Best Places To Eat In Los Angeles – The La Dining Experience

In the shadow of Hollywood is Los Feliz, a quaint neighborhood north of downtown LA near south Glendale that is packed with top-tier restaurants. Los Feliz is sandwiched between Little Armenia, Thai Town and Silver Lake — neighborhoods that also hold their own when it comes to cuisine. This area is saturated with scrumptious restaurants that have talented chefs at the helm, and sub-par eateries don't stick around for long. An array of international, vegan-friendly, fine-dining and budget-friendly restaurants makes Los Feliz a top contender for every type of traveler.

All Time, one of the most whispered about places to eat in Los Angeles, feels part farmers market, part family potluck. Their menu includes a delicious mix of seafood, meat and vegetable options. Savor meals such as Hamachi ceviche made with zesty lime sauce, a 32-ounce ribeye served with seasonal side vegetables or roasted cauliflower served on fresh flatbread with hummus and smoked eggplant.

Los Feliz also has some of the city's most exciting plant-based cuisine. At Honeybee Burger, enjoy vegetarian burgers loaded with toppings such as hashbrowns, eggs and red pepper sauce for breakfast, classic lettuce, tomato, onion jam and pickles for lunch or their version of a fried chicken burger any time of the day. No order there is complete without an Oreo shake.

If you'll be visiting Griffith Park and peering through the telescope at its iconic observatory, a meal in Los Feliz is a convenient and worthwhile add-on. If the weather's good, stop at one of the handful of Mediterranean-inspired restaurants with outdoor seating, such as Loupiotte Kitchen for a charcuterie board of French cheeses, bread and fig jam. Kismet has hearty mezze plates for two and rabbit served with tahini, greens and labneh. Once the sun's down, head to Barbrix for an incredible wine selection and tapas.

Downtown Los Angeles is a busy place, where fine dining venues, bakeries and hole-in-the-wall eateries wedge themselves in between a clash of galleries, corporate buildings and admin offices. Food trucks rumble along the city streets, doling out delicious snacks and meals from their propped-up windows. Mexican food trucks such as Leo's Taco Truck, El Tauro Taco and Julie's Tacos serve out impeccably spiced tortas, tacos, burritos and sopes to enjoy as you wander. The Berlin Truck hands out comfort foods such as bratwursts (vegetarian included) and grilled mac and cheese spiced with chili and served on rye. Don't forget the loaded fries!

For a romantic night out, the sparkling lights of Downtown Los Angeles set the scene. Oitum is a sleek establishment with a varied menu of grilled lobster served with sweet corn and tomato chowder, spinach bucatini with sage, pancetta and black truffle oil, and tangy prawns with a dash of ginger and chili. Each dish is thoughtfully plated, and nobody will bat an eye if you sneak in a quick picture before digging in. At Orsa & Winston, Chef Josef Centeno crafts Italian- and Japanese-inspired five-course meals in an intimate dining room. If you're lingering around downtown for sunset, make a reservation at 71Above, the highest restaurant in California. You'll get panoramic views of Los Angeles while you enjoy a three-course menu. Grilled ribeye served with brocollini, shallots and date puree is their standout menu item.

Downtown is also one of the best places to eat in Los Angeles for more casual affairs. The city's diverse residents have set up a range of international, American and fusion stops. Come hungry to Woodspoon for Brazilian home cooking, where meals like fish stewed in coconut milk and chicken pot pies with hearts of palm will transport you to Minas Gerais, Brazil. Go to Holy Basil for pad thai and the area's best tom yum soup, Shiku for Korean and Sushi Gen for Japanese. Grand Central Market offers the ultimate experience for foodies, where tens of food vendors compete for your attention by putting their best dishes on offer — you'll want to arrive hungry and go wherever your appetite leads.

Lively melodies of violins, trumpets and guitars ring out from Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, where bands available for hire set the tune of one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Some restaurants have been serving plates of Mexican fare for over half a century, including El Tepeyac, which is famous for its special chile verde burritos large enough to feed four people. Al & Bea's has also served scrumptious chile rellenos for over five decades. Guisados, founded in 2010, serves homestyle braised steak, chicken, pork and vegetables served on a piping hot corn tortilla.

Throughout the neighborhood, street art tells the stories of inspiring residents and community issues. And while Boyle Heights is best known for its Mexican fare, there are plenty of other places to tempt the taste buds. Family-run Otomisan, a Japanese restaurant that has been in the neighborhood since 1956, serves crispy tempura, goyoza, fresh sashimi and sushi rolls. Vegans and vegetarians should head to Un Solo Sol for hearty salads, tofu stir-fried in lemon juice, Lebanese tabbouleh and piles of warm pita bread topped with fatteh, olives and pine nuts.

Stray just a little from the star-studded Hollywood Walk of Fame to escape the crowds and discover some of the best places to eat in Los Angeles. You can't go wrong with Los Balcones for bowls of Peruvian ceviche, Stout for burgers and beers and Hoy-Ka for Thai curries. One trifecta of eateries — Chi Spacca, Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza — are all under the same management and serve some of the best Italian fare in Los Angeles. 

When looking for the most upscale brunch spots, head to Osteria Mozza, with a cheese bar serving mozzarella, burrata and burricotta along with pairings of sweet and savory ingredients. Pizzeria Mozza is more casual, serving delectable pizzas, such as one topped with eggplant parmigiano. Chi Spacca is an intimate restaurant known for its dried meats, though there are dishes to tempt vegetarians as well. One other good place to eat in LA may not surprise locals though if you are traveling from out of state you may want to find a neighborhood In-N-Out Burger for that quintessential first stop, food bucket list, experience. With the iconic tradition being to get their “animal style” fries or burger from the secret menu. If you are near Hollywood Blvd there is a location only a few blocks south of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.