Los Angeles County Dining Guide
Pastrami, tacos, Korean barbecue, beach shacks and some of the country's best restaurants.
LA's food scene reflects one of the most diverse populations anywhere. Some of the country's largest Mexican, Korean, Armenian, Thai, Filipino and Salvadoran communities live here, and neighborhoods like Koreatown, Boyle Heights, the San Gabriel Valley and Thai Town are destinations in their own right. Taco trucks and strip-mall restaurants can be every bit as memorable as the dining rooms run by famous chefs.
The list below is grouped by area so you can eat near what you are seeing. Popular chef-driven restaurants book up, especially on weekends, while delis, markets and casual spots seat walk-ins; plan for traffic when choosing a dinner reservation across town.
Hollywood and the Westside
Old Hollywood dining rooms, celebrity-chef restaurants and LA institutions.
Hollywood's oldest restaurant, open since 1919, known for its red booths, martinis and old-school waiters in red jackets.
A La Brea Avenue stand serving chili dogs since 1939, often with a line late into the night.
A soaring dining room in a historic building on La Brea Avenue, busy from breakfast pastries to dinner.
Wolfgang Puck's flagship, a fixture of Beverly Hills dining for decades.
A tiny counter open since 1947, serving hickory burgers and slices of fruit pie.
Dozens of food stalls and bakeries in a 1934 market, good for a casual lunch near the museums.
Downtown, Koreatown and Chinatown
Delis, markets and some of the city's most-loved casual food.
A century-old market hall with stalls for tacos, pupusas, ramen, egg sandwiches and more.
Sawdust floors, long communal tables and the French dip sandwich it claims to have invented, near Union Station.
A deli open since 1947, famous for its hand-cut pastrami on rye, especially the No. 19 with coleslaw and Swiss.
A lively Arts District restaurant known for house-cured meats, wood-fired pizza and pasta.
Nashville-style hot chicken with heat levels from mild to extremely hot; expect a wait.
A family-run Oaxacan restaurant known for its moles and a James Beard America's Classics award.
A Koreatown favorite for high-quality meats grilled at the table.
Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu
Seafood and California cooking near the sand.
A seafood restaurant at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier, with wide ocean views.
A busy Abbot Kinney Boulevard restaurant known for vegetables, pizza and a candlelit patio.
A craft beer bar famous for its Office Burger, served exactly as the kitchen makes it.
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's oceanfront restaurant on Carbon Beach, known for its black cod with miso.
A roadside seafood stop on the Pacific Coast Highway near the county line, popular with motorcyclists and surfers.
Pasadena
Classic diners and a long-running dining room.
A counter-service diner near Caltech serving burgers and homemade pies since 1963.
A Pasadena dining room open since the 1980s and known for California cuisine in a warm, clubby room.
Long Beach and San Pedro
Harbor seafood before or after a cruise.
A lighthouse-shaped seafood restaurant in Shoreline Village, facing the Queen Mary across the harbor.
A big, casual seafood market and restaurant on the harbor, known for shrimp trays cooked to order.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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Get free trip quotes »Los Angeles County Dining — FAQ
What food is Los Angeles known for?
Tacos and Mexican food of every regional style, Korean barbecue, the French dip sandwich, pastrami at Langer's, In-N-Out burgers and fresh California cooking built on local produce. Food trucks are part of the scene too.
Where is Koreatown and why go there?
Koreatown is west of downtown along Wilshire Boulevard. It has one of the largest concentrations of Korean restaurants outside Korea, plus Oaxacan, Salvadoran and late-night spots, and many places stay open late.
Do I need reservations at LA restaurants?
For popular chef-driven restaurants like Bestia, Republique and Spago, yes, especially on weekends. Delis, markets, taco stands and most casual places seat walk-ins.