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A Handy Guide to Late-Night Dining in LA, Winter 2014

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2008_10_hasmapslatenight.jpgLos Angeles seems to take on a completely different character at night. It's the dreamlike state from Nicolas Winding Refn's film Drive or the hazy feel that inspired M83's tune, Midnight City. While this isn't quite the city that never sleeps, there are nearly endless options for nighttime revelry, and many great places for dining late into the evening. Generally, the best options are ethnic joints, retro coffee shop diners, hipster dives, and even fancy sit-down restaurants touting grilled steaks served after hours. Below, Eater presents an updated guide to LA's best late night dining.


Added, 2/13: Fred 62, 25 Degrees, 800 Degrees, The Pikey, The Gorbals, Sanamluang, Stout, Izzy's Deli, Garage Pizza, Tatsu Ramen, Brite Spot, Tom Bergin's
8/13: Added, The Apple Pan, Tsujita Annex, Isaan Station, Seongbukdong, Dan Sung Sa, The Misfit Dropped: Bossa Nova, Johnnie's Pastrami, Garage Pizza, Tom Bergin's
1/14: Added: Pellicola Pizza, BCD Tofu House, Red Med at Formosa Cafe, Greenblatt's Deli

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Jones Hollywood

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This clubby Italian joint in WeHo with possibly the best apple pie slice around has some decent old-school classics such as spaghetti & meatballs, funghi pizza, and carbonara. One of the best late night vibes in town. Open until 2 a.m. nightly.

The Original Pantry Cafe

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A must-experience, all-night eatery in Downtown doesn't have a better composition than The Original Pantry Cafe, a tried-and-true greasy spoon institution that grills solid steaks and makes the ideal pancakes, any time of day or night. Cash only, open 24 hours.

The 101 Coffee Shop

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The retro-cool vibe at this Hollywood favorite might have the best late night diner food in the city. The ingredients are thoughtfully chosen and the menu looks surprisingly small for a restaurant of this type. The breakfast items are great as is the burger.

Red Medicine

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Chef Jordan Kahn set out to create a high-end version of those Chinatown nights where he would nosh on noodles and Vietnamese dishes after a night shift. Red Medicine has one of the best late-night ambiances around, perhaps a bit like a modern day Nighthawks. A massive pork belly banh mi, chicken dumplings, brussels sprouts, and plenty of amazing cocktails work really well. And of course the patent coconut bavarois isn't worth missing. Open until 2 a.m., seven days a week.

800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria

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The lines never seem to cease at this popular quick-service Neapolitan Pizza joint that makes fully custom pizzas to order. Using an almost-Chipotle style, diners rack up toppings then wait mere minutes before the wood-fired oven spits out pies. Even better than service goes until 2 a.m. each evening.

Pacific Dining Car - Santa Monica

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One of two all-night restaurants (the other is a stone's throw from Downtown), Pacific Dining Car is the elegant night owl's landing, where white tablecloths and a menu lifted from the 50's makes it presence known. The varied menu is pricey but features items like the Midnight Cowboy Steak and the Rack of Lamb. Because people get hungry at 3 a.m.

Ruen Pair Thai Restaurant

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This Thai Town favorite serves up tasty dishes at reasonable prices. The stewed pork leg, turnip omelet, crispy pork belly with morning glory or broccoli, green papaya salad with raw crab, and stir-fried chicken dishes are all worth getting. The mainline Thai dishes are decent, but the specialties are the draw here.

This swanky burger joint inside the Roosevelt hotel has a bordello-type feel to it that feels great after drinking along Hollywood Blvd. The burgers might've lost a little bit of luster after these years, but they're still better than average, with juicy patties and soft brioche buns to go along with distinct toppings. The boozy milkshakes are a great draw as well.

Freddy Smalls

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The Westside got a nice boost in culinary cred when Charlie Parker opened this gastropub-like restaurant on an underserved area on Pico Blvd. Think charcuterie, deconstructed reuben sandwiches on a cutting board, brussels sprouts, and belgian waffles available til 12 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekend evenings. Throw in a swell cocktail such as the Stumbling Cowboy or a pint of cold craft beer.

Myung Dong Kyoja (명동교자)

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The garlic stench permeates the entire block at this fluorescent bomb of a restaurant on Koreatown's stretch of Wilshre Blvd. Ideal after long hours at the local karaoke rooms or Korean bars, the knife-cut noodle soup and steamed dumplings are a terrific hangover cure (or preventive ailment). Beware the extremely garlic-filled kimchi.

