Barcelona’s 30-year-old restaurant Telefèric has opened in the former Vincenti space in Brentwood serving a classic set of tapas and other Spanish favorites, including gambas al ajillo, jamón, croquetas, and pan con tomate. Larger plates involve black cod with romesco and butter beans or a prime rib-eye chuleton big enough for Americans who expect massive steaks. And of course, expect five different kinds of paella, including lobster and squid ink, to feature at one of LA’s most notable new Spanish restaurants.

New Orleans’s famed fried chicken spot from Willie Mae Seaton comes to Los Angeles in full form (it opened a mostly takeout and delivery spot earlier last year) at a homey Venice space serving ultra-crisp fried chicken and other Southern staples. Seaton’s great-granddaughter Kerry Seaton-Stewart oversees Willie Mae’s LA operation, making sure every plate is executed as it would be in Louisiana. The gumbo works as a perfect starter while the fried chicken’s crust will shatter pleasingly upon first bite.

Shigenori Fujimoto, a former Asanebo chef, helms the menu at this patio restaurant in Studio City, already home to some of LA’s top sushi spots. Fujimoto infuses a lot of other flavors into the menu, including udon carbonara and black rice Peruvian chaufa paella to mix into the raw fish. With a large space and steady cocktails, it’s a powerhouse upscale Japanese restaurant in the making.

Boston import Saltie Girl has opened on the sceney stretch of Sunset Strip from owner Kathy Sidell serving various tinned fish platters, fresh oysters, and plenty of East Coast-style seafood, which remains a rare sight in LA despite its proximity to the ocean. The nicely appointed wood-paneled space gives it a timeless feel. Make sure to order some of the desserts by pastry chef Ben Sidell (Kathy’s son), like the apple tarte tatin.

Celebrated San Francisco transplant Angler has reopened with a completely new menu and revised interior space, with the food taking a near-complete departure from its northern Michelin-starred sibling. Angler in LA still reflects a seafood focus, with things like embered oysters and crudo starring in the appetizers, but other highlights like the hot-fried fish collar, egg-yolk-topped caviar rice, and pork belly bossam reflect the best of the playful, shareable bill of fare.

Mírame’s Matthew Egan and chef Joshua Gil’s new multi-level restaurant in Los Feliz follows the same approach to inventive modern Mexican cuisine with snacky, flavor-packed appeal. The drinks are also a main draw, using all sorts of agave spirits and native ingredients to draw a new perspective on cocktails with Mexican fare. Try Gil’s take on albondigas, jicama aguachile, and a huitlacoche mulita.

Daniel Rose, who established himself at La Bourse et La Vie in Paris and later at the James Beard Award-winning Le Coucou in New York City, lands on the ground floor of Downtown’s Hoxton Hotel serving his versions of French Basque bistro cooking, from stuffed tomatoes and raw tuna slices with espelette oil to chicken basquaise studded with ham, tomato, peppers, and onions. The all-day restaurant should be a hit with Downtowners and fans of Rose’s highly regarded French cooking.

Popular street stand Villa’s from Victor Villa has opened a full-time location in Highland Park serving the restaurant’s signature quesatacos made with blue corn tortillas and loaded with carne asada and other mesquite-grilled proteins. Expect to wait for this true LA-style taco, served with seven different kinds of salsa for every array of spicy flavors.

David Tewasart, the restaurateur behind Sticky Rice and Moon Rabbit, opens the very casual but already popular Miya in Altadena. Dedicated to homestyle cooking, the menu includes a spicy and aromatic tom yum soup with shrimp, a sweet and savory basil eggplant stir-fry, and pad thai topped with dried shrimp and pork cracklings. The restaurant is only taking walk-up orders Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The takeout menu is posted on the restaurant’s front door.

Peter Lai, the acclaimed chef at Embassy Kitchen in San Gabriel, took over the stoves at Colette in Pasadena in late November 2022 and is serving some of the most innovative and intricate Cantonese-influenced cooking in Los Angeles. Some of Colette’s unadvertised dishes include stir-fried lobster sticky rice, lamb stew, and winter melon soup, while menu standbys include classic beef chow fun, chicken wings glazed in a cola sauce, and salmon carpaccio. Colette also serves dim sum all day.

The family behind the Peruvian Chinese Chifa in Eagle Rock debuted a new restaurant in Arcadia called Monarch. Though Monarch takes its culinary cues from Hong Kong, don’t expect to find standard Cantonese dishes and presentations here. Chef John Liu’s baked pork chop rice includes a pan-seared pork cutlet served over fried rice with tomato sauce and topped with Gruyere cheese. His wok-tossed lobster tails get a crush of black pepper that’s usually reserved for steaks. The celestial dining room was designed by Humberto Leon alongside architect Michael Loverich.