Hollywood is perhaps the most storied neighborhood in LA. It’s filled with cultural landmarks, movie studios, and knock-off Cookie Monsters who, for $20, will allow you to take their photo. Another thing about Hollywood is that it’s overflowing with some pretty great food.
From high-end Italian restaurants to a Japanese wine bar, to some of the best Thai food in the city, eating well in Hollywood is easy—especially if you use this guide.
THE SPOTS
Gwen is the most consistent high-end dinner spot in Hollywood and a place where spending $200 on a hunk of meat feels worth it. The epic dining room has crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, pendant light fixtures illuminating dramatic white pillars, and multiple hearths roaring with fire in the open kitchen. Though the menu changes seasonally, you can generally expect dishes like hearty charcuterie boards arranged like a meaty painter’s palette, parmesan risotto with a marrow-filled bone towering from the center, and some of the best steaks in LA.
If we had to pick one shawarma in LA to reign supreme over its cone-shaped kin, it’s the mixed lamb and beef combo from Hollywood Shawarma. Thinly sliced and tender as filet mignon, each juicy slice at this Syrian-owned spot is rich with a potpourri of spices. Order one of their pan-grilled wraps and bliss out. This counter-service operation has a takeout window right along the Walk of Fame, with a couple of stools and tables scattered across the sidewalk. It's open until at least 1am daily (and until 3am on weekends) to serve the post-club crowds near Hollywood and Vine.
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Taking over Los Balcones on Vine, Colibri is a Peruvian spot with a warm, romantic interior and menu that focuses on traditional classics. Although this spot from the chef behind Causita and Rosaliné is technically a pop-up, it's destined to stick around for at least a year (hopefully longer). Prioritize the citrusy ceviche with sea bass and sweet potato, briny squid ink rice, and tallerines rojos, a ragu-based pasta topped with crispy chicken thigh and cheese sauce. There’s also a fun cocktail menu filled with pisco sours, caipirinhas, and chilcanos. Given Colibri’s central location—it’s walking distance to all the big theaters—this should be your new pre-event dinner spot in Hollywood.
Lemon Grove is a laid back rooftop restaurant that has some nice city views and a few couches where you can sit and drink a good cocktail. This restaurant atop The Aster never gets too crowded or hectic, and the food is much better than it needs to be. There’s a somewhat Italian, somewhat Thai menu, including tom kha lemon pasta covered in a tangy layer of yellow foam, a creamy hamachi tartare, and a fluorescent pink dragon fruit panna cotta that wins extra points for its beautiful presentation. If you want to impress someone with a night out in Hollywood, Lemon Grove is a very solid option.
The first thing you might notice about Mr. T in Hollywood is a server walking around the dining room setting food on fire to the beat of a Jay-Z song. You’re looking at their comte and mimolette cheese flambé, which shows up in a few signature dishes at this fusion-y French spot on Sycamore. The flaming dairy isn’t the only attraction here, but it does tell you what you need to know: Mr. T keeps it cool by sprinkling a little Parisian attitude into everything it does. The menu melds street food with traditional French cooking, and you can watch the action in the open kitchen from seats at the counter. Drop in with a date and snack on minty-sweet tuna crudo or invite friends to crowd around a patio table for wagyu burgers, truffle mac and cheese, and chicken mille-feuille.
Mother Wolf isn’t just the biggest party in town right now, it might be the biggest party we’ve seen inside an LA restaurant ever. Reservations for this Italian restaurant on Wilcox are next to impossible to get (they go up every night at midnight and are gone within seconds), but keep trying, because a night at Mother Wolf is one you won’t forget. The massive, all-pink dining room feels part Las Vegas, part Carbone, and part Roman banquet hall wedding—all crammed inside the Madonna Inn. It’s gaudy, over-the-top, and filled with more famous faces than a Grammy’s afterparty. And yet, the energy is intoxicating. It’s a place that’ll still be at capacity at 11:15pm on a Wednesday with people still streaming up to the bar in hopes of getting in on the action. Considering the perfectly made pasta (the cacio e pepe and rigatoni all’amatriciana are standouts) coming out of the kitchen and Italian wine being poured with ease, it’s hard not to blame them.
This French-ish spot in the old Pikey space on Sunset has preserved the dark red booths, worn-in wooden bar, and general anything-is-possible-tonight feel that’s made this location such a local hang since it was called Ye Coach & Horses almost a century ago. But despite the space’s history, Horses provides lots of new flair. They manage to make horse decor feel edgy, and the seasonal food elevates it from another Hollywood martini place to a big anniversary or birthday dinner destination. From the endive caesar to the adorable Cornish hen with dandelion panzanella, Horses’ menu is full of delicious surprises.
