Find where you can go in Los Angeles for the trendiest dining establishments to satisfy your foodie cravings.

Are you in Los Angeles right now? Whether you’re just visiting or you live here, you really ought to try one of these dining establishments for a great dining experience. In fact, no one’s stopping you from trying them all!

Best Trendy Restaurants Los Angeles

1. Xiang La Hui

Location: 621 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801

If you’re in the San Gabriel Valley and in the mood for Sichuan fare, you need to come to Alhambra and visit the new Xiang La Hui restaurant. It’s relaxing inside, and just the photos on the menu can get you salivating. It’s a good thing that the dishes here are just as tasty as they look.

Fans of spicy treats should go with the Chongqing fried chicken, along with the toothpick cumin lamb and the mapo tofu. Get your reservation now, before more SGV foodies hear about this place. Yelp

2. Death & Co.

Location: 810 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Get out from the sunshine and bright lights of LA and relax in this underground bar ensconced in the Arts District. The first one the East Village of NYC is justly famous and its new sibling on the West Coast is certain heading for that same fate.

You’ve got a lot of cocktails to choose from here, along with some great food to partner with the alcohol. You start your visit here in the Death & Co. Lounge, where you’ll find the usual (and the not so usual) drink options. Explore the place until you get to the farthest end, where the relaxed dim setting goes very well with adventurous booze. Yelp

3. M Georgina

Location: 777 Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Good luck finding a seat at M Georgina during the weekends, as it’s almost always full. You may have better luck during the weekdays, but that’s not going to be the case for long either. It’s a cheerful, comfy place with its warehouse settings, and the food prepared by the San Francisco chef Melissa Perello is fantastic. These wood-fired dishes should satisfy any foodie. Yelp

4. Red Herring

Location: 770 S Grand Ave, Suite A, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Once upon a time, this place stood very much alone in a forgotten spot in Eagle Rock. But now it’s downtown, and it fits in nicely with its pastel hues with golden accents.

Here at the Red Herring restaurant, you can enjoy casual dining without getting bored. The food comes from all over the world, though most of it originates from France and the Middle East. Try some starters along with the finely grilled fish, and the crab cakes cannot be overlooked. Yelp

5. Clark Street Bread & Pastry

Location: 311 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Zack Hall actually started Clark Street in his West Hollywood apartment, and guess on which street this was. Anyway, this new place is between Echo Park and Historic Filipinotown (HiFi). Try the Nordic breakfast options, but you can get omelets and sandwiches too. The pastries and bread can also tide you over in the afternoon. Yelp

6. All Day Baby

Location: 3200 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

As its name implies, All Day Baby serves meals from breakfast to dinner. During the day it’s bright and airy, and it’s a comfy place to start the day with their biscuit breakfast sandwiches. Here you get the usual diner fare, except the quality and taste are simply much better than any ordinary diner. Try the smoked chicken and don’t forget the cheesy patty melt. Yelp

7. Bar Restaurant

Location: 4326 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Yes, that’s its name. It really is a restaurant called Bar. That’s not really all that unusual, as there are crazier things here in Silver Lake. However, the bistro fare here is crazy good as well. Go with the lamb tartare, but also try the boudin noir and the sweet potato puree. Yelp

8. Kismet Rotisserie

Location: 4666 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

If you find yourself in Los Feliz, do yourself a favor and look for Kismet Rotisserie. The neighborhood is quite nice, and that’s probably why most of the seats here are actually outdoors. You can enjoy the nice sunshine, along with the almost obligatory Petaluma Poultry chicken. Add some house-made pita bread along with pickles, hummus, and muhammara, and life is good. Yelp

9. Found Oyster

Location: 4880 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

There’s really no such thing as having too many seafood places in the city. That’s especially true if they’re as good as Found Oyster. This East Hollywood oyster bar offers dishes prepared by famed chef Ari Kolender, who offers adventurous options that originate from his East Coast childhood. Go with shucked ousters along with steamers, but you must never come here and not try the terrific lobster roll. Yelp

10. Soprano

Location: 6263 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Come here and get your dinner right before you enjoy your theater show. You may want to get a reservation though, as it’s becoming quite popular. The people working in the offices in the area mingle with tourists to enjoy the comfort foods offered by Italian-American cuisine.

Start your meal with arancini, along with Sicilian Crudo and the scrumptious calamari. Then make sure you make room for the fantastic pasta. The rigatoni Bolognese is terrific, but you should also try the bucatini pomodoro. Yelp

11. Hotville Chicken

Location: 4070 Marlton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008

Like Sandor Clegane of Game of Thrones, LA denizens like their chicken. Plenty of them like their chicken hot, and that’s what you get here. Sure, you can find hot chicken in just about every corner in LA, but Hotville Chicken is brought to you by the royal family of the Nashville hot chicken kingdom.

Hurry and visit, because the hordes of visitors are increasing each day. There’s probably no better place to try Southern hot chicken than here. Yelp

12. Socalo

Location: 1920 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Looking for casual Mexican food? The menu items in this Mexican restaurant, Socalo, may offer the usual suspects, but these aren’t exactly average. That’s because they’re from the genius twosome of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.

This is a secret place jealously patronized by locals and office workers in the area, so tourists aren’t aware of it quite yet. That’s about to change in the near future since people are sharing stories about the excellent burritos online. Add the great cocktails, and you can have a lot of fun in this all-day establishment. Yelp

13. Pasjoli

Location: 2732 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

This was once the spot where you found the former Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica. Now you have Pasjoli, which is the creative brainchild of chef Dave Beran. News about the place exploded in LA just as soon as it opened.

This is the place for superb French cuisine. Try the fantastic pressed duck, which is served tableside for two patrons. Even the usual bistro dishes like beef tartare here seem a lot better than anywhere else. Yelp

14. Onda

Location: 700 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

You’ll find Onda in the Proper Hotel here in Santa Monica. It’s the result of the partnership between chef Jessica Koslow (Sqirl) and chef Gabriela Cámara (Contramar/Cala).

Somehow it all works with terrific synergy. Cámara offers Mexican dishes that seem to be made with absolute precision, and they go nicely with the artistic dishes from Koslow. Come into the ground floor, and the vibes reverberate with foodie excitement. Come here, and you must absolutely try the inside-out turkey al pastor quesadilla with hoja santa. It’s just fantastic. Yelp

15. Olivetta

Location: 9010 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

This may be last on the list, but it’s certainly not the least. In fact, some argue that right now (February of 2020), there’s no trendier dining establishment in the whole LA area than Olivetta. Many consider it the current champion of champions among LA restaurants.

Chef Michael Fiorelli offers a familiar version of California Italian fare, but it’s just so good that it’s unique. Start with the rye macaroni and the grilled branzino, plus some kale salad. You’ll understand what all the fuss is about with this place.

It does help that it has 4 rooms with distinctive vibes, which makes it seem like having 4 different restaurants right next to each other. You may wish to try them all eventually, but you can’t go wrong with the main dining room. The seating is quite opulent, and the overall design is breathtaking. You feel like a VIP the moment you walk in. Yelp

Final Thoughts

Don’t just visit blindly and expect a seat—especially for dinner. Call first, and check out their websites. That way, you know what to expect and you can order ahead for pickup.