The Resy Hit List: Everywhere In L.A. You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Photo courtesy of Baroo

When chef Kwang Uh and Mina Park unveiled their third iteration of Baroo last summer, the fermentation-driven Korean restaurant looked strikingly different from its previous stripped-down (as in, strip mall) versions. The couple took their time revamping and refining. As a result, the Baroo of today is remarkably warm for a dining destination, and continues to dish out some of Los Angeles’ most innovative food. Upon arrival, each diner is presented with a beautifully engraved box bearing chopsticks, a seven-course menu of seasonally-informed dishes, and the option to add a beverage pairing. For $110 a head, it’s a steal that everyone living in (or visiting) Los Angeles should take advantage of.

Mexican street food is synonymous with Los Angeles, from taco stands to fruit vendors to seafood trucks. Mariscos Jalisco, parked in Boyle Heights for over two decades, is an exemplar of the latter category. Here, owner Raul Ortega and his team dish out perfectly crisp tacos dorados de camarón unlike any other in the city. The famed dish consists of a corn tortilla filled with a proprietary minced shrimp blend, which is deep fried and topped with avocado and a heaping spoonful of fresh salsa. It’s required eating for Angelenos and visitors alike. While there, try a couple of tostadas and the markedly spicy aguachile, too. Beyond the original, Mariscos Jalisco has three other locations—one Downtown, one in Pomona, and another in Mid City.

No reservations. Find more info here.

This tiny Armenian take-out joint in Glendale, run by the Martirosyan family, specializes in revelatory kabobs, from yogurt-marinated chicken thigh shish to lule kabobs hand-shaped into tender divots. These come over absorbent basmati rice with a puddle of silky hummus, a tangle of white onion and parsley, and fire-roasted tomatoes and jalapeños. Better yet, husband-and-wife Ovakim, Alvard, and their son Armen treat every customer like an old friend. Do note that Mini Kabob requires planning: call ahead to place your order, bring cash, then eat your food as quickly as possible while it’s still hot. (The trunk of your car is well-suited to this purpose.)

No reservations. Find more info here.

Only in Los Angeles does a cheffy Indian sports bar in a Silver Lake strip mall make sense. Namely because L.A. is home to Avish Naran, an Indian kid from Echo Park who grew up on wings, pizza, the Dodgers, and the Lakers, and who as an adult combined those passions into the whirlwind that is Pijja Palace. The chef at the helm is Miles Shorey, an ideal match for bringing Naran’s personal history to the plate. His crispy dosa batter-fried onion rings, crushable aloo tiki sliders, and spicy Goan sausage-topped pies are unlike anything you’ve had before. Come with an appetite, revel in the game-time energy, and make sure to ask about off-menu specials.

L.A.’s proliferation of wine bars feels, perhaps, a bit overplayed right now. Which is why when Stir Crazy opened on Melrose Ave last May, its open-ended spirit of a European cafe was alluring. And yet owner Mackenzie Hoffman’s wide-ranging, producer-focused wine list is a big part of the draw. So is the sensational, ever-changing snacky fare, including a dynamite celery salad with walnuts, goat cheese, and golden raisins and a single sausage with Weiser potato salad and a dollop of spicy mustard. The people-watching is equally strong; come here for an in-between moment or a lingering catch-up with friends.

The #19 sandwich at Langer’s is a rite of passage for … well, for nearly everyone. Pastrami, which the 77-year-old deli brines, smokes, and steams in-house, is complemented with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on rye. It is excellent. Still, the famed sandwich is only part of the appeal at this old-school MacArthur Park institution. There’s also the steamy matzo ball soup station, the crinkle-cut French fries, and the lifelike paintings that date back to 1968, to name a few more. Langer’s will never change, and it never should.

No reservations. Find more info here.

First came Cafe Telegrama, a sleek daytime café with Instagram-candy ricotta pancakes and a fancy take on the tuna melt. Then, at the tail end of 2023, its next-door sister restaurant arrived: a handsome Italian joint with an approachable menu that spans crudo and burrata, six pastas, sea bream with salmoriglio, roast chicken, and steak for two. The formula behind Étra — intimate environs, a sultry atmosphere, and a roster of crowd-pleasing dishes — adds up to exactly the kind of contemporary restaurant that Los Angeles seems to love right now. It’s unfussy, tasty, and stylish, and sure to be mobbed once words gets out. 

