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Verlaine, West Hollywood
Verlaine, West Hollywood
Wonho Frank Lee

The 21 Hottest Restaurants in LA Right Now, April 2017

Where to eat around the city of Angels at this precise moment

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Verlaine, West Hollywood
| Wonho Frank Lee

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort. And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood restaurants across the city, it is not a chronicle of the 'it' places of the moment.

Added: 4/7/17: Fleishik's, Verlaine, Bone Kettle, Beauty & Essex, Bar Angeles, Tower 12

Removed 4/7/17: Beer Belly LBC, The Edmon, Side Chick, Little Fatty, P.Y.T., Farida

To see which spots came off the list this month, check this post.

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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.

Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson, who migrated to Los Angeles from Brooklyn and opened Madcapra inside Grand Central Market, have finally debuted their full feature restaurant inside a former pizzeria in Los Feliz. The sleek, bright space serves all day with market driven fare with a Middle Eastern bent.

Destroyer

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Red Medicine's Jordan Kahn is back, this time in the Hayden Tract in Culver City, a mostly commercial and industrial part of town that hasn't had a place to eat since Destroyer opened. Kahn's food is cerebral, beautifully plated, and delicious, though perhaps more expensive than your every day breakfast and lunch spot. The coffee is excellent too.

71Above

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The top of the US Bank Tower finally has a landmark restaurant for Los Angeles to enjoy, with sweeping views of the city in all directions, an elegant yet modern dining room, and a three-course dinner experience (or two course lunch) from chef Vartan Abgaryan (Cliff's Edge) that caters to a wide swath of diners. Just be sure to make a reservation.

Michael's Restaurant

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Talented young chef Miles Thompson has returned to LA to redo the menu at Michael's, the iconic Santa Monica restaurant tucked away behind Wilshire Blvd. The classic environs get a minor refresh while Thompson brings a modern sensibility to the market-driven cooking.

Delilah

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h.wood group (The Nice Guy) has a shiny new gem inside the former DBA in West Hollywood. The lush environs make for an ideal celebrity spotting restaurant while everything from quality cocktails and comfort fare stand out on the menu.

Elizabeth Daniels

Tsubaki

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Skewers and other Japanese izakaya favorites are the name of the game at this small Echo Park restaurant. Order up a bottle of sake and share a slew of well-craft izakaya plates for the table.

The Mar Vista

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This massive neighborhood restaurant has the makings of a serious operation, with an expansive, crowd-pleasing menu at reasonable prices. Mar Vista really seems to be coming up in the dining game thanks to this place and newcomer Little Fatty.

Mikkeller Bar

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The famed Danish brewery has its largest American outlet in the heart of Downtown, with some of the best craft beers in town, plus a reliable menu of bar bites to boot.

Fat Dragon

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A small strip mall space won't go wasted in Silver Lake, and Fat Dragon has taken up the mantle to produce Chinese classic dishes (including an epic crab dish) just a few door down from Trois Familia.

The NoMad Truck

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New York's Michelin-starred The NoMad is running a year long food truck to introduce folks in the city to their more casual fare. Everything from the truffle-laden chicken burger and hot dog to the delicious crunchy honey soft serve is a sneak preview of what to expect once the full fledged restaurant opens in Downtown.

If there's a new tasting menu star on the Westside, it's this humble strip mall restaurant serving inventive Taiwanese and Japanese-inflected cuisine. Sure, there are no backs on the chairs, but the price of the menu hovers around $50 and offers up to eight courses.

Commerson

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This La Brea Avenue restaurant is a welcome addition to the neighborhood looking for something new (though places like Republique and Odys + Penelope are right up to the street). With tight, seasonal cooking from Balthazar and Pastis vet Sascha Lyon grounded in classic European techniques, the early reviews very pretty positive.

The Venue

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This slick Koreatown restaurant has everything you need for a night out: a meaty menu filled with steaks dreamt up by chef Kayson Chong, fine cocktails from barman Devon Espinosa, plus thirteen private karaoke spaces for singing and dancing until last call.

Chengdu Impression

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This upscale restaurant is actually a chain from China with much of the same Sichuan favorites that you'd find elsewhere in SGV, except with a much nicer ambiance. Enjoy a long, but affordable tasting menu if you can't decide what you want. And don't forget to dress up as the crowd tends to play the part.

Verlaine

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Chef Diego Hernandez of Baja California's celebrated Corazon de Tierra has opened a restaurant in the iconic Dominick's space in West Hollywood with the team from Hinterland. The results are gorgeous, and the cuisine is perhaps some of the most advanced modern Mexican you can find right now in Los Angeles.

Beauty & Essex

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The New York City transplant has finally arrived in Hollywood, and boy it's a beauty. With a faux vintage store entrance, and two stories for glorious seating and lounge areas, it's the best place to bring a crew and hang out for the night. And the food, approachable and easily shared, is pretty great too.

Bone Kettle

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Indonesian cooking hasn't quite hit cult status yet, but this sleek new restaurant in Pasadena just might help the cause. Try the gado gado and short rib rendang before delving into the namesake bone broth noodle soup.

Black Rabbit Rose

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The Houston Brothers have struck again, this time with a dark, sexy magic theater in the heart of Hollywood. While the cocktails are fantastic, the real draw for diners is the spicy Thai-Chinese cooking coming from Crying Tiger, which you can enjoy inside or grab and go from the window outside.

