Patricia Kelly Yeo

This spring, L.A.’s bars are back in business after almost two years of pandemic turmoil for the city’s entertainment and nightlife scenes, and there might be no better time than now for a good, well-made drink, preferably with a side of camraderie. After all, bars, like restaurants and public parks, give rise to the sought-after sense of belonging and community that characterizes what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third spaces.” Right now, much of L.A.’s drinking scene seems to have found its post-vaccine mandate footing, and we’re glad to be back at a busy bar, credit card in hand, hoping the bartender might notice us. L.A. might have cozy dives near the beach, rooftop happy hours with a view of the Hollywood hills, and pricey but delicious concoctions in the swankiest Downtown hotels, but if you’re really asking us, here are the 18 best bars in Los Angeles—for every occasion. March 2022: Though L.A. County has dropped its mask mandate, we’ve kept our patio option callouts on our Best Bars list. Note: L.A. County no longer requires bars, lounges, distilleries and wineries to ask for proof of vaccination to enter indoor spaces, but for the time being the City of L.A. still does—and businesses can still set their own rules for guests. 

Despite almost two years of pandemic-era dining regulations, L.A. is still host to one of the most innovative, exciting and diverse food scenes in the country. Brick-and-mortar restaurants, Instagram pop-ups, street vendors and food trucks: No matter the form, you can find amazing food in a city whose reputation is built as much on off-the-beaten-path tacos and quirky food trucks as it is on farmers’ market produce and mainline access to the freshest Pacific seafood. At its core, L.A.’s restaurant scene thrives on diversity, resulting in genre-bending formats and cuisines that have given rise to some of the country’s best omakase restaurants, fine-dining institutions and strip mall hidden gems. Our experts scour the city for great eats and great insider info. We value fun, flavor, freshness—and value at every price point. We update our list regularly to reflect changes in menu offerings, style of service and new locations, and if it’s on the list, we think it’s awesome—and we bet you will, too. All City of L.A. restaurants are subject to a proof of vaccine indoor public spaces mandate—meaning you’ll likely need physical or digital Covid-19 vaccination record to dine at many of the restaurants below.March 2022: Though L.A. County has dropped its mask mandates, we’ve still kept our outdoor dining and takeout-friendly callouts on our Best Restaurants list. As of March 1, Sherman Oaks’ Anajak Thai has resumed on-site dining. In the coming months, we’re also visiting new restauran

If you’ve already eaten through L.A.’s best restaurants and sipped cocktails at the hottest bars from the Westside to Downtown, you’re probably the type of person who loves checking out the city’s newest eateries, but hates spending money on overhyped duds. In 2022, the pace of L.A. restaurant openings has kept steady, and dozens of newcomers have opened their doors in the last few months—and we’re here to help you decide where to go next with a vetted list of the best new kids on the block.  Taking into account both the quality of cuisine and overall ambience, our best new restaurants guide steers clear of the social media hype cycle, gives thoughtful ordering tips  and lets you know exactly what to expect in terms of crowd, vibe and cuisine at upscale Hollywood hot spots, laidback fast-casual joints and everything in between. If necessary, we also make recommendations as to when, and how, to fit these new restaurants into a finite budget of free time and money—whether they’re worth driving out of your way for, or better suited for locals in the neighborhood.  March 2022: Looking for what’s new? This month, we’ve wiped almost half the slate clean, taking off eight beloved new restaurants after they’ve reached the half-year since opening mark, including Cobi’s, Horses, Caldo Verde, Tokki and Lumiére—all of which made 2021’s year-end Best New Restaurants list, which you can find here. In their place you’ll find neighborhood Colombian fare in Long Beach, upbeat and funky Cal-It

If you’ve ever found yourself en route to a housewarming or birthday party empty-handed, you’re not alone. Now, more than ever, L.A. is full of thoughtful micro-grocery stores and neighborhood markets (and no, we won’t call them bodegas) stocking the kind of pricey—but well-made—kitchen and home goods, unique snacks and soft drinks, and bottles of booze that make for impressive, seemingly effortless last-minute gifts. At these gourmet mini-marts, shoppers will encounter a regular cast of characters from L.A.’s artisan food scene, as well as knowledgeable staff who are often passionate about what they do. With that in mind, you’ll typically see sticker prices far higher than corporate grocery stores—so plan your budget well, and shop accordingly.  Whether you’re putting together a picnic, in full-blown pre-party panic mode or just happen to be in the neighborhood, these eight gourmet mini-marts are worth taking the time to drop by, peruse and explore.

