clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
More Maps

18 Essential Coffee Bars in Los Angeles

22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants, 2023 Edition

15 Essential Restaurants on the Eastside of Los Angeles

More in Los Angeles See more maps

Updating the Eater Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

by Matthew Kang
1 comment / new
View as Map
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' 22 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

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

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Bestia

Copy Link

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 Place, Los Angeles, Ca 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Also featured in:

Goldie's

Copy Link

Well, it didn't take long for Nick Mathers' (Eveleigh) boho-chic new eatery to blow up. Now open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, Goldie's on West Third is the place to be for seasonal, inspired plates by chef Thomas Lim.

8422 W 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 677-2470
(323) 677-2470

Also featured in:

RivaBella

Copy Link

Good luck trying to secure a primetime dinner reservation here. RivaBella, the white hot IDG plus chef Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria) mashup is the place to see and be seen over elevated plates of Tuscan cuisine. The covered outdoor dining patio is sure to be an even bigger hit this summer.

9201 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2060
(310) 278-2060

Also featured in:

The New "AOC"

Copy Link

After a decade on West Third Street, chef Suzanne Goin's relocated wine bar is now as buzzy as ever. With a new full bar and revamped California-style menu, the tastefully designed eatery is perfectly poised for drinks with friends at the communal bar up front or a quiet date in one of the back booths.

8700 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-6359
(323) 653-6359

Nozawa | BAR

Copy Link

Nozawa Bar, tucked away in a small room behind sugarFISH Beverly Hills, is a 10-seat sushi bar that serves about 20 courses of true Edo-style sushi. Dinner runs $150 a head without alcohol, but the adventurous meal is well worth its pricey tag. Expect pristine quality seafood like live octopus, monkfish liver, and several preparations of uni. Also, maybe the best toro you've ever tried.

212 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

Also featured in:

Trois Mec

Copy Link

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:

Chi-Lin

Copy Link

IDG's newest venture takes form as a high end Chinese restaurant attached to RivaBella in West Hollywood. The smallish space is dark and intimate, decorated with large round booths and suspended illuminated lanterns. Chef Cecile Tang of JOSS consulted on the menu which includes dim sum and Peking Prawns.

9201 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2068
(310) 278-2068

Corazon Y Miel

Copy Link

In the faraway land of Bell, Corazon y Miel is making a splash, with its daily changing list of inventive Latin American small plates. The bar is equally as strong, and creative drinks call for ingredients like Liquid Tamarind Candy and Chili Lime Candy.

6626 Atlantic Ave, Bell, CA 90201
(323) 560-1776
(323) 560-1776

Also featured in:

Connie and Ted's

Copy Link

Newly minted on Santa Monica Boulevard, 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

Copy Link

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

Copy Link

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:

Flores

Copy Link

A rustic, hip bungalow serving modern California cuisine amid a sea of Asian cafes, Flores is an ambitious new addition to Sawtelle. Expect small plate farm-to-table fare with global influences and strong technique. After all, chefs Angela Hernandez and Rob Lawson have worked at both L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (New York) and The Bazaar.

2024 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025
(424) 273-6469
(424) 273-6469

Also featured in:

Nikita Malibu

Copy Link

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

Copy Link

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:

Phorage

Copy Link

A rustic minimalist Vietnamese eatery serving inexpensive bowls of oxtail pho and pork banh mi, but also rolls, rice, and noodle dishes made with locally sourced product. Drop in for lunch or dinner.

3300 Overland Ave. #105, Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 876-0910
(310) 876-0910

Also featured in:

More in Maps

Girasol Restaurant

Copy Link

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:

Mari Vanna

Copy Link

Part of an international chain, this Melrose Place eatery captures the Russian spirit from its tchotchke-filled multi room indoor/outdoor space to its modern Russian menu with a California spirit. There are separate rooms to eat and imbibe, and the restaurant touts 70 flavored of infused vodka.

8475 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 655-1977
(323) 655-1977

Also featured in:

Little Sister

Copy Link

Jed Sanford and chef Tin Vuong of Abigaile in Hermosa and WildCraft Sourdough Pizza in Culver are behind this dark, cozy, rustic number, which is offering up a Euro-Southeast Asian menu of small plates and craft beer. Think Myanmar okra curry, shaky shaky beef, and Singapore curry noodles.

1131 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-2096
(310) 545-2096

Also featured in:

Bucato

Copy Link

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

Copy Link

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.

3500 West 6th Street, City Center on 6th, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Also featured in:

Hakkasan

Copy Link

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

Copy Link

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:

More in Maps

Loading comments...

© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

Bestia

2121 E. 7th Place, 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 Place, Los Angeles, Ca 90021
(213) 514-5724
(213) 514-5724

Goldie's

8422 W 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048

Well, it didn't take long for Nick Mathers' (Eveleigh) boho-chic new eatery to blow up. Now open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, Goldie's on West Third is the place to be for seasonal, inspired plates by chef Thomas Lim.

8422 W 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 677-2470
(323) 677-2470

RivaBella

9201 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Good luck trying to secure a primetime dinner reservation here. RivaBella, the white hot IDG plus chef Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria) mashup is the place to see and be seen over elevated plates of Tuscan cuisine. The covered outdoor dining patio is sure to be an even bigger hit this summer.

9201 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2060
(310) 278-2060

The New "AOC"

8700 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048

After a decade on West Third Street, chef Suzanne Goin's relocated wine bar is now as buzzy as ever. With a new full bar and revamped California-style menu, the tastefully designed eatery is perfectly poised for drinks with friends at the communal bar up front or a quiet date in one of the back booths.

8700 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-6359
(323) 653-6359

Nozawa | BAR

212 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

Nozawa Bar, tucked away in a small room behind sugarFISH Beverly Hills, is a 10-seat sushi bar that serves about 20 courses of true Edo-style sushi. Dinner runs $150 a head without alcohol, but the adventurous meal is well worth its pricey tag. Expect pristine quality seafood like live octopus, monkfish liver, and several preparations of uni. Also, maybe the best toro you've ever tried.

212 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

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

Chi-Lin

9201 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069

IDG's newest venture takes form as a high end Chinese restaurant attached to RivaBella in West Hollywood. The smallish space is dark and intimate, decorated with large round booths and suspended illuminated lanterns. Chef Cecile Tang of JOSS consulted on the menu which includes dim sum and Peking Prawns.

9201 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2068
(310) 278-2068

Corazon Y Miel

6626 Atlantic Ave, Bell, CA 90201

In the faraway land of Bell, Corazon y Miel is making a splash, with its daily changing list of inventive Latin American small plates. The bar is equally as strong, and creative drinks call for ingredients like Liquid Tamarind Candy and Chili Lime Candy.

6626 Atlantic Ave, Bell, CA 90201
(323) 560-1776
(323) 560-1776

Connie and Ted's

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

Newly minted on Santa Monica Boulevard, 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

Flores

2024 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025

A rustic, hip bungalow serving modern California cuisine amid a sea of Asian cafes, Flores is an ambitious new addition to Sawtelle. Expect small plate farm-to-table fare with global influences and strong technique. After all, chefs Angela Hernandez and Rob Lawson have worked at both L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (New York) and The Bazaar.

2024 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025
(424) 273-6469
(424) 273-6469

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