Clockwise from top left: Sandwich from Wax Paper, fried skewers from Kushiba, a breakfast plate from Gudetama Cafe, churros from El Moro and hummus bil lahme from Salam Falafel
(Collage by Brandon Ly / Los Angeles Times )(Photos by Robert Gauthier, Stephanie Breijo, Dania Maxwell, Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our food writers
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It’s hard to believe that the year is halfway over, but the approaching summer season is truly when L.A. thrives. The city adopts a “School’s out!” attitude with day parties, outdoor markets and evening concerts at our favorite museums. Our always abundant farmers markets runneth over with heirloom stone fruit, corn and pepper varieties, and local restaurants shift their menus to keep time with the seasonal rhythm.
With May Gray extending into June Gloom, you might just want to get out of town. Las Vegas is a tried-and-true road trip for Southern Californians, an easy path for escapism with blinking lights, immersive experiences, day trips, relaxing resort spas and of course, an overflowing food scene. The city has changed tremendously in recent years, with beloved L.A. chefs opening flashy restaurants on the Strip and new neighborhoods emerging as culinary destinations. Keep our updated dining guide handy if you set your sights on Sin City and save room for desserts approved by “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro.
Those who stay in L.A. won’t want for entertainment either, with openings that span a French-themed burger bar in Santa Monica, the return of a treasured Spanish restaurant on Melrose, a Buena Park cafe themed after a lackadaisical Sanrio character and late-night falafel in Koreatown. With the local restaurant industry facing even more volatility than usual, it’s also a good time to reacquaint yourself with old favorites. Here are 25 prime options to put on your dining calendar this month:
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All’Antico Vinaio
Koreatown Italian Sandwich Shop $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
After opening its first California location in Venice last year, the Italian sandwich shop founded by the Mazzanti family in Florence more than 30 years ago has expanded to a new location in Koreatown. Tuscan-style schiacciata bread is slathered with spreads such as ‘nduja cream, truffle honey and pistachio cream and heaped with sliced-to-order meats ranging from mortadella to prosciutto and porchetta. Espresso, spritzes and wines are available to pair with your sandwich.
Read about the second California location of the Florentine sandwich shop.
Read about the second California location of the Florentine sandwich shop.
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Bé Ù
East Hollywood Vietnamese $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
In a reported feature detailing the current realities facing the region’s restaurants, reporter Stephanie Breijo highlights chef-owner Uyên Lê’s Bé Ù, a walkup window in Virgil Village that specializes in Vietnamese comfort dishes priced affordably for neighborhood residents. At the beginning of the year, Lê was transparent on social media about being forced to raise her menu prices. Even after that increase, most items are under $15, including banh mi, rice dishes and rotating weekend chef specials. Lê is hosting a fundraiser for the restaurant in June to help offset the costs of renovations, including a small patio.
Read about the challenges facing L.A. restaurants.
Read about the challenges facing L.A. restaurants.
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Bub and Grandma’s
Glassell Park Bakery Sandwich Shop
(Yuri Hasegawa/For The Times)
As restaurants struggle to remain profitable in the current climate, many are shifting their menus and expanding their hours. Take Bub and Grandma’s, a bake shop that supplies breads to restaurants and markets across the city. After opening a deli in Glassell Park in 2022, baker-owner Andy Kadin recently launched “BG Nights” on Sundays and Mondays, with live music, small plates and beer and wine, to pull in more revenue. During the day, the restaurant offers breakfast sandwiches on Kaiser rolls, salads, sides and cold sandwiches, including a tuna option that’s been praised by restaurant critic Bill Addison.
Learn how restaurant owners are coping with recent industry setbacks.
Learn how restaurant owners are coping with recent industry setbacks.
