(Photo collage by Brandon Ly / Los Angeles Times; photographs by Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our food writers
School is back in session and there’s a natural tendency to lean into the fall season. But Angelenos know that this is when the summer heat truly descends. Luckily, there is no shortage of shaded and air-conditioned destinations across our sprawling city, and the dwindling evening light makes dusky activities like rooftop dining and sunset hiking sound appealing.
Our local restaurant scene is only adding to the heat with a spate of fresh openings, including experimental Salvadoran pupusas in West Hollywood, lakeside Scandinavian toasts in Echo Park and mouth-numbing Sichuan specialties in Highland Park.
The only remedy for this kind of lasting heat is the cool air of a dim bar with ice-cold cocktails or a memorable meal at one of L.A.’s newly revealed restaurants. Here are the most exciting openings and worthy stalwarts to put on your dining agenda this month:
Showing Places
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Bar Sinizki
Atwater Village Eastern European $$
In the former Kaldi Coffee space in Atwater Village, Bar Sinizki recalls Eastern European cafes and bars with pierogis, Balkan salads and cocktails that draw from chef-owner Scott Zwiezen’s family recipes and the years he spent in Prague in the late ’90s. Named after Zwiezen’s great-grandfather Elias Sinizki, the classic-leaning cocktail program is designed by Scott’s brother, Eric, with vespers, boulevardiers, daiquiris and carajillos, plus a selection of wine. Narrow with a curved, marble-topped bar, Sinizki is an all-day destination with coffee, lunch and dinner menus.
Read about the Eastern European-inspired bar in Atwater Village.
Read about the Eastern European-inspired bar in Atwater Village.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Belle's Bagels, Delicatessen and Bar
Highland Park Jewish Deli $$
After years of operating a popular sidewalk pop-up, Belle’s Bagels has settled into a Highland Park bricks-and-mortar with an old-school diner feel, complete with exposed-brick walls, cozy booths and vintage-looking light fixtures. While longtime friends and business partners Nick Schreiber and J.D. Rocchio have spent years perfecting their bagels, expanding into full lunch and dinner service is a new venture. The food menu from chef Matthew Cheeks (formerly of Adamae and Pok Pok) includes playful takes on deli classics, such as a roast beef-and-broccoli sandwich on a kaiser roll and scallion latkes, while the bar offers a handful of martini takes, classic cocktails and house options such as Schtup on the Beach with vodka, passionfruit, lemon and sugar.
Read about the new deli and bar in Highland Park.
Read about the new deli and bar in Highland Park.
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(Jane Kim / For The Times)
Bombay Frankie Company
Culver City Indian $
Columnist Jenn Harris accompanied Avantika, the actor from the Disney TV film “Spin” and “Mean Girls” movie musical, on a food crawl of her favorite Asian food spots, including her go-to for Indian street food. In Culver City, Bombay Frankie Company specializes in frankies, which Avantika describes as “Indian stuffing or curry filling in ... a roti or garlic naan.” During her visit with Harris, the actor ordered a chana masala frankie in roti, a vegetable samosa, a chicken tikka masala pijja and a mango lassi.
Read about columnist Jenn Harris’ food crawl with actor Avantika.
Read about columnist Jenn Harris’ food crawl with actor Avantika.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Bridgetown Roti
East Hollywood Caribbean $
Chef Rashida Holmes, who hosted her Caribbean pop-up Bridgetown Roti at Sunday Smorgasburg and then operated out of a ghost kitchen, has landed in her first bricks-and-mortar space in East Hollywood. The vibrant restaurant is counter service with limited indoor and outdoor seating, offering diners the opportunity to settle in with fan-favorite dishes such as oxtail patties, goat rotis and mac and cheese pie, plus newly launched items including honey-jerk wings and cocobread cutter. House sauces such as lime-pepper tomatillo and Fresno mango masala pair well with the entire menu.
Read about Bridgetown Roti’s new restaurant space.
