The Los Angeles Restaurants We Love For a Celebration

Smack-dab in the middle Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction, this new and always-bustling spot offers a unique interpretation of Spanish cuisine with a wide selection of natural wines, a dedicated martini menu, and sherries to match. The food includes lots of live fire options (like the excellent beef morunos served with garlic yogurt, rye flatbread, and pickled onions), tinned conservas (from cockles in brine to tuna belly in olive oil), and bold flavors from the southern Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. The lively main dining room can accommodate larger parties, and there’s a private dining room upstairs that seats up to 14.

This bright and airy restaurant in L.A.’s historic West Adams neighborhood is one of the city’s foremost purveyors of soul food, with a distinctly California twist. Southern-style dishes are prepared with a lighter touch, allowing local ingredients to shine in favorites such as the cornbread, black-eyed pea fritters, and oxtails and rice. Those flavorful classics are paired with creative cocktails and a great wine list in a cozy setting that’s ideal for mingling with groups. Parties of nine or more must pre-order a family-style menu indoors or on the lovely patio — making it easier to sample as many of the dishes as possible.

Hidden away in an industrial nook of Santa Monica near Bergamot Station, Birdie G’s looks like it’s been plucked straight out of a downtown warehouse — until you actually walk in. While the setting is urban and sleek, the vibe is more like one giant dinner party. Chef Jeremy Fox’s menu reflects his Eastern European roots, with Midwestern-style comfort fare (through a California lens, of course). Dishes like the relish tray with pickled vegetables and five-onion dip, a richly flavored matzo ball soup, and a bright pink gelatin-enhanced rose petal pie offer cheffy takes on classics all made with local and sustainable ingredients. Larger parties should opt for a family-style menu that costs $85 per guest and features the greatest hits of the current menu.

The pro move at Majordōmo is to bring as many people as you possibly can, so you can sink into the smoked half bo ssam (which feeds four to five) and the whole plate short rib with beef rice (that one feeds five to six). The sprawling, handsomely appointed space, and those heaping party platters, make David Chang’s L.A. outpost one of the city’s best restaurants for groups. While you’re at it, make sure to also work your way through small plates and the bings — toasty Chinese flatbreads served with toppings ranging from pig head terrine to cave-aged butter and caviar. Tables for up to nine can be reserved via Resy, but larger groups should call 322-545-4880.

Expect expertly prepared fish and a lively, convivial feel at this West Hollywood gem run by chef Michael Cimarusti. The menu draws from Cimarusti’s childhood memories of New England clam shacks and fish houses, and boasts one of the most impressive raw bar and chilled seafood selections in the city. Bring a group together to enjoy warm lobster rolls, steamers, and Portuguese fish stew in the airy dining room or on the lovely outdoor patio. 

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Ludo Lefebvre’s beloved French bistro now has multiple locations — and while the original, on Highland and Melrose, is a great place for a more intimate celebration — the expansive, newer Sherman Oaks locale is ideal for bigger parties. The lavish banquettes at this Valley outpost offer plenty of space to pop both escargot and bottles of Burgundy in equal measure. While the main dining room can accommodate larger tables for parties who’d like to admire the buzzy, Parisienne-style atmosphere, the restaurant also offers a semi-private dining room for parties of up to 10.

Since 1988, Carousel has been considered the hub of Glendale’s Armenian community, and with good reason. The sprawling restaurant and banquet hall is regularly filled with large tables of friends and families — Kardashian clan included — sharing huge spreads of Middle Eastern and Armenian mezza such as hummus, tabbouleh, kebabs, and more. While Carousel offers a wide selection of a la carte options, most large parties opt for the family-style combos, which can feed up to 40 (yes, 40). Depending on when you go, you might find your group surrounded by a mob of belly dancers and other entertainers. What could possibly feel more celebratory? 

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Since opening in 1994, this massive, colorful restaurant has been hailed as one of the best Oaxacan restaurants in the United States. The traditional fare — including a half-dozen housemade moles — is as satisfying as it is shareable, leading the family-run spot to earn a James Beard Classics award in 2015. The Tequila and mezcal selection is unparalleled as well. And it feels like one giant party almost every night of the week, with live mariachi music and long tables full of friends and families (it’s very kid-friendly) getting together for birthdays, promotions, and a generally good time. Groups of up to 13 can book online; call for larger requests.

High-quality steaks (ranging from steak frites to Miyazaki A5 Strip Loin), great seafood (including a killer caviar selection), and a renowned wine list are just a few of the reasons Baltaire is our go-to for special occasions on the West side. The soaring dining room and gorgeous outdoor terrace don’t hurt, either. The sweeping space boasts multiple options for groups, from large tables in the dimly-lit dining room to multiple private dining rooms.

 Find more info here. 

Nancy Silverton protégé Matt Molina helms the kitchen at this Cal-Mediterranean Highland Park hot spot that quickly racked up a devoted local following. The restaurant boasts an industrial vibe with high wood-paneled ceilings, concrete floors, and simple pendant lights. However, the food, which consists mostly of crudos, pastas, and meat cooked on the grill (paired with creative cocktails and an impressive list of organic, biodynamic, and natural wines), is warm and rustic — ideal for family-style meals for groups of 10 and up.

Considered one of the best Korean barbecue spots in all of L.A. — high praise in a city renowned for its plethora of excellent KBBQ options — Parks is known for its high-quality meats. Combo platters like the P1 come with all the banchan and Prime bulgogi, rib eye, and boneless short rib, making ordering for a crowd easy. The massive, two-story space is always busy with large groups cooking on the DIY tableside grills, giving the space a perpetually festive feel. The restaurant can accommodate up to 13 people at its biggest table or up to 30 in one of the dining rooms.

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Set in the courtyard of Hauser & Wirth gallery, this Southern-leaning, farm-focused restaurant boasts an indoor-outdoor space that’s just about as inviting as it gets. Warm lighting and wood accents are paired with lush greenery and tables that feel like they’ve been plucked out of someone’s (very nice) backyard. Well-prepared plates of seasonal vegetables, skillet cornbread, and cream biscuits with Steen’s butter and Col. Newsom’s aged country ham keep the homey atmosphere going, albeit with an upmarket sheen. The open-air patio can accommodate larger groups, and there’s an intimate private dining room that’s just as welcoming as the rest.

Find more info here.

This perennially bustling Venice hot spot has been cranking out some of the best Cali-Italian fare in the city for nearly 15 years. Many consider its wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies the front-runner of Los Angeles’ current crop of excellent pizzerias. But that’s not all the place does very, very well. The shareable menu, which includes oysters, creatively prepared vegetables, and flavorful meat and seafood dishes, are ideal for large crowds seeking a cool vibe with food that actually lives up to the longstanding hype. Plus, there’s an indoor-outdoor private dining room overlooking Abbot Kinney that can accommodate up to 30 guests for sit-down dinners and up to 60 for cocktail parties.