Krua Siri

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This Northern Thai spot on a more neglected stretch of Hollywood Blvd. not only delivers late, it serves the dimly lit dining room (by Thai restaurant standards) with great green papaya salad, duck larb, spicy soups filled with offal, and terrific fried chicken. Open until 1:30 a.m. most nights.

Izakaya SaSaYa

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This West LA standard serves terrific izakaya favorites such as agadashi tofu and udon noodles. The large, varied menu works great with the simple beer and more extensive sake menu. Serves til 1 a.m. on weekends, 11 p.m. on weeknights.

Alibi Room

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Why wait in line at the Kogi trucks when you get sit down, have a great cocktail or beer, and enjoy the same fare without the long wait? Alibi Room might be the most unsung hero in late-night dining in LA, with specials like kimchi quesadilla, sliders, breakfast burrito, hot wings, and of course tacos available on paper plates. Just so it feels like a bit more like the truck.

Canter's Delicatessen

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The quintessential L.A. late night hang, the eighties are alive here, with vintage ceiling and leather booths galore. The pastrami is pretty solid while the breakfast items are always good choices. The menu's gotten a recent revamp, which is nice for nighttime foodies.

Honda Ya

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This Little Tokyo classic serves izakaya favorites such as takoyaki, yakitori, sushi rolls, grilled squid, and miso black cod at this third floor nook inside a mall. Serves until 1 a.m. on all nights except Sunday, when it closes at 12 a.m.

Mountain Cafe

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Ginseng chicken soup, abalone porridge, and numerous other Korean cuisine classics are available late into the night at Mountain Cafe. Like many Korean dishes, they're great hangover cures as well. (24/7 hours)

Wurstküche

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It's a simple concept that works surprisingly well – sausages and beer. Pick desired sausages, get them grilled up, top with caramelized onions, mustard, and peppers, place in bread roll. Wurstkuche does this formula with remarkable ease, and serves late most nights. A decent German and local craft beer selection is also available on tap. There are outlets in both Venice and Downtown's Arts District. Kitchen open until midnight, bar until 2 a.m.

Brite Spot Family Restaurant

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This revamped old diner in Echo Park has the full hipster complement of Stumptown coffee, all-day breakfast eats, and vegan options galore. The baked goods are especially good, like the chocolate malted cupcakes. Serves until 12 a.m. earlier in the week and until 3 a.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.

Albaene

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This Korean-Chinese fusion joint in the heart of Koreatown, steps from Chapman plaza and the bustling 6th street corridor, Albaene serves classics such as jja-jjang myun (black noodles) and sweet & sour pork all day and night (24/7). There's also spicy seafood soup, fried dumplings, and a swatch of decent banchan - it's a great after-drinking meal that reminds one of late nights in Seoul.

Don Day Korean Restaurant

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There are plenty of all-you-can-eat Korean barbecues in Koreatown, but only a few of them are open late. Don Day is one of the better choices for late night AYCE, with a swell selection of fresh cuts for under $20 per person. Think thinly sliced brisket, fat pieces of pork belly, and marinaded short rib.

Nak Won Restaurant

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The brightness in the room might be a turnoff, but after hour of drinking, karaoke, and other various nighttime revelry, there's nothing quite like tucking into a plate of fried kimchi rice or a bowl of spicy beef soup (yook hwe jang) into the wee hours of the night. Nam Dae Moon is a Koreatown classic that endures after many decades, serving 24/7.

Fred 62

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This classic spot in Los Feliz is one of the old-time late-night hangouts in the city, with a kooky staff and dark-retro vibe that feels almost too hipster to be true. The food is probably a little bit stale at this point, more perfunctory than well-executed, but the Bearded Mr. Frenchy (cornflake-encrusted French toast) and Juicy Lucy Burger are solid hits.

The Pikey

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This Hollywood gastropub serves a hefty menu up until 1:30 a.m. with favorites such as Welsh Rarebit, Crispy Pig Ear Salad, and Fish & Chips. There's a decent cocktail menu put together by barman Damian Windsor, such as the Geezer, featuring Old Overholt Rye, Mezcal, bitters, cinnamon, and flamed orange served on the rocks.

Stout Burgers & Beers

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This dark Hollywood beer & burger joint is a casual spot to relax with friends and enjoy a late night meal after hitting the bars or clubs. The Stout Burger has blue cheese, rosemary bacon, caramelized onions, and roasted tomatoes on a house-blend patty that's ground in house daily.

