Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
This sprawling Venice institution (established 1979) was recently given a major, very welcome makeover. If the new version is less funky (though you'll…
Must-see restaurants in Southern California
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
The folks behind the standard-setting Gjelina have opened this very casual, very gourmet, very Venice bakery, cafe and deli behind a nondescript…
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Los Angeles
If you're near Expo Park or USC, it's totally worth the five-minute walk under the freeway to this fabulous food hall. About a dozen restaurant stalls…
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Santa Barbara
Headline: kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse dining) comes to Santa Barbara and wows locals. It might have limited hours, take a chunk out of your…
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South Bay Beaches
New brick-and-mortar incarnation of the gourmet fave, Korean-fusion burger stand that started in Redondo Beach. It's a hipster-cool spot for the Cash…
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Hollywood
Good things come in small packages…like tiny, no-reservations Petit Trois! Owned by acclaimed TV chef Ludovic Lefebvre, its two long counters (the place…
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Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
If one restaurant defines the new Venice, it's this. Carve out a spot on the communal table between the hipsters and yuppies, or get your own slab of wood…
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Coastal Orange County
The best spot for breakfast or lunch in Los Rios Historic District, this Old West–flavored, wood-built house from 1881 (with brick patio) does organically…
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San Diego
The culinary heart of a 1920’s-era naval training center turned artistic urban playground, this hip food hall presents around 30 local artisan vendors who…
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Anaheim
Chef Jimmy, who has worked in some of LA's top kitchens, returned to his Mexican roots to make some of the most gourmet tacos we've ever seen: pineapple…
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Santa Barbara
A top spot to savor SoCal's bountiful farm and fishing goodness, chef-run Lark was named after an antique Pullman railway car and is based at a former…
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Santa Barbara
Phenomenally popular Arigato Sushi always has people milling around waiting for a table (no reservations taken) but it's worth the wait. Traditional and…
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Hollywood
Hollywood history hangs in the thick air at Musso & Frank Grill, Tinseltown’s oldest eatery (since 1919). Charlie Chaplin used to knock back vodka gimlets…
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Hollywood
Wood-paneled, concrete-floored Salt's Cure is an out, proud locavore. From the in-season vegetables to the house-butchered and cured meats, the menu…
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Los Angeles
Market-fresh ingredients drive elevated comfort dishes at this slinky Highland Park hot spot, complete with prerequisite marble-topped bar, designer…
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Coastal Orange County
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA), Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re…
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San Diego
Spearheading the new crop of Little Italy's fine-dining restaurants, J&I is the creation of star chef Richard Blais, who performs culinary sorcery with…
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Malibu & Pacific Palisades
If you lived through the 1960s, you might experience flashbacks at this new-agey hideaway in an impossibly idyllic creekside setting in Topanga Canyon. It…
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Coastal Orange County
Brightly painted in Mexican Day of the Dead art, this out-of-the-way stand is a local institution for fresh, healthy, sustainably farmed tacos of steak,…
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Malibu & Pacific Palisades
Rustic as a Colorado mountain lodge, and tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains with a creek running beneath, Saddle Peak Lodge serves up elk, venison,…
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Hollywood
Osteria Mozza crafts fine cuisine from market-fresh, seasonal ingredients, but being a Nancy Silverton joint, you can expect adventure – think squid-ink…
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South Bay Beaches
There's a lot to love here, from the reclaimed wood-paneled exterior to the exposed rafters and wood-block common tables where you'll munch pomegranate…
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Disneyland Resort
Decked out like a Hollywood country club, new Carthay Circle is the best dining in either park, with seasonal steaks, seafood, pasta, smart service and a…
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Los Angeles
A super-cute cafe with tied-back curtains, freshly picked flowers and sidewalk tables, Kitchen Mouse is Highland Park's favorite herbivore. Everyone from…
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San Diego
This buzzing bungalow with its old-school dining room, busy bar and breezy patio dishes up rib-sticking 'twisted farm food' straight from the American…
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Hollywood
Consistently near the top of every list of great LA restaurants, chef Michael Cimarusti's James Beard–winning, two-Michelin-starred darling turns…
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Los Angeles
This upscale, teak-clad restaurant is one of LA's underrated highs. Chef and owner Sang Yoon steers a sharp, well-rounded menu of sharing dishes inspired…
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Orange County
Established 1899, this former drugstore was recently refurbished to a period design (check out the old safe, apothecary cabinets and telephone switchboard…
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Santa Ynez Valley
Hugely and justifiably popular locals' hangout, housed in an eclectically decorated warehouse on Buellton's coolest street. Pizzas have traditional to…
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Joshua Tree National Park
It's a long road from Philadelphia to the high desert, but that's where Nikki and Claire decided to take their farm-to-table cuisine from pop-up to bricks…
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San Diego
You can't miss this fishy-themed joint with its enormous swordfish hanging outside. Inside, it's a casual, communal bench affair. Choose from more than 10…
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Santa Barbara
Shiny exterior walls covered in copper pennies herald a brilliant pizza experience inside this Funk Zone favorite, right beside the Lark. Always jam…
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San Diego
In business since the 1970s, this vibrant Mexican joint delivers authentic south-of-the-border fare despite the clichéd folkloric look. Marvel at staff…
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South Bay Beaches
You'll love this tiny, modernist place for its oysters, raw bar and menu mixing 'old school' (chowder, crab cakes) and 'new school' (miso black cod,…
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Orange County
One of the most exciting restaurants – not just Vietnamese – in Orange County. Chef Kristin Nguyen nails the standards and then riffs on share plates like…
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Santa Barbara
The perfect, unhurried, follow up to a day in the Wine Country is to feast on the bright, flavorful California cooking at pretty Bouchon (meaning ‘wine…
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Disneyland Resort
High-back arts-and-crafts-style chairs, leaded-glass windows and towering ceilings befit Disneyland Resort’s top-drawer restaurant. On the plate, seasonal…
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Santa Ynez Valley
An inspired, if meat-centric, menu allows farm-fresh ingredients to speak for themselves at this family-owned gourmet cafe and market. For breakfast and…
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La Jolla
The Euro-Cal cooking is as dramatic as the oceanfront location, thanks to the bottomless imagination of chef Trey Foshee. George’s has graced just about…
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Santa Ynez Valley
Rich, innovative small plates in an elegant but cozy setting make First & Oak Solvang's best dining experience. The menu changes with the seasons but you…
