shop in Old Torrance.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Pane Bianco
Downtown L.A. Pizza Sandwich Shop $$
Columnist Jenn Harris knows a thing or two about sandwiches — grilled cheese, Italian subs, you name it. In a recent column, she praises the options at esteemed pizzaiolo Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco, a daytime slice shop in the Row DTLA complex that also houses Pizzeria Bianco. While the spacious shop is a convenient way to try Bianco’s prized pies rather than making an out-of-season advance reservation at the pizzeria, the sandwiches featuring house-made breads that are baked daily are also worth an order. In particular the stacked roast beef that’s layered with thin, flavorful strips of beef and pickled banana peppers on a stretched baguette that’s spread with a spicy Fresno chile butter on one side and a green garlic aioli on the other. The mortadella sandwich with seasonal apricot jam is another worthy contender. Pane Bianco is lunch-only for now with plans to expand into dinner service this fall.
Read about Chris Bianco’s second restaurant in Row DTLA.
Read about Chris Bianco’s second restaurant in Row DTLA.
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(Parakeet Cafe)
Parakeet Cafe
Beverly Hills Breakfast/Brunch $$
The San Diego-based restaurant chain from husband-and-wife Jonathan Goldwasser and Carol Roizen has expanded to a sunny Beverly Hills location with plenty of seating on the inside as well as the patio. The avian-themed all-day cafe with a health bent features açai and oatmeal bowls, toasts and tartines and a breakfast burrito on a spinach tortilla, in addition to soups, salads, tapas like mole-topped roasted cauliflower and Neapolitan-style pizzas on house-made sourdough, all with organic, ethically sourced ingredients. For drinks, there’s an espresso and matcha bar and a full bar with wine, beer, cocktails and an outstanding mocktail program. A location in Brentwood is forthcoming.
Read about Beverly Hills new healthful cafe.
Read about Beverly Hills new healthful cafe.
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(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Perilla LA
Chinatown Korean $
For a healthy lunch option and some of the city’s most exciting banchan with local ingredients, visit the new Chinatown storefront for Perilla L.A. from Jihee Kim, who first started her banchan-focused pop-up during the pandemic. While the small plates are typically regarded as sides that fill out a main course with rice, Kim treats charred and pickled okra and fluffy omelets rolled around seaweed like entrees, preparing them hours, if not days in advance. Make sure to pick up her California-hued gimbap with marinated shiitake mushrooms and sliced avocado, as well as the dosirak with black cod that’s slathered with a doenjang marinade.
Read critic Bill Addison’s Perilla L.A. review.
Read critic Bill Addison’s Perilla L.A. review.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Santo
Silver Lake Sushi $$$
An intimate sushi bar from Mexico City has landed on Sunset Boulevard, offering Japanese sushi, binchotan-seared sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls, including options that add Mexican influence, like hamachi-choco nigiri that’s crowned with Oaxacan chocolate and salt. The Silver Lake location is more subdued than its Roma Norte counterpart which takes on a clubby vibe after dark, though imbibers can expect a memorable drink program with a focus on natural wines and sake from Ricardo Nava, who also helms Mexico City’s Licorería Limantour, which was awarded the No. 4 spot on the Worlds 50 Best Bars’ North America list in 2022.
Read about a Mexico City sushi bar’s expansion to Silver Lake.
Read about a Mexico City sushi bar’s expansion to Silver Lake.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Shins Pizza
Cypress Park Pizza $$
The once-quiet stretch of Cypress Avenue has gained another neighbor with Shins Pizza, a walk-up slice shop from the team behind Found Oyster, Queen St. and Portuguese Barra Santos that’s located right next door. The restaurant is named after partner and creative director Shin Irvin and pays tribute to his mother, Donna Jean Irvin, his Korean heritage and Philadelphia upbringing. That means that, in addition to classic pizza toppings like cheese and pepperoni, you’ll also find creations like a white pie with mortadella and ricotta, a veggie option with shiitake mushroom, kalamata olives and pickled Fresno chile and sides like garlicky Japanese eggplant, charred broccolini and avocado dip and Italian ice in flavors like calamansi. Grab a slice to enjoy on one of the benches out front (or try to snag a seat at Barra Santos and pair it with a glass of vinho verde) or take a 12- or 18-inch pizza to go.
Get to know the new slice shop in Cypress Park.
