Where To Eat And Drink In Los Angeles This Summer

Forbes

a day ago

Los Angeles is one of the best cities in the world to eat in—but only if you know where to go. Summer brings out the worst of its food scene (overhyped openings, influencer mobs, patios with no shade and even less finesse), as well as the very best: smoky tacos on the Westside, rooftop bars with actual personality, and high-falutin' hotspots that are still worth the chase.
So, after a few weeks spent scouring street food and fine-dining establishments alike, here's a tried-and-tested guide on where to actually eat well in LA this summer—no gimmicks, just the good stuff.KA'TEEN, Los Angeles
KA'TEEN, Hollywood
The vibe is lush, the plates are shareable, and the crowd is textbook Hollywood—half gorgeous people, half people with great taste trying to date gorgeous people. All of whom, undoubtedly, leave texting their friends about the best Mexican food they've had in ages. Chef Wes Avila (ex–Guerrilla Tacos) leans into Yucatán cooking at KA'TEEN, with standout wood-fired meats and a roasted bone marrow mole rojo I will defend with my life. Sunday brunch is an attraction in its own right: order the huevos rancheros, a roasted corn ash-rimmed mezcalita, get lost in the foliage and thank me later.Desert 5 Spot, Los Angeles
Desert 5 Spot, Hollywood
Imagine Dolly Parton designed a rooftop bar. Now add mezcal. Just upstairs from KA'TEEN, Desert 5 Spot leans full-throttle into kitsch—non-stop country music, poolside cactus murals, and a regular lineup of two-step classes that somehow draw more locals than tourists. Come for line dancing on a Wednesday, stay for the prickly pear-infused Ring of FIrecocktail, and a healthy round of mixologist-fuelled singalongs. It's high-camp, high-altitude, and offers more than enough reasons to forget you're in Hollywood (though you can literally see the Hollywood sign from the bar).The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air, Bel-Air
If you're skipping a suite but still want the experience, there is no better way to get a taste of Bel-Air's most iconic hotel than visiting its namesake restaurant. Perched beyond a swan‑filled lake and shaded by a canopy of impossibly bountiful florals, Chef Joe Garcia's Mediterranean‑Californian menu will quite simply give you too many options to choose from: handmade pea Agnolotti with sweet butter-poached lobster, the most indulgent Gulf prawn cocktail you'll ever lay tongue on, an impossibly decadent Old Hollywood onion dip topped with caviar, et al. All locally-sourced, all exceptional.La Isla Bonita, LA
La Isla Bonita, Venice
No summer food guide is complete without the truck that made LA seafood tacos a religion. La Isla Bonita parks up on Rose Ave (often at 4th & Rose), and has been a local institution since the 1980s. Get the ceviche tostada–a juicy mountain of fresh shrimp, octopus, avocado and tomato that barely holds together atop an impossibly light fried tortilla–or the carnitas and fish taco if you're feeling classic. Bring cash. Bring napkins. Bring respect.Morihiro, Atwater Village
Chef Morihiro Onodera's omakase-only restaurant shills sushi as slow art. He mills his own rice. He makes his own plates. He'll explain both to you, gently, as you eat in near silence with nine other diners. If that sounds like sweet relief, know it is—and that you need to book immediately. Expect seasonal nigiri, impossibly precise technique, and a sake list that rewards those who lean in with curiosity. It's not flashy, it's just immaculate.88 Club, Los Angeles
88 Club, Beverly Hills
Led by chef Mei Lin (formerly of Top Chef fame and Nightshade), this sleek Chinese restaurant just landed in Beverly Hills—and it's already stealing reservations. Dinner feels like stepping into an underground glam‑noir film: dim wood panels, leather booths, vintage accent lighting—think golden‑era Hollywood meets Chinese speakeasy. The menu respects traditional flavors (sweet & sour squirrel fish, Nam Yu roasted chicken) while elevating them through precision and playful presentation. Perfect for a late‑night date or celebratory blow‑out.Gracias Madre, West Hollywood
It's plant-based, yes, but don't hold that against it. Gracias Madre's mega-vegan Mexican menu has long outlived the 'novelty' phase and settled into being reliably great—especially when paired with a mezcal margarita in its bougainvillea-covered courtyard. Try the sweet potato flautas and the mushroom barbacoa, and don't skimp on sides. It's popular with the wellness crowd, but more than delivers for the hungry foodie, too.Restaurant Ki, Los Angeles
Restaurant Ki, Downtown LA
Chef Ki Kim's intimate 10‑seat tasting room just secured a Michelin star, and it's Korean cuisine unlike anything else in LA. Small plates kick off things off via premium palate-rousers (see; horse mackerel, aged kimchi, and perilla), before gliding into heavy luxury: dry-aged squab glazed in foie gras and maple; truffled, perilla‑seed pasta; final flourishes with Porcini, indigenous cacao, and tea leaf. Memorable, inventive, and fully deserving of its place on the list, this one's for the adventurous.Night + Market Sahm, Venice
Kris Yenbamroong's Venice outpost may be the chillest of his Thai-American empire, but don't let the laid-back vibe fool you—the food still slaps. It's funky, fiery, and served with a natural wine list that could convert a skeptic. The Larb Gai (sour-spicy chicken salad) is essential, the plentiful gin len (snacks)—particularly the crab wontones—will likely be the best you've found since that 2011 stint in Bangkok, and the vibe skews cool-local over tourist-core. Ideal for a group dinner that turns into a beachy crawl.