Though West Hollywood is best known for its glitzy celebrity hotspots, there is far more beneath the surface. This is one of Southern California’s best neighborhoods to find an impressive range of restaurants worth checking out including a TikTok star’s hot Saigon-inspired eatery, casual and excellent seafood, and a cannabis consumption lounge that serves food by one of Los Angeles’s most notable chefs. Below are the essential restaurants in West Hollywood.
Read MoreThe 18 Essential West Hollywood Restaurants
Where to dine in one of LA’s most iconic neighborhoods
Lan Noodle
LAN Noodle first opened in Arcadia in 2019 and takes great care to make a Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup. Staff use a combination of beef and chicken bones for LAN’s broth, including 28 herbs and those very special hand-pulled noodles. The West Hollywood outlet opened in September 2023 and stays busy throughout the week.
Jones Hollywood
In 2023, a car crashed into Jones Hollywood, forcing its owners to close and repair for three months. The nearly 30-year-old restaurant partially reopened in March 2024. As of writing, the cafe still needs additional care but the moody red main dining room is operational — so stop in for a great cocktail, that spaghetti and meatballs, and hot apple pie served hot in a bubbling pool of caramel.
Breakfast by Salt's Cure
When in need of a hearty breakfast, Chris Phelp’s Breakfast by Salt’s Cure is the way to go. It's an easy-going setup with breakfast sandwiches, house-made sausage, and oatmeal griddle cakes made with chocolate chips, blueberry, or just plain. The griddle cakes are so good, that they don’t require a drop of syrup.
PleasureMed
At PleasureMed, options abound. One can dine at Irie on the ground floor, or Hind, the lush cannabis consumption lounge right directly above the dispensary. Both food menus were developed by former Hatchet Hall chef Wes Whitsell with raw oysters, jerk fried quail, oxtail rigatoni, and a refreshing blood orange salad. Though cannabis can be consumed in Hind (they also serve inventive non-alcoholic cocktails), cocktails are only available at Irie where no cannabis consumption is allowed. Be sure to schedule enough time to marvel at the custom 3-D projections on the outdoor entry wall.
Madre
Though there are four Madre locations throughout Southern California, the West Hollywood outlet has a brilliant mezcal display (and one of the best collections in the country) behind the bar. It’s also an excellent choice for Oaxacan food including tlayudas, moles, and memelas. Order a strong cocktail or beer to wash it all down.
Irv's Burgers
Burger lovers rejoiced when Irv’s re-opened in a new Santa Monica Boulevard location in 2022. The beloved Irv’s burger is available, and a pared-down Just For You burger with Thousand Island dressing and thick pickles on a seeded proprietary bun. They even added some new options like thin-shaved pastrami sandwiches, hot dogs, tuna melts, and simple salads.
Connie and Ted's
Though Providence chef Michael Cimarusti opened Connie & Ted’s, it’s chef Sam Baxter who shapes the menu at this classic New England-style restaurant. The seafood is top-tier with oysters, fish and chips, three types of clam chowder, a Maine lobster roll, grilled fish, and a very beefy cheeseburger.
Or Bar
Across the street from Connie & Ted’s is Or Bar, which resides inside the former Gold Coast. “Or” translates to gold in French, and the room positively radiates thanks to a 3,700-piece crystal chandelier in the middle of the room with black and gold colors throughout. Twists of classic cocktails prevail at Or Bar with coffee drinks available during the day.
Pura Vita
Brooklyn native Tara Punzone opened up her plant-based restaurant Pura Vita in 2018. It’s pure Italian, just no animal products. Nothing is short on flavor with antipasti, a truly wonderful arancini, pizza with house-made dough, and a lasagna made with cashew ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms.
Norah
It’s always a pleasant experience to dine at Norah. The sunny, warm space feels both light and lush, with small to larger plates that include crudos, cornbread, salads, housemade pasta, roasted chicken, and braised short ribs.
Di Di
Chef Tuệ Nguyễn successfully made the transition from TikTok star to restaurant owner. The young chef gathered ample attention via social media as Tway Da Bae before opening her Saigon-inspired restaurant Di Di in mid-2023. Try the fish sauce wings, shaking beef, and Vietnamese Caesar salad.
Tail O' the Pup
Tail O’ the Pup is designed to generate a smile. Bring the family or a group of friends to this retro-styled stand that is shaped like an actual hot dog and try the hot dogs, burgers, fries, soft serve, and milkshakes, along with beer and wine.
Petrossian
Though only open for lunch (or for the occasional reservations-only multi-course dinner), this West Hollywood restaurant remains one of the best places to treat someone with champagne and caviar. The famed Parisian caviar purveyor remodeled and reopened the space in 2009 and serves intricate, beautifully-plated French fare, including house-smoked salmon, Nicoise salad, and croque monsieur. And for those willing to splurge, there’s caviar service with blinis and creme fraiche with all the fixings.
Ladyhawk
In 2023, chef Charbel Hayek opened a dazzling Lebanese-inspired menu that fits perfectly into the Kimpton La Peer hotel. His personal touches make Ladyhawk one of West Hollywood’s new hottest restaurants. Everything is family-style with some of his mother’s recipes appearing on the menu with the fattoush salad, hummus, chicken, and tabbouli. The mezze platter with falafel, baba ghanoush, labneh, marinated olives, and tahini with fried cauliflower can easily feed two. They should be eaten right away with the piping hot pita bread fermented for 48 hours.
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Uchi
The sixth location for the Austin-based Uchi opened in December. The room is a modern but relaxed space with a fashionable crowd and includes 30 prepared dishes that rotate with the seasons. Sashimi and sushi are the house specialties, but so are the barbecued quail with pine nuts or the Australian Wagyu with oxtail dashi and miso.
Olivetta
This West Hollywood spot always has a crowded bar with incredibly attractive people. But upon closer inspection, Olivetta’s lush dining room offers excellent service and a beautifully executed menu that spans the Mediterranean with grilled Spanish octopus, grilled lamb ribs, paccheri pasta with vodka sauce, or the $185 dry-aged porterhouse steak.
Dan Tana's
This longstanding red sauce joint is as old-school as it gets. Although the restaurant’s conspicuous preference to seat regulars and celebrities over nobodies can be frustrating, try to visit on less busy weekdays to secure a table, chicken parm, and strong martinis in a historic spot.
Night + Market
Chef Kris Yenbamroong’s original Night + Market makes excellent Thai food. The menu includes Thai classics and lesser-known regional specialties like the pork toro, along with the khao soi and crispy rice salad. Additional locations of Night + Market include Venice, Silver Lake, and the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas.