Silver Lake has gained a reputation for being a dining destination in Los Angeles for good reason. From the busy Sunset Boulevard stretch to the small, deeply connected restaurants around the reservoir, this neighborhood punches well above its weight when it comes to eating well. There are Italian staples, new-school Thai spots, must-try sandwiches, and more to know and love around Silver Lake right now, with more openings happening seemingly every day. Here’s where to eat around Silver Lake right now.
Read MoreThe 18 Essential Silver Lake Restaurants
The neighborhood is a bastion of heralded hotspots and charming standbys
Kenbey Sushi
Kenbey is a small Silver Lake sushi restaurant from chef Kenji Koyama who previously headed up Necco in West LA. Both omakase and by-the-roll ordering are available, plus there is an extensive sake menu to choose from. Though sushi is the specialty here, there are also vegan options on the menu that are up to par with the rest of it.
Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen
Bulan serves some of the best Thai food in Silver Lake — and it just happens to be entirely vegetarian and most of the menu can be prepared gluten-free. Find all of the usual Thai classics here, albeit without meat, but it's not missed. Tofu is available as an alternative protein option, as well as faux steak, chicken, and shrimp. Make sure to leave room for dessert with options like mango with sweet coconut rice and banana rolls.
La Pharmacie du Vin
In the same courtyard as Intelligentsia and Cafe Stella find La Pharmacie du Vin, a cafe and wine bar specializing in European wines. Order wines by the bottle or the glass from the knowledgeable staff, or take a tasting class from the in-house sommelier. In addition to the wine, find a tight menu of salads, market vegetables, cheese, and more to pair.
The Black Cat
The Black Cat may be better known as a bar, but it also serves outstanding bistro-style food. Start with a cocktail and a cat snack with olives, pickles, and spiced nuts, before ordering something heartier like the burger or beef cheek ragu. The kitchen is open until 11 p.m. for late-night bites.
Pine & Crane
Pine & Crane, which now has a location in Downtown LA, has been serving its tight menu of Taiwanese and Chinese classics since 2014. Seasonal produce is sourced from the owner’s family farm, while the cooking is dependable, skilled, and fresh — making it both a neighborhood standby and a destination for diners craving dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and the like.
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Night + Market Song
Even after all these years, it's still a party practically every night at Night + Market. The restaurant serves a wide range of classics like pad thai and papaya salad, plus more unique dishes including a catfish tamale and a grapow Crunchwrap Supreme with khao soi queso, crema, lettuce, and tomato. The menu comes with strict instructions for dining in as well, with a note reading, “It’s always appropriate to order a bottle of wine,” in a bold red font. That’s for the best since their wine menu is extensive and excellent. Night Market also operates two other locations across Los Angeles in West Hollywood and Venice.
Maury's
LA has seen an influx of bagel shops over the last few years, but Maury’s continues to stand out. The middle-of-the-neighborhood hotspot is doing some of the best bagel sandwiches anywhere. It helps that owner Jason Kaplan and his crew are also among the nicest people in town.
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All Day Baby
The team behind Koreatown’s Here’s Looking at You has made this cheery corner spot a favorite daytime hangout thanks to craveable dishes like biscuits loaded with eggs or fried chicken, a hot catfish sandwich adorned with house-made pickles, and french fries topped with a mountain of chili and cheese. Next door to the dining room, the bar whips up cocktails that range from boozy slushies to the classics, adding to its allure.
Spoon & Pork
Spoon & Pork humbly began as a food truck before it expanded into a brick-and-mortar space in Silver Lake. The thoughtful dishes pay homage to the comfort foods friends Raymond Yaptinchay and Jay Tuga ate while growing up in the Philippines — think sisig with Duroc pork jowl, incredibly crispy lechon kawali, and a unique slow-cooked fried pork shank.
Bodega Park
In early 2022, chef Eric Park and his wife Miriam opened a minimalist cafe that pays homage to New York City bodegas while deftly weaving Korean and SoCal influences into its casual menu. Kim’s sandwiches are the stars, from a spicy house-made pork bulgogi roll to a classic chopped cheese to a Big Apple-style bacon, egg, and cheese on a toasted roll. The coffee, sourced from Korean American roaster House Roots, is drawing raves, too.
Izakaya Osen
Osen Izakaya is a neighborhood Japanese restaurant along Sunset Boulevard. It specializes in kushiyaki (Japanese skewers) and offers meat, vegetarian, and seafood varietals. Beyond skewers, find sushi, hot pot, and signature bowls on the menu, including their toro unagi bowl which comes with fatty tuna and charcoal-grilled eel. Make sure to make a reservation on busy nights, the wait times can get long.
La Sorted's
La Sorted’s started as a porch pop-up, before moving into a Ford Econoline, and then into their storefront on Sunset Boulevard. On the menu find their “LA style” pizza, available by the slice or the full pie, plus sandwiches, salads, and more. Consider the Long Ball, a meatball hoagie big enough to quell any lunch hunger or a mortadella-stuffed focaccia sandwich. In addition to thin-crust pies, the pizza menu now offers Sicilian square slices.
Ceci's Gastronomia
Ceci’s Gastronomia is a bit of Italy along Sunset Boulevard. This tiny daytime spot sells focaccia sandwiches, pasta, snacks, and more that are best enjoyed at one of their sidewalk tables with an espresso.
Say Cheese
Say Cheese is a specialty cheese shop in Silver Lake that also serves excellent sandwiches and other cafe fare. Try the Donatello with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and basil, or the toasted Barcelona with jamon serrano and manchego cheese. Plus, they serve a simple brunch menu all day.
Pijja Palace
Pijja Palace is the type of place that could only exist in LA. Part sports bar, part Indian restaurant, part pizza place, it does everything with a sense of joy, making it a guaranteed good time. The menu’s Indian Italian mashups include crisp-bottomed, bar-style pizzas topped with the likes of peri peri vindaloo, as well as a sublime tomato masala-napped rigatoni. A variety of spiced and saucy wings lend themselves to the place’s sports-bar vibes. Don’t skip the playful cocktails or unparalleled cardamom soft serve with Oreo cookies.
Botanica
Opened by food journalists Heather Sperling and Emily Fiffer in 2017, Botanica has become an essential addition to the neighborhood. Despite a few different chefs heading up the kitchen over the years, the restaurant and marketplace’s healthy-living ethos, excellent baked goods, and sunny back patio vibes continue to resonate at brunch and beyond.
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Alimento
Opened in 2014 by Zack Pollack, Alimento is an enduring neighborhood Italian restaurant. Go enough and you’ll start to see familiar faces before becoming a regular yourself. The interior is cozy but never stuffy, and the food continues to be a standout in the neighborhood. The curated wine menu is focused on natural varietals so be sure to ask for a recommendation and order a glass, or a bottle.
The Silver Lake House
Silver Lake has become home to a collection of great Thai restaurants, and the Silver Lake House is among them. On the menu, find all of the Thai classics including an array of curries, a rich tom kha, and an excellent pad Thai. For vegans, and those avoiding meat, The Silver Lake House offers an entirely vegan menu. Make sure to leave room for dessert too, as mango sticky rice is often on the menu.