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Updating the Eater Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

by Matthew Kang
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by Matthew Kang
1 comment / new

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort. And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the 'it' places of the moment. Thus, we offer the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to always highlight where the foodie crowds are flocking to at the moment.

Check out the map of Los Angeles' 17 hottest restaurants below.


1/7/11: Added: Red Medicine, Eveleigh, Hostaria del Piccolo

3/22/11: Added: Wood + Vine, Son of a Gun, The Spice Table

7/11/11: Added: Picca, Black Market, Mr. C

9/6/11: Added: ink.sack, Next Door by Josie, The Strand House

10/6/11: Added: ink., Wurstkuche Venice, Osaka

1/13/12: Added: Short Order, Freddy Smalls, Bäco Mercat

2/2/12: Added: Little Bear, Tar & Roses

3/1/12: Added: Plan Check

4/10/12: Added: L&E Oyster Bar, UMAMIcatessen, Pitfire Pizza Fairfax

5/23/12: Added: The Pikey, BierBeisl

6/7/12: Added: Mo-Chica, The Corner Door

7/5/12: Added: Sycamore Kitchen

8/2/12: Added: Laurel Hardware, Superba Snack Bar, The Parish

9/6/12: Added: Cafe Gratitude Venice, The Churchill, Milo & Olive

10/4/12: Added: Mess Hall, Nobu Malibu, Spago

12/6/12: Added: The Hart and The Hunter, U-Mini

1/3/13: Added: Bar Ama, The Black Cat

2/7/13: Added: Bestia, chi SPACCA, littlefork, Barnyard, Sirena

3/7/13: Added: Bludso's Bar & Que

4/4/13: Added: Goldie's, RivaBella, Crossroads

5/2/13: Added: AOC, Nozawa Bar, Hinoki & The Bird

6/6/13: Added: Trois Mec, Chi-Lin, Corazon y Miel, Connie & Ted's, Fishing with Dynamite, Petty Cash Taqueria

7/11/13: Added: Flores, Salt Air, Nikita

8/1/13: Added: Phorage, Girasol, Mari Vanna

9/5/13: Added: Little Sister, Bucato

10/3/13: Added: EMC Seafood, Hakkasan, Rao's

12/5/13: Added: Scopa, Republique

Have any suggestions? Any vital omissions? Leave 'em in the comments.

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Bestia

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Chef Ori Menashe and restaurateur Bill Chait have teamed up to open Bestia, a seasonal Italian restaurant with excellent house-cured salumi and a fancy wood-fired oven which cooks pizzas and more. The space is hip enough without trying to hard in a sort of industrial unfinished way, and as of late has been one of the hottest tickets in town. Reservations are recommended, but there's room for walk-ins at the bar.

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Also featured in:

Trois Mec

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Dinner at the French mashup, from all-star team Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo, is a tough ticket to score (just 26 seats), and meals must be purchased in advance off Trois Mec's website. Including tip but excluding alcohol, the nightly prix fixe amounts to nearly $100 a head.

716 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 468-8915
(323) 468-8915

Also featured in:

Connie and Ted's Seafood

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Connie & Ted's is celebrated Providence chef Michael Cimarusti's contemporary take on a classic seafood "shack." He's serving up tried and true sea-centric constructions made with top quality ingredients and only the best sea animals, plus a few extras like a burger topped with Hook's four-year-aged cheddar.

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 848-2722
(323) 848-2722

Also featured in:

Fishing with Dynamite

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Chef David LeFevre's tiny nook of a seafood joint has been slammed since its debut, which means it's vital to make a reservation in advance. In this bright and convivial (though cramped) space he's plating up a mixed batch of old and new seafood dishes, alongside a thoughtful list of intoxicants. Early standouts are the Thai Shellfish Coconut Soup, Albacore Tartare, and Loup de Mer.

1148 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA

Also featured in:

Petty Cash Taqueria

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In the former home to Playa (RIP) comes Petty Cash Taqueria, a colorful and fun new eatery conducive to social dining (many communal picnic-style tables). Chef Walter Manzke collaborated with famed Baja chef Guillermo Campos Moreno of Tacos Kokopelli on Petty Cash's Mexican street food menu. There's deep fried cheesy churros, a bevy of tacos, and even raw pork ceviche.

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-5300
(323) 933-5300

Also featured in:

Nikita Malibu

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Right next door to Nobu Malibu, Nikita is a room with a view, perched right on the beach overlooking the ocean. This Mediterranean number with its blonde wooded interior and rooftop patio has a Michelin-starred chef in the kitchen, serving handmade pastas, fish and meat dishes with an overall Italian/California slant. Top notch inspired cocktails are executed by Greg Seider of Summit Bar (NY).