Read about Bridgetown Roti’s new restaurant space.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Camelia
Downtown L.A. French Japanese $$$
Landing in the former Church + State and Caboco space in the Arts District is Camélia, the latest restaurant from Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan, the chefs and partners behind 101 best restaurants in L.A. awardees Tsubaki and Ototo. The menu blends French and Japanese culinary styles in dishes such as otoro and uni toast topped with crème fraîche and a croque-madame on Japanese milk bread with ham katsu, plus Japanese spaghetti, a nostalgic dish that recalls Namba’s childhood. The beverage list from Kevin Nguyen takes similar inspiration, including a martini with shochu, rice vodka and absinthe and an Army Navy with mitsuba and rice orgeat. Kaplan leads the sake and wine programs.
Read about the new restaurant from the owners behind Tsubaki and Ototo.
Read about the new restaurant from the owners behind Tsubaki and Ototo.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Carnal
Highland Park Mexican $$
Francisco Olivar, of the popular mariscos food truck Simón that landed on The Times’ 2024 guide to the 101 best tacos in L.A., has opened his first bricks-and-mortar with Carnal in Highland Park. The menu is dedicated to reinterpreting the rich, rancho-style Oaxacan dishes Olivar grew up with, spanning chilaquiles based on his grandmother’s recipe, rolled barbacoa tacos with consomé and pulpo a la diabla. House agua fresca, tepache, atole and cafe de olla round out the beverage menu.
Read about the first bricks-and-mortar space for Simón chef Francisco Olivar.
Read about the first bricks-and-mortar space for Simón chef Francisco Olivar.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Ggiata
Highland Park Deli $
The East Coast-inspired deli with locations in Melrose Hill, West Hollywood and Venice has expanded to its fourth location in Highland Park. The new location features the most seating, along with a reliable menu of bagel sandwiches and buttermilk biscuits for breakfast and hefty sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts such as rainbow cookies for any other time of day.
Read about the new Ggiata location.
Read about the new Ggiata location.
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(Jennelle Fong / For The Times)
Holy Basil
Atwater Village Thai $
After first opening Holy Basil as a stall in the Santee Passage food hall in late 2020, chef-owners Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon expanded to an Atwater Village bricks-and-mortar at the top of this year, with fewer than 40 seats across its narrow patio and cozy dining room. In a recent review, restaurant critic Bill Addison calls out worthy newcomers, including a shrimp curry and a dish that reinterprets a Bangkok staple with fried soft-shell crab and shrimp alongside popular items that first debuted at the downtown location, such as beef tataki and a Thai-style omelet.
Read Bill Addison’s review of Holy Basil.
Read Bill Addison’s review of Holy Basil.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Khởi Hưng Restaurant
Garden Grove Vietnamese $
The final stop on columnist Jenn Harris’ Westminster food hall tour was Khởi Hưng Restaurant, where bò lúc lắc and sizzling platters of rib-eye are the prize dishes. The rib-eye comes drenched in garlic butter and is tender enough to cut with a fork. Harris says it competes with the steak at your favorite high-end chain. Order a baguette to sop up the extra sauce or, in case there are leftovers, to assemble a steak sandwich later on at home.
Read about columnist Jenn Harris’ Westminster food hall crawl.
Read about columnist Jenn Harris’ Westminster food hall crawl.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Locol
Watts Soul Food $
Chef-owners Daniel Patterson and Keith Corbin of Alta restaurant have reopened community-minded Locol in Watts under the banner of their nonprofit Alta Community. The new iteration retains the same values as its predecessor that closed in 2018, but the menu is completely revamped with comforting Southern dishes such as fried chicken, ribs, brisket, sides including collard greens and mac and cheese and cheesy “foldies” that resemble quesadillas and are stuffed with smoked chicken or beef cheek. The menu overlaps with Alta’s but with slightly simpler preparation, plus counter service, which allows Locol to offer items at lower prices.
Read about the reopening of Locol.
Read about the reopening of Locol.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Mala Class
Highland Park Sichuan $
After meeting in New York City, Mala Class owners Kevin Liang and Michael Yang hatched a plan to move to the West Coast and open their own restaurant. After working in local restaurants — Bistro Na for Yang and Bone Kettle for Liang — the two have opened a cozy space in Highland Park dedicated to reinterpreting Sichuan flavors with dishes such as dan dan noodles, crispy shrimp, dry-fried mushrooms and pork dumplings in chile oil. They hope to open more restaurants that will expand on Chinese flavors and culinary traditions.
Read about the new Sichuan restaurant in Highland Park.