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Burgette
Santa Monica French $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Chef Sean MacDonald has unveiled Burgette, a new French-inspired burger bistro next door to his tapas- and pizza-focused Bar Monette in Santa Monica. The new restaurant puts a Parisian spin on burgers and sandwiches, which can get stacked with smashed Wagyu patties, thick raclette cheese and bone marrow butter or crispy chicken, Parisian ham and Swiss for a take on a Cordon Bleu. Small plates include an assortment of French cheeses and jams, haricots verts, baby Brussels sprouts and frites, plus orange creme brûlée and a chocolate croissant offered for dessert. With a French-leaning wine list and a low-lit interior, the gourmet burger bar is proving a prime date-night destination by the beach.
Read more about the opening of Burgette.
Read more about the opening of Burgette.
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Cali Love Pie
Harvard Heights Bakery $$
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
A worthy candidate for car cake — cake that you eat in the car — is Cali Love Pie, a Black-owned shop on Western Avenue and Venice Boulevard that just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Owner Amili Williams blends his grandmother’s special cheesecake recipe with various flavors of pies and desserts, such as a pecan pie cheesecake, banana pudding cheesecake and a peach cobbler cheesecake.
What is car cake? Learn here.
What is car cake? Learn here.
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Camel Coffee
Los Feliz Coffee $
(Julie Wolfson)
A beloved Korean coffee shop has landed in Los Feliz and is already drawing nonstop lines for its TikTok-famous drinks topped with a layer of extra-thick cream. Named after the color, the interior of the shop features a tan palette, natural wood finishes and vintage accents. The menu features the same eight coffee drinks that you’ll find at all 10 locations in Seoul and Busan, as well as two new matcha beverages and the option to top your coffee with vegan cream.
Read about the new location of Camel Coffee.
Read about the new location of Camel Coffee.
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Cobras & Matadors
Fairfax Spanish $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Fan-favorite Spanish restaurant Cobras & Matadors has reopened in the space formerly occupied by Spartina on Melrose Avenue, helmed by Steven Arroyo, who first opened the restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in 2001. The restaurateur was approached by Spartina chef-owner Stephen Kalt, about taking over the space. Not only did Kalt come on as a partner, but much of the staff remains, including head chef Ronald E. Garcia. The menu includes tapas spanning gambas al ajillo, albondigas with salsa verde, cod croquettes and pan-roasted branzino. The beverage program features wine, sangria, beer and a new cocktail menu with spicy margaritas and mezcal old-fashioneds. The restaurant hosts live jazz alongside dinner every Thursday at 6 p.m.
Read about the reopening of Cobras & Matadors.
Read about the reopening of Cobras & Matadors.
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Flouring L.A.
Chinatown Bakery $$
(Heather Wong)
Columnist Jenn Harris introduces readers to car cake, namely, cake that you eat in your car that preferably remains relatively intact with minimal crumbs. For this challenge, Harris recommends the cake bars from Heather Wong’s Flouring L.A. bake shop. The idea for car cake first emerged for Wong during the pandemic when in-person dining was off limits and diners frequently ate in their cars. The baker created a dessert box with cake bars wrapped in parchment paper that are easy to hold while you drive, in flavors such as black sesame, passion fruit and lavender lemon marble. While Wong once handed off dessert boxes to customers in their cars, she now offers them out of her Chinatown bakery that opened in January.
Read about car cake.
Read about car cake.
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Fondry
Eagle Rock Bakery $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The owners behind two of L.A.’s best coffee shops have expanded with an Eagle Rock pâtisserie that’s selling some of the city’s most sought-after pastries, including ham-and-cheese-stuffed options, pistachio-cream-filled danishes, yuzu meringue croissant muffins and other French classics and variations, alongside a truncated coffee menu. Baker and partner Ivy Ku has been offering 150 and 200 pastries per day thus far, with the hopes increasing the bakery’s output and eventually expanding to madeleines, tarts, financiers and other French-originated baked goods.
Read about the viral new bakery in Eagle Rock.
Read about the viral new bakery in Eagle Rock.