Outside of a certain global fast food chain, the term “value meal” generally doesn’t carry much weight among Angelenos. At the same time, it’s probably the best way to describe these excellent bang-for-your-buck L.A. restaurant deals, which conscientious diners might call reasonably priced once you factor in the quality of the ingredients, level of service and general ambience. (At a broader level, “cheap” food carries plenty of hidden costs.)  Other diners in search of inexpensive eats and under $20 happy hour deals might not consider these prices “cheap,” but they’re still cost-effective ways to dine out in the city without the typical big-ticket restaurant bill. In practice, this often means eating on weekdays, the days L.A.’s locally owned restaurants and bars struggle the most to draw crowds, but that’s not always the case—so read on for our favorite meal deals around the city that make every dollar in your dining budget count. 

Let’s be real: Could a French tire company really encapsulate what good dining in Los Angeles entails? Apparently, they’re still going to try. After Michelin took a yearlong hiatus in California, the largely Eurocentric international guide is back in the state, and thus the City of Angels, with seven new Michelin starred restaurants in 2021—and the promotion to two stars for an eighth. With all its picks this year in the three dollar sign range and above, the nearly century-old red restaurant book is proving to us all that while age is just a number, culinary elitism is timeless.   For those blissfully unaware of what the Michelin Guide is, here’s how it all goes down: The star ratings, while controversial, are considered essentially the most prestigious award a restaurant could ever receive. One star denotes “a very good restaurant,” two signifies “excellent cooking that is worth a detour” and three stars, most coveted of all, translates to “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” A new Bib Gourmand category, added to their 2019 guide to California, also recognizes more affordable spots, with 10 new L.A. area additions this year. To determine these ratings, the guide’s anonymous inspectors visit and judge restaurants according to quality, atmosphere, service and even nominal details, such as how far apart the tables are spaced. With a clear bias towards fine dining and blatant roots in a culture of Western imperialism, the Michelin Guide is just one measure of

On the edge of Downtown L.A. near the Arts District, Little Tokyo dates back to 1886, when a Japanese ex-sailor opened a restaurant on First Street. Today, it’s a historic district, dining and shopping destination and a central touchpoint for L.A.’s Japanese American community. Many of the area’s family-run shops and eateries date back decades, some older than World War II, and the neighborhood is full of delicious Japanese and non-Japanese food alike, a wide array of Asian sweets and even a few late-night cocktail bars.  While the area has long been a go-to among Angelenos for sushi, ramen and Japanese comfort food, a handful of newer destination-worthy eateries have moved in alongside old-school joints, giving even more reason to explore the area’s dining scene. The best part? The neighborhood is small—just a few blocks, really—so a fantastic bowl of noodles isn’t more than a few steps away from a diverse array of sushi spots catering to every seafood whim and price point.  In recent years, Little Tokyo’s proximity to Skid Row and the worsening homelessness crisis citywide have meant that visitors are likely to walk by larger tent encampments nearby. Stay alert while parking, in particular, and in the evenings, when the neighborhood’s bustling crowds tend to thin out. That said, the neighborhood stays fairly busy and safe on weekends and special event days, especially near the Japanese Village Plaza and the Little Tokyo Galleria indoor mall.  Depending on when you visit, yo

For a city supposedly full of gluten-sensitive diners, L.A. has far more than its fair share of Italian restaurants. Dizzying in scope, the city’s Italian dining scene offers pizza, pasta, antipasti, grilled meats and gelato in every subgenre of the cuisine under the sun, with more than a few hyper-regional spots, pasta or pizza specialists and Americanized red sauce joints to keep any carb lover happy for awhile, if not forever. And while there’s excellent Italian food in just about every part of L.A., certain spots really take the cake—er, cannoli, as it were. Worth traveling out of your way for, these 20 Italian restaurants in Los Angeles go above and beyond your average neighborhood trattoria when it comes to food quality, ambience and service. Buon appetito!  

With dog parks and pet stores galore, plus consistently great weather and endless outdoor activities (including a few dog-friendly beaches), it’s no secret that Los Angeles is a naturally dog-friendly city. In the last few years, it’s become even more so, thanks to the expansion of outdoor dining options and plenty of new restaurants with patios. However, if you’re longing to grab a brew or a burger with your best buddy and are looking for something better than the requisite shady patio and bowl of water, these dog-friendly restaurants and bars are known for their warm hospitality towards human and canine patrons alike. From menu items for your pup to full-blown doggy decor, these pup-loving establishments have you and your furry pal covered.

Lady and the Tramp had the right idea—what better way to celebrate with your significant other than sharing a romantic meal? Whether you’re looking to wine and dine on a rooftop, cozy up on a first date or splurge to celebrate a special occasion, we’ve got you covered with a round-up of L.A.’s best restaurants that lay on the charm. Below, check out our guide to the best romantic restaurants in Los Angeles. Looking for more sentimental ideas? Check out the most romantic things to do in L.A.