Read about the new Sichuan restaurant in Highland Park.
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(Ashley Randall)
Mama's Boy
Venice Italian $$
Mama’s Boy, an Italian-American kitchen that pulls from Hatchet Hall chef Wes Whitsell’s Texas roots, has landed at the Venice music venue Winston House, satiating concertgoers with dishes such as pimento cheese arancini, manicotti based on Whitsell’s mother’s recipe with venison ragù, and “dad pies” that feature an extra-thin and crispy crust with Sonoran wheat flour. Desserts are playful and light, including a root beer float and strawberry shortcake. The beverage menu features creative takes on classic cocktails, such as Under the Boardwalk, which recalls a mai tai with rum, lime, grapefruit aperitif, cinnamon and macadamia alambique.
Read about the red-sauce joint at Winston House.
Read about the red-sauce joint at Winston House.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Mama Hieu's
Westminster Vietnamese $
The pandemic-era backyard catering operation from Nho Thi Le and her son Jimmy Le, Mama Hieu’s has gained a permanent home in Westminster’s Hanoi Plaza, including a cozy dining room for enjoying the Vietnamese garlic butter wings on-site. The menu has expanded with spicy garlic, fish sauce and salted egg yolk wing flavors, plus sides such as tater tots, garlic noodles and rice. Columnist Jenn Harris tried all of the wings during a recent food tour in the neighborhood and recommends taking advantage of the option to order them in bulk.
Read about the Vietnamese butter garlic wings.
Read about the Vietnamese butter garlic wings.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Norikaya
Japanese $$
Global restaurateur Akira Back has launched a temaki-focused restaurant in Koreatown, a departure from his many steakhouses and bars. The opening menu is brief but includes creative options such as a hand roll with baked unagi, avocado puree, cucumber and strawberry and another with lobster and masago. More dishes will be added as the kitchen gets its footing — look out for an otoro, uni and caviar temaki with gochujang miso. Small plates and a 32-ounce filet mignon with mushrooms round out the menu, with wine, beer, sake, soju and nonalcoholic drink options.
Read about Akira Back’s latest L.A. opening.
Read about Akira Back’s latest L.A. opening.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Piknik
Echo Park American $$
What better way to cap off the summer than with a spin in the swan paddle boats at Echo Park Lake, followed by Scandinavian-inspired open-faced sandwiches, Belgian fries and quiche at Piknik, the new restaurant from Lonely Oyster restaurateur Don Andes and chef Dom Crisp that sits adjacent to the dock. In addition to picnic tables and a counter, diners can buy blankets to settle down for a picnic anywhere in the park.
Read about the new restaurant at Echo Park Lake.
Read about the new restaurant at Echo Park Lake.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Quan Nhii
Garden Grove Vietnamese $$
In the northeast corner of the Bolsa Mini Mall, Quan Nhii is the place to order towers of bánh uớt, including 10 pieces of steamed rice paper and your choice of meat and veggies to build your own bánh cuốn. There’s often a wait, so follow columnist Jenn Harris’ lead and make it the second stop on your Westminster food tour so you’re not too hungry when you arrive.
Read about where to go on a Westminster food tour.
Read about where to go on a Westminster food tour.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Sonoratown Cantina
Mid-Wilshire Sonoran $
Already beloved for burritos and caramelos wrapped in chewy, pock-marked Sonoran-style flour tortillas, Sonoratown is gaining even more fans at its Mid-City location with its newly launched cantina that’s serving up chamoy-rimmed micheladas and sangrias, plus a bar menu with nachos topped with a house-made nacho cheese and mesquite-grilled elotes. Owners Jennifer Feltham and Teodoro Diaz-Rodriguez Jr. hope to add more snacks in the future. They also are planning for the opening of their third and largest location in Long Beach later this month.
Read about the Sonoratown cantina.
Read about the Sonoratown cantina.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Taquería Frontera
Cypress Park Mexican $
A new destination for Tijuana-style tacos has opened its doors in Cypress Park, with Juan Carlos “J.C.” Guerra at the helm. The newly minted restaurateur brings experience by way of the seven-location taco chain that his father runs out of Tijuana; he also popped up in front of Rancho Meat Market, owned by his family in Lincoln Heights, for two years prior to launching his bricks-and-mortar. Though Guerra studied his father’s techniques before opening the taquería, he puts his own spin on asada, adobada and chicken, a meat that’s not offered at his father’s locations. Available in tacos and burritos, additional meats include lengua, birria and chorizo, with salsas tailored to bring out their unique flavors.