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Gran Blanco
Venice Japanese $$
(Jakob Layman)
The buzzy restaurant that sits below the draping “Venice” sign off Windward Avenue has completely revamped its shareable menu to focus on modern Japanese flavors, including chicken katsu curry, tonkatsu Brussels sprouts and a yellowtail crudo with yuzu balsamic. The beverage menu has been similarly reimagined with sake joining a lineup of natural wines and fruit-forward cocktails.
Read about the reinvented Venice restaurant.
Read about the reinvented Venice restaurant.
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Gudetama Cafe
Buena Park Breakfast $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The first U.S. location of Gudetama Cafe proved an instant success upon landing in Buena Park near Knott’s Berry Farm, with fans of Sanrio’s lazy anthropomorphic egg waiting hours for the opportunity to capture selfies with character statues and Gudetama murals, in addition to ordering from a menu that centers around sunny-side-up egg dishes. The food leans more American than Gudetama Cafe locations in Singapore, Osaka and Tokyo, with cheesy, bacon-topped breakfast and katsu sandwiches and avocado toast, plus tater tots served on the side — many of the egg dishes have Gudetama’s listless expression imprinted on the yolk. Desserts are being developed for the new Southern California location, but the signature Japanese cream puff is available along with a mango-sauced version. Additional Gudetama Cafe locations are expected to be announced later this year.
Read about the opening of the first U.S. location of Gudetama Cafe.
Read about the opening of the first U.S. location of Gudetama Cafe.
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Hato Sushi
Koreatown Sushi $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Park’s BBQ alum Tony Jin is returning to Koreatown with his first restaurant, Hato Sushi. The menu spans classic starters such as karaage, okonomiyaki and tempura; flashy options such as toro garlic toast crowned with caviar and gold; nigiri that can be ordered by the piece or in sets of three and a range of house rolls; plus entrees including udon, unagi don and a chirashi bowl. Omakase sets include sashimi ($75 or $120) or nigiri ($55 or $80), with rotating toppings. Beer, plum wine and sake, including sparkling options, round out the beverage selection.
Read about Tony Jin’s first restaurant.
Read about Tony Jin’s first restaurant.
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Heavy Handed
Studio City American $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
One of the city’s most iconic burgers has expanded to a new mustard-hued outpost in Studio City, serving up smashed short rib patties and beef-tallow fries alongside craft beers, natural wines and dipped soft serve. The second location of founders Max Miller and Danny Gordon’s smashburger spot features additional seating and a dedicated parking lot, plus a new cookies-and-cream hard shell dip.
Read about the Valley’s new smashburger spot.
Read about the Valley’s new smashburger spot.
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J&G Fried Chicken
Hacienda Heights Fried Chicken $
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Columnist Jenn Harris confirms that J&G Fried Chicken, a Taiwanese chain that opened its first U.S. location in Hacienda Heights in May, is worth the hype. Though initial crowds deterred her from visiting, a weekday visit for a late lunch proved more successful. Harris deems the flattened fillet a worthy replacement for diners who still mourn the loss of past Smorgasburg L.A. vendor Hot Star, with a crunchy breading that doesn’t detract from the juicy meat. She recommends the chicken cartilage as an item worth lining up for, with the same slightly sweet batter that’s featured in the popcorn chicken with added crunch from the cartilage.
Read about the Taiwanese fried chicken chain’s Hacienda Heights opening.
Read about the Taiwanese fried chicken chain’s Hacienda Heights opening.
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Kato
Downtown L.A. Taiwanese $$$$
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
The No. 1 restaurant from critic Bill Addison’s 2023 101 Best Restaurants guide was awarded the 2024 Resy One to Watch award by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, becoming the first L.A. restaurant to be recognized by the organization in a decade. Only three L.A. restaurants have placed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list — Ginza Sushiko in 2002, Spago in 2004 and the Bazaar by José Andrés on the extended 51-to-100 list in 2011. Co-owner Ryan Bailey said that he hopes that the acknowledgment will bring more attention and acclaim to the region’s restaurants. Kato’s Taiwanese-inflected tasting menu runs $275 per person, with a bar tasting menu offered for $170.
