It’s not just the pizza that is pulling in newcomers to Toronto chef Sean MacDonald’s new Bar Monette in Santa Monica. The single-serving, impossibly light and just-blistered-enough pies are definitely part of the appeal, but in truth MacDonald (one of Canada’s best young culinary talents) is capable of much more across this wine bar menu. That includes snacks like charcoal-grilled prawns, touches of luxury with champagne and caviar, and a built-in energy that just screams Westside cool.

Wood-fired skewers, robust seafood, and strong cocktails make for a wonderful pairing at the new Isla, which took over the closed Little Pine space in Santa Monica. The restaurant, formerly a pop-up from the Crudo e Nudo team of Brian Bornemann and designer and partner Leena Culhane, is now turning heads as a trendy and tres chic destination for evening glasses of wine, citrus salads, and lots of smoky oceanic delights.

There’s something interesting happening in Coucou, at the edge of Venice and Santa Monica. The former Chez Tex space on Main Street has retained its owners in Hayley and Jesse Feldman while bringing on new chef Jacob Wetherington to assemble a hit list of French-California basics. The bistro burger is a highlight alongside the fun and fresh wine list, but don’t sleep on the mussels or the king oyster mushroom french dip. The restaurant has a full bar now and is currently boasting the coolest scene anywhere in Venice.

LA’s newest Italian restaurants aren’t going the modern route. No, the biggest newcomers are looking back at all the beautiful food that nonna used to make, with a particular eye towards more red sauce-serious East Coast fare. At Jackson Kalb’s Jemma di Mare in Brentwood, that comes with a seafood lean — think sole piccata, or a lobster tagliolini for two — in addition to hearty mains like a veal parmesan, all set inside of a dark, inviting interior.

La Dolce Vita has been welcomed back into the Beverly Hills fold with a warm hug and a kiss on both cheeks. The longtime Frank Sinatra hangout embodies the Old Hollywood aesthetic, from the giant plates of veal parm to the deep booths and the plaques that call out to famous old regulars. Stop in for a dim night of memory, moody lighting, and fantastic classic Italian American fare.

For clubby vibes, big views, and a broad coastal Mexican steakhouse menu — including everything from oysters and hamachi crudo to duck carnitas tacos and a $295 bone-in wagyu ribeye — Casa Madera is West Hollywood’s sceney new destination. This rooftop restaurant looks out from the apex of the Mondrian Hotel onto West Hollywood and beyond.

Even the silverware glows at Poltergeist, the delightfully unhinged new project from Estrano’s Diego Argoti. Opened in partnership with the Button Mash restaurant and arcade team (where Poltergeist lives), this new project marries pop and punk music with cartoon playfulness and food that is anything but subtle. That’s the point — perhaps even the best part — of Poltergeist: Argoti, who has cooked all over LA, simply knows how to turn the flavor knob up to 11 with confit sunchokes, big pasta, and spoonfuls of chile paste. Strap in, because this place is a tasty ride.

It’s a season of bloom for the Los Angeles River area, which is flowing with vitality after months of storms. The new Lingua Franca from the Wax Paper team is the perfect place to embrace the sun and the sense of rebirth, given the difficulties the project overcame just to open. Now it’s all smiles inside this neo-California comfort food destination, with its small but mighty kitchen turning out market greens salads, roasted chicken and tomato cacciatore, a grilled pork collar, and more.

There’s so much in the way of interesting Spanish food happening across Los Angeles right now, but perhaps none is more inventive and well-executed at the moment than Flor y Solera, from seasoned chef Mònica Angelats, who made a second career out of cooking after working for years as an aerospace engineer. Looking to redefine Spanish food, don’t expect straightforward preparations like paella. Instead, enjoy the artsy industrial space and soak in roast rabbit with eggplant and tomato; salted cod rice with an egg crust; and migas camperas — chorizo, pancetta, and green pepper stirred together with crispy sourdough topped with a duck egg. Tapas fans can still find familiar bites in chicken croquettes and tortilla de patatas, all great for enjoying with sips of sherry or gin tonic.

The Yess Aquatic team has finally realized its long-held restaurant dream, jumping from its bright orange food truck into a corner restaurant in the Arts District. The new space — now Yess Restaurant — is bright and airy, with a focused Japanese menu from acclaimed former London chef Junya Yamasaki and his team. There are heady proteins like a fire-kissed beef tataki, served alongside subtle flavors like a rockfish sashimi with fava beans and skewers of miso-glazed tofu and black cod.

Chef Doug Rankin opened Bar Chelou in the same courtyard as Saso inside the Pasadena Playhouse. Rankin and his crew produce Spanish, French, and Asian flavors in a space that will likely continue to evolve. Chelou translates to “strange” or “unexpected” in French, and it delivers on this theme. While there are marinated olives, Rankin also created a sprouting cauliflower au poivre with Sichuan peppers. His twist on the traditional French carrots râpées includes a coconut dressing, lime leaf, and pommes allumettes. Aperitifs, wines, and cocktails are abundant, and Rankin plans to do six and nine-course tasting menus in due time.

The San Gabriel Valley’s turn toward more upscale dining experiences has found a new destination in 19 Town, a stylish, minimalist dining room from seasoned Sichuan Impression chef Yang Liu, who weaves European dishes like paella and gnocchi with Chinese flavors and techniques. With a grown-up cocktail menu and inventive dishes, eastern SGV diners won’t have to trek to LA to get this kind of dinner.