The Los Angeles Restaurants We Loved in 2024

And the winner of “My Dinner of the Year” award goes to…

… RVR. We had a bit of menu intel prior to dining there, and subsequently ordered the pickles, the shrimp gyoza, the grilled lamb, the crispy duck with mixed rice, the sweet potato, and the matcha-and-black sesame gelato. But we only dined as a party of two, so we certainly missed a few things. My resolution for 2025: Go back to RVR as a party of four (or more) to try the rest of the menu.

— Nic Mercure, Senior Implementation Specialist, Global Dining Access

Years ago, I remember legendary French chef Michel Bras…

… at the Union Square Greenmarket the night before he did a special, one-night dinner at wd~50. He’d flown in all the way from France and chef Bras was on his knees, under the Mountain Sweet Berry Farm’s table, handpicking every single potato for one of his dishes.

In the pantheon of 20^th-century chefs, he’s firmly planted in the conversation at the top of the mantle. And Travis Lett is one of them. An old-school chef-owner who’s been in the kitchen every single night since his latest restaurant, RVR, opened. A chef who’s at the farmers market every single week. RVR must’ve missed the cut-off for every publication’s “best new restaurants of 2024” list, because why else would no one be talking about it?

The place is packed every night, thanks to palpable, honest, and forthright hospitality, alongside a perfectly moody vibe (and lighting). And let’s not forget about the food! Like those Peads & Barnett rib-and-shoulder dumplings, whose crispy dumpling skirt was just the right amount of thin, glass-like crunch. Or a light clam ramen that tasted as if a Japanese grandma had spent a summer on the Amalfi Coast, learning all about linguine alle vongole. The nori on the hand rolls is always crisp and their version of a tofu-based Caesar is spot on.

The menu changes seem to be accelerating as the kitchen gets more comfortable, so don’t get too excited about any one dish as it may be gone the following week. RVR really embraces Japan’s shun philosophy, which highlights ingredients that are at the peak of their season (I could eat there multiple times a week).

L.A. is lucky to have chef Travis back behind the stoves and I’m excited to watch this spot evolve and grow. They got it so right, so quickly. Like if a newborn ran a sub 3-hour marathon. What a special spot.

— Jeremy Adler, Regional Manager, Los Angeles

I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was…

… maybe the perfectly cooked steak au poivre, the light scallop demi lune, or (my favorite dish) the onion tartine, but Camphor stole my heart this year, and is now my favorite splurge-worthy spot in Los Angeles. I’m excited by everything chef Max Boonthanakit and his team whip up, plain and simple, including their monthly steak frites dinner. If you haven’t tried Camphor yet, I urge you to make the trip to the Arts District and let your server guide you through the perfectly curated French menu. Last thing: You have to order the bread pudding.

— Catt Flanagan, Regional Manager, West Coast

Date night, bring-a-friend date…

… let’s-go-out-because-it’s-a-Thursday date: Camphor has got to be at the top of every list. We started with the onion tartine, which oozed with French onion soup energy (absolutely divine), before moving onto the radicchio salad, spinach vadouvan, potatoes, and the ribeye, which were all — chef’s kiss — fantastiques. The staff was super warm and incredibly knowledgeable, and they also happen to do a steak frites night once a month, which I’m definitely inserting into my rotation from now on.

— Cody Goetze, Restaurant Success Manager

The bite I return over and over in my head…

… as the most dazzling and brightly-flavored in recent memory is the kanpachi crudo at Nossa Caipirinha Bar in Los Feliz. And it’s not just the crudo I love here. Take your pick from the menu — the coxinhas (fried balls of dough and ground chicken), the spicy stew that is the prawn moqueca baiana, or the juicy picanha steak — and you’ll find a richly flavored, comforting dish that’ll quickly become your new favorite. Wash things down with a refreshing caipirinha from the bar, and enjoy the Brazilian disco or Bossa Nova emanating from the record player. Saùde!

— Oren Peleg, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

I’ve spent many a weekend out in the San Gabriel Valley…

… in search of dumplings and hand-pulled noodles, Malaysian cafés and Taiwanese bakeries. But I’ve been reserving a trip to Bistro Na’s in Temple City for the right occasion.

