LAGuide
Great Restaurants That Are Actually Open On Mondays
Mondays mean alarm clocks, adult responsibilities, and struggling to find an open restaurant. Here is a guide to make the last one easier.
Ah, dreaded Mondays. Famously Garfield’s least favorite day, it’s considered the best day of the week to buy a new car and the worst to order sushi (according to Anthony Bourdain). After two blissful days of living like you have no responsibilities, your alarm went off at 6am to remind you that you’re an adult with a job.
So, you’re going to need a great dinner that you don’t have to cook. The only problem? Mondays are the restaurant industry’s weekend, so half the restaurants in this town are closed on Mondays. Because this day doesn’t need to be any harder, use this guide to some of our favorite spots that are actually open on Mondays.
The Spots
This neighborhood Italian restaurant in Silver Lake has chilled out over the past few years, reducing the length of their menu by a lot. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a great place to grab dinner. You’ll still find a compact list of their greatest hits, including the excellent braised sugo radiatori, where pork, kale, and fennel are mixed together in a rich, red sauce. Get this and a glass of wine.
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Al-Watan Halal Tandoori
Located just a few blocks north of Al-Noor (and also Zam Zam Market), Al-Watan has found its niche on this highly competitive stretch with its mixed tandoori - and also being the only one open on Mondays. Plain and simple, this is the best version in town and once you try it, you’ll wonder why you’ve ever eaten it anywhere else.
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You won’t find smoothie bowls or bespoke soap at this Venice steakhouse, just traditional classics like a giant, 32oz. porterhouse, stuffed hash browns, and grass-fed NY strips. If you’re not in a meat state of mind, there’s also a great wood-grilled flatbread served with smoked honey and labneh, as well as striped bass ceviches and heirloom tomato salads.
You could probably walk past this dime-sized Italian restaurant on Beverly Blvd. a hundred times and not notice it, but that would be a huge mistake on your part. For well over a decade, Angelini Osteria has been serving some of the best old-school Italian dishes in the city. It’s fancier (and better) than the kind-of-generic space might make you think it would be, and you should plan on dropping some serious money. It’s worth it though - from sea urchin linguine to veal shank agnolotti, this is where real pasta happens.
At Baja Subs, a tiny convenience store in Northridge, it’s all about the secret menu on the wall filled with exceptional Sri Lankan food. You’ll find dishes like biryani topped with caramelized onion relish, garlicky Sri Lankan noodles, and kottu roti, a popular Sri Lankan street food made with flaky roti sauteed with vegetables, eggs, and spices. This is primarily a to-go operation, and though you can certainly order there, we recommend calling in your order at (818) 993-7064 before you head over.
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With a warm Earth-tone aesthetic, a meat-and-cheese-heavy menu, and a roaring fireplace in the corner, every aspect of this Puglian restaurant seems designed to comfort and relax. And after a long Monday, that’s exactly what you need. It’s also refreshing to be in an Italian restaurant in LA that doesn’t serve the same Northern and coastal standards as everyone else. There are only two pastas—the slightly bitter, al dente orecchiette is a standout. The rest of the menu leans largely on traditional Puglian meat skewers as well as imported Puglian cheeses that taste great spread across their house-made focaccia.
Bar Moruno is an upscale Spanish restaurant in Silver Lake that feels as close to a Barcelona tapas bar as you'll find in LA. We recommend filling your table with smaller dishes, including the chorizo-filled Scotch egg and the sizzling hen of the woods mushrooms served with fried bread. Drinks are also a highlight at Bar Moruno, including an entire menu section dedicated to some very creative gin martinis (try the one with salmon-infused gin.)
We’ve never had a bad meal at Bavel, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Downtown LA by the people behind Bestia. Even though reservations are usually hard to come by, on a Monday, you might be able to grab one at the last minute and enjoy their idyllic shaded patio, plus platters of duck ’nduja hummus and lamb neck shawarma.