22716 E Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 456-3274
(310) 456-3274

Also featured in:

Salt Air

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Salt Air, the newest restaurant from Reiss Co (Sunny Spot, A-Frame), is a white on white addition to Abbot Kinney, plating chef Greg A. Daniels' seafood-centered small plates. Don't overlook the fried fish skin chips with harissa or the bright green pea toast with ricotta. There's Gueuze on tap, and Brian Butler's cocktail list makes good use of beer and wine in drinks like the passionfruit shandy.

1616 Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, CA

Also featured in:

Girasol Restaurant

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A sleek new Studio City addition designed to resemble a sunflower, Girasol is a dedicated California eatery through and through. Top Chef alum CJ Jacobson is responsible for the restaurant's refined seasonal California menu, and there's beer and California wines to go alongside.

11334 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602
(818) 924-2323
(818) 924-2323

Also featured in:

Bucato

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Chef Evan Funke, formerly of Rustic Canyon, experiments with seasonal Italian fare at Bucato, and his house-made pastas steal the show. A wood-burning oven churns out small meat and veggie-centered plates, but don't try and snag a photo. The use of cell phones inside the restaurant is "politely discouraged."

3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90034
(310) 876-0286
(310) 876-0286

Also featured in:

EMC Seafood And Raw Bar

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An unexpected smash hit in Koreatown, this seafood and raw bar does one of the best happy hours in town, with $1 oysters, but consider the other great dishes, from the uni pasta to the whole lobster for a seafood shack that doesn't disappoint.

Los Angeles, CA

Also featured in:

Hakkasan

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Heralded for many months, this worldwide high-end Chinese restaurant will surely take a stab at Mr. Chow's business in the Golden Triangle. Superb drinks come via Armando Conway while the arresting interior feels just right in the 90210.

233 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 888-8661
(310) 888-8661

Also featured in:

Rao's

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This New York transplant serves predictable but well executed Italian-Amnerican classics in a charming, perfectly sized dining room in a part of Hollywood that might best be described as in the "the middle of nowhere." It's exactly what ownership wanted in terms of location.

1006 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 962-7267
(323) 962-7267

Also featured in:

Warwick

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Warwick is a rustic new Hollywood nightclub with craft cocktails by Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room. Think quality beverages from one of the venue's bars or even tableside drinks made by a "cocktail attendant." Instead of the usual cranberry, tonic, and orange juice, those who order a bottle receive fresh juice, housemade syrup or bitters, seasonal garnishes, housemade "foams," and fancy ice.

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 460-6667
(323) 460-6667

Also featured in:

Orsa & Winston

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Chef Josef Centeno goes the fine dining route with Orsa & Winston, a small, minimalist-designed Japanese-Italian hybrid Downtown. Here one will find prix fixe menus priced at $60 (five courses), $95 (nine courses), or the super omakase (offered at the rear chef's counter) for $195.

122 W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-0300
(213) 687-0300

Also featured in:

Magic Restroom Cafe

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The name says it all. A restaurant themed after restrooms, with full-on toilet bowls as seats, and a Taiwanese cafe menu where food is served in mini toilets and urinals.

18558 East Gale Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91748
626-664-3766
626-664-3766

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Scopa Italian Roots

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This newcomer in Venice pairs chef Antonia Lofaso's soulful, Italian cuisine with Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix's straightforward and well-crafted cocktails. The interior isn't just expansive, the semi-industrial space has a warmth that makes it a great place to linger late into the night.

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Also featured in:

Republique

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Walter and Margarita Manzke's landmark restaurant in the historic Campanile building sure took a long time to open, but it was worth the wait. The bistro-inspired fare gets more refined by the day while everything from house-made bread and desserts to another level. This is the restaurant L.A. has been waiting for.

624 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036
(310) 361-6115
(310) 361-6115

Also featured in:

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Bestia

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Chef Ori Menashe and restaurateur Bill Chait have teamed up to open Bestia, a seasonal Italian restaurant with excellent house-cured salumi and a fancy wood-fired oven which cooks pizzas and more. The space is hip enough without trying to hard in a sort of industrial unfinished way, and as of late has been one of the hottest tickets in town. Reservations are recommended, but there's room for walk-ins at the bar.

2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Trois Mec

716 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Dinner at the French mashup, from all-star team Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo, is a tough ticket to score (just 26 seats), and meals must be purchased in advance off Trois Mec's website. Including tip but excluding alcohol, the nightly prix fixe amounts to nearly $100 a head.

716 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 468-8915
(323) 468-8915

Connie and Ted's Seafood

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

Connie & Ted's is celebrated Providence chef Michael Cimarusti's contemporary take on a classic seafood "shack." He's serving up tried and true sea-centric constructions made with top quality ingredients and only the best sea animals, plus a few extras like a burger topped with Hook's four-year-aged cheddar.