This is no strip mall hole-in-the-wall — Bistro Na’s serves lavish, intricate, Chinese imperial food in a sprawling, opulent space that’s best experienced with a group. (And fine, it’s technically in a strip mall, but you’ll feel entirely transported the second you walk in.) We got the signature slippery shrimp, fried so delicately you can (and are encouraged to) eat the shells; the call-ahead lacquered roasted duck; and one of the most beautiful mushroom dishes I’ve ever encountered, with matchstick-like fungi lightly crisped and coated in tiny, crunchy rice balls. The hard-bound menu reads like poetry; the presentations are artful and refined; the service is as gracious as can be. I’m already planning an even bigger group outing to try everything we missed the first time.

— Jamie Feldmar, Resy Los Angeles Editor

While there’s a first time for everything….

… I’ve yet to visit a Last Word Hospitality restaurant that hasn’t become a personal favorite after exactly one visit. And Rasarumah is no exception. Chef Johnny Lee’s flavorful takes on Malaysian and Southeast Asian classics like beef rendang (made here with wagyu beef cheek and served with homemade roti) and noodle dishes like char kway teow were particularly memorable. And I’m still thinking about the textural triumph that is the cendol sundae: coconut-pandan ice cream, red bean, pandan jellies, and toasted buckwheat. The drinks and vibes are pitch-perfect, too, which always helps.

— Kelly Dobkin, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

If it’s not already on your radar…

… Rasarumah needs to be on it. I was fortunate to go during their soft opening and will be coming back very shortly. We got nearly two of everything, but the highlights for me were the ulam bendi, the satay, the Hokkien mee, and the rendang, and you must get all the sides and sauces. It’s a cute vibe and it definitely resonates with the rest of the Last Word Hospitality group (think Found Oyster’s small-but-mighty greatness, but with Queen St.’s size). No doubt, a must-visit.

— Cody Goetze, Restaurant Success Manager

If wood paneling has become a tired design trend…

… it’s only because no one does it better than Ètra. This Italian charmer opened exactly a year ago, and anyone who’s dined there is familiar with its handsomely warm embrace.

The two recent meals I’ve had were pretty much perfect, enlivened by details like the servers’ (impressively meticulous) order pad kept behind the bar, an ideal rigatoni al pesto (promoted from special to menu mainstay), and a crisp, subtly salty bottle of Corsican white wine. It’s also worth noting that the chicories — laced with anchovy, black pepper, and finished with shavings of cured egg yolk — continue to be the best Caesar in town.

— Emily Wilson, Los Angeles Writer, Resy Editorial

I had so many wonderful meals this year…

… it’s hard to pick just one. But the new restaurant that impressed me most was RVR, chef Travis Lett’s return to Venice after parting ways with Gjusta and shuttering MTN.

The hype was near-deafening (which always makes me a little nervous), but RVR is a rare example of a restaurant that’s firing on all cylinders just weeks after opening. It’s clear that Lett and his second in command, Ian Robinson, have a clear vision for their nouveau Japanese-California izakaya, and the technical skill to back it up. The wide-ranging menu covers everything from handrolls to ramen (with housemade noodles!) to a sprawling vegetable-focused section with some of the most inventive flavor combinations I’ve had all year. (I know that steamed cabbage in a clam-dashi broth doesn’t sound all that exciting, but trust me: it is.) The food, combined with the cozy-cool listening bar feel, the bustling open kitchen, and the frictionless front of house make this my favorite new restaurant of the year.

— Jamie Feldmar, Resy Los Angeles Editor

Not only is the vibe at…

… Horses exquisite but the food delivers on a level that is unsurpassed to me. Their cheeseburger, vodka pasta, and boudin blanc are things I could eat for the rest of my life, but it’s the tiramisu that I still dream about regularly — I really think I had one of my top dinners of 2024 here. They really have the menu dialed to a science, and they just launched brunch, which is at the top of my list next.

— Cody Goetze, Restaurant Success Manager