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It’s hard to argue there’s a more game-changing, neighborhood-altering restaurant than Bestia, an Arts District spot that put LA dining on the map. Their salumi plate is one of the best in the city, a giant, always rotating board of house-cured meat we’d happily eat as an entree, but make sure to order a pizza, pasta, or some combination of the two to satisfy the rest of the table.
Located directly across the street from the new SoFi Stadium, Blessed Tropical is a family-run Jamaican restaurant that serves jerk chicken worth driving long distances for. The portions are massive, prices are affordable ($12-14 for combo plates), and even if you order several different things, you can be in and out in under 20 minutes. And no matter how good the jerk chicken is, let us be clear—you should definitely be ordering other things on the menu, too. Whether it’s marinated oxtail that falls off the bone or a spicy goat curry we’ll happily eat alone in our car before going back into work, this is some of the best food in Inglewood.
Biryani Kebab House is home to some truly fantastic Pakistani and Bangladeshi food. Located in Little Bangladesh, the strip mall restaurant serves aromatic plates of basmati rice with huge lamb shanks, various curries, and fluffy house-baked naan to help you eagerly scoop it all up.
Broad Street Oyster Co. isn’t just a great place to eat along PCH—it’s one of our favorite restaurants in the entire city. The move at this barebones seafood shack (located inside of the Country Mart) is to come here with a small group, that way you’ll be able to order a bit of everything—oysters on the half shell, spot prawns from the raw bar, maybe a cup or two of their excellent clam chowder, etc.
Camphor is a mostly French, occasionally Southeast Asian restaurant in the Arts District that is the kind of place you go to impress someone with a hip, fancy dinner. Most of the menu at this shiny white-walled restaurant riffs on French bistro classics like asparagus in béarnaise sauce and peppery steak au poivre, but you'll also find lamb and lentils topped with a creamy foam and a "gunpowder" shrimp snack with plenty of mouth-numbing spice.
Located at Melrose and Fairfax, Carlitos Gardel is one of the most underrated restaurants in Beverly Grove. This Argentine steakhouse has a warm, cozy interior ideal for a casual catch-up with friends, as well as an expanded back patio if you have a bigger group. The menu covers a lot of ground, so we recommend going with whatever cut of meat is catching your eye that night and then filling the rest of your table with empanadas, papas fritas, and a big bottle of Malbec.
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Cemitas Don Adrian in Van Nuys has been around for nearly a quarter-century and their Puebla-style tortas only continue to get better. Their menu of 20-something tortas can definitely lead to some sandwich-induced stress, so we’ll make things easier on you: order the milanesa de lomo de puerco. It comes with breaded pork loin, bright queso fresco, avocado, your choice of jalapeños or chipotle salsa, and stringy Oaxacan cheese (for an additional $1.99) - all sandwiched between a toasted, slightly nutty sesame bun. The only thing that could possibly go wrong with your Don Adrian order is that you like your torta too much and forget to try the other two dozen options on the menu.
Coni'Seafood is an excellent Mexican seafood restaurant with a second location in Mar Vista, but only the original Inglewood is open on Mondays. They serve a wide range of shrimp dishes like tangy aguachile in a spicy salsa verde and some very crispy camarones al mojo de ajo swimming in enough garlic and butter to burn through half a pack of mints on the ride home. Of course, a stop at Coni'Seafood wouldn't be complete without getting the whole grilled snook, which you should order when you sit down (it takes 30 minutes.)
It was the bagel that broke the internet. If you have a working Spectrum connection and an Instagram account, chances are, you’ve heard of Courage Bagels. This Virgil Village window specializes in Montreal-style bagels, a denser, crispier version of the ones you’d find in NYC, which come topped with unique ingredients like salmon roe, heirloom tomatoes, or handfuls of dill that taste like they were just picked that morning. Lines tend to be long, so be prepared to wait—just make sure you’re doing it in a respectful way (a.k.a. not sprawling out on the sidewalks or crashing on someone’s front yard).