Los Angeles is full of great pubs—and you don’t even need the luck of the Irish to find ’em. When it comes to tracking down the perfect Irish bar, what could matter more than the availability of Guinness? A lot, as it turns out, because you’ve got to factor in ambience, great Irish cuisine and even quality Celtic music. Come St. Patrick’s Day, of course, you’ll find these L.A. dives plastered in shamrocks and plenty of Celtic green, but you’ll find these pubs filling pints and hosting live music, bar trivia and even karaoke every day of the year—and many pull double duty as excellent sports bars. If you’re in the mood for whiskey, beer and a side of Irish cheer, lace up your Riverdance shoes and clink a few pints at one of the best Irish pubs in L.A.

Huddle up: It’s time to figure out your Super Bowl plans. For the first time since 1993, L.A. will host one of the most widely watched American TV broadcasts of the year at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. But unless you plan on dropping hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on tickets, you’ll probably still be watching the Super Bowl on a TV this year. A few simple FAQs: When is Super Bowl LVI? Sunday, February 13, 2022. What time does the Super Bowl start? Kickoff is at 3:30pm PST. What teams are playing in the Super Bowl? The Los Angeles Rams vs. the Cinncinnati Bengals.  Throwing a party at home, or heading to a sports bar—something you couldn’t do last year? If it’s the former, you could hit up Costco and buy 400 frozen wings, but you and your friends and family deserve better. If it’s the latter, L.A.’s best sports bars< and many of the city’s restaurants< have you covered, with plenty of outdoor seating. In either case, check out our roundup of our favorite game day takeout packages around L.A. and a handful of places we think are the best spots to head to and watch the game. Some are restaurants with expansive patios, some are tried-and-true sports bars and some simply make some of the best chicken wings in the city, but all will be offering grub to hold you over during the Super Bowl. Ready? Go! 

Draped in blond wood and lantern-like light fixtures, this striking Hollywood restaurant offers “Tokyo Italian” cuisine—a mix of Sicilian crudos, pasta and wood-fired meat and seafood that incorporate Japanese ingredients and techniques with flourish. Thanks to cozy outdoor fire pits and a stunning central bar, Magari’s sheer design cred essentially secures its status as yet another Hollywood hot spot, but aficionados of Italian cuisine will find plenty to love on the menu, including a standout tuna crudo paired with Japanese eggplant and caper relish and creamy burrata—a surprisingly delicious combination—and the roasted orata bathed in a umami-rich bonito and tomato broth. While not every dish is an absolute winner, impressive cocktails and the overall vibe at this newcomer in the old CBS Studios buiding make it a worthwhile date night and special occasion spot for the neighborhood. 

The sister restaurant of Mid-City’s Chao Krung has a stylish new home on Sawtelle, where second-generation family chef Amanda Kuntee has expanded the menu with vegan-friendly items and Thai street food-inspired small plates. Although Tuk Tuk began accepting takeout orders in mid-February, the beloved neighborhood spot’s new pale pink dining room has only just opened for dine-in customers. Though you’ll find the usual Thai takeout mainstays here like pad see ew and panang curry, the newer dishes in the Street Noodle and Snack sections, like the kuay tiew hang (dried noodles with crab, barbecue pork, bok choy and wontons) and drinking-oriented barbecue squid provide more than enough justification to deviate from old favorites.

At Camphor, light-as-a-cloud French cuisine feels more than apt within the restaurant’s airy white and blue dining room, where old-school touches and a featherweight culinary approach combine in a stunning blend of elegant, yet nontraditional, fine dining. Inside the former Nightshade space, Alain Ducasse veterans Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George offer what looks like the usual French bill of fare, with one major twist: far, far less butter and oil. Combined with a few South Asian-inspired dishes—the must-order gunpowder baby shrimp among them—Camphor’s refined, slightly tweaked menu of classics puts the Arts District bistro in a class of its own. This extends to dessert, where a phenomenal savarin with passionfruit glaze and kiwi glacée hold their own next to a hot cocoa-inspired take on chocolate soufflé.

Inside a sparse Pico Boulevard pizzeria with limited seating, husband-and-wife duo William Joo and Jennifer So have one larger, quite lofty goal in mind: making the best pizza in Los Angeles. According to Joo, a veteran of Ronan and Pizzana, among other L.A. Italian spots, a Tokyo-style Neapolitan is the only best-in-town contender there is: a thin, blistered dough pie with highly pinched crusts, which results in an almost mochi-like consistency. The final product is simple, delicious and light. Is it the best pizza in town? It might very well be. While you’ll also find excellent salads and other small plates on Pizzeria Sei’s menu, the reason to make the drive here is the pizza, and plenty of people have already begun to figure it out. As of writing, this tiny, bootstrapped pizzeria is already selling out daily, so preorder or make a reservation if you’re hoping to make a visit.

