The Best New Los Angeles Restaurants of 2016 According to Eater LA’s Editors

There’s a lot, restaurant-wise, to be thankful for as we coast through the tail-end of 2016 and into an even brighter 2017. There are more great restaurants than ever before, including long-running favorites and street food upstarts galore. We’re still doing pop-up restaurants well, still owning the produce game at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, and even welcoming in big new projects from out of towners.

In fact, new restaurants have kind of been the signature of Los Angeles this year, though not everything survived. From Santa Monica to Downtown, incredible new openings have planted big, bold flags in our dining scene, and that trend shows no sign of slowing down soon. So here now, presented very unofficially, is the Eater LA team’s individual rankings of the ten Best New Restaurants of 2016.

Wonho Frank Lee

Matthew Kang, Editor

1. Gwen
2. Here's Looking at You
3. Norah
4. Kato
5. Salazar
6. Kali
7. Charcoal Venice
8. Destroyer
9. 71Above
10. Howlin' Ray's

Wonho Frank Lee

Farley Elliott, Senior Editor

1. Here's Looking at You
2. Kato
3. Gwen
4. 71Above
5. Kali
6. Shibumi
7. Salazar
8. Erven
9. Howlin’ Ray’s
10. Highland Park Bowl

** I have to add here that I would include Unit 120, but since it’s more of a rotating space than standalone single project, that’s hard to do. That said, some of the best bites of food I experienced all year (Easy’s, Detroit pizza, LASA) have come from that quirky space at Far East Plaza.

Wonho Frank Lee

Crystal Coser, Associate Editor

1. Kali
2. Shibumi
3. Here's Looking at You
4. Gwen
5. Kato
6. 71Above
7. Norah
8. Salazar
9. Unit 120
10. Howlin’ Ray’s

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Just can’t agree on anything written above? Feel free to list out your favorites in the comments below.

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