Dave Beran's 18-seat Michelin two-star counter in Santa Monica — the most personal tasting menu in Los Angeles
Must-try: Full tasting menu (the only option), Wine pairing, Bread course
📍 1315 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 1000, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Californian in Hollywood — 4.7 on Resy across 4,801 diner reviews
Must-try: Moroccan breakfast, Warm cinnamon bun, Lots of grains hotcakes
📍 6530 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
a Nordic-influenced tasting menu with genuinely sophisticated plating
Must-try: Aged squab in fermented yuzu, Sea urchin spaghetti, Sticky bun
📍 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
A 20-course counter where the chefs cook, plate, and serve you themselves
Must-try: Multi-course tasting menu, Seasonal vegetable courses, Aged fish
📍 16101 Ventura Blvd Ste 255, Encino, CA 91436
Californian in Los Feliz — 4.7 on Resy across 1,847 diner reviews
📍 1730 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Californian in Studio City — 4.7 across 194 diner reviews
Must-try: Tuna crudo, Braised leek tortellini, Whole branzino
📍 12023 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91604
Vegetable-forward California fine dining in a glass greenhouse on the Sunset Strip
Must-try: Wood-roasted seasonal vegetables, Ember-roasted beets, Whole roasted cauliflower
📍 9040 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
The Abbot Kinney institution that made LA's dining scene
Must-try: Mushroom Pizza, Kale Caesar, Burrata Toast
📍 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Californian in West Hollywood — 4.5 on Resy across 3,162 diner reviews
Must-try: Boujis bread, Radiatore lamb bolognese
📍 9010 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Wolfgang Puck's Beverly Hills flagship — the restaurant that invented California Cuisine still delivering on the original promise
Must-try: Smoked salmon pizza, Sautéed skate wing, Kaiserschmarrn dessert
📍 176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Michelin-starred Melrose fine dining — hyper-seasonal tasting and à la carte
Must-try: Seasonal tasting menu, Dry-aged duck, Housemade pasta
📍 5722 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Clifftop Pacific Coast Highway dining — stunning ocean views, California seafood since 1948
Must-try: Lobster bisque, Grilled swordfish, Sunset cocktails on the terrace
📍 27400 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Farm-to-table brunch on the end of Malibu Pier — ocean views, organic produce, and the ultimate LA Saturday morning
Must-try: Avocado toast with farm egg, Blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes, Acai bowl
📍 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Cliffside California cuisine above the Manhattan Beach Pier — the South Bay's best ocean view restaurant
Must-try: Maine lobster bisque, Seared halibut, Sunset cocktails at StrandBar
📍 117 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Virgil Village's genre-defining cafe — Jessica Koslow's sorrel pesto rice, legendary jams, and a now-also-dinner menu that made history
Must-try: Sorrel pesto rice bowl, Ricotta toast with jam, Seasonal grain bowl
📍 720 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Santa Monica's farmhouse wine room — Jeremy Fox's produce-first cooking and one of the best natural wine lists on the Westside
Must-try: Vegetable plate (seasonal), Whole roasted chicken, Pasta with whatever's at the market
📍 1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Highland Park's all-day natural wine and coffee hangout — the neighborhood cafe that became a destination without trying to become one
Must-try: Seasonal grain bowl, Natural wine by the glass, Pastry of the day
📍 5247 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
a cozy Craftsman cottage running a six-dish menu at $140
Must-try: Soft onion bread with feta, Flaky white fish in bordelaise, Six-course menu
📍 1027 Alpine St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Toluca Lake's daytime gourmet cafe and market — the Valley's most dependable weekday lunch
Must-try: Roasted turkey sandwich, Kale and quinoa salad, Whatever is in the pastry case
📍 3821 Riverside Dr, Toluca Lake, CA 91505