Despite opening just before the start of the pandemic, this tiny Los Feliz neighborhood bar adjacent to Atrium has found its groove with droolworthy tacos, moderately priced cocktails and a glittering mixed tile interior complete with disco ball and a pleasing mishmash of retro design flourishes. Head to Pinky's for a low-key date spot or get together with friends and make sure to wear layers—the tiny spot can get crowded on weekends, though you'll find a chiller (literally) mood in the alley outside.

In 1987, long before “fusion” became a dirty word in the world of fine dining, Nobu Matsuhisa opened his first eponymous restaurant in Los Angeles, or more precisely, Beverly Hills. No, not Nobu—that came later, in 1994, when the chef opened a joint venture with devoted regular Robert De Niro in NYC’s Tribeca, the first of what would become an international extra-fancy sushi chain with all the glitz and glamour such touristic endeavors require. (Here in L.A., you’ll find locations in West Hollywood and Malibu.)  No, first came Matsuhisa. In its early years, the no-frills spot that bears his surname was once the place to be for see-and-be-seen Hollywood types. It’s also the original locale where Matsushisa rose to fame as a veritable sushi pioneer with now widely imitated dishes, like yellowtail jalapeño and black cod with miso. These days, in a city full of upscale sushi options, the chef’s original La Cienega eatery might no longer be considered cutting edge, but a pricey pilgrimage to this Beverly Hills icon is still more than worth the time and money for sushi-loving Angelenos. Inside the restaurant’s largely unchanged interior, you’ll find the same Peruvian-inflected fare as Nobu, minus the dressed-to-kill tryhard crowds and the typical difficulty in snagging a dinner reservation. Instead, longtime regulars, couples on dates and casually dressed businessmen fill the dining room’s bar and tables, as well as the smaller, relatively new patio outside. Attentive servers bring

First things first: To board the tight ship that is Kinjiro, you’ll almost certainly need a reservation. This fundamental aspect of operations ensures those who dine at this small, unassuming eatery in Little Tokyo’s Honda Plaza are in it for the love of informal yet sophisticated Japanese drinking fare. They’re certainly not there for the understated ambience, which skews more casual than most L.A. restaurants that require back-and-forth email booking in advance. Instead, you’ll find minimal decor, plenty of alcohol and laidback service by owner Jun Isogai, whose passion and expertise are evident throughout multiple courses of cold starters, raw seafood and grilled meats. Most importantly, however, you’ll experience the skillful cooking by chef Yoshizaku Kondo, who mans the space’s small kitchen. Despite a pandemic and the unrelenting passage of time, not much seems to have changed for the tiny two-man restaurant, which the late Jonathan Gold named the “most elegant izakaya in Little Tokyo” in 2015. A few of Isogai’s long-prized sake bottles might be unavailable due to supply chain snafus, but the seared dynamite-style uni and bone marrow dengaku are as excellent as ever. We make do with what we have, and what life has thrown at us. In the case of Kinjiro, that means a smaller food menu and a more limited, but nonetheless impressive, selection of sake, beer and wine.  Still, you can taste the deeply considered gourmet treatment in each savory dish from the warm, cold or “ric

Starting this Friday, February 10, the iconic Clifton’s Republic will reopen for bar service, including fourth-floor tiki bar Pacific Seas. Though not all parts of the massive venue will be open, patrons will still be able to take in the sights of the massive tree that shoots up throughout the building and order rum-filled tiki drinks until last call. Whether you’re an L.A. history fanatic or just a fan of bars with cool interiors, this cavernous Downtown watering hole is the place to be this Super Bowl weekend.

Housed in the historic Firestone tire station on La Brea, All Season Brewing is the expansive, all-purpose informal Mid-Wilshire bar that the city has been waiting for. Beer lovers flock here for All Season’s extensive list of brews, which runs heavy on IPAs and lagers, but those who’d rather sip on something fruity will be more than sated by their tropical-leaning cocktails on tap, including a delicious mezcal paloma. A menu of draft wines and classic cocktails, delicious snacks from Chicas Tacos, arcade games and Skee-Ball round out a night at the expansive open-air brewery, which also has an excellent weekday $1 discounts on shots and $2 to $3 off on select beers. It’s the perfect spot for watching sports, casual hangs and large groups. Parking notes: Limited two-hour street parking available on surrounding streets before 7pm, as well as regular metered parking up and down La Brea Avenue. $10 valet available after 5pm Monday through Saturday.  

