19 Best Restaurants in Hollywood, Los Angeles

Are you even in L.A. if you haven't had a smashburger yet? Usurping all other burgers and burger joints, For the Win has become a power player on the burger scene, growing from this unassuming location in a strip mall in Hollywood to a collection of storefronts throughout the region. Seasoned beef patties are topped with onions and cheese, thrown on the hot plate then served on a perfect potato bun, customized with bacon, stacked to be a double or a triple (and why not), and then drizzled in homemade special sauce. Simple recipe for success here: no-fuss focus on quality ingredients, flavor, and delivery. Both the sweet potato and regular fries are crisp and tasty. There's a grilled cheese sandwich for those who want to skip the beef. 

Heaven for carnivores, this upscale European-style butcher shop and fine-dining restaurant serves wood-fire-cooked meats in a copper-and-marble art deco setting. From Australian celeb-chef Curtis Stone and his brother, Luke, and named for their grandmother, Gwen's butcher shop serves up quality cuts of humanely raised meats to locals during the day, while the elegant dining space within view of the glass-enclosed dry-age rooms, charcuterie curing, and roaring firepit elevates the smoking, searing, and roasting of those quality meats to an art form by night. The focus is obviously meat here but the seasonal sides, cocktails, desserts, and Australian coffees are superior, too. Daytime there's coffee and pastries available; sit at the outside patio for a refined coffee break.

It's said that the drive-in burger joint was invented in L.A., probably to meet the demands of an ever-mobile car culture. Burger aficionados line up at all hours outside In-N-Out Burger, still a family-owned operation whose terrific made-to-order burgers are revered by Angelenos. Visitors may recognize the chain as the infamous spot where Paris Hilton got nabbed for drunk driving, but locals are more concerned with getting their burger fix off the "secret" menu, with variations like "Animal Style" (mustard-grilled patty with grilled onions and extra spread), a "4 x 4" (four burger patties and four cheese slices, for big eaters), or the bun-less "Protein Style" that comes wrapped in a bib of lettuce. Go online for a list of every "secret" menu item. The Hollywood location is where Academy Award winners have been known to drop in post ceremony with their Oscars.

Here’s one place where you can experience authentic, old Hollywood glamour. Since 1919, the old-school steak house has welcomed stars beginning in the silent era (Charlie Chaplin), to Hollywood’s Golden age (Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe) to now. The Academy Award winning film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood boosted the fortunes of Hollywood’s oldest restaurant when it featured the eatery in a key scene. A-listers and film industry pros prefer the clubby wood booths or a stool at the 1930s-era Mahogany-topped bar. The menu is printed daily and adheres to tradition: shrimp and crab cocktail starters are crisp and fresh, steaks are cooked over the wood fire grill, and sides are decadent. Cocktails are classic, too. Sip a martini while taking in the dark wood decor and the efficiency of the red tuxedo-clad waiters. Reservations are essential for table seating; walk-ins are welcome at the counter and bar.

This is widely considered one of the best seafood restaurants in the country, and chef-owner Michael Cimarusti elevates sustainably driven fine dining to an art form. The elegant space is the perfect spot to sample exquisite seafood with the chef's signature application of French technique, traditional American themes, and Asian accents. Pastry chef Mac Daniel Dimla’s exquisite desserts are not to be missed. Obsessed with quality, Cimarusti maintains a network of purveyors who often tip him off to their catches in order to ensure that the fish on your plate is the freshest in the city. The drinks menu is equally elevated with a creative non-alcoholic beverages available that can be paired with each course.

A humble taco shack on the side of the road, Cactus offers up $4 tacos with all types of meat you could imagine, even beef tongue. They also have carne asada and chicken for the less adventurous. This spot dishes out other Mexican favorites, but plowing through cheap tacos is the main reason to come here.

Of L.A.’s long list of vegan restaurants, this is among the best, with luscious dishes that are also social media worthy. But it’s more than just gourmet, plant-based dining—Café Gratitude is also about leading a sustainable lifestyle full of positivity and (obviously) gratitude. This philosophy is encapsulated in its bright Larchmont location (just south of Hollywood), its spiritually named dishes (Humble, Gracious, Precious and Awesome are but a few), and the requisite dose of daily positivity that comes in the form of a chalkboard question that you’re encouraged to answer before you leave. Cynics, be warned.