Family-owned Mandarin Noodle House has been dishing out sheafs of flaky scallion pancakes and resplendent bowls of Taiwanese beef noodle soup — with hand-pulled noodles, of course — since 1978. At one point there were four outposts, from Chinatown to the Valley. Now, the Monterey Park location, overseen by third-generation owner Denny Mu, is the last one standing. (You can’t miss its bright orange-and-red tiled exterior while driving down West Garvey Ave.) Beyond those pancakes and that noodle soup, don’t miss the garlicky cucumber salad, pan-fried pork dumplings, and pork chop over rice.

No reservations. Find more info here.

There is no shortage of first-rate Mexican food in this town. However, Mexican fine dining is still a rarity, which is why the arrival of globally acclaimed chef Enrique Olvera was a very welcome one, indeed. At his elegantly adorned Damian, the Arts District is made to feel like Mexico City, with high ceilings, concrete slabs, leafy plants, and the like. The margaritas are top-tier and the agave spirits collection is chock full of cool finds. And the food? Inventive, stunning, delicious. Uni tostadas are topped with Caesar salad. Lobster gets al pastor treatment, with pineapple butter. And for dessert, the hibiscus merengue is Instagram gold.

Let the swarm of people surrounding the entrance on a typical Friday at noon be an indication of the enduring — and warranted — popularity of Sushi Gen. This Little Tokyo institution sits somewhere in between a luxury omakase counter and a neighborhood sushi restaurant, a sweet spot that makes it a go-to for sushi-loving Angelenos. Since 1980, its team of sushi chefs have worked in lockstep to cater to diners at the counter, rattling off fish types, as well as bigger parties seated at tables, dishing piece after piece of fresh fish over rice. Order scallop nigiri, toro, and ikura, plus whatever else in the case is looking good.

No reservations. Find more info here.

From Northern Thai Food Club’s herb-flecked sai ua to Ruen Pair’s crispy egg salad, Thai Town brims with fantastic, fiery fare. Of the neighborhood’s countless restaurants, however, Jitlada shines through for its masterful execution of a sprawling, 400-dish menu and its buoyant atmosphere. Magazine features, newspaper reviews, hand-drawn cartoons, and trinkets from Thailand fill every inch of space across the restaurant’s two dining rooms, and every night of the week, tables are packed with diners sharing big bottles of Singha and entirely too much food. Order as much as possible from the dedicated Southern Thai “real chili, real spicy” section, but do get the crispy morning glory salad and the taepo duck curry. Jitlada has been open since the late ‘70s and owner Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong is a local celebrity in her own right. 

No reservations. Find more info here.

Photo courtesy of Queen Street

Chef Ari Kolender had an immediate hit in Found Oyster, the tiny East Coast-style seafood counter he opened in 2019, serving raw bar platters and lobster bisque rolls. Then, last year, the chef unveiled his sophomore restaurant Queen St. in Highland Park, bringing us yet another stellar seafood destination—and this time, with more seats (meaning reservations, too). Here, Kolender hones in on his Charleston roots with Southern-leaning dishes such as hushpuppies with trout roe and Cantabrian anchovy and tomato bread pudding, in addition to certified crowd-pleasers like yellowfin tuna frites. Sheralyn’s Derby Pie, a decadent chocolate-pecan number, is the chef’s grandmother’s recipe. Order it à la mode. 

In a city brimming with salads, Tsubaki’s Japanese Caesar — laced with bonito threads, nori, panko, and miso-parmesan dressing — is a strong contender for the best. Their charcoal-grilled chicken oyster skewers, dabbed with yuzu kosho, are a bona fide signature L.A. dish. Simply put, chef Charles Namba’s food at this compact Echo Park izakaya is consistently dynamite. But the sake list adds a whole new dimension: Namba’s partner is Courtney Kaplan, whose sake expertise and dedication to craft breweries is showcased here and at next-door sake bar, Ototo — whose sake program was the first to win a James Beard award. Take your time reading Kaplan’s descriptions; “sake whisperer” doesn’t even begin to describe her work. 

Make a reservation here.

