⭐⭐⭐ Restaurants To Try Right Now in Los Angeles
When restaurants open, we check them out. This means that we subject our stomachs and social lives to the good, the bad, and more often than not, the perfectly fine. And every once in a while, a new spot makes us feel like Angelyne driving her convertible down Santa Monica Boulevard. When that happens, we add it here, to the Hit List.
The New List is where you’ll find all of the best new restaurants in LA. As long as a place opened within the past several months and we’re still talking about it, it’s in this guide. Keep tabs on the New List and you’ll always know which new restaurants you should be eating at right now.
Max & Helen’s
127 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90004
Diner • Larchmont
Perfect For: Breakfast • Lunch • Dining Solo
Price: $$
The sleepy streets of Larchmont have awoken for Max & Helen’s. A love letter to small-town diners, this throwback spot comes from Nancy Silverton and the neighborhood’s unofficial ambassador, Phil Rosenthal. Every booth and squeaky stool was procured from old diners across America, but the room still smacks of vintage Larchmont.
- Sit at the counter to rub elbows with retired key grips or Phil himself, eating a Courage bagel with smoked salmon
- A cup of coffee costs $2.75
- Expect reasonable pricing overall (aside from the $27 patty melt)
- Expertly soft-scrambled eggs
- Glazed cinnamon rolls are shiny enough to see your reflection
Expect longer waits at lunchtime once the tuna melt and pastrami reuben join the menu.
The Mulberry
1800 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90025
Korean • Sawtelle
Price: $$
Directly across from the new Sun Nong Dan on Sawtelle, The Mulberry is another Korean spot planting a flag on the Westside—just in a very different way. The burnished wood dining room looks like a cross between a NYC bistro and an Ojai cottage, and although there’s a burger and Caesar on the menu, it’s the soulful Korean food from a former Benu chef that steals the show.
Don’t miss:
- $49 three-course tasting set
- Soy-garlic wings with shattering crunch
- Char-grilled short rib ssam
- Silkiest tofu stew since Beverly Soon Tofu (RIP)
Small touches add charm: post-wing hand wipes, bespoke banchan for each entrée, and griddled hotteok with custardy ice cream. Book soon—every soondubu fanatic will discover it eventually.
Maydan Market
4301 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
International • West Adams
Perfect For: Dining Solo • Big Groups
Every trip to this shiny new West Adams food hall results in a new favorite. First it was the wood-grilled tlayudas at Lugya’h, then the six-course Thai barbecue menu at Yhing Yhang. Maléna delivers excellent picaditas and pozole, while Vesti’s smoked mortadella on focaccia is a crowd magnet.
Prefer less chaos? Choose Maydan, the full-service Middle Eastern restaurant featuring:
- Za’atar martinis
- Mezze spreads
- Unlimited fresh pita (yes, unlimited)
It’s one of the most flexible group dining options in the area.
Broken Spanish Comedor
12565 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, California 90066
Mexican • Culver City
Perfect For: Casual Dinners • Date Nights
A more casual reincarnation of Broken Spanish, this Westside spot nails the warm, buzzy date-night vibe with:
- Latin-funk playlists
- Glowing A-frame room
- Approachable small-plate pricing
Food leans comforting despite modern touches like pea guacamole and margarita salt foam.
Must-orders:
- Smoked tuna flautas
- Sweet potatoes drowned in salsa macha butter
- Crispy chicharrón in garlicky mojo (a legendary holdover)
Wilde’s
1850 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, California 90027
British • Los Feliz
Perfect For: Date Nights • People Watching • Walk-Ins
Los Feliz is buzzing thanks to Wilde’s, which feels like dining inside a chic canyon bungalow.
Highlights include:
- Welsh rarebit
- Crisp battered sea bass
- Rich Eton mess with spiced apples
Reservations are limited to early times; walk-ins dominate, meaning 1–2 hour waits. Pastries, coffee, and Sunday roast are incoming additions.
Saoha Khao Soi
3250 Cahuenga Blvd W, Los Angeles, California 90068
Thai • Studio City
Perfect For: Casual Dinners
This tight-menu Thai spot specializes in khao soi and might serve the best version in LA right now. Prefer the brothy bowl—egg noodles cooked to order soak up rich, silky curry perfectly.
Toppings include:
- Seared scallops
- Braised beef
- Fried chicken slab (first-timer essential)
Morihiro
1115 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90012
Sushi • Echo Park
Perfect For: Dining Solo • Date Nights • Great Cocktails
Morihiro’s new location adds accessibility but keeps excellence intact. The famed $400 omakase remains, but the à la carte menu makes spontaneous visits possible.