Read about the Tijuana-style taquería in Cypress Park.
Read about the Tijuana-style taquería in Cypress Park.
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(Kendra Frankle / For The Times)
Tartine
Santa Monica Bakery $
The acclaimed Bay Area-founded bakery from Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt has fully embedded itself in L.A. with its sixth location on the edge of Venice and Santa Monica. The full menu with croissants, cakes, cookies and tarts, plus sandwiches, tartines, omelets and more, is available along with coffee and tea, with plenty of patio seating for getting remote work done or catching up with friends.
Read about the new Tartine location.
Read about the new Tartine location.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr.
Pasadena Japanese $$
The viral tempura shop that first opened in Torrance in 2019 has added a new location in Pasadena, with a slightly truncated menu and limited seating. That hasn’t stopped lines from forming down the block, with diners eager to experience chef-owner Carlos Pintos’ fried-to-order tempura spanning shrimp, chicken, eel, pumpkin, whole eggs and more. Tempura can be ordered on its own or topping soba, udon or rice; sushi also is available. Sake, wine and beer are on hand to wash everything down.
Read about the expansion of a popular tempura shop.
Read about the expansion of a popular tempura shop.
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(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
Valerie Confections
Glendale Teahouse Chocolate shop Bakery $$
A recent profile celebrated the 20th anniversary of Valerie Confections from Valerie Gordon, who has run her Echo Park shop since 2013 and in 2022 opened a second, 5,000-square-foot flagship location in Glendale alongside her husband and partner, Stan Weightman Jr. The additional space gave Gordon room to add a roster of events and tea service, along with the chocolate bars, toffee, cakes and other sweets that have turned the company into a globally recognized brand.
Read about this landmark anniversary for Valerie Confections.
Read about this landmark anniversary for Valerie Confections.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Walking Spanish
West Hollywood Salvadoran $
A new kitchen offering creative takes on Central American standards is popping up on the patio at Las Perlas in West Hollywood. From Bon Temps vets Rene and Stephanie Coreas, Walking Spanish features inventive pupusas based on a recipe from Rene’s grandmother, plus tacos and a fried chicken pan con pollo slider. The pupusas pay homage to the diverse cuisines that L.A. is known for, including an escargot pupusa that celebrates Petit Trois’ Ludo Lefebvre and one made especially for the duo’s new digs — the Ranchero is filled with two-day-marinated skirt steak and cheese and encased in charred-onion masa. All of it pairs wonderfully with the mezcal-focused beverage menu.
Read about the permanent Central American pop-up at Las Perlas.
Read about the permanent Central American pop-up at Las Perlas.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Wax on Hi-Fi
Downtown L.A. Creole Japanese $$
A vibey new listening bar has launched in downtown courtesy of chef-owner and DJ TJ Johnson, who hails from Atlanta and traveled to Tokyo to get inspiration for her eventual restaurant and vinyl bar. The menu combines Creole-Southern and Japanese influence in dishes such as a jambalaya-inspired plate with chicken katsu and andouille sausage with Japanese curry and shrimp and grits with miso gravy. Sake, wine, beer and sake and soju cocktails dominate the bar menu. Wax on Hi-Fi regularly hosts live DJ sets and comedy nights.
Read about the Japanese-inspired listening bar in downtown.
Read about the Japanese-inspired listening bar in downtown.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Danny Boy's
Westwood Pizza $$
A local favorite for New York-style pizza, Danny Boy’s, from former New Yorker Daniel Holzman of Le Bernardin and Paladin, has added a new location in Westwood with a larger menu and plenty of seating, making it a worthy sit-down option in the neighborhood. In addition to whole pies and pizza by the slice, the second outpost is serving up hot wings, salads and meatballs; the goal is to add full entrees in the future. Local craft beer is available as well as wines that are curated by sommelier Cameron Mahlstede to pair with the pizza options.
Read about the second location of Danny Boy’s.
Read about the second location of Danny Boy’s.
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