Frequently Asked Question: Where should I eat in Los Angeles?
One of the major questions I have for any city I visit is: Where should I eat? When I travel, I tend to do a lot of research in this area, pairing things to do around restaurants I want to try. (See my about me page.) I know many of you aren’t food obsessed and may want to eat wherever you land. It would be a disservice, however, if I didn’t let you know where to have a great meal while you are in Los Angeles. I am saving the hardest question for last in my frequently asked questions series: Where should I eat in Los Angeles?
In this sprawling city, there are so many options that it is possible to eat whatever you can imagine. Rainbow Grilled Cheese? We have that. Golabki or oxtail, like your grandmother used to make, we have that as well. Los Angeles is filled with transplants from all over the world and, fortunately for us, have brought their delicious, delicious food with them. Be it pizza from New York, galbijjim from Korea, or moles from Oaxaca, the options for daily food adventures are endless.
In the square mile where I live, for example, I could eat food from Cuba, El Salvador, Brazil, several regions in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, several states in Mexico, and Italy, as well as get a lobster roll, and grab some vegan food without getting into a car.
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Do not
All of the dining options can be overwhelming, so much so that you may want to run to those oh-so-familiar chains. Please don’t do it! Even if you crave a burger, there are many options other than Burger King, McDonald’s, and In-n-Out.
My restaurant recommendations range from fast-casual to hardcore foodie. So you can skip CPK; I’ve got you covered.
Do
The best way to find your next favorite dish is by doing a little research, whether by asking around or leaning on people who recommend places and dishes as a hobby or for a living. (Like me.)
Some of Los Angeles’ greatest meals can be found on the street, in a strip mall, and popping up at a local brewery or night market.
Who has helped me find great food in Los Angeles?
I wanted to share the resources that have helped me navigate this amazing food city.
Websites
EaterLA
As someone who travels a lot, I depend on Eater to tell me what’s what in the cities I visit. They have steered me to so many great dining experiences across the globe. For a rundown of what to eat, check out this link that leads you to their essential 38 restaurants in Los Angeles. Thankfully the options now include a mix of price points. You can search by Los Angeles neighborhood which is the best for planning a trip.
The Michelin Guide visited Los Angeles in 2019, 2021, and 2022, and several restaurants were awarded one and two stars. This is a pretty stellar list, and I cheered when I heard the news about some of my favorite spots in the city. The Michelin Guide has very specific requirements and is in no way the be-all-end-all of the recommendations for Los Angeles. In fact, there were a lot of restaurants that are fabulous and have been left out of this list. If hunting for stars is what you travel for, Time Out Los Angeles has an updated list.
Food blogs
Although a lot of people blog about food in L.A., these are the ones I recommend. Both blogs show a wide breadth of the menu for each restaurant post.
A blogger that I have come to trust for his honest opinions about food, service, and overall quality of experience is Endoedibles. This blog covers restaurants all over the world but is easily searchable for recommendations in Los Angeles. I have eaten several times with the author, and his ability to remember all of what he has eaten and the nuance of each dish is pretty stunning. The blog covers a wide range of options in price and style.
Kevin Eats is another blog with mouthwatering photography with equal attention given to the cocktail program as the food. It is well-researched and provides background information about the chef and how the restaurant came to be. Look at the index of posts to see over 600 L.A. restaurants visited and up-to-date closures.
Check out my neighborhood guides
These are curated Los Angeles neighborhood guides that are great for research or on-the-go exploring. Each guide has information about tourist sites and the spots only locals know. There are suggestions for things to do, my favorite places to eat, and more.
Something you should know: I encourage you to explore Los Angeles like a local. Nothing in my posts is off-limits to you. Even the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall places. If it sounds good to you, go.
In conclusion (TL;DR)
Los Angeles is a great town to find anything you crave–from the comforting to the innovative. Don’t come here to eat McDonald’s and CPK. Do explore; your next favorite dish is right around the corner. Use the above websites or this blog to help you sort out which out of the almost 30,000 restaurants in Los Angeles you should have breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I often answer the Where should I eat in Los Angeles question in my L.A. Neighborhood guides. You can easily open one of these guides while you are out and about in the city and find great places to eat.
If you want more recommendations for where you should eat in Los Angeles, I give recommendations in my Substack newsletter.
- Free subscribers–Receive a list of the best things I ate in the past month
- Paid subscribers–Receive a food map of my favorite places in Los Angeles and accompany me on food tours of Los Angeles.
What are your go-to websites, blogs, or Instagram accounts for restaurant recommendations in L.A.? Share them in the comments.
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