Get to know the new slice shop in Cypress Park.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Shirley Brasserie
Hollywood French Californian
A French Californian steakhouse bistro has taken over the former Barish space at the Hollywood Roosevelt, offering an elegant dining room and bar with white tablecloths, columned windows and chic touches that fit right in at the historic hotel. Craig Hopson of New York City’s Le Cirque guides the menu, with dinner bringing prime cuts of wood-fired meats, a decadent raw bar and entrees like oxtail bourgignon and duck leg confit, while brunch spans chicken and waffles, an oven-baked galette with pork belly, challah French toast and keto options. The beverage program leans on classic cocktails that hail from New Orleans, including a vieux carré and French milk punch that delivers fall flavors with roobios tea and cardamom.
Read about the French-inspired steakhouse at Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
Read about the French-inspired steakhouse at Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Sogno Toscano
Santa Monica Italian $$
An Italian-hued “lifestyle cafe” has expanded from New York to a breezy location in Santa Monica, including an espresso bar, market and wine bar. Join a wine tasting in the open-air market or tuck into a seat on the string-lit patio that faces Montana Avenue and order a cheese or salumi plate or maybe a focaccia sandwich with buffalo mozzarella and 24-month-aged proscuitta di parma. A host of house pantry items are available for purchase, including dried pastas, oils, vinegars, desserts and wines.
Read about Santa Monica’s Italian lifestyle cafe.
Read about Santa Monica’s Italian lifestyle cafe.
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(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Suehiro
Downtown L.A. Japanese $$
Suehiro, a cultural gem and beloved restaurant in Little Tokyo, has closed its long-running dive after a suspicious eviction and ongoing legal dispute. Thankfully, the cafe from second-generation owner Kenji Suzuki that was founded by his parents and aunt in 1972 has found a new, larger location in the Historic Core of downtown, with booths that feature similar noren dividers and a massive mural by local artist Robert Vargas that features Suzuki’s mom, Junko Suzuki, on the right, and his aunt, Yuriko Morita Regaert, on the left. With a kitchen four times the size as their previous one, Suzuki has plans to expand the menu to include new fish varieties for additional sushi and sashimi options and yakitori, in addition to the ramen, tempuras, broiled fish and rice dishes that long-time customers know and love.
Read about Suehiro’s move from Little Tokyo to South Main Street.
Read about Suehiro’s move from Little Tokyo to South Main Street.
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(Sushi Note)
Sushi Note Omakase
Beverly Hills Sushi $$$$
Chef Kiminobu Saito of Sushi Note and Sogo has launched a 20-course omakase-only version of the esteemed sushi bar inside of Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Collection. The intimate sushi den only has 14 seats with each one offering a full view of the chef toiling over a rotating selection of meticulously sourced seafood that’s flown in fresh daily for sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls. Sushi Note’s prestigious wine program from beverage director Ian Lokey is available at the new location, including one-of-a-kind pairings that you won’t find at the Sherman Oaks outpost, with rare and reserve options. The 20-course omakase is $190, or you can take part in an abbreviated 12-course omakase that runs from 4 to 5 p.m.
Read about the latest omakase opening in Beverly Hills.
Read about the latest omakase opening in Beverly Hills.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The Airliner
Lincoln Heights Asian $$
The long-standing Lincoln Heights bar that once hosted legendary live shows that helped launch the careers of local musicians like Flying Lotus and Tokimonsta has reopened with a pan-Asian izakaya menu, plus a bar with craft cocktails, sake, wine and beer, including nonalcoholic options. Dishes such as optionally vegan Japanese-inspired potato salad, Hunan barbecue pork ribs, bahn mi sandwiches and crispy rice have been added, and the interior sports a sleek, Art Deco look that points to the Airliner’s century-old history. The second floor space is expected to relaunch as a hi-fi music lounge in 2024.
Read about the reopening of the iconic Lincoln Heights bar.
Read about the reopening of the iconic Lincoln Heights bar.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Yangban
Downtown L.A. Korean American $$$
The vibrant Korean-American deli once known as Yangban Society has shifted into Yangban, a moody sit-down restaurant with exposed brick walls and towering money trees that evolves chef-owners and husband and wife Katianna and Jon Hong’s food to fit a fine dining format. Many of Yangan’s beloved dishes have been translated on the new menu, including honey-glazed carrots that are now served with whipped yogurt and dates instead of walnuts and hot-smoked trout schmear with griddled potato cakes. Inventive additions like gochujang-braised black cod and matzoh ball mandu also prove worth ordering. Cocktails like the Blossom that acts as the bar’s version of a white negroni with sesame-washed gin and locally made amaro can be ordered fresh instead of canned at the Super that was once on the second floor, but now features additional seating.
Read about the dramatic renovation at Yangban.
Read about the dramatic renovation at Yangban.
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