The Resy Guide to Great Restaurants in Silver Lake and Echo Park

This brand-new spot in Silver Lake takes the idea of dining at grandma’s house to the next level. Located inside a charming 1950s Craftsman bungalow, this cozy restaurant, complete with checkered tablecloths and vintage dishware, serves French and Italian classics inspired by the chef’s and owner’s childhood memories. Start off with beef tartare followed by duck tortellini, and move into their signature roasted chicken Josephine (half or full), served with lemon-thyme jus and roasted potatoes.

Echo Park’s A Ti is the brick-and-mortar realization of chef Andrew Ponce’s unique perspective as a French-trained chef with roots in both L.A. and Mexico. The food is casual yet slightly cheffy, with dishes like tuna tostadas, fish tacos, and a crispy duck mole. The drinks marry influences from both Mexico and Japan (in a nod to previous tenant, Kushiba) with options like the plum paloma (mezcal, umeboshi plum, lime, and grapefruit soda) or a michelada made with a Modelo, lime, and tomato dashi.

Chef Octavio Olivas is the one-man show behind this Silver Lake destination, which features some of the most visually stunning takes on raw seafood you’ll find in L.A. He’s the chef, server, dishwasher, and prep cook all in one, and you’ll watch him prepare your meal from one of several counter seats around the open kitchen at the center of the sliver-sized space.

Grab a seat at this stunningly designed Roman-inspired trattoria, where chef Jonathan Salinas dishes out favorites like focaccia Ebraica (olives, currants, rosemary and salt) or perfectly al dente rigatoni all’amatriciana rich with guanciale. And don’t forget to check out their newer sibling Bar Bacetti, right next door for aperitivo cocktails and bites.

The spread at Quarter Sheets. Photo by Maggie Shannon, courtesy of Quarter Sheets

This buzzy red-sauce Italian joint brings a much-needed dose of ‘60s nostalgia (and some giant meatballs) to Echo Park. From the same owners as perpetually packed neighboring spots Lowboy and Bar Flores, Park Hospitality tapped chef Sathia Sun (who has worked at top-notch Italian favorites like Felix and Union) to helm the kitchen. Expect classics like spaghetti and meatballs, parmesan-strewn garlic bread, fried calamari, and more. (Also check out the same group’s latest spot, Vandell, in nearby Los Feliz for craft cocktails and an excellent burger.)

P.S. here are some tips on how to get in. 

The restaurant that redefined Angelenos’ concept of breakfast is now offering dinner. From a perfect roast chicken with panzanella salad to a creamy pommes aligot “fundido” to an innovative chicken liver toast, dinner is as unique as owner Jessica Koslow’s signature breakfast offerings. Much of the dinner seating is al fresco, either in their partially covered nook or tables located right on Virgil Avenue, so you can catch up on your people-watching along with your Mini Martini.

Baby Bistro’s location makes it as much of a destination as its food. Set in the charming microneighborhood of Victor Heights (next door to Echo Park) among a cool-kid food court of sorts that also contains Perilla, Baker’s Bench, and Cassell’s, the restaurant is situated within a retro Victorian home, the perfect backdrop for chef Miles Thompson’s inventive market-driven cooking. It’s an ideal spot to yap the night away with friends over a bottle of pet-nat and their rightly famed  onion bread.

Virgil Village’s greatest hidden gem, Doto is a delightful mash-up of Japanese, British, Californian, European, and Mediterranean influences all in one. Chef Jared Dowling’s imagination runs wild on the all-day menu that includes dishes like a smoked char siu hand roll, a Comte-topped burger, fish and chips, and a Japanese short rib curry. The tranquil back patio is the perfect go-to for a summer dinner, hungover breakfast burrito, or anything in between.

Photo courtesy of A Ti.

One of the sleekest, most photogenic openings in Silver Lake in recent memory, the mid-century-inspired Bar di Bello is a new dinner option in Sunset Row from the teams behind Gigi’s and Wexler’s. The Italian-leaning menu features takes on classic dishes like yellowtail carpaccio, linguini alla vongole, and fried suppli, influenced by their travels and Kassar’s time at Ristorante Righi in San Marino, Italy. Enjoy fishbowl-sized Negronis served in giant glasses inspired by Milan’s Bar Basso, or any of the Italian wines chosen by Nomadica’s Kristin Olszewski to get your evening off to a rolling start.

This new Afro-Carribean inspired spot recently opened in the former Ruby Fruit space, bringing a creative, family-style menu from Top Chef alum Alejandro Eusebio. The menu reflects his childhood growing up in the Dominican Republic, and features dishes cooked in a charcoal oven called a mibrasa, including vaca frita, a hanger steak made with sour orange mojo. The Ruby Fruit’s Mara Herbkersman, a longtime friend and collaborator, leads the beverage program, which features fermented cocktails, wines, and zero-proof options like a take on the classic Dominican drink morir soñando (“to die dreaming;” it tastes like a Creamsicle).

A charming new addition to Echo Park’s dining scene, this California bistro from owner Max Lesser was inspired by the salumerias of Rome. During the day it’s a sandwich counter, but at night, tuck in to dishes like a roasted chicken with Caesar panzanella, beef tartare toast, and short rib rigatoni. The interiors are cozy with a nonna’s-house vibe, but you can enjoy both lunch and dinner on their small sidewalk patio on Glendale Blvd., if you’re looking to stretch out a bit more.

Buzzy wine bar Seco is often so packed with revelers that the outdoor dining just happens on its own, as guests snake out the front door along Sunset Boulevard. During the day, you can stop by for grain bowls and cappuccinos, and by night, choose from a menu of globally-inspired fare including an endive Caesar, tuna tostadas, and saucy pastas. Come prepared to mix and mingle with Silver Lake’s young and hip, especially on weekends.

A feast at Azizam. Photo courtesy of Azizam.

This Silver Lake go-to specializes in homestyle Persian cuisine (try the kuku sandwich and shirazi salad) from couple Cody Ma and Misha Sesar. Whether for lunch or dinner, their partially covered outdoor seating makes for great people watching along Sunset Blvd., and don’t miss the refreshingly tart iced albaloo spritz (sour cherry limeade) during the summer months especially.

Formerly known as Freedman’s, owner Jonah Freedman abandoned his original  Jewish-inspired concept to go Greek during the pandemic. The new theme proved so  popular that a few years later, they’re still running with it. The entire space is now an homage to all things Hellenic, from the marinated feta and olives to whole-roasted fish and more. For a crowd, make sure to order the Souvlaki Party, complete with hummus, tzatziki, pitas, pickles, and one of each type of skewer.

Tsubaki’s sister restaurant Ototo focuses on craft sake and a smallish menu of Japanese drinking snacks like okonomiyaki, katsu sandos, and fresh sashimi—and was recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation for its excellent beverage program. Pull up a seat at the bar for the best sake pours as you indulge in hangover-curing eats like their chili-topped “Ode to Mos Burger,” a nod to the beloved Japanese burger chain.

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Call it pan pizza or Detroit-style, but either way, Echo Park’s Quarter Sheets is one of the most talked-about contenders in the thick-crust pizza category to come along in years. What began as a pandemic pop-up out of co-owner Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin’s home is now a full-fledged brick-and-mortar for pizza pies and Ziskin’s rotating menu of layered cakes and ice creams for dessert. It’s dinner only, and on Monday-Thursday nights, mix it up with their popular thin-crust bar pies (IYKYK).