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Ancora pizza with nduja, gorgonzola cream, green onion, and celery at Ronan.
Ancora pizza with nduja, gorgonzola cream, green onion, and celery at Ronan.
Wonho Frank Lee

17 Restaurants to Try Along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles

One of LA’s most iconic streets that cuts through the middle of town has plenty of culinary finds

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Ancora pizza with nduja, gorgonzola cream, green onion, and celery at Ronan.
| Wonho Frank Lee

Driving down Melrose Avenue, you’ll find an interesting variety of sights and cultural enclaves on both sides of the street, which cuts from Virgil Village to the east to West Hollywood to the west. Much like Pico or Wilshire, this iconic stretch has its own way of representing unique portraits of Los Angeles’s dining culture. Here now, the 18 essential restaurants to try along Melrose Avenue.

Added: Ronan, Oui Melrose, Olivetta, Ggiata, Melrose Umbrella, Lala’s Argentine, Rosaliné, Vegan AF Truck, La Fonda Antioquera

Removed: Chi Spacca, Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, Ink, Catch, Hart and the Hunter, Sweet Lady Jane, Murakami Sushi, Mario’s Peruvian, Cecconi’s, Gracias Madre

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Olivetta

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One of the most stylish restaurants to open on this very tony part of Melrose in West Hollywood, this celebrity hotspot has some stellar Italian food from chef Michael Fiorelli to match the striking dining room.

Olivetta in West Hollywood, California
Olivetta West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

Craig's

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Come awards season, hell any season, and find this Melrose eatery packed with A-list (and maybe C-list) celebrities. The Italian-leaning American menu may not offer the best dishes in the city, but that’s beside the point. Craig’s is the quintessential modern celebrity restaurant in Los Angeles.

Rosaliné

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Ricardo Zarate’s upscale Peruvian restaurant has all the classics, but served in a fancy way, from the chaufa paella and lomo saltado to corazon anticuchos. At this point, the menu is pretty static with what West Hollywood diners want, with the cocktails to match.

Rosaliné West Hollywood
Rosaliné West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

Crossroads Kitchen

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With its elegant dining room and full bar, you may not even realize that Crossroads is a meatless dining experience. Chef Tal Ronin is turning out some of the most refined, creative vegan dishes in the city, from fresh pasta that would impress anyone to composed plates that don’t try and look down to plant-loving eaters.

Carlitos Gardel Restaurant

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Under-the-radar gem Carlitos Gardel is quite the place to enjoy Argentinian steaks with plenty of wine to wash it all down. It’s no surprise that this white-tablecloth establishment known for its exceptional hospitality and fantastic asado has been a Melrose mainstay since 1996.

Vegan A.F. Truck

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Parked every week along Melrose nearby Fairfax, this bright pink food truck from Chanel Goodson serves fried egg rolls and loaded fries with plant-based proteins and cheeses that bring vegan flavor to the streets.

Vegan A.F. truck in Los Angeles with pink livery.
Vegan A.F. Truck
Matthew Kang

Spartina

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Stephen Kalt’s enduring Italian restaurant has a wide menu of fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, and entrees that has mass appeal without a bit of snobbery. One of Melrose’s most impressive restaurants with a terrific outdoor patio and wonderful midcentury modern interior that serves as a breath of fresh air in on this stretch of Melrose.

Ta-eem Grill

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Ta-eem has made itself a Melrose fixture thanks to its Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine, long lines, and exceptional Yelp reviews. While the chicken schwarma is a popular order, you can’t go wrong with the falafel laffa.

Daniel and Caitlin Cutler has an incredible Italian-inspired restaurant that features wood-fired pizza and really so much more, from creative salads and starters to excellent entrees like a seabass zarandeado served “banchan-style.”

Ronan Melrose
Ronan Melrose.
Wonho Frank Lee

Lala’s Argentine Grill

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Argentine-inspired Lala’s is a classic dinner spot in LA, with locations across the city and a wide menu of grilled meats, milanesa, and salads that should appeal to big groups. There’s a strong happy hour scene and of course, weekend brunch.

Oui Melrose

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Oui Melrose has become a standout all its own after splitting from the (also excellent) Banh Oui in Hollywood, offering baked goods, a killer fried fish sandwich, and a whole lot more. Stop by for a Friday lunch for best effect.

Cod sandwich from Oui Melrose in Hollywood.
Fried fish at Oui Melrose
Farley Elliott

Marino Ristorante

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This longstanding red sauce joint by the family behind Il Grano is a power lunch favorite. The vibe isn’t quite old school, nor is it anywhere near modern. Think of it as a perfect picture of the late ‘90s, early 2000s Italian-American establishment.

Providence

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Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto’s fine-dining temple celebrates mostly seafood in its iconic space, a standalone building that was once Patina in decades past. Providence continues to represent the highest tier of Los Angeles restaurants, with the price, service, and presentation to match.

It wouldn't be surprising for there to be an air of pretension at Kali given the pedigree of chef Kevin Meehan and wine director Drew Langley, but it’s actually a terrific everyday upscale restaurant. Kali is an impressive, Michelin-starred dining destination with top-notch ingredients and service that remains as solid as ever.

Osteria La Buca

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With a wide menu of Italian fare, including fresh pasta and pizzas, this longtime Melrose Avenue restaurant started out as a tiny place run by a grandma that has since expanded into more of a full-scale operation. One of the most reliable restaurants in this part of Melrose Hill.