Feb 2022 update: Hot Tacos' last day of service in L.A. was January 29. Hot Tacos is the all-pink L.A. food truck iteration of Veracruz All Natural, a popular Latina-owned and run Austin mini-chain famous for its migas breakfast tacos and pressed juices. Located outside the Line Hotel in Koreatown, Hot Tacos serves tacos, quesadillas, and an excellent deep-fried cochinita pibil. Served either on flour or cute, beet-dyed pink corn tortillas, the tacos at Hot Taco are fresh, flavorful and made with high-quality ingredients, whether you’re ordering their signature migas taco or the vegan-friendly cauliflower al pastor (a delicious taco in its own right). Well-made chips, guacamole and aguas frescas round out a daytime meal from Hot Tacos, which can be taken to go or eaten at one of its adjoining tables.

Despite its ill-timed initial debut just before the pandemic, Ardor at the West Hollywood EDITION has quietly become one of the most exceptional newer fine-dining experiences in all of L.A. Run by Michelin restaurant alum and NYC restaurateur John Fraser, the self-described “vegetable-forward” lobby restaurant offers astonishingly good food and an air of sweeping romance that’ll make you forget all about the fact you’ll pay at least $18 for valet parking, if not more. Insulated from the chaos of Sunset Strip traffic, Ardor’s separate entrance seamlessly segues to the restaurant’s stunning backlit bar, where you might need to sit a spell while waiting for a table to open up. After check-in, conventionally attractive hosts in slinky white dresses and kitten-heeled boots will usher you to your table, while Ardor’s servers clad in similar all-white attire move about the modern, greenery-lined dining room. Thanks to careful lighting, the overall effect is nothing if downright cinematic. You’ll find yourself willing to forgive a few lags in service, since the essentially flawless cuisine, well-made drinks and extremely West Hollywood aura of the place generally make up for these occasional shortcomings in attentiveness and timing. Cocktails remain delightful and impressive whether made with or without alcohol, including the boozeless Canary, made with Seedlip, yuzu and matcha cordial. The food, however, upstages all else at Ardor—even the fact you might spot a celebrity or two at a

In most parts of Los Angeles, Syrian food is difficult to find, which is what makes this casual no-frills eatery in Van Nuys such a great hidden gem. Owner and chef Waha Ghreir serves a broad array of Syrian cuisine, including kobees—juicy deep-fried patties of beef, bulgur wheat, pine nuts and spices. Also known as kibbeh, Kobee Factory also offers kobees grilled and baked, the latter of which come out softer than their crispy counterparts. Other popular items include the filet kabob and the majdara—a mixture of bulgur, lentils and stir-fried onions served with salad and pickled vegetables. For an Arabic twist on offal, order Kobee Factory's lamb intestines, which come stuffed with minced lamb, rice and spices.

Here at Time Out, the number of projection-based experiential art press releases sent to us on a regular basis has rendered us completely numb to the wonders of "immersive" entertainment. At this point, most readers are familiar with the gimmick: a couple big rooms filled with endlessly looping, skillfully produced creative visuals reproduced hundreds of thousands of times for the ticket-buying masses, all for prices typically higher than other conventional arts destinations around town. Guests then themselves refract their experiences online, in an endless loop of cheap dopamine rewards and expensive, arguably overpriced enjoyment.  In that sense, the Downtown L.A. Ritz-Carlton’s new immersive meal, Le Petit Chef, is no different. The dinner series, which debuted in early December 2021, is one of the many iterations of the tabletop projection-based animated film found in hotels all over the world and on 11 different Celebrity Cruise ships. In the Downtown L.A. edition, patrons on the Ritz’s 24th floor dine on five courses as they receive a whimsical lesson in Cooking 101 led by the eponymous little toque-topped Frenchman. To be clear, the character doesn’t do anything as you eat; each course is preceded by an interactive animation, where the tiny chef appears to talk, cook and jump around your plate. For example, after a segment on origins of the humble tomato, you’ll eat a tart made with the savory fruit as a soothing animation of an Aztec floating farm is projected onto th