The Gorbals

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Top Chef winner Ilan Hall's den of a dining room inside the Alexandra building in Downtown's Historic Core serves until 1:30 a.m., making it one of the best late-night spots in Downtown for a respectable meal. The wine list, cocktails, and beer are also better than the average late-night coffee shop. Bacon-wrapped meatballs at 1 a.m. anyone?

Izzy's Deli

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A rare 24-hour deli in Los Angeles (along with Canter's), Izzy's Deli serves the Westside with all-night matzo ball soup, pastrami sandwiches, and more to the after hours crowd in Santa Monica.

Sanamluang Café

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This old-school Thai Town noodle joint serves late into the night, when the local bar goers and Hollywood trouble-makers need a hangover cure. The menu features spicy bowls of Thai Boat Noodles and other classics at a bargain price.

Tatsu Ramen

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This technologically savvy ramen joint makes diners order via an iPad strapped to the wall, making for a streamlined order for this 21st century comfort food. The noodles and soup are probably just a cut above, with an umami-rich tonkotsu broth. Serves until 2 a.m. most weekdays and 3 a.m. on the weekends.

The Apple Pan

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This popular burger restaurant has been around since the 1940's, with practically nothing changed since. The burgers and pies are made the old fashioned way, with quality ingredients and quick counter service. The ceiling fans, thick, dank air, and the dim lights make this greasy spoon feel like a time warp, in the best possible way. Serves Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday until 12 am., and Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m.

Tsujita LA Annex

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This all-ramen restaurant from the popular izakaya just across the street serves a completely different bowl here, using thick noodles and a dense, porky broth that's chock full of garlic and pork back fat. Annex serves in a crowded, loud nook of a room until 12 p.m. (the last order is taken at 11:30 p.m.), seven days a week.

Isaan Station

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This Northern Thai eatery does all the classics the right way, with even the right spice levels. Dishes like green papaya salad, grilled pork neck, and tom yum soup are good enough to make one skip the drive to Thai Town altogether. Serves until 12 a.m. nightly, closed Mondays.

Seongbukdong

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This tiny Koreatown restaurant always seems to have a wait, and it's well worth it. The homestyle dishes are authentic as can be, with quality found everywhere from the banchan to the slow-braised short rib that might be one of the best in town. The spicy mackerel is also amazing, with a dense, rich sauce that's perfect over steamed rice. Serves until 12 a.m. daily.

Dan Sung Sa (단성사)

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This North Korean-style dive bar has the exact ambiance one would expect at a crummy place in Pyongyang - and that's a good thing. Expect the food to be much better pub fare, with skewers, wings, savory pancakes, and plenty of other drinking grub that goes great late into the night. Serves until 2 a.m., seven days a week.

The Misfit Resturant & Bar

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This uber-popular eatery in the heart of Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade does simple American cuisine that's comforting and familiar. The green chile burger is thing to order. Serves until 12 a.m. on weekdays, 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Red Med at Formosa Cafe

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A slightly scaled down Red Medicine menu is now offered at the legendary Hollywood haunt of Formosa Cafe. The banh mi and bacon-XO tinted Shanghai rice cakes are a great thing to pair with the classic cocktail menu. Or indulge in the whole fried fish served with various pickled accoutrements.

Greenblatt's Delicatessen & Fine Wine Shop

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Open every night of the year until 2 a.m., this late night deli has pretty darn good pastrami and even better corned beef. Grab a bottle of wine from the shop downstairs (just $6 corkage) and sip it with a grilled Reuben. It's handy to have parking in the back and comfy seats on the upstairs mezzanine.

Pellicola Pizzeria

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This late night pizzeria perfectly situated in Downtown will surely be a place to hit after frequenting the bars in the area. A smart move by 213 owner Cedd Moses, the pies here are classic, thin crust, and ready to consume on the fly. Try the Nonna pie or the Nutella pie if you're in the mood for something sweet.

BCD Tofu House

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A bubbling bowl of hot, spicy Korean tofu stew is going to be one of the most satisfying late night eats in town, and BCD makes up a more the adequate bowl. The spread of banchan and the stone pot bowl of steamed rice is going to mop up any hangover that might be lingering. The dumpling stew or the mixed seafood versions are the best.

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Jones Hollywood

This clubby Italian joint in WeHo with possibly the best apple pie slice around has some decent old-school classics such as spaghetti & meatballs, funghi pizza, and carbonara. One of the best late night vibes in town. Open until 2 a.m. nightly.