Read about Kato’s recognition by World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Read about Kato’s recognition by World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
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Kushiba
Echo Park Japanese $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Chef-owner David Schlosser of Michelin-starred Shibumi in downtown has opened a new Japanese restaurant and bar in Echo Park, this one with a more casual bent and focus on a la carte kushikatsu, or fried skewers. There are veggie options that span lotus, shiitake, asparagus and kabocha squash, plus panko-crusted mochi and Camembert cheese, as well as breaded meats such as shrimp, smelt, pork belly and Japanese Wagyu. Appetizers venture into raw and marinated dishes including mixed pickles, marinated eggplant and a potato salad with smoked eel. Omakase offers a choice of six skewers or a chef’s selection of 12 skewers and two starters, and the beverage program features sake, shochu and a full cocktail menu with an emphasis on Japanese spirits.
Read about David Schlosser’s new Echo Park restaurant.
Read about David Schlosser’s new Echo Park restaurant.
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L&E Oyster Bar
Silver Lake Oyster Bar $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
As of July 1, California restaurants and bars will no longer be allowed to add surcharges — fees that are often used to offset the costs of employee healthcare and other benefits and balance pay discrepancies between front-of-house employees. Restaurateur Dustin Lancaster preemptively did away with the extra fees and folded them into menu prices at his 13 L.A. restaurants, including L&E Oyster Bar in Silver Lake. The moody oyster bar has been going strong since 2012 with a lengthy wine list, creative cocktails and an assortment of hot and cold seafood plates, plus a tempting Monday through Thursday happy hour from 5-7 p.m.
Read about the new California law that’s eliminating hidden fees at restaurants and bars.
Read about the new California law that’s eliminating hidden fees at restaurants and bars.
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Mercado González
Costa Mesa Mexican $
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
The popularity of this Mexican supermarket chain and food hall hasn’t waned since it opened in Costa Mesa last fall. Crowds jockey for space as they shop for groceries and line up at puestos specializing in tamales, mariscos, tortas, Sinaloan sushi and more, with a masa-focused fine dining concept and a 21-and-up lounge for guests looking to linger a little longer. In a recent review, restaurant critic Bill Addison advises on a strategy for eating through the massive mercado, beginning with aguachile rojo from Mariscos el Pariente, with stops at local favorite Chiva Torta for a torta ahogada and the only stateside location of Mexico City-based churro chain El Moro for coffee paired with the cinnamon-dusted dessert.
Read Addison’s review of Mercado González.
Read Addison’s review of Mercado González.
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Red Room
Harvard Heights Wine Bars Bar Bites $$
(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)
A must-visit for late-night food and drinks in Koreatown, Red Room transforms the daytime Coffee MCO space with neon-red lighting, natural wine and soju cocktails and a Korean-inspired menu that branches out with a bulgogi burger topped with onion rings and a single perilla leaf and ragu over fried rice cakes. Columnist Jenn Harris describes it as a place where it’s easy to lose track of time and transition from dinner to drinks.
Read about the Koreatown restaurant that feels distinctly L.A.
Read about the Koreatown restaurant that feels distinctly L.A.
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Salam Falafel
Koreatown Middle Eastern $
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
If you ever get a late-night craving for falafel, follow restaurant critic Bill Addison’s advice and head to this Koreatown strip mall for a version that resembles a version he first sampled in Beirut, with a crunchy exterior and strong flavors of cumin and garlic. You can get the falafel in a pita wrap with chopped cucumber, tomato and tahini sauce or do as Addison does and make a meal out of the falafel paired with hummus bil lahme that’s garnished with fried ribeye, pine nuts and green hot sauce. The takeout restaurant is open from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., in case you want to visit for a predawn breakfast.
Read about the late-night falafel stand in Koreatown.
Read about the late-night falafel stand in Koreatown.