Well, here’s something fun for the left-brained among us: a graphed data visualization of over 70 Los Angeles Korean barbecue restaurants ranked by cost and popularity, courtesy of one grilled meat-loving cancer biologist in Tempe, Arizona. While by no means comprehensive, the user-generated review-based chart displays the glorious diversity of options in L.A.’s Korean barbecue, all in one handy-dandy diagram (h/t to L.A. TACO). Although the chart’s author, Rajeshwar Nitiyanandan, hasn’t lived in L.A. full-time since 2015, the Arizona State University cancer biology PhD student—who goes by Rajesh—still hasn’t forgotten the beauty of the city’s diverse Korean barbecue scene. Since moving to Tempe for his degree, Rajesh has made sure to make time to return to the City of Angels, where his love of grilled meat first began at the now-closed all-you-can-eat Castle BBQ. He recently channeled his dining knowledge into his Los Angeles-specific food data visualization published in early February, one of a series of food and soccer data-based Tableau charts Rajesh first began making in quarantine (full size here).According to Rajesh’s graph, the clear Korean barbecue winners in terms of price and quality were Wi BBQ, Yuk Dae Jang and Kang Hodong Baekjeong, with the restaurant’s Buena Park location not far behind. Screenshot: Courtesy Rajeshwar Nitiyanandan Setting his data parameters to all Korean barbecue restaurants in L.A. County, Rajesh came up with a list of over 70 spots, with

When Ryan Legaux first took over Harold and Belle’s with his wife Jessica, the grandson of the New Orleans-inspired eatery’s original owner knew something had to change. The South L.A. restaurant, which Harold Legaux Sr. opened in 1969, had holes in the ceiling, major plumbing issues and stuffy, out-of-date formal dining decor. Though the pair didn’t completely overhaul the space until 2016, with additional renovations in 2020, they knew from the start they wanted to give the place a different look and feel.  "We really looked at the state it was in, and realized that if we didn’t do something, the business was going to have to close," Ryan says. What led the couple to actually commit to revitalizing the space, however, were constant reminders of the 53-year-old restaurant’s legacy in the local Black community.  "People tell us all the time: 'I met my husband there,' 'We had our anniversary there,' 'We got engaged there,'" the third generation owner says. "There's all kinds of stories like that floating out there, you know? And that's rare." Photograph: Courtesy Vanessa TierneyThe inner dining room at Harold and Belle's. Known both within and beyond L.A.’s Black community for its hearty seafood gumbo, po’ boy sandwiches and shrimp étouffée, the candlelit fine dining atmosphere of Harold and Belle’s under Ryan’s late father, Harold Jr., was a far cry from the sleeker, more casual restaurant you’ll see today. (The early restaurant under Harold Sr. resembled more of an informa

Don’t expect a breather after all the pandemic-delayed openings this year. In 2022, dozens of restaurants are opening, reopening or expanding to dinner service, so we rounded up the 11 best “openings” to look for well after we finish counting down on New Year’s Eve. Despite staffing shortages, rising operational costs and the ever-changing state of the pandemic, these highly anticipated new spots will soon make their debut in the L.A. dining scene. On this list, you’ll find the surprising return of old favorites, new projects from longtime local chefs and an especially busy year in Hollywood, so read on for our guide to the 11 biggest L.A. restaurant openings to look out for in 2022. Mother Wolf Anticipated opening: Late December The latest Italian project by Evan Funke, the same chef behind the always-packed Felix Trattoria in Venice, this new Hollywood restaurant will specialize in Roman cuisine, including a nearly crustless wood-fired pizza as well as the deceptively simple cacio e pepe—which Felix fans will recognize from the Westside spot’s more regionally varied menu. The restaurant’s name pays tribute to Rome's origin story centered on brothers Remus and Romulus and Lupa Capitolina. Located in the Art Deco-style Citizen News building on Wilcox, Mother Wolf is slated to open in late December. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yangban Society (@yangbanla) Yangban Society  Anticipated opening: January 2022  Situated in the former Bon Temps s

A desert music festival in December isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s certainly mine after Desert Air last weekend. Having amassed a stacked lineup of underground electronic music acts, the brand-new event took flight at the Palm Springs Air Museum December 10 to 11. Backed by a historic B-17 airplane, producers like DJ Koze, Compton experimental hip-hop artist Channel Tres and Berlin-based South Korean DJ Peggy Gou kept an eclectic, die-hard-fan–friendly mix of house, techno and related subgenres going all weekend long at this new winter electronic festival.  Organized by Goldenvoice and Splash House, the latter having held warmer season poolside events in Palm Springs since 2013, Desert Air hosted an estimated 4,000 attendees over a two-day Friday and Saturday schedule—which made it, for me, the perfect reason for a quick getaway to Palm Springs. In between, Desert Air also planned to offer daytime events, like a bike tour of mid-century Modernist homes, which framed the festival as more of a humanely paced weekend sojourn rather than a sprint-style rager in the desert. "Oh my god! I love Channel Tres!” the salesperson told me at Melody Note Vintage the afternoon before festival gates opened. Despite living in the area, she hadn’t heard of the festival, which ultimately brought together a musically like-minded crowd willing to spend up to eight hours in front of a single stage.    Photograph: Courtesy Quinn Tucker/Quasar MediaCompton experimental hiphop group Channel

