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An overhead shot of four lines of endive with creme fraiche on a marble table.
Endive salad from Juliet in Culver City.
Liz Barclay

The 15 Hottest New Restaurants in Los Angeles, March 2023

Where to eat right now around the City of Angels

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Endive salad from Juliet in Culver City.
| Liz Barclay

The Eater LA heatmap has existed for more than 16 years as a place to answer the age-old question: “Where should I eat tonight?” Though the scene has gone through tremendous challenges in the past nearly two years, the city’s spirit of breaking ground and exploring new cuisines continues with every month of openings.

Typically, places on this list are less than six months old, giving a sense of what’s new. For restaurants that have established themselves as one of the city’s essential places to eat, check out the Eater LA Essential 38. Restaurants are placed on the map in geographical order, from west to east.

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Telefèric Barcelona Los Angeles

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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.

An overhead shot of sliced pork with fried green sage on paella at the new Telèferic.
Paella with sliced pork at Telèferic.
Abel Rincon

Willie Mae's Restaurant

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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.

Several plates of fried chicken, potatoes, greens, and more on a wooden table.
Fried chicken, fried potatoes, greens, and more at Willie Mae’s in Venice, California.
Eddie Sanchez

Leona's Sushi House

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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.

A covered patio with seating and a bar at Leona’s Sushi House in Studio City, California.
Patio at Leon’s Sushi House in Studio City.
Vivienne Killilea

Rohan Talwar of Margot and Norah has opened this suave, gorgeous new dining room serving breakfast through dinner in Culver City with a modern French attitude. Expect intricate plating and sometimes luxurious touches to endive salad, crepes suzette, sea bream tartare, and duck confit cigars with a top-tier wine program and stellar cocktails (try the rum milk punch Coco Chanel).

An overhead shot of four triangles of crepe on a white plate on a marble table.
Crepes suzette at Juliet in Culver City.
Liz Barclay

Saltie Girl

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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.

A black board with a tinned fish, bread, and red and yellow pickled peppers.
Tinned fish plate at Saltie Girl in West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

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.

An overhead shot of various bowls and plates filled with seafood fresh off a grill.
New dishes from Angler’s 2023 reopening.
Jakob Layman

Casa Madera

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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.

A restaurant photo showing an outdoor balcony with window views to a city below.
Casa Madera in West Hollywood.
AVABLU

Mírate

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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.

A crispy Mexican tortilla with toppings at Mirate restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
Dish from Mírate in Los Feliz.
Sierra Prescott

Café Basque

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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.

A collection of dishes from Café Basque in Downtown.
Dishes from Cafe Basque.
Wonho Frank Lee

Villa's Tacos Los Angeles

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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.

Queso tacos from Villa’s Tacos in Highland Park.
Queso tacos from Villa’s in Highland Park.
Erwin Recinos

Bar Chelou

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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.

Carrots râpées at Bar Chelou restaurant in Pasadena, California.
Carrots râpées at Bar Chelou restaurant in Pasadena.
Wonho Frank Lee

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.

Dishes from Miya in Altadena.
Dishes from Miya in Altadena.
Cathy Chaplin

Colette

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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.

Chef Peter Lai of Colette in Pasadena.
Chef Peter Lai of Colette in Pasadena.
Cathy Chaplin

Monarch

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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.

Black pepper lobster tail at Monarch in Arcadia.
Black pepper lobster tail at Monarch.
Wonho Frank Lee

19 Town

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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.

A long whole fish on a platter at a crowded dinner table.
Dishes from 19 Town in City of Industry.
Wonho Frank Lee

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Telefèric Barcelona Los Angeles

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.

An overhead shot of sliced pork with fried green sage on paella at the new Telèferic.
Paella with sliced pork at Telèferic.
Abel Rincon

Willie Mae's Restaurant

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.

Several plates of fried chicken, potatoes, greens, and more on a wooden table.
Fried chicken, fried potatoes, greens, and more at Willie Mae’s in Venice, California.
Eddie Sanchez

Leona's Sushi House

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.

A covered patio with seating and a bar at Leona’s Sushi House in Studio City, California.
Patio at Leon’s Sushi House in Studio City.
Vivienne Killilea

Juliet

Rohan Talwar of Margot and Norah has opened this suave, gorgeous new dining room serving breakfast through dinner in Culver City with a modern French attitude. Expect intricate plating and sometimes luxurious touches to endive salad, crepes suzette, sea bream tartare, and duck confit cigars with a top-tier wine program and stellar cocktails (try the rum milk punch Coco Chanel).

An overhead shot of four triangles of crepe on a white plate on a marble table.
Crepes suzette at Juliet in Culver City.
Liz Barclay

Saltie Girl

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.

A black board with a tinned fish, bread, and red and yellow pickled peppers.
Tinned fish plate at Saltie Girl in West Hollywood.
Wonho Frank Lee

Angler

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.

An overhead shot of various bowls and plates filled with seafood fresh off a grill.
New dishes from Angler’s 2023 reopening.
Jakob Layman

Casa Madera

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.

A restaurant photo showing an outdoor balcony with window views to a city below.
Casa Madera in West Hollywood.
AVABLU

Mírate

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.

A crispy Mexican tortilla with toppings at Mirate restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
Dish from Mírate in Los Feliz.
Sierra Prescott

Café Basque

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.

A collection of dishes from Café Basque in Downtown.
Dishes from Cafe Basque.
Wonho Frank Lee

Villa's Tacos Los Angeles

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.

Queso tacos from Villa’s Tacos in Highland Park.
Queso tacos from Villa’s in Highland Park.
Erwin Recinos

Bar Chelou

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.

Carrots râpées at Bar Chelou restaurant in Pasadena, California.
Carrots râpées at Bar Chelou restaurant in Pasadena.
Wonho Frank Lee

Miya

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.

Dishes from Miya in Altadena.
Dishes from Miya in Altadena.
Cathy Chaplin

Colette

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.

Chef Peter Lai of Colette in Pasadena.
Chef Peter Lai of Colette in Pasadena.
Cathy Chaplin

Monarch

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.

Black pepper lobster tail at Monarch in Arcadia.
Black pepper lobster tail at Monarch.
Wonho Frank Lee

19 Town

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.

A long whole fish on a platter at a crowded dinner table.
Dishes from 19 Town in City of Industry.
Wonho Frank Lee

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