LA food

LA food

We Angelenos are spoiled for choice of stellar cuisines. Los Angeles is, of course, famous for amazing and authentic Mexican food, but it also offers incredible Japanese, Middle Eastern, Thai, Italian, and Ethiopian food - and that's just the tip of the iceberg, excluding the state's own California cuisine borne out of our bounty of stellar produce, meats, and seafood.

Since its opening in August 2024, Belle's - also known as Belle's Bagels, Delicatessen, and Bar - has quickly established itself as an all-day fixture on foot-traffic-heavy York Boulevard, slinging BEC bagelwiches and gravlax toast in the morning before shifting to chicken schnitzel and pickle martinis come sundown. After more than a decade as a pop-up, the deli has emerged as the rare new restaurant that feels like it's been there forever thanks to an upgraded-greatest-hits Jewish diner menu, retro-cool décor, and a spacious back patio complete with a crackling fire. A rotating menu of bar snack specials and a notably inventive cocktail program ensure that repeat visits feel fresh, even for regulars.

From its midcentury modern-meets-Art Deco design to a menu that bursts with punchy, sour, and peppery flavors, the restaurant delivers on all promises you might make about Los Angeles's dining scene to out-of-towners coming in for the weekend. Make a reservation and delight in attentive service, a small but mighty wine list, and snacky starters like shrimp chips and ayam berempah (Malaysian-style fried chicken wings swathed in a sweet chile sauce).

Los Angeles travelers can find a sleek hi-fi hideaway tucked behind the main facade of an Ojai massage parlor. Radio Roma, a new mezcal bar attached to adjacent taquería Taco Roma, takes influences from Mexico City, the Oaxaca region, and even the listening bars of Tokyo, Japan. Music floats from a vintage Klipsch sound system while tacos, like a lamb carnitas rendition with crispy edges, fly from the kitchen.

After years of hosting sold-out pop-ups across Los Angeles, chef Brian Baik's acclaimed Corridor 109 will open in its permanent Melrose Hill home on October 30.

If you ever visit Cento Pasta Bar, you'll notice every table has a bowl of its spicy pomodoro pasta topped with fluffy truffle ricotta and a pool of shimmering basil oil. There's a reason this is one of the most popular dishes: it's that good, and has remained that good since Cento opened in 2021. The fresh rigatoni gets cooked al dente, giving it a satisfying bite;