Bar Angeles

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Pretty much everything you'd expect from a Silver Lake restaurant, this approachable pizza and cocktail spot in a lovely dining room is your ideal neighborhood eatery.

Tower 12

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Brendan Collins of Birch has constructed the menu at this bright, beachy Hermosa restaurant just off the water for one of the most notable South Bay openings in a while. The menu's loaded with easy, shareable bites like chicken lollipop wings and cheesy steak poppers. Try the spicy shrimp Thai pizza or the charred black and blue burger for something more substantial.

Tower 12

Fleishiks

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Eric Greenspan has debuted a bustling kosher deli along the heart of Beverly Blvd and they can't seem to stop the lines from descending upon the place. With hefty sandwiches and even shots of booze for a quick lunch, they're already the talk of the town. Just remember, they close for Shabbat.

Farley Elliott

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Kismet

Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson, who migrated to Los Angeles from Brooklyn and opened Madcapra inside Grand Central Market, have finally debuted their full feature restaurant inside a former pizzeria in Los Feliz. The sleek, bright space serves all day with market driven fare with a Middle Eastern bent.

Destroyer

Red Medicine's Jordan Kahn is back, this time in the Hayden Tract in Culver City, a mostly commercial and industrial part of town that hasn't had a place to eat since Destroyer opened. Kahn's food is cerebral, beautifully plated, and delicious, though perhaps more expensive than your every day breakfast and lunch spot. The coffee is excellent too.

71Above

The top of the US Bank Tower finally has a landmark restaurant for Los Angeles to enjoy, with sweeping views of the city in all directions, an elegant yet modern dining room, and a three-course dinner experience (or two course lunch) from chef Vartan Abgaryan (Cliff's Edge) that caters to a wide swath of diners. Just be sure to make a reservation.

Michael's Restaurant

Talented young chef Miles Thompson has returned to LA to redo the menu at Michael's, the iconic Santa Monica restaurant tucked away behind Wilshire Blvd. The classic environs get a minor refresh while Thompson brings a modern sensibility to the market-driven cooking.

Delilah

h.wood group (The Nice Guy) has a shiny new gem inside the former DBA in West Hollywood. The lush environs make for an ideal celebrity spotting restaurant while everything from quality cocktails and comfort fare stand out on the menu.

Elizabeth Daniels

Tsubaki

Skewers and other Japanese izakaya favorites are the name of the game at this small Echo Park restaurant. Order up a bottle of sake and share a slew of well-craft izakaya plates for the table.

The Mar Vista

This massive neighborhood restaurant has the makings of a serious operation, with an expansive, crowd-pleasing menu at reasonable prices. Mar Vista really seems to be coming up in the dining game thanks to this place and newcomer Little Fatty.

Mikkeller Bar

The famed Danish brewery has its largest American outlet in the heart of Downtown, with some of the best craft beers in town, plus a reliable menu of bar bites to boot.

Fat Dragon

A small strip mall space won't go wasted in Silver Lake, and Fat Dragon has taken up the mantle to produce Chinese classic dishes (including an epic crab dish) just a few door down from Trois Familia.

The NoMad Truck

New York's Michelin-starred The NoMad is running a year long food truck to introduce folks in the city to their more casual fare. Everything from the truffle-laden chicken burger and hot dog to the delicious crunchy honey soft serve is a sneak preview of what to expect once the full fledged restaurant opens in Downtown.

Kato

If there's a new tasting menu star on the Westside, it's this humble strip mall restaurant serving inventive Taiwanese and Japanese-inflected cuisine. Sure, there are no backs on the chairs, but the price of the menu hovers around $50 and offers up to eight courses.

Commerson

This La Brea Avenue restaurant is a welcome addition to the neighborhood looking for something new (though places like Republique and Odys + Penelope are right up to the street). With tight, seasonal cooking from Balthazar and Pastis vet Sascha Lyon grounded in classic European techniques, the early reviews very pretty positive.

The Venue

This slick Koreatown restaurant has everything you need for a night out: a meaty menu filled with steaks dreamt up by chef Kayson Chong, fine cocktails from barman Devon Espinosa, plus thirteen private karaoke spaces for singing and dancing until last call.

Chengdu Impression

This upscale restaurant is actually a chain from China with much of the same Sichuan favorites that you'd find elsewhere in SGV, except with a much nicer ambiance. Enjoy a long, but affordable tasting menu if you can't decide what you want. And don't forget to dress up as the crowd tends to play the part.

Verlaine

Chef Diego Hernandez of Baja California's celebrated Corazon de Tierra has opened a restaurant in the iconic Dominick's space in West Hollywood with the team from Hinterland. The results are gorgeous, and the cuisine is perhaps some of the most advanced modern Mexican you can find right now in Los Angeles.

Related Maps

Beauty & Essex

The New York City transplant has finally arrived in Hollywood, and boy it's a beauty. With a faux vintage store entrance, and two stories for glorious seating and lounge areas, it's the best place to bring a crew and hang out for the night. And the food, approachable and easily shared, is pretty great too.

Bone Kettle

Indonesian cooking hasn't quite hit cult status yet, but this sleek new restaurant in Pasadena just might help the cause. Try the gado gado and short rib rendang before delving into the namesake bone broth noodle soup.