Chef Sandra Cordero has been cooking Spanish food in greater Los Angeles for years, but this is her first foray into the busy Westside restaurant scene. At Xuntos, diners can find a proper Spanish pintxos experience filled with many of the familiar snacks and flavors from the Iberian Peninsula proper. That means the classic Gilda, or pepper, olive, and anchovy skewer, served as an amuse-bouche, along with the sweet and salty bikini, or sandwich with caramelized onions, mozzarella, and truffle, as a tapa. There’s plenty of Spanish wine and vermouth too, of course, all served in a laid-back, homey bar space on Santa Monica Boulevard. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

While world-famous chef Enrique Olvera might have put his personal emphasis on Damian, his Arts District spot that stands on par with his celebrated New York City restaurant Cosme, the chef happens to live in the quirky, funky, and insular neighborhood of Venice. So it made sense to teleport his casual all-day New York eatery Atla to the beachside community, serving polished everyday fare like avocado toasts, carrot salads, and seafood cocktails in a place already bustling with locals. If only other LA locales could be so blessed. —Matthew Kang, lead editor

José Olmedo Carles Rojas, the acclaimed chef behind the award-winning restaurant Lo Que Hay in Panama City, finally has a U.S. restaurant to call his own. Located in Venice, Si! Mon’s serves shareable plates of “elevated street food.” Menu highlights include Carles’s signature yuca tostadas, fried chicken drumsticks, and Panamanian-style dumplings. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Hidden away in a Rodeo Drive parking garage, the brand-new Sushi Note Omakase serves a parade of pristine nigiri for just under $200 per person. As with the original Sherman Oaks location, wine pairings are encouraged and start at $100. For those looking for a more affordable entry point, swing in daily from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a 12-course, $125 omakase. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Tuệ Nguyễn, better known by her online moniker Tway Da Bae, has more than a million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Đi Đi is Nguyễn’s first foray into a restaurant of her own and comes about in the former Petite Taqueria space with help from the prolific H.Wood Group. Find signature dishes honey-glazed shrimp and Vietnamese coffee creme brulee served in a fun, Saigon-reminiscent space on La Cienega. — Farley Elliott, senior editor

Perched atop a prominent Melrose Avenue space, Ubuntu arrives from James Beard Award semifinalist Shenarri “Greens” Freeman, previously of New York City’s Cadence. The colorful, bright dining room centers on African food and flavors with a focus on plants, like a Senegalese jackfruit yassa or Nigerian suya that traditionally uses smoked meats but instead uses seitan. Creativity doesn’t stop there, with curried jollof arancini, charred okra salad, or fonio grits with oyster mushrooms plated with a fine dining sensibility. —Matthew Kang, lead editor

Nestled into a crowded retail slot along Sixth Street in Koreatown, this lovely little daytime cafe from the team behind Tokki serves Hong Kong and Taiwanese-inspired dishes like tea egg salad, pork belly bowl with rice, and pineapple buns with iced milk tea. It’s hard not to fall in love with the delicious, polished presentations, charming dining room, and housemade pastries by former Maude chef Isabell Manibusan. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

The all-new Level 8 at the Moxy and AC Hotels brings together some of the city’s biggest culinary talents to run multiple dining concepts across several different floors. Highlights include chef Ray Garcia’s Qué Bárbaro, an upscale dinner destination featuring live-fire cooking, and chef Josh Gil’s Maison Kasai, a high-end teppanyaki experience. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Italian American food is all the rage in LA, with the likes of La Dolce Vita, Dante, and now Donna’s in Echo Park helping to cement the trend. Red sauce fans will appreciate the grandma’s house-style decor, with heaping plates of spaghetti with meatballs, veal piccata, and layered tiramisu to finish. What nonna might not have served (but works great here in Echo Park) are thoughtful cocktails, like the Ginny’s tonic with housemade orange tonic and rosemary. —Matthew Kang, lead editor

There’s a whole lot of flavor packed into Perilla’s 200-square-foot lot. Chef Jihee Kim, who draws inspiration from the small banchan shops of her hometown of Busan, South Korea, prepares an array of seasonal appetizers, along with a few dosirak (combination plates) and gimbap filled with egg, mushroom, and avocado. The restaurant’s outdoor patio makes for a sun-soaked Echo Park lunch spot. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Chef Kwang Uh and his wife and business partner Mina Park always intended to reopen Baroo after it closed in 2018. After five years of gestating, the couple debuted Baroo 2.0 in the Arts District. For the $110 tasting menu, Uh brings together classic Korean culinary concepts and flavors, along with elements of Buddhist temple cuisine, into a five-course tour de force. — Cathy Chaplin, senior reporter/editor

Who knew that a tiny Pico Rivera strip mall could make the best chilaquiles in Los Angeles? Founded by Angelo Farfán and Monica Quinto, this Mexico City-style taquería occupies a corner space with just picnic tables and vintage newspapers as decor. But the stars on the plate, whether the drenched but crisp chilaquiles topped with plancha-cooked costillas or other meats — or the tremendous loaded double tacos — are reasons to make the journey to Taquearte. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

Deep in Orange County, hidden away in the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, chef Sanjay Rawat prepares what could be the most incredible Indian fine dining that Southern California has seen. Rawat’s inventive and playful presentations don’t hold back on flavor in a venue that was previously a staid hotel steakhouse. It’s clear that Rawat and his immense wedding feasts for the property translate into something that OC diners can wrap their heads around, like the spiced Chilean sea bass with roasted delicata squash or the exceptional rack of lamb over forbidden rice and handi sauce. — Matthew Kang, lead editor