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 848-2722
(323) 848-2722

Fishing with Dynamite

1148 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA

Chef David LeFevre's tiny nook of a seafood joint has been slammed since its debut, which means it's vital to make a reservation in advance. In this bright and convivial (though cramped) space he's plating up a mixed batch of old and new seafood dishes, alongside a thoughtful list of intoxicants. Early standouts are the Thai Shellfish Coconut Soup, Albacore Tartare, and Loup de Mer.

1148 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA

Petty Cash Taqueria

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

In the former home to Playa (RIP) comes Petty Cash Taqueria, a colorful and fun new eatery conducive to social dining (many communal picnic-style tables). Chef Walter Manzke collaborated with famed Baja chef Guillermo Campos Moreno of Tacos Kokopelli on Petty Cash's Mexican street food menu. There's deep fried cheesy churros, a bevy of tacos, and even raw pork ceviche.

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-5300
(323) 933-5300

Nikita Malibu

22716 E Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90265

Right next door to Nobu Malibu, Nikita is a room with a view, perched right on the beach overlooking the ocean. This Mediterranean number with its blonde wooded interior and rooftop patio has a Michelin-starred chef in the kitchen, serving handmade pastas, fish and meat dishes with an overall Italian/California slant. Top notch inspired cocktails are executed by Greg Seider of Summit Bar (NY).

22716 E Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 456-3274
(310) 456-3274

Salt Air

1616 Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, CA

Salt Air, the newest restaurant from Reiss Co (Sunny Spot, A-Frame), is a white on white addition to Abbot Kinney, plating chef Greg A. Daniels' seafood-centered small plates. Don't overlook the fried fish skin chips with harissa or the bright green pea toast with ricotta. There's Gueuze on tap, and Brian Butler's cocktail list makes good use of beer and wine in drinks like the passionfruit shandy.

1616 Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, CA

Girasol Restaurant

11334 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602

A sleek new Studio City addition designed to resemble a sunflower, Girasol is a dedicated California eatery through and through. Top Chef alum CJ Jacobson is responsible for the restaurant's refined seasonal California menu, and there's beer and California wines to go alongside.

11334 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602
(818) 924-2323
(818) 924-2323

Bucato

3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90034

Chef Evan Funke, formerly of Rustic Canyon, experiments with seasonal Italian fare at Bucato, and his house-made pastas steal the show. A wood-burning oven churns out small meat and veggie-centered plates, but don't try and snag a photo. The use of cell phones inside the restaurant is "politely discouraged."

3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90034
(310) 876-0286
(310) 876-0286

EMC Seafood And Raw Bar

Los Angeles, CA

An unexpected smash hit in Koreatown, this seafood and raw bar does one of the best happy hours in town, with $1 oysters, but consider the other great dishes, from the uni pasta to the whole lobster for a seafood shack that doesn't disappoint.

Los Angeles, CA

Hakkasan

233 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Heralded for many months, this worldwide high-end Chinese restaurant will surely take a stab at Mr. Chow's business in the Golden Triangle. Superb drinks come via Armando Conway while the arresting interior feels just right in the 90210.

233 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 888-8661
(310) 888-8661

Rao's

1006 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038

This New York transplant serves predictable but well executed Italian-Amnerican classics in a charming, perfectly sized dining room in a part of Hollywood that might best be described as in the "the middle of nowhere." It's exactly what ownership wanted in terms of location.

1006 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 962-7267
(323) 962-7267

Warwick

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Warwick is a rustic new Hollywood nightclub with craft cocktails by Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room. Think quality beverages from one of the venue's bars or even tableside drinks made by a "cocktail attendant." Instead of the usual cranberry, tonic, and orange juice, those who order a bottle receive fresh juice, housemade syrup or bitters, seasonal garnishes, housemade "foams," and fancy ice.

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 460-6667
(323) 460-6667

Orsa & Winston

122 W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Chef Josef Centeno goes the fine dining route with Orsa & Winston, a small, minimalist-designed Japanese-Italian hybrid Downtown. Here one will find prix fixe menus priced at $60 (five courses), $95 (nine courses), or the super omakase (offered at the rear chef's counter) for $195.

122 W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-0300
(213) 687-0300

Magic Restroom Cafe

18558 East Gale Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91748

The name says it all. A restaurant themed after restrooms, with full-on toilet bowls as seats, and a Taiwanese cafe menu where food is served in mini toilets and urinals.

18558 East Gale Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91748
626-664-3766
626-664-3766

Related Maps

Scopa Italian Roots

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

This newcomer in Venice pairs chef Antonia Lofaso's soulful, Italian cuisine with Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix's straightforward and well-crafted cocktails. The interior isn't just expansive, the semi-industrial space has a warmth that makes it a great place to linger late into the night.

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA