Just a short stroll from the Grove is Della Terra, a classy restaurant for Northern Italian eats and a mainstay on Beverly Boulevard since 2009. The pasta is handmade daily and paired with ingredients like braised short ribs, porcini mushrooms, and black truffles, and the pizza (with toppings like prosciutto di Parma and burrata) is cooked in a wood-fired brick oven. Service is always solid, and the bar is a beauty with its impressively stacked rows of bottles climbing up to the ceiling.

Head to Noree Thai on Beverly Boulevard for a taste of chefs Noree Pla and Fern Kaewtathip’s outstanding Thai cooking. The Phuket natives serve personal takes on traditional recipes like a baby squid braised in its ink and khao soi noodle soup. 

Need a quick meal that will satisfy everyone in the group? Just walk a few blocks over to Burger She Wrote, a casual and tiny restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The smashburgers have patties with a crispy laced exterior, sandwiched between soft buns, and the grilled cheese sandwiches and hand-cut fries are a hit with the kids. Even Jack Black’s a fan.

Alma is the best restaurant to join the Grove in recent years. The two-story stunner opened in April 2022 and is helmed by Grupo Hunan, which operates some of the biggest restaurants in Mexico City. With a lovely patio that faces the fountain, white-tableclothed tables, cocktails, and upscale dishes (think Ensenada-style lobster plates, grilled octopus, and tomahawk steak), it’s a restaurant that stands out in mall dining.

Buffets aren’t usually known for careful cooking, but here at this traditional Brazilian comida à quilo joint, the food is fresh, flavorful, and paid for by the pound. Move down the line to select from an assortment of side dishes (vegetables, salads, and pastas) and finish at the churrasco station where grilled picanha, sausages, and garlic chicken await. 

Just a short walk on West Third will lead to Bacari, a chain that has its formula down. The restaurant has a gorgeous tree-covered patio, cocktails, and shareable Mediterranean tapas. The menu has a little something for everyone: meat, seafood, vegetables, and even kids’ dishes. Some standouts include its smoked mushroom pizza, pomegranate molasses Brussels sprouts, glazed pork belly, and a fluffy pita plate with a trio of vegetarian dips. 

There are always lines outside of Singapore’s Banana Leaf in the Original Farmers Market, and for good reason: The family-run restaurant is still whipping up delicious Singaporean, Malaysian, and Indonesian fare since it first opened nearly 20 years ago. Roti with curry, laksa noodle soup, nasi goreng, and Singaporean curry noodles are just some of the stall’s most popular dishes, many of which are served on banana leaves like at Singaporean hawker stalls.

Take a break from shopping for Blue Ribbon’s modern take on Japanese cuisine. The restaurant features fun dishes like fried chicken wings that come with chile sauce and wasabi-honey and oxtail fried rice with a bone-marrow omelet. There’s even a kids’ menu with simple maki rolls and chicken rice bowls.

For anyone trying to beat a winter cold, the walkable Pho Saigon Pearl is a surefire winner. The restaurant, just down Fairfax south of the Original Farmers Market, is a haven for dependable Vietnamese dishes including spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches, soups, and noodle bowls.