LA’s Best Dining Neighborhood of 2016, According to Local Industry Experts

Bill Esparza, Food Writer

My 'hood: Hollywood, it's comin' up!

Oren Peleg, Eater LA Contributor

Silver Lake. Yes, I said Silver Lake in 2016. You can park your car (or Uber to) that stretch of Sunset and walk (again, yes, I said walk) to solid neighborhood restaurant after solid neighborhood restaurant. There may be no other area in the city as densely packed with lively, exciting, reliable restaurants as Silver Lake.

Brigham Yen, DTLA Rising

Chinatown is where new chefs are experimenting with great casual "unfussy" food

Lesley Balla, Zagat, Angeleno

That Los Feliz strip along Hollywood Boulevard has a lot going for it right now. Bar Covell, a perennial favorite, and has a little hotel; HomeState is hotter than ever; Go Get Em Tiger and McConnell's ice cream opened right next door; and the Madcapra gals' Kismet will open in January. And to think, Cheetahs was once the most popular spot on the block.

Jeff Miller, Senior City Editor, Thrillist

Still Koreatown — I had amazing meals at hot pots and barbecues and dive bars and oyster spots there. And Here's Looking at You put another destination right there as well.

Katherine Spiers, LA Weekly Food Editor

Koreatown. (Per usual, right?)

Eddie Lin, Food Writer

The San Gabriel Valley is where I found myself eating most of the time, so I say the SGV.

Caroline Pardilla, Eater LA Contributor

Grand Central Market.

Sarah Gim, The Delicious Life

Ktown, obviously

Josh Scherer, Food Writer

Chinatown. If you could call Far East Plaza a neighborhood, I'd say it was that. I'm an unapologetic Far East Plaza fanboy.

Jim Thurman, Eater LA Contributor

I'm biased, but, the San Gabriel Valley

Katrina Yentch, Eater LA Contributor

Chinatown

Nicole Iizuka, POPSUGAR Senior Producer

Highland Park for sure! Ok— it might not be the best "dining" neighborhood of 2016 — it's certainly the most up & coming, has some of my favorite cocktail bars, and let's face it - where there's good drinks, there's loads of good late night munchies that are soon to follow. Start the night at Highland Park Bowl with some pizzas and bowling. Continue the games at Block Party with popsicle michelada's & Wii bowling. Head over to ETA & Good Housekeeping for late night drinks. Start working off your eventual hangover with late night ham and brie butter sandwiches at Tinfoil Liquor & Grocery. Wake up the next morning to cruffins from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse and do it all over again.

Hadley Tomicki, UrbanDaddy

KTown, as always, but I'm thrilled to see the diversity and power of South LA restaurants, neighborhoods, and chefs gaining more respect and coverage

Esther Tseng, Eater LA Contributor

Downtown LA. The range of choices from the price point, ethnic and style perspectives can't be beat.

Meghan McCarron

Santa Monica is the place to drop a chunk of change and rarely feel disappointed, Silverlake has just enough truly great, weird food to keep me coming back, and Koreatown is never, ever disappointing. In terms of a great restaurant neighborhood, however, my pick would be Downtown. I am not sure if it's gotten the true lions' share of important openings this year, but it's accessible and enjoyable at a huge range of price points. And bonus, it's a great reminder that you live in a big city.

In terms of neighborhoods I want to trek to strictly for eating purposes, regardless of time or other plans, however? SGV all the way.

Crystal Coser, Eater LA Associate Editor

Downtown

Farley Elliott, Eater LA Senior Editor

Downtown. The biggest, boomiest hood continued to grow in 2016 and with openings like Slanted Door, Rossoblu, and the NoMad, shows no sign of slowing down.

Matthew Kang, Eater LA Editor

The Valley, especially Studio City and Sherman Oaks, was the best dining neighborhood in 2016. I recently went to dinner at Black Market Liquor Bar and place was crushed all night. And apparently it’s been like that since it opened five years ago. I found myself craving everything from the Afghan fare at Ariana to the rotisserie chicken at Bonano’s to the uni and ikura-riddled dishes at Scratch Bar. The barbecue at Barrel & Ashes is probably my favorite in town (when it’s good). Saj Bakery is my favorite schwarma of all time. The Bellwether beat my expectations. And I don’t live anywhere near the Valley. Where did I actually eat the most this past year? Koreatown, of course.

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