The Best Restaurants in Los Angeles

Los Angeles dining resists the singular hub, instead evolving into a sprawl of distinct culinary clusters shaped by the geography of the city. While other metropolises revolve around a central core, this scene demands a car and a willingness to cross neighborhoods to find the specific intensity of a kitchen that defines each district.

In Pasadena, Bar Chelou proves the value of this travel, earning a place as no. 69 on the L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants for its precise, modern approach. Further west, 715 holds a Michelin star, providing the most focused example of Japanese craft in the city. High above the downtown grid, 71Above holds a Wine Spectator Excellence Award, offering a vantage point that changes how you perceive the vastness of the local geography.

Because the weather rarely discourages outdoor dining, these venues remain active throughout the calendar. Weekends see a surge in demand across the city, as locals fill the tables from the coast to the valley. We select the venues in this guide based on their consistency and their role in defining their respective neighborhoods.