Expect:
- Suit-wearing maître d’
- Talking Heads soundtrack
- Hotel-bar-level cocktails
- Rolls like smoked teriyaki chicken or massive shrimp tempura
Sonny’s
7501 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90046
Pizza • Hollywood
Perfect For: Casual Dinners • Serious Takeout**
Before its storefront opens, Sonny’s operates via online preorder only, with pickup slots often hours later. The crispy, Jersey-style pies justify every bit of the headache.
Top picks:
- The O.G. plain with mozzarella dimples
- Add-ons: pepperoni, jalapeños, burrata, hot honey
Satisfying crackly crust included.
Berenjak
1010 S Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, California 90021
Persian • Arts District
Perfect For: Date Nights • See & Be Seen
One of LA’s hottest reservations, Berenjak glows with candlelight and serves upscale versions of Persian classics.
Go for:
- Warm taftoon bread with mast o-masir
- Smoky Mirza Ghasemi
- Chenjeh kebab so tender it slips off the skewer
Reservations drop monthly; cancellations create occasional same-day openings.
Kojima
2130 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90025
Japanese • Sawtelle
Perfect For: Special Occasions • Impressing Visitors
Kojima offers kappo-style dining in an eight-seat room with a 12-course omakase ($200) and a walk-in mini-omakase ($80). Expect delicate, technique-driven Japanese dishes like:
- Poached eggplant in sardine broth
- Fried taro puff
- Snow crab with dashi jelly
- Charred chicken hearts
Chef Kojima is new to LA — and already essential.
Alto
12969 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles, California 91604
South American • Studio City
Perfect For: Special Occasions • Corporate Cards
Fire is the heart of Alto—literally. The dining room glows from an open hearth, and servers bring ingredients to grill tableside.
Highlights:
- Piquillo peppers roasted into a sweet jam
- Beeswax-aged lamb saddle
- Mate cocktails served in traditional gourds
A luxury Patagonian vibe without leaving the Valley.
Marvito
1113 N Harper Ave, West Hollywood, California 90046
Mexican • West Hollywood
Perfect For: Late Nights • Drinks • Casual Dinners
Marvito is a retro Tex-Mex diner open until midnight with a fun, rowdy vibe.
Menu standouts:
- Chorizo-topped queso
- Crispy beef tacos
- Chile colorado
- Shockingly good chicken piccata
- Banana split dessert
All to a soundtrack of Steely Dan and roadhouse jams.
Betsy
875 E Mariposa St, Altadena, California 91001
American • Altadena
Perfect For: Date Nights • Dinner With Parents
Reborn after the Eaton Fire, Betsy picks up Bernee’s legacy inside a wood-fired, cave-like dining room.
Expect:
- Ember-kissed vegetables
- Crispy pork collar “carnitas style”
- Blackened roasted cheesecake
Small space = predictable waitlist. Wine-loving locals pack it nightly.
Chef Tian’s
18248 Gale Ave, Industry, California 91748
Chinese • Rowland Heights
Perfect For: Casual Dinners • Lunch
A beloved Vancouver transplant known for spicy bubbling hot pots that simmer right on the table.
Recommended:
- Black pork with baby abalone
- Cabbage + smoked bacon (surprising star)
- Cooling sides like fern-root noodles
Prepare for long waits — free ice cream softens the blow.
Softies
835 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90089
Burgers • University Park
Perfect For: Lunch • Cheap Eats
Smashburgers with a twist: aji sauce and jalapeños turn a classic into a flavor bomb.
Expect:
- Crispy-edged patties
- Cheese skirts
- Potato buns
- Add-on tempura enoki mushrooms
Currently calm—will get chaotic when school returns.
Lucia
351 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, California 90036
Caribbean • Fairfax
Perfect For: See & Be Seen • Hot Nights
Lucia’s design is a showstopper. Tulip-like structures, pod booths, and nightclub energy define the room.
Food highlights:
- Pickled okra martini
- Wagyu beef patties
- Coconut-crusted fried chicken
- Jumbo braised oxtails
Reservations disappear fast; booths favor groups over couples.
Cannonball
1010 Mission St, South Pasadena, California 91030
American • South Pasadena
Perfect For: Great Wine • Parents’ Dinner • Casual Night**
This is basically ERB’s more mature sibling—same great burger, calmer energy.
Must-try items:
- Fideo with clams + crispy chorizo
- Shaved celery–date salad
- Killer wine list
Perfect neighborhood dining for people who appreciate getting home early.
