Photo courtesy of Lucia

How to Spend a Perfect 72 Hours Eating Your Way Through L.A.

By Kelly Dobkin, an L.A.-based writer and editor. She has contributed to Bon Appétit, Michelin, and the Los Angeles Times, and is a former editor at Thrillist, Zagat, and Eater. She’s also a culinary school grad and recovering waitress.

Updated: May 19, 2026

Clocking in at just over 500 square miles, a city as sprawling and diverse as Los Angeles can hardly be summed up in just one visit. It’s a mecca for food lovers — where you’ll find everything from regional Mexican fare to killer Korean BBQ to Thai delicacies to some of the best sushi you’ll ever eat (and that’s just scratching the surface). But it’s also a cultural destination, home to countless museums, historic theaters, and legendary comedy and sports venues.

Not to mention (duh), it’s gorgeous here; with 75 miles of sunny coastline, year-round perfect weather, rolling hills and mountains, and so much more. While you can’t do it all in one shot, if you happen to find yourself here over a long weekend (say 3-4 days), we’ve put together some of the best meals to help you make the most of your short time in the City of Angels.

Any Angeleno you plan to visit will immediately ask you what neighborhood you’re staying in, and for good reason. Rush-hour traffic (and, well, traffic in general) can make a few miles feel like a few years worth of commuting. So, strategically, we’ve put together a guide that moves from west to east, keeping you close to LAX for the first 24 hours and allowing for a weekday beach day — less traffic, just trust us. (And we didn’t even include that most hallowed L.A. tradition: an immediate post-arrival stop at the In-N-Out Burger that’s adjacent to LAX grounds.)

When the weekend kicks into full gear, you’ll head east to take in tacos, downtown skylines, scenic hikes, and maybe even a cocktail or two. And if you need even more inspo, our Resy Hit List always has more of what’s essential around town.

Here’s everywhere you need to eat, drink, and see in 72 hours in Los Angeles.

Resy Presents
An Appetite for Adventure

Thursday Dinner to Friday Lunch

Photo courtesy of Cobi’s

Cobi’s Santa Monica

Dinner at Grandma’s (With Nasi Goreng)

What began as a pandemic era pop-up is now one of the West Side’s most sought-after reservations. The charming vibe inside Cobi’s will make you feel like you’re having dinner at Grandma’s house (in a good way). Lined with floral wallpaper, and filled with twee details like mismatched chairs and vintage dishware, the menu offers up a mix of South Asian, Thai, and Malaysian classics like nasi goreng, beef rendang, and more. Or, go with two omakase-style options. After a stressful day of travel, the fewer decisions you have to make, the better. After dinner, you’ll be walking distance to the beach if you want to take a sunset stroll.

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Only The Wild Ones Venice

Nightcap at a West Side Listening Bar

Grab a quick nightcap at this Venice hotspot from the Butcher’s Daughter team, which brings together three of the best things on earth: food, natural wine, and vinyl. Modeled after a Japanese listening bar (a trend which is oh so hot right now), sip on locally sourced wines, cocktails like a yuzu blossom highball, and snack on small plates like artichoke pizza while you take in the chic late-night vibes. Pro tip: You can also book an experience at their adjacent speakeasy Force of Nature, run by Crudo e Nudo vet Leena Culhane, for an al fresco moment overlooking a community garden.

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Superba Food + Bread – Venice Venice

A Friday Beach-Vibe Breakfast

This is the OG location of this beloved daytime destination, which now has multiple locations across the city, and it’s still a standby for early morning meals in Venice. There’s something for every picky guest in your crew, from breakfast-y options like a burrito stuffed with eggs and chorizo or their famed sourdough avocado toast, to lunch-leaning dishes like a crispy chicken sandwich, colorful grain bowls, and pastas like ricotta ravioli. Equally delightful is the indoor-outdoor dining room, located on a sprawling lot on Lincoln Boulevard, which offers plenty of space to spread out if you’ve got a large group.

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The Lobster Santa Monica

Lunch With a View

For sweeping views of the uber-touristy Santa Monica Pier (without actually stepping foot inside the chaos), grab a window seat at The Lobster. The historic restaurant, dating back to the 1920s, has been revitalized in recent years with a menu that includes both classics like clam chowder, oysters, and Maine Lobster as well as chef Govind Armstrong’s signature dishes like wild Dungeness crab gumbo and grilled halibut. But for lunch, you can’t go wrong with a classic lobster roll, served with pickled cucumber and fries, before heading back down to the beach to catch the sunset.

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