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This K-town tavern is a sensory overload of the most thrilling variety, where late nights can go from one hour to three in a blink of an eye. As for the food, the large menu has over 100 different anju, or Korean bar bites, designed to be eaten while you drink. We recommend loading up on kimchi pancakes, sweet and spicy tteokbokki, and at least ten different skewers.
Dan Tana's is a red-sauce Italian spot in West Hollywood with a rich history. A night here is often filled with several rounds of gin martinis, secret shots with the maitre d', and copious amounts of cheesy chicken parm on red-checkered tablecloths. Is Dan Tana's serving the most refined Italian food in town? Not by a long shot. You came here to toss back fried ravioli with your overly creamy fettucini alfredo and feel like a member of The Rat Pack.
Destroyer is a daytime spot in Culver City that serves strange, beautiful, and delicious food that tastes like nothing else in town. Part of the fun here is knowing your order will look nothing like what you expected, like the avocado toast that's actually a bowl of deconstructed "avocado confit" with burnt onion and creamy burrata.
Everybody has an opinion about the burger at Father’s Office, but regardless of your feelings towards the gruyere and Maytag blue cheese, bacon compote, and arugula-topped wonder, there’s little arguing over how great its space is in Culver City. The indoor/outdoor layout is the perfect spot to post up with coworkers after a torturous Monday or hang out with friends and drink excellent craft beer, snack on crispy onion rings, and attempt to settle the debate on the burger once and for all.
Felix is an upscale Italian restaurant on Abbot Kinney that stands as one of the best places to eat pasta in Los Angeles. Every pasta on the menu is made by hand in a climate-controlled pasta-making room, and watching through the open windows is the best kind of dinner theater we can imagine. The rigatoni all'amatriciana and tonnarelli cacio e pepe are, rightfully, on almost every table, but there really aren't any misses.
Back in the year 2019 (an era that many scientists are now describing as “forever ago”), a little seafood counter called Found Oyster became the sexiest place in Los Angeles to grab a meal. Eating here feels like you’re in on a secret - aesthetically, it’s serving you “slightly-eclectic-neighborhood-diner,” with a super friendly waitstaff, casual patio setup on the street, and general laid-back atmosphere. Get the scallop tostada, plus half a dozen Little Namskaket oysters—they’re just the right balance of salty and sweet.
If you’ve ever lived in, visited, or Googled the city of Chicago, you’ve probably heard of this restaurant. Now, Girl & The Goat has an LA outpost, located in a stunning Arts District space with an industrial aesthetic and lots and lots of greenery. The menu is a mix of old standbys—so yes, lots of goat dishes—but also a few new additions, like tomato and stone fruit salad or pan-seared sunfish.
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Gjusta is what every out-of-towner imagines when they think of LA—breezy Venice location, snaking lines of sun-kissed Midwesterners, an entire part of the menu dedicated to “lettuces.” But the food is also really f*cking good. Grab a spot on their expanded patio and enjoy tomato and burrata sandwiches, open-face bagels littered with an entire farmers market’s worth of produce, or the tuna conserva—a slick, oily sandwich packed with roasted peppers, olive tapenade, and crunchy sprouts that will make you question if you’ve ever really eaten sprouts before.
Golden Deli is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley that's become a Los Angeles institution. The chả giò, or deep-fried egg rolls, are a must with their blistered rice papers filled with ground pork, green lettuce, and herbs. And like every other person, you will need the house specialty: a bowl of phở. This slow-cooked elixir is filled with ribeye, fish balls, brisket, tendon, and/or tripe, all of which taste like the comforting joys of getting over a nasty cold.
Dinner on Mondays can be hard, especially when you haven’t prepared for the week at all (not even one brainstorm to set your intentions!)—so, head to Harold & Belles. This 50-year-old Jefferson Park institution serves Southern favorites like charbroiled oysters, Louisiana-style catfish, shrimp and crawfish étouffée, and one of the best gumbos in town.
Hatchet Hall's idyllic garden patio has one of the most eye-catching outdoor setups in the city, making it one of our favorite options for big groups. The Culver City spot's fairly refined take on Southern food has nothing stuffy about it. We've seen couples sipping housemade whiskey sours and slurping oysters at the bar, families with kids having pork belly and grits outdoors at brunch, and coworkers catching up over a grilled branzino at dinnertime.
At Ichijiku, you get the best of both worlds—a casual, neighborhood sushi spot in Highland Park and world-class sushi. Almost all the rolls and nigiri here cost less than $10, and our clinical recommendation is to stick with the nigiri and pay extra special attention to the branzino, a light, translucent fish with a peppery kick. Make sure to check out their creative vegan options too: there’s a beet and tofu cream-filled roll, plus ones made with roasted peppers and crispy lotus root that are not to be missed.
Jones is one of those few places we refer to as an ace restaurant. Pull this casual Italian spot out on a Monday, whether it be for a hot date or late-night drinks, and it will deliver on all fronts. The menu is full of delicious Italian staples like the margherita pizza and spaghetti and meatballs, and the vibe is cool without being annoying. Also, save room for that apple pie skillet at the end, or don’t even bother coming.
This quiet, almost zen-like izakaya in Torrance specializes in tonkatsu. Specifically, the millefeuille—the name is taken from the French pastry, and is similarly prepared, with thick, fatty slices of pork being folded and layered on top of each other again and again like the mattresses in The Princess And The Pea. What results is a deep-fried behemoth, a dish that’s soft and juicy on the inside, and fantastically crispy on the out, paired with an elegant tray of rice, miso soup, and salad.
This upscale soba shop likes to call itself the “pinnacle of noodle” - which, to be quite honest, we’re not really opposed to. At $20 a pop, they’re certainly not the cheapest bowl of noodles in town, but then again, you’re in Beverly Hills. Our favorite is the #1, filled with chewy, house-made noodles, chashu pork, wontons, and a clear, umami-rich broth made with truffle and soy-based sauce that we’d happily drink out of a pint glass any day of the week.
The Mediterranean restaurant in Los Feliz is ideal for groups of four to six people, with food that’s both easily shareable and fantastic. With its light, bright interior and excellent soundtrack choices, it’s a great place for any lunches, Happy Hours, or low-key dinners. Focus on the rabbit for two and anything that comes with bread.
Forcing yourself to eat vegetables can be pretty unpleasant (trust us, that spinach shake isn’t fooling any taste buds)—unless you’re eating at Lalibela. Our go-to order at this Little Ethiopia restaurant is the “Veggie Utopia,” a giant spread of 14 different plant-based dishes, such as spicy chickpea stew, collard greens, and split peas, all served upon on spongy injera that tastes tangy and sour and seems to come by the one-brick ton.
Langer's is a Jewish deli on the outskirts of Downtown with some of the best pastrami in Los Angeles. Their #19 is a must and comes as a massive pastrami sandwich with swiss cheese and coleslaw stacked between two pieces of tangy rye bread slathered in Russian dressing. Great sandwiches aside, come here to find smart-talking servers, families fighting over potato salad, and men with hard hats having a laugh over soup-and-sandwich combos.
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There is no denying that Lawry’s Prime Rib is a major chain. But this 70-year-old steak house is a Beverly Hills original and a major right of passage in this town. Though the menu has expanded over the years, the move is still the standing prime rib and that famous spinning salad (yes, they actually spin it while they make it). If your parents are in town and you want to show them how far you’ve come in life, Lawry’s is your move. Save room for the Yorkshire pudding.
Everything about Luv2Eat looks and feels like any other LA strip mall restaurant, but the ultra spicy regional specialties and warm service make it hard not to come back for more. The Hollywood spot's menu showcases the two chef's recipes from their native Phuket, including a Phuket-style crab curry that takes sweet, salty, and sour to euphoric levels. Even the moo ping, a simple grilled pork skewer appetizer, is marinated and charred so perfectly that it should be rebranded as candy on a stick.
