Potentially the most exciting new food court/hall to open in LA in recent years, this incredible array of vendors and restaurants comes from some of the city’s hottest family-owned or independent restaurants, including Mini Kabob’s first-ever expansion, Amboy, Slab Barbecue, Dumpling Monster, Katsu Sando, and Shrimp Daddy. The list keeps going, with even more spots to open in the coming weeks. For this part of the Valley, it’s certainly one of the best collections of places to eat in the area, with the ambience and family-friendly layout to spend an entire afternoon here. —Matthew Kang

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.

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.

With another location in New York, Baar Baar has made its LA debut, serving contemporary Indian dishes like avocado bhel, tandoori butternut squash, paneer pinwheels, and monkfish osso bucco just blocks away from L.A. Live. Chef Sujan Sarkar and team are adding something really special to the LA Indian dining scene with dishes that showcase a wide regional range across India and Bollywood-inspired drinks that riff on several classics. The Anarkali is a spin on a Negroni and features a potent dose of Darjeeling tea, while the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a twist on the tequila sunrise and comes with tamarind, aged balsamic, and blackberry syrup. The chutneys are all worth trying. —Virali Dave

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.

The Cha Cha Chá team makes a more personal, more inviting new restaurant hidden away in Frogtown serving an array of Mexican seafood. Think ceviches, seafood torres (little towers made from ring molds and stacking everything from shellfish to avocado), tostadas laced with salsa negra, and one’s choice of grilled seafood prepared zarandeado-style. The stunning environs, occupying a warehouse space, give off serious Architectural Digest vibes, leaving plenty of visual interest while sipping wine or agave-based cocktails.

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. —Farley Elliott

The two-month-old Barra Santos lands somewhere between a bar and a restaurant, which makes an ideal spot to enjoy a slice of Lisbon with sherry while ordering ample appetizers and shared plates in Northeast LA’s Cypress Park. It’s downright cozy with a small seating area near the windows with patio seating out front. Brevity is the approach for Barra Santos’ menu with buttered sardine toast, a spicy piri piri chicken, or head-on prawns with Portuguese wine, garlic, chile, and parsley. —Mona Holmes

Chef Danielle Duran-Zecca and Alessandro Zecca’s journey is at the center of Amiga Amore, where the husband and wife melded their Mexican and Italian cultures into a cozy stretch of Highland Park. The menu features flavorful apps from the pillowy elote agnolotti to the chorizo and clams with spiced chile de arbol bread. The room is wonderfully intimate and there’s even an outdoor patio or bar seating for overflow. They just secured a liquor license and serve Italian wines, Mexican beers, or a michelada with yuzu and a proprietary hot sauce. The inventive mocktails are worth trying, especially the aguachile agua fresca. —Mona Holmes

The Japan-famous souffle pancake maker Gram Cafe and Pancakes has landed in Los Angeles, opening a 1,600-square-foot space in a previous tea shop in Monterey Park. The place has all the trappings of social media glamor, from the blush-colored space to those tall, airy pancakes. Fans will know the brand from its dozens of global locations in Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and beyond, though Gram Cafe’s arrival is a first for LA specifically. Expect custard-like pancakes and lots of other brunch basics inside this busy daytime spot.