Ammatoli Orange County

Ammatoli sits on East 3rd Street in Long Beach, a twenty-five-minute walk from the Long Beach Museum of Art. The restaurant holds a place at number 35 on the L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants list, serving a blend of Lebanese, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine.

While the room runs smart and elegant, the restaurant avoids the performative nature of the Shoreline Village tourist circuit. Its placement away from the waterfront is a deliberate trade-off; it offers a serious focus on regional flavours that holds up against any kitchen in the city. You choose this table for the precision of the cooking, which earns its spot on the L.A. Times list without needing the heavy-handed atmosphere found at its more conspicuous neighbors.