One of our favorite bakeries the entire world, Clark Street Bread took over the old 101 Coffee Shop and did exactly what everyone in LA hoped they would: they kept the space exactly the same. You’ll still find vintage leather booths, a wraparound bar, and classic stone wall (you know, real old-school diner stuff) only now the food is better. The menu’s smaller than the old 101 one, but everything’s of higher quality—all the bread comes on their signature Clark Street baguettes and toasts, plus they have a fantastic patty melt loaded with freshly ground beef, swiss cheese, and some grilled onions that we haven’t stop dreaming about since eating.
Superba in Venice has always been a nice fallback for chicken-pasta-salad brunches, lunches, and dinners, but its newest location on Sunset is an absolute destination. The food is good—they’ve got vegetable-y breakfasts with eggs that let you know they’re fresh and baked goods that remind you why the restaurant’s full name is Superba Food + Bread. And later in the day you’ll find salads, hulking sandwiches, pastas, and meatier things—most of which come with generous sides. But it’s the space that makes this Superba a true knock-out. If we didn’t have anything better to do, we’d spend every morning on the patio picking at olives and reading novels where not much happens. There are enough citrus trees and yellow-striped umbrellas to provide the illusion that you’re somewhere in the Mediterranean.
It’s not often we get excited about hotel lobby restaurants, but The Barish is an exception. Located inside Hollywood Roosevelt, this Nancy Silverton spot has massive Old Hollywood energy (it helps being inside one of the most historic hotels in LA), plus an Italian menu that’s stacked with standout goat cheese-filled rigatoni and one of our favorite steak tartares in town. It’s the kind of place that begs you to sip a fancy cocktail while you toast to a new client or build a buzz before seeing a show at Pantages. If you’re looking for a fancy dinner spot in Hollywood, snag a table at The Barish.
Everything about Luv2eat looks and feels like any other strip mall restaurant in the city, but it’s the food and the warm service that makes this legendary Thai spot one of our favorites in LA. Its greatness lies in the Chef’s Special section of the menu, a mixed bag of dishes that showcases the two chefs’ family recipes from Phuket. The Phuket-style crab curry, for instance, when combined with the fatty crab meat bathing at the bottom, 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 really be rebranded as candy-on-a-stick.
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This prix fixe seafood restaurant on Melrose is arguably the fanciest restaurant in all of Los Angeles. Don’t be surprised if the final bill here comes out over $300 per person. What you get for that price is an experience you can’t get anywhere else in town - eight courses of ridiculously fresh, inventive seafood dishes, a visit from a magical roaming cheese cart, and a waitstaff that makes you feel like you’re a big deal from the second you walk through the door.
El Compadre always has your back. At the end of a long day, this Mexican cantina is ready to greet you with a cozy red booth, mariachis, and a stiff drink. The Hollywood staple (there’s an Echo Park location, but the atmosphere isn’t nearly as fun) has been serving classic California-Mexican food (i.e. a lot of cheesy enchiladas) and very strong flaming margaritas since the 1970s and they show no signs of stopping. Definitely make a reservation as crowds get bad almost any day of the week, but just know, at El Compadre the party never stops.
BBQ + Rice, a tiny spot on Santa Monica Blvd., is an ideal place for a quick lunch that doesn’t involve a drive-thru or candy from 7-Eleven. They serve delicious Korean rice bowls, including things like spicy pork, galbi jjim, and a slightly sweet beef bulgogi. Every bowl comes with some version of their house-made pickles, but we recommend grabbing an extra container to supplement your rice and meat. They’ve also got a parking lot, so you can spend less time searching for a spot, and more time savoring your lunch break.
Gigi’s is one of the toughest reservations to get in town, but if you’re able to snag a table at this sceney French place on Sycamore, you’ll be treated to a night filled with oysters, burgers, and delicious steak frites. We recommend showing up a little thirsty, too. A night of lounging around on their string lit patio or intimate dining room with plushy green booths, sipping gin martinis, snacking on tartare, and listening to a table of agents next to you scheming how to get ayahuasca to Tulum next week is exactly how we want to be partying right now.
Musso & Frank Grill
Musso & Frank has been open for a century and is one of the only restaurants in town where fannypacked tourists and old men complaining about Eisenhower’s foreign policy live in complete harmony. This legendary Hollywood steakhouse is one of the most bizarre restaurants in LA, and while you don’t need to rush to eat any of the food, sitting at the bar and drinking their iconic martini is a quintessential LA experience. Stirred and served with a sidecar on chilled ice, it’s a technically perfect martini that’s been served the same way for decades, and one that makes gravity tricky after just a few sips.