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, comes early this year, starting on November 28 and running through December 6. Each year, the dates of the Jewish winter holiday vary but always begin on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. Whether you’re lighting the menorah with a partner, friends or family, celebrate the importance of family, remembrance, blessings and (of course) fried foods with these take-home Hanukkah meals and limited-edition sweets and desserts from some of the best restaurants in the city. Akasha Every year, Culver City’s Akasha offers a “vodka and latkes” Hanukkah feast, including $25 seasonal cocktails serving two to three guests like Light the Menorah, a lavender blue vodka lemonade made with Meyer lemon and the cranberry vodka-based Jelly Donut sweetened with apricot jam. This year, they’re offering the same menu for to-go and delivery. Beyond Yukon Gold latkes, chef Akasha Richardson is also offering chopped, seasoned chicken liver by the half pint ($10), “pletzel” onion and poppy seed challah ($10) among other starters, as well as two-person servings of beef brisket ($40) and tangerine braised chicken ($36).  Note: Akasha will be closed for pickups or delivery on Monday, November 29 and Tuesday, November 30. Price: Varies; Order with 48 hours’ advance notice via Tock; pickup and delivery available November 28 and December 1–5.  Photograph: Courtesy Jeremy Fox Birdie G’s Jeremy Fox’s Santa Monica restaurant offers a f

Mid-century nostalgia rules the day once again, with the Tail o’ the Pup, one of L.A.’s most famous hot dog stands, slated to return to the streets in early 2022 via the efforts of the 1933 Group, the preservation-minded hospitality company who also run the Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood and Silver Lake neighborhood bar the Thirsty Crow. The tiny food stall once occupied a prime roadside spot on La Cienega Boulevard near Beverly, but the revival of Tail o’ the Pup will instead be brought to West Hollywood’s 8152 Santa Monica Boulevard and include an outdoor dining area and beer garden.  First established in 1946, the hot dog-shaped stand has attracted the attention of several celebrities over the years, including Sigourney Weaver and Betty White, as well as band members from historic ‘80s icons Devo and the Go-Go’s. The Tail o’ the Pup has also made several TV cameos, including a 2002 episode of the late Anthony Bourdain’s early aughts show, A Cook’s Tour.  Since the original owners lost its lease in 2005, the giant hot dog has stayed in storage, bouncing from a brief tenure in the Valley Relics Museum to new ownership under the 1933 Group. The group, which first acquired the Tail o’ the Pup in 2018, has spent the last three years searching for the right place (and time) to reopen the giant hot dog icon. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, the time for the Tail o’ the Pup’s triumphant return is—at long last—almost here.  Among design aficionados, the hot dog-shaped stand is hai

Through November 15, you can take your coffee like a Wes Anderson character at Café Le Sans Blague, a promotional pop-up at Dayglow Coffee touting the director’s pandemic-delayed latest movie, The French Dispatch, which premieres tonight in select theaters. Available at both Silver Lake and West Hollywood Dayglow locations, as well as in Chicago, Le Sans Blague will be serving a menu of four caffeinated drinks inspired by the film, which received a standing ovation at Cannes earlier this year.  Dayglow patrons can also pick up copies of a French Dispatch magazine filled with behind-the-scenes articles and other movie-related bits and bobs. If its cover looks like a lol-so-quirky carbon copy of the New Yorker, that’s because it is: The creative genesis of Anderson’s newest movie lies in the upper middlebrow magazine's early days. Its founding editors, Harold Ross and William Shawn, inspired the character Arthur Horowitz, Jr. (Bill Murray) in the film. Although two of the menu’s drinks, “The Cycling Reporter” and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” may resemble a French 75 and glass of red wine, neither contain alcohol. Instead, they’re made with booze-free champagne from Dayglow’s Silver Lake location neighbor, Soft Spirits, and Verjus Rouge, a non-alcoholic red wine (that’s basically unripe grape juice).  The other promotional drinks, “The Concrete Masterpiece” and “Revisions to a Manifesto,” come in bright yellow Le Sans Blague mugs. Sweetened with light br