Between their rich, decadent mole and one of the largest mezcal collections in LA, there are a variety of ways a meal could go at this South Bay-based Oaxacan restaurant, but make sure yours involves tacos and memelas. The cecina and tripa are both stand-outs, but the coliflor with tomato, quesillo, avocado, and chiles is spicy, savory, and one of our favorite vegetarian tacos in the city. If you aren’t near Torrance, the Oaxacan restaurant also has locations in Palms and West Hollywood.
As anyone familiar with Ktown KBBQ knows, snagging a table can be quite the production. Not at Magal. This small, bright spot takes last-minute reservations and walk-ins, plus a quality of meat and banchan unmatched by 80% of the restaurants in the area. Sure, there’s some Diplo blaring through the speakers, but even if you don’t normally like EDM, you’ll find that slowly but surely stuffing your face with bulgogi and soju to the beat of house music is a religious experience not unlike blasting Alanis Morisette while driving down Sunset alone at night.
Compared to other high-end omakase spots in LA, Matsumoto is probably one you’ve heard the least about. And that’s exactly why a meal at this tiny strip mall spot in Beverly Grove is so exciting. Matsumoto is one of LA’s premiere sushi experiences and yet it still feels like a complete secret. You don’t need a long-standing reservation or a lengthy IMDb page to get a seat here. Just head to the bar, let Chef Matsumoto know your likes and dislikes and be whisked off on a tailor-made, 18-ish course omakase. Prices vary based on available fish, but you can generally expect to pay around $180.
Beverly Grove’s newest addition is Melanie, a new wine bar pouring mostly European dynamic wines in a cute space that feels like a friend’s living room. It’s run by the same people behind Sushi Note and Augustine Wine Bar, two of our favorite places to drink wine in LA, simply because the sommeliers are normal and know how to level with you. As far as the food goes, order the mussels—they’re plump, buttery, and bathed in a rich, savory vadouvan curry.
Ospi is an excellent Italian restaurant in Venice that comes from the same people behind one of our other favorite Italian restaurants on the Westside: Jame Enoteca. Expect a wide-ranging menu full of antipasti, pizza, pasta, and big plates of meat (the lamb neck and pine nut cannelloni is a standout), plus a prime corner location with a big wrap-around patio perfect for any size group.
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When it comes to high-quality KBBQ, Parks is the king of the castle. Make sure to concentrate on the combo platters (listed as P1-P3) so you’ll get as much bang for your buck as possible, with giant meat parades arriving at your table including bulgogi, rib eye, and short ribs, plus all the banchan your heart could possibly desire.
If some of the things you know about French food are that it’s typically rich, and it’s sometimes expensive, then you already know a lot about Pasjoli. There’s a $200 duck press, prepared personally by the chef—tableside then juiced in an antique contraption that could be a 15th-century torture device—as well as braised beef short ribs, roasted cauliflower, and chicken liver that’s meant to taste like foie gras.
Pizzeria Sei is a small, barebones pizzeria in Pico-Robertson with some counter seating surrounding its giant oven. And similar to its very minimalist look, the pizza here is simple but effortlessly delicious. The blistered, chewy dough lets a few high-quality ingredients really shine, like plump Castelvetrano olives, shaved mushrooms, and handfuls of dried spices. Seating is limited so bring yourself for a much-needed solo dinner, or maybe one friend who is equally enthusiastic about good pizza. Get the prosciutto plate.
While its Americana-adjacent location in Glendale makes Raffi’s a good option to grab a quick kebab before doing some shopping, the best way to use this Persian institution is to get together with family or friends for a big group meal. The massive patio space can accommodate any size group and its party-like atmosphere makes the whole place feel like one giant neighborhood reunion. The barg - thinly sliced filet mignon - is charbroiled, perfectly salted, and comes on a bed of fluffy basmati rice with grilled tomato and Anaheim pepper. Come hungry, and order family-style.