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With a tiny non-descript storefront on Melrose, Oui is a place you could pass a hundred times without noticing. And once you do spot it, you probably wouldn’t guess that inside are our favorite sandwiches in Hollywood. With everything from a classic tuna sub to double smashburgers to spiced chicken laffa wraps, the menu certainly covers a lot of ground, but we haven’t tried a single sandwich that we wouldn’t order again. Plus, with such a wide variety, it’s an ideal spot for a to-go team lunch when everyone wants something different.
MozzaPlex is not a restaurant, it’s the catch-all term for Nancy Silverton’s mini-empire of Italian restaurants at Melrose and Highland. While three restaurants from the same owner on the same corner might seem like overkill, each spot serves an entirely different purpose. The most casual of the three is Pizzeria Mozza, home to Neapolitan pies that put LA pizza on the map in 2007. Osteria Mozza is fine dining, with hand-made pasta and a full mozzarella bar that’s become a favorite hangout spot for Nancy herself. But if you’re in the mood for a medieval-level meat feast, head to Chi Spacca, an intimate, upscale steakhouse where red wine, focaccia, and $285 porterhouse steaks rule the kingdom.
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Otus, a Thai spot that’s one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets, has a really fantastic all-day breakfast menu. You can’t miss the kai-kata: a little pan of sour ground pork, sweet sausage, and eggs, with grilled bread, and OJ or Vietnamese coffee. It’s the perfect midday pick-me-up, especially when your agent won’t stop asking about the last two pages of your pilot. Speaking of getting work done, they’ve got a bright, quiet space, with some communal tables and a tiny patio. It’s an ideal oasis from the chaos that’s constantly outside at Fountain and La Brea.
Though Petit Trois now has a big patio out front, the popular French bistro’s magic will always be found inside. The cramped space is essentially just a counter and a few chairs lining the wall, but the chaotic environment is still one of the most fun and unique dining experiences in Hollywood. You’ll eat well-executed bistro food like steak tartare, croque monsieurs, and the greatest omelette we’ve ever put in our mouths. If it’s your first time or you’re with someone from out of town, the Big Mec is hard to miss. The massive bordelaise-covered burger is probably the most decadent burger in LA. Everyone should try it at least once.
On those days when dim sum is calling your name, but the idea of driving to the SGV during rush hour isn’t palatable, Ixlb is a fantastic option to know about. Everything here, from har gow to shumai, is made fresh daily and satisfies a dim sum craving (though they sadly don’t serve chicken feet). The translucent har gow have bouncy skin and are filled with plump shrimp, while the egg tarts have a nice and flaky crust. This is mostly a takeout and delivery operation, but there’s a tiny dining area with counter seating if you walked over from one of the studios during lunch or you simply can’t wait to get home to eat.
Mama Shelter
Rooftop bars and restaurants are opening at warp speed in Hollywood right now, but this colorful spot on top of a boutique hotel remains one of our favorites in the neighborhood. The food menu is filled with lots of snacks that taste great while you’re talking and drinking with friends, the cinematic-themed cocktails get the job done, and the 360-degree views never cease to impress visitors. Sure, the place can be a scene, filled up with people celebrating 10,000 followers, and early-20-somethings wearing floppy hats and matching Levi’s, but that’s also part of the fun. They still don’t accept reservations, so we recommend sticking to weeknights when crowds are always much smaller.
We love Hoy-Ka not only for their excellent Thai food, but for having a fun space that’s great for everything from a team lunch to a midweek hang with friends. The wood-covered interior feels kind of like a tavern, and with plenty of TVs playing sports, you won’t have any trouble finding a reason to drink. When it comes to food, the crispy pork ka prao, with its chili and basil-topped tower of white rice, definitely needs to hit the table.
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele is only a few blocks from the manic energy of Hollywood and Highland, but their sprawling back patio—with exposed brick walls and a legitimate mini-forest—feels like a completely different universe. The name of the game here is Neapolitan pizza: perfectly charred, bubbly crust and fresh, simple toppings like basil, pecorino, and prosciutto. It’s the same pizza they’ve been making for over 150 years in Naples, Italy, and it’ll take exactly one bite for you to realize why they’re going strong at the LA outpost. Don’t stray too far from the pizzas, but if you want to throw a few appetizers on the table, we recommend the properly deep-fried calamari or the squash blossoms, when available.
