Los Angeles Restaurants Perfect For Regulars

When You’re Old-School L.A. at Heart

This Los Feliz institution shot to fame after appearing in the 1996 film Swingers, but the restaurant and live music venue has been a neighborhood staple since 1954, even weathering the recent passing of longtime singer Marty Roberts with aplomb. There are steakhouse-leaning dishes like an iceberg wedge, shrimp cocktail, and prime rib in the elegant restaurant, as well as more casual small bites in the retro-feeling lounge. All of that, coupled with regular jazz and soul nights, make The Dresden an enduringly charming destination for martini-soaked nights out.

For 45 years, Michael’s has typified the perfect Westside restaurant. Opened in 1979 by Michael McCarty, this Santa Monica stalwart helped define California cuisine and the farm-to-table ethos. Over the years, chefs like Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel, and Jonathan Waxman have worked in the kitchen, while Kim McCarty (Michael’s wife) has amassed a museum-worthy collection of art on the walls (we’re talking David Hockney, Cy Twombly, and the like). You can never go wrong with the seafood here, and the roast chicken with fries is a rustic classic that benefits from the garlicky zing of its sauce verde. At nearly $40, Michael’s cheeseburger is a splurge, but with the addition of Gruyere, avocado, and bacon, it’s an umami bomb worth every penny. 

For Those Perennial Pasta Cravings

Chef Antonia Lofaso offers everything from housemade pasta (think pappardelle with braised pork shoulder ragu, or rigatoni with spicy vodka sauce and a dollop of ricotta) to jazzed-up Italian appetizers like fried squash blossoms at this Venice mainstay. But what locals know is that while, yes, the food is always solid, this place really nails the vibe. The massive bar, which serves excellent cocktails like white negronis and palomas, is always bustling, and the dining room, with its exposed brick and tufted leather booths, buzzes with lively conversations. Plus, with its extensive menu, it’s the sort of place you can revisit time and again without repeating an order.

Los Angeles has been blessed with an influx of regional Italian cuisine in the last few years, and Bacetti, with its Roman-style fare, maintains the standard. Echo Park locals have been flocking to fill up on pizza, pasta, and wine here since it opened in 2021, but Bacetti has always stayed humble and warm. What to try on your first visit? The focaccia has never left the menu, and once you get a whiff of the rosemary, black taggiasca olives, and that crackly golden crust, you’ll understand why. Keep things going with a hearty plate of mafaldine pasta with short rib ragu, or try the Fico pizza, with pistachio, sweet roasted figs, and feta for a lighter, more playful bite. Let own Jason Goldman pour you one of his favorite Italian wines while you’re there. 

Come to this ever-buzzing Melrose Hill spot on any given weekend, and you’ll see throngs of people waiting outside, glasses of wine in hand, waiting to be seated. Once inside the moody, minimalist space (right next door to equally adored daytime counterpart Café Telegrama), the knowledgeable staff guides diners through the menu, helmed by chef Evan Algorri, formerly of New York’s Lupa, Marea, and Bouley. Don’t miss the pastas—especially the creamy rigatoni guanciale number—the charred pork chop rubbed in porchetta spice, and a tonnato-forward beef tartare.

Weeknight Destinations

Beverly Grove’s Marvin is the sort of all-purpose neighborhood wine bar you’ll never tire of. Snacks like oysters and burrata toast get you going, while a robust selection of larger plates ranging from pastas to a great burger to an indulgent Dover sole for two are there if you’re looking for something more. The extensive French and Italian wine list will keep conversation flowing in the lively, low-lit space.

When the Mood Calls for Mexican & Margs

As soon as you walk into Mirate, you know you’ve stepped into something special. The bar program, run by Max Reis, is one of the best in town, and accordingly, named one of North America’s 50 best. Margaritas here include inventive additions like aguachile syrup in the El Guero, or Seville orange oil in the Margarita Ji-Bol. If you want something truly unique, try a flight of rare mezcals served with gooseberries and chapulines (seasoned grasshoppers). Sit for a full dinner along with your drinks — or just savor the churros that come with a not-too-sweet chocolate.

Frogtown’s indoor-outdoor taqueria serves all sorts of delicious things on house-made flour and corn tortillas, from classics like carne asada and al pastor to more newfangled fillings like a kale, goat cheese, and habanero pumpkin seed salsa number. With its breezy, casual outdoor setup dotted with SoCal cacti and greenery — and margarita and mezcal flights — Salazar should become your daytime destination for any and all weekend hangs.

Failsafe Spots for Weekly Group Hangs

Kris Yenbamroong’s 12 year-old Thai restaurant is one that’s founded on crowd-pleasing dishes. The signature fried and glazed “party wings.” Crab and cream cheese-stuffed wontons served over cucumber salad. Noodles, curries, a vibrant papaya salad, and (still) one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in town, topped with papaya slaw, Ranch, cilantro, and jalapenos. It’s the type of place that, much like the wings, always feels like a party, so you’ll want to bring your friends here for everything from birthdays to book clubs and Wednesday-night dinners.

When Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson opened Kismet in 2017, they helped usher in a new era of L.A.’s dining scene. Nearly eight years on, neither the quality of the food nor the incredible warmth and hospitality has changed. On any given night, Kismet’s guests spill out onto Hollywood Boulevard, and during the month of January, it’s a special steakhouse-themed menu on offer.