Like a pop star who only goes by a single name, Republique needs no introduction: you'll find it on every "best of" list in the city, a gathering place for fans of history, hungry tourists, and anyone who loves dessert. The Mid-Wilshire restaurant is open for brunch and dinner, although we much prefer brunch. You'll find silky shakshuka, kimchi fried rice, and omelets made with gruyere and finely chopped herbs, as well as a pastry case that makes us feel like a kid in a candy store.
Rustic Canyon has been doing farm-to-table dining (without the pretension or white tablecloths) since before it was cliche. Like every other seasonal spot, their menu changes all the time, so go ahead and embrace eating those vegetables you can only find for one week of the year. Your parents, out-of-towners you’re trying to impress, and early-in-the-game dates will all love it here.
Come to Ryla if you're looking to impress someone who appreciates snacking on inventive seafood or sipping a couple of rounds of top-notch cocktails. The dimly lit Hermosa Beach restaurant falls into the Dark and Sexy category in ambiance and has some inventive (and delicious) Japanese-Taiwanese items on its menu. Think Hokkaido milk bread, sea bream soaked in a limey coconut broth, and a Penicillin cocktail with tea-infused Japanese whiskey.
Much of the menu at this casual seafood spot in Beverly Grove hasn't changed since 2011, and we hope it never does. There's the classic yellowfin tuna wrapped around a softball-sized hunk of fresh avocado, the sweet and tangy shrimp toast sandwich, and a miniature lobster roll that packs a lot of flavor—still one of our favorite versions in the city. Sure, a full meal here can get pricey, but that's why we like using its cozy, nautically designed dining room as a midweek meet-up spot for light snacks and a few rounds of wine with friends.
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This legendary Koreatown spot isn’t just open on Mondays - it’s open 24/7. That means no matter what time of day it is, you’ll be able to score a fiery, bubbling pot of their signature galbi jjim. This red-hot stew is packed with short ribs, rice cakes, and vegetables, with the option to add shredded mozzarella cheese melted by an actual blowtorch tableside (do it) - the perfect dish when it’s rainy outside or 3am on a Monday and you’re in denial that the workday is closing in on you.
Sushi Note is a wine bar/sushi restaurant hybrid - a dream combination that’s somehow still pretty rare. Whether it’s your first time or your 14th, order the Whole Note omakase. At $115, this isn’t the world’s most affordable omakase, but after eating 12 pieces of high-quality sushi, edamame, miso soup, a starter, a handroll, and dessert, you’ll feel like this meal has more than earned its price point. Then make friends with the sommelier, who will happily course out all the wine you need.
One might expect a “globally inspired” restaurant that’s been open since 2011 to feel somewhat tired at this point, but not Tar & Roses. There’s still a genuine excitement at this popular Santa Monica spot, and it’s because the food is better than ever. You and your Monday dinner date are going to eat dishes like shellfish curry, strawberry crostatas, and share a plate of oxtail dumplings that’s one of the best single dishes in Santa Monica.
This izakaya near the entrance to Dodger Stadium is the best casual date night spot in the neighborhood. You’ll want to order a lot of the small plates, ranging from vegetables and noodles to steak and sashimi, and you can do so with confidence since Tsubaki’s prices are quite reasonable. If you want the ideal experience, grab a seat at the bar where the waitstaff will make sure you get drunk on the best sake possible.
Union isn’t just our favorite Italian restaurant in the neighborhood, it’s some of our favorite Italian food in LA, period. Whether it’s mushroom and polenta, perfectly cooked octopus, or saffron linguine topped with uni, Union’s menu has zero misses and is stacked with the kind of dishes that ruin all other versions for you permanently. If you’re looking for a fancy, impress-the-hell-out-of-somebody-important kind of dinner, make a reservation at Union immediately.