Ever wanted to hang out in a place that feels like an IRL version of the Pineapple Suite from HBO’s The White Lotus? Now you can, courtesy of Belles Beach House, a new resort-esque restaurant in the heart of Venice channeling ‘70s retro, surf and tiki culture.  Brought to you by Wish You Were Here, the hospitality group behind Santa Monica’s Elephanté and Eveleigh in West Hollywood, Belles is a stone’s throw from both the Pacific Ocean and the Venice sign at Windward Avenue. The “Hawaiian izakaya” dinner selection incorporates sushi and tropical twists on Japanese favorites, including mochiko chicken karaage (or nuggets, as the opening menu eagerly tells you in parentheses).  Photograph: Courtesy Laura Huertas Inside, you’ll find a palm and bamboo-lined dining room with elements of retro tiki style embedded throughout the space. Chaise furniture and high-tops bring a lounge-like feel to a restaurant that’s likely to be the Westside’s next trendy destination hangout. Despite the lack of dark, divey atmosphere, Belles still channels a mid-century tiki bar vibe through hanging wall art and a hand-carved Hawaiian statue that greets guests at the door, as well as locally made ceramic light fixtures above the bar.  Photograph: Courtesy Laura Huertas Belles’ cocktail menu focuses on tequila and mezcal, rather than rum, serving drinks in vintage tiki glassware. The restaurant also plans to offer lighter daytime cocktails with no added sweeteners during brunch service, which will

After years of direct-to-consumer sales and limited distribution in specialty stores, the non-alcoholic beverage world just got its first dedicated Los Angeles brick-and-mortar: Soft Spirits, a Silver Lake storefront located on a busy stretch of Sunset Boulevard near All Day Baby and Dayglow Coffee. L.A.’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, which opened on October 9, is ready to rumble with a vast array of spiritless spirit brands, plus mood-enhancing functional drinks in the mix for good measure.  Shop owner Jillian Barkley—who has been sober for three years—hopes to guide the curious and uninformed through the vast sea of ethanol-free recreational beverages that have launched in recent years. At Soft Spirits, she’s effectively the city’s first non-alcoholic sommelier, with a curated store inventory of boozeless beverage brands and a service-oriented focus on pointing patrons in the right direction and answering questions. “The more variety I can bring, the more people can understand the concept a little better,” Barkley said. The store originated from an Instagram account she started while living in New York City where she’d review pre-packaged drinks and mocktails available in the city. This search for replacements is part of what has kept Barkley from regularly drinking alcohol again. Working in bars and restaurants in college, she started to appreciate craft cocktails—drinks that “felt really elevated and elegant.” After a few years, Barkley found that alcohol use brought

Following the lead of New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles passed a proof of vaccination mandate for most major indoor activities this week. Unlike those cities, however, our “city” (read: greater Los Angeles County) actually contains 140 unincorporated areas and 88 different cities, including the City of L.A. itself—whose city council passed an ordinance requiring patrons of malls, restaurants, movie theaters, museums and other indoor spaces to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination by November 4.  If the geography versus vaccine rules aren’t crystal clear to you, you’re not alone. We put together a separate story on what you need to know about city versus county guidelines.  The burden of enforcement, which will begin on November 29, falls on venues, not individuals. For restaurants within L.A. city limits, this means having their staff once again enforce public health guidelines, with possible financial ramifications for noncompliance: $1,000 for a second violation of the mandate, which will rise to $5,000 for fourth and subsequent violations. However, unvaccinated individuals can still use outdoor areas, and can still briefly enter indoor spaces to use the restroom, order food or pick up orders if masked. With some misgivings about the particulars, restaurant owners and chefs who spoke to Time Out expressed their overarching support. “As a company policy, we haven’t been enforcing any vaccine mandates thus far, since our stores all have different city councils,” said

Well, talk about doubling down. After a 2020 hiatus, the Michelin Guide is back in California with eight new Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles—all of them at the fine dining level and above—including Hayato, a kaiseki dinner spot that received an upgrade from one to two stars. Phenakite, an outdoor dinner pop-up turned permanent fixture by Porridge + Puffs’ Minh Phan, also received star recognition.  Continuing in the same vein as its 2019 return to Southern California, the French tire company’s 2021 guide once again eschewed awarding stars to L.A.’s more casual eateries and street food vendors—an omission made even more glaring when you consider the fact that stalls and more budget-friendly eateries in Hong Kong and Macau, to name a few cities, have received stars in the past. This year’s edition recognized high-end spots like Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills and Josiah Citrin’s Mélisse in Santa Monica, passing over Mexican and Korean spots like Bell’s La Casita Mexicana and Park’s BBQ in K-town for its highest honors. Across the entire state, Michelin awarded new stars to 27 restaurants, including Bell’s in Los Alamos (as part of the guide to California’s Central Coast) and Costa Mesa’s Knife Pleat (Orange County). By the international food system’s standards, no dining experience across SoCal is worthy of three Michelin stars, the guide’s highest accolades—a status conferred upon six Bay Area restaurants, including the French Laundry and Los Gatos’ Manresa.  Michel