La Fonda Antioquena

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As one of the only Colombian restaurants in Los Angeles, this neighborhood favorite has big approachable platters of meats, beans, and empanadas.

Ggiata Delicatessen

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Ggiata has risen from ghost kitchen oblivion to become one of LA’s best sandwich destinations, growing from a shared space to its own retail location on Melrose just west of Western. While the restaurant itself is small, with a little outdoor railing for dining, the sandwiches themselves — Italian cold cut interpretations like those favored on the East Coast — pack a punch. —Farley Elliott

Italian sandwich with meats and arugula being held by hand.
Ggiata.
Ggiata [Official photo]

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Olivetta

One of the most stylish restaurants to open on this very tony part of Melrose in West Hollywood, this celebrity hotspot has some stellar Italian food from chef Michael Fiorelli to match the striking dining room.

Olivetta in West Hollywood, California
Olivetta West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

Craig's

Come awards season, hell any season, and find this Melrose eatery packed with A-list (and maybe C-list) celebrities. The Italian-leaning American menu may not offer the best dishes in the city, but that’s beside the point. Craig’s is the quintessential modern celebrity restaurant in Los Angeles.

Rosaliné

Ricardo Zarate’s upscale Peruvian restaurant has all the classics, but served in a fancy way, from the chaufa paella and lomo saltado to corazon anticuchos. At this point, the menu is pretty static with what West Hollywood diners want, with the cocktails to match.

Rosaliné West Hollywood
Rosaliné West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

Crossroads Kitchen

With its elegant dining room and full bar, you may not even realize that Crossroads is a meatless dining experience. Chef Tal Ronin is turning out some of the most refined, creative vegan dishes in the city, from fresh pasta that would impress anyone to composed plates that don’t try and look down to plant-loving eaters.

Carlitos Gardel Restaurant

Under-the-radar gem Carlitos Gardel is quite the place to enjoy Argentinian steaks with plenty of wine to wash it all down. It’s no surprise that this white-tablecloth establishment known for its exceptional hospitality and fantastic asado has been a Melrose mainstay since 1996.

Vegan A.F. Truck

Parked every week along Melrose nearby Fairfax, this bright pink food truck from Chanel Goodson serves fried egg rolls and loaded fries with plant-based proteins and cheeses that bring vegan flavor to the streets.

Vegan A.F. truck in Los Angeles with pink livery.
Vegan A.F. Truck
Matthew Kang

Spartina

Stephen Kalt’s enduring Italian restaurant has a wide menu of fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, and entrees that has mass appeal without a bit of snobbery. One of Melrose’s most impressive restaurants with a terrific outdoor patio and wonderful midcentury modern interior that serves as a breath of fresh air in on this stretch of Melrose.

Ta-eem Grill

Ta-eem has made itself a Melrose fixture thanks to its Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine, long lines, and exceptional Yelp reviews. While the chicken schwarma is a popular order, you can’t go wrong with the falafel laffa.

Ronan

Daniel and Caitlin Cutler has an incredible Italian-inspired restaurant that features wood-fired pizza and really so much more, from creative salads and starters to excellent entrees like a seabass zarandeado served “banchan-style.”

Ronan Melrose
Ronan Melrose.
Wonho Frank Lee

Lala’s Argentine Grill

Argentine-inspired Lala’s is a classic dinner spot in LA, with locations across the city and a wide menu of grilled meats, milanesa, and salads that should appeal to big groups. There’s a strong happy hour scene and of course, weekend brunch.

Oui Melrose

Oui Melrose has become a standout all its own after splitting from the (also excellent) Banh Oui in Hollywood, offering baked goods, a killer fried fish sandwich, and a whole lot more. Stop by for a Friday lunch for best effect.

Cod sandwich from Oui Melrose in Hollywood.
Fried fish at Oui Melrose
Farley Elliott

Marino Ristorante

This longstanding red sauce joint by the family behind Il Grano is a power lunch favorite. The vibe isn’t quite old school, nor is it anywhere near modern. Think of it as a perfect picture of the late ‘90s, early 2000s Italian-American establishment.

Providence

Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto’s fine-dining temple celebrates mostly seafood in its iconic space, a standalone building that was once Patina in decades past. Providence continues to represent the highest tier of Los Angeles restaurants, with the price, service, and presentation to match.

Kali

It wouldn't be surprising for there to be an air of pretension at Kali given the pedigree of chef Kevin Meehan and wine director Drew Langley, but it’s actually a terrific everyday upscale restaurant. Kali is an impressive, Michelin-starred dining destination with top-notch ingredients and service that remains as solid as ever.

Osteria La Buca

With a wide menu of Italian fare, including fresh pasta and pizzas, this longtime Melrose Avenue restaurant started out as a tiny place run by a grandma that has since expanded into more of a full-scale operation. One of the most reliable restaurants in this part of Melrose Hill.

Related Maps

La Fonda Antioquena

As one of the only Colombian restaurants in Los Angeles, this neighborhood favorite has big approachable platters of meats, beans, and empanadas.

Ggiata Delicatessen

Ggiata has risen from ghost kitchen oblivion to become one of LA’s best sandwich destinations, growing from a shared space to its own retail location on Melrose just west of Western. While the restaurant itself is small, with a little outdoor railing for dining, the sandwiches themselves — Italian cold cut interpretations like those favored on the East Coast — pack a punch. —Farley Elliott

Italian sandwich with meats and arugula being held by hand.
Ggiata.
Ggiata [Official photo]

Related Maps