Weather, produce, lifestyle, nature. These are some of the most common factors that drive people to Los Angeles, and All Time embodies all of them. Citrus and fig trees line the perimeter of the entirely outdoor dining room, part of which is fashioned like a greenhouse. Simple, satisfying California cooking is served all day, starting with an exemplary berry scone and an expertly crafted breakfast burrito in the morning, followed by an enormous leafy salad (appropriately dubbed the “Good Ass Salad”), burrata toast, crispy fish over rice, and lots of wine in the evening. Bonus: All Time is also minutes away from the entrance to Griffith Park, making it a wonderful place to unwind after a hike.

Old-school Hollywood glam is a definitive category within L.A., and La Dolce Vita is the genre’s buzziest contender — and thus a tough table to score (we have tips). The clubby Beverly Hills Italian restaurant and former Rat Pack haunt (Frank Sinatra once had a dedicated seat) dates back to 1966. But last year, Marc Rose and Med Abrous of Genghis Cohen and the Spare Room took over, adding cheetah print carpet and custom stained glass while still retaining the history of the dining room, including its original booths. Meanwhile, chef Nick Russo upped the ante on food with bucatini al limone, a hubcap-sized bone-in veal Parmesan, branzino piccata, and slices of spumoni. The drink program here is not to be overlooked, from martinis to amaros and limoncello with dessert.

Soon after opening in 2017, Botanica swiftly cemented its status as a Silver Lake staple for its vegetable-centric cooking and its shop-within-a-restaurant utility. Owned by former food writers Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling, the restaurant is at once bubbly and soothing, with a transportive patio to boot. And although it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, from Wednesday through Sunday, it offers a whole lot: baked goods in the pastry case, three meal services a day, a full bar, and a tinned fish-focused happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. The latest big news out of the kitchen is the arrival of the Botanica burger—grass-fed beef with pink chicories, pickled shallots, aioli, salsa verde, and goat gouda on pan de mie—the restaurant’s first ever in seven years of operating. It’s very tasty and very on brand.

Chef Aaron Lindell and pastry whiz Hannah Ziskin are a culinary couple that compliment one another quite well. Case in point: Quarter Sheets, their pizza and cake restaurant that puts childlike joy front and center. The pizza is crunchy-crispy, chewy, and high on flavor —  loosely inspired by the pies of Detroit, but really, it’s Lindell’s own Los Angeles-style invention. (Quarter Sheets serves bar pies, too, on Wednesdays and Sundays.) The cakes come in Princess and seasonal slab form, alongside other ever-rotating desserts, like ice cream and pie. Both Lindell and Ziskin are masters of their craft, and their pairing is about as perfect as it gets. 

No reservations. Find more info here.

Photo courtesy of Alta Adams

“California soul food” is how chef Keith Corbin describes his cooking here, which pulls from West Africa, the South, and Los Angeles itself. That translates to cornbread with honey butter, spicy purple sweet potato soup, fried chicken with Fresno hot sauce, and oxtails and rice, in the tight-knit community of West Adams. The dining room is cozy and warm, with colorful printed pillows to lean on, and art curated by next-door gallery Band of Vices. Cocktails are a highlight, too, including a “teenie tini flight” of three 1.5 oz. martinis, and a Cognac-based sour with candied yam syrup and spiced sweet potato liqueur.

If you can judge a Korean restaurant by its banchan, then Western Doma Noodles scores a 10/10. Each small dish is better than the next. And then what? Start with an order of fried vegetable dumplings, then get the restorative chicken ginseng soup, which features an entire Cornish game hen stuffed with rice, or a platter of gochujang-laced chicken stew. Owner Mi Ok Baik is a hospitality pro and works the room with warm efficiency, taking orders, stirring soups, and grabbing more rounds of Hite. Her tables are made of lacquered hunks of wood, her floors are checkered blue and white, and her vibe is convivial, further proof that the best things in L.A. are often found in strip malls.

No reservations, no website. Find more info here.

Cobi’s is a Westside mainstay for its animated atmosphere and flavor-packed Southeast Asian fare. A colorful interior with warm wood accents, floral wallpaper, mismatched chairs, and a lush patio set the scene, while the food menu culls from various cuisines, including Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, and Thai. During dinner, standout dishes include raw kanpachi with finger lime and green chili in a coconut dressing, fenugreek-laced butter chicken, dry-aged branzino in yellow curry, and flaky roti to mop up every last morsel. But perhaps the restaurant’s most unique offering is weekend brunch, when Hainan rice congee, kaya French toast, and rendang roti wraps are up for grabs.