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Sushi Nikkei
Long Beach Nikkei $$
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Times OC reporter Sarah Mosqueda checks in with Peruvian-style sushi at Sushi Nikkei, which just celebrated its two-year anniversary in Long Beach’s Bixby Knolls neighborhood. From chef Eduardo Chang and his wife and business partner, Daiwa Wong, the restaurant celebrates the Japanese Peruvian cuisine that Chang’s mother and grandmother made for him growing up, including tiradito plates, Nikkei-style sushi, Peruvian cebiche and a Parmesan scallop that’s basted with lemon butter and placed on top of a mound of rice. The beverage program features selection of Japanese beers and sake.
Read about the Peruvian sushi restaurant in Long Beach.
Read about the Peruvian sushi restaurant in Long Beach.
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Tacos La Carreta
Whittier Mexican $
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
In the Tasting Notes newsletter, critic Bill Addison zeroes in on Sinaloa-style tacos from José Manuel Morales Bernal’s Tacos La Carreta, with locations in a Whittier strip mall and a food truck in Long Beach. The taqueria was named in Addison’s 2023 101 Best Restaurants guide, earning new fans with chorreadas that feature crisp corn tortillas, melted shredded cheese that melds with nutty asiento and chopped carne asada, with cool cabbage, onion and red salsa on top. Addison also recommends the vampiro mixto, which features the same recipe without asiento and your choice of carne asada, tripe, adobada or all three meats. A puffy pellizcada, with a consistency between a tortilla and a sope and the same taco dressings, is another must-order.
Read about the Sinaloan specialities at Tacos La Carreta.
Read about the Sinaloan specialities at Tacos La Carreta.
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Taquearte California
Pico Rivera Mexican $
(Laurie Ochoa / Los Angeles Times)
General Manager Laurie Ochoa nudges readers toward the mom-approved chilaquiles at Pico Rivera’s Taquearte California in the Tasting Notes newsletter. Opened late last summer, the taqueria layers its chilaquiles with tortilla chips softened by red or green sauce — or divorciado, with both sauces, for even more flavor — two sunny side up or over-easy eggs and your choice of meat (steak, pork chop, chicken or chorizo) on top. The Mexico City-style tacos served after noon are worth saving room for, and so oversize they come open-faced in a bowl with baked potato, caramelized onion, meat and optional avocado.
Read about some of L.A.’s best chilaquiles.
Read about some of L.A.’s best chilaquiles.
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The Jerk Grill
Redlands Caribbean $
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Columnist Jenn Harris hails the double oxtail smashburger from the Jerk Grill as one worth trekking to Redlands for, with ground beef, oxtail, gravy and cheese spilling out of the bun. The rest of the menu follows a similar format of bridging chef-owner Lerone Mullin’s upbringing in Jamaica with his Southern California surroundings, including fries and burritos topped or stuffed with proteins such as jerk steak, curry and brown-stew chicken, plus more traditional plates like Jamaican patties and plantains.
Read about the Jamaican restaurant in Redlands with an amazing oxtail burger.
Read about the Jamaican restaurant in Redlands with an amazing oxtail burger.
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Wax Paper
Chinatown Sandwich Shop $
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The already volatile restaurant industry has seen immense changes in recent years, especially here in Los Angeles, where a rising minimum wage, legislation around hidden service fees and entertainment industry strikes have significantly impacted local restaurants. Reporter Stephanie Breijo explored some of the challenges facing the city’s chefs and restaurateurs in an in-depth report that featured husband-and-wife team Lauren and Peter Lemos of Wax Paper, a sandwich shop with locations in Chinatown and Frogtown, weighing in about some of their struggles. Despite the duo’s fears about the future of their industry, the sandwich shop remains a favorite with items named after popular NPR hosts, such as the Garth Trinidad with roasted turkey, a citrusy jalapeño slaw, pickled carrots, cilantro and furikake on Bub and Grandma’s foccacia. They also offer rotating flavors of soft serve, including a vegan Dole Whip.
Read about the state of L.A. restaurants.
Read about the state of L.A. restaurants.
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