This mid-century modern coffee shop serves today’s culinary hits along with tasty fresh baked goods. Classic diner decor is found in the 1960s-details like the lava rock wall, vinyl booths, counter seating, colorful wall tiles and terrazzo floors. Expertly prepared breakfast items are served all day: eggs and coffee are hot and pancakes are fluffy. Owned by Clark Street Bakery, the diner's artisanal bread and pastries are made daily. The avocado toast on organic sourdough is a satisfying start; hot sandwiches, like the patty melt and grilled smash burger, are paired with a choice of hand-cut fries or the best potato salad in town. Look for Hollywood creative types packed into the booths weekdays and families on weekends. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday nights features hearty plates, salads, pastas and breakfast choices including the popular diner breakfast and those fluffy pancakes.

All amigos are welcome at this retro-styled Mexican-American eatery known for its lively scene and potent flaming margaritas. The menu doesn’t stray too far from its 1975 original: mole-topped chicken enchiladas, sizzling fajitas, and street-style tacos are the best bets. Red vinyl booths and an excess of black wrought-iron grill work dominates the dining room. Director Quentin Tarantino is a reported regular. He’s joined by the in-crowd who come for the party atmosphere and reasonable prices. When the weather is fine, the shaded outdoor back patio away from bustling Sunset Boulevard is the spot for happy hour.

Drop in any day from 7 am to 5 pm to use the free Wi-Fi and score a quick cold brew or strong pour-over made from freshly roasted beans at this corner location. There’s indoor and outdoor seating where you’ll find a respite from Hollywood Boulevard. The small bites menu includes locally made pastries, oatmeal, and quiche.

Los Angeles is known for wonderful hole-in-the-wall eateries tucked inside tiny strip malls, and family-owned Jitlada is Exhibit A, specializing in delicious, spicy, southern Thai dishes. Consider this experience a dive deep into Thai cuisine made with the freshest ingredients. If the colorful yet low-key dining area doesn’t astound you, then the menu with more than 300 options just might.

Tucked away from the frenzy of Hollywood, this Los Angeles outpost of the famous Naples-based pizza spot (featured in Eat Pray Love) attracts patrons of all varieties, from industry folks looking for hearty Italian classics to tourists needing respite from the touristing. L'antica serves comforting yet elevated Neapolitan pie and pasta dishes in an expansive and relaxed classic Italian-meets-modern-Californian indoor-outdoor space accented with lush greenery. You're here for the century-old authentic-Italian pizzas cooked in the signature stone oven, but you should try the pastas, the slow-cooked short rib, and the Italian-style spritz menu. You might care that this is also one of the very few places in L.A. to enjoy zucchini flowers. Weekday afternoon happy hour is a wonderful respite.

Family-run Marouch is somewhat of a rarity in Hollywood in that it deviates from all the usual fanfare and instead delivers a more casual and authentic home-cooking approach with a you're-part-of-our-family attitude. So, while it doesn't constantly reinvent itself a la buzzy Hollywood spots to get you to come back, you will return for the quality and flavor of the traditional Lebanese and Armenian meze plates that have been passed down in the family for generations. Saturday evenings are its busiest, but the owners encourage you to partake in the chaos, as that's when it feels the most like home.

With a modest, you’ll-hardly-notice-it’s-there exterior, counter seating, a very European-styled dining room, and classic French dishes, a meal at Petit Trois recalls a trip to Paris. The steak tartare or lighter-than-air omelet will make you forgive the restaurant's strip mall location off busy Highland Avenue.

Roscoe's is the place for down-home Southern cooking in Southern California. Just ask the patrons who drive from all over L.A. for reasonably priced fried chicken and waffles. The name of this casual eatery honors a late-night combo popularized in Harlem jazz clubs. Friday and Saturday nights, Roscoe's Hollywood location stays open until 4 am.

Featuring all locally sourced meat, seafood, and produce and a popular patio, this brunch and lunch spot proves that despite appearances, Californians love traditional meat-based staples and cocktails just as much as they love their kale salads and smoothies. If you're in doubt, just take a good look at this joint's hearty sandwiches.

Bread is in this restaurant's name and should be front and center on your dining plan here as it's freshly baked and delicious, served with sides like fresh cheese and smoked trout. The light, bright, and open space and umbrella- and tree-filled patio is popular for coffee and baked bread and pastries early in the day; grain bowls, salads, and avocado toast for lunch and brunch (on weekends); and the oyster bar, sandwiches, pastas, and creative cocktails as lunch rolls in to dinner. Menus change with the season and cocktails are made with locally sourced spirits.

Feast on Pan-Asian fare and dark and atmospheric faux-Asian decor in this dramatic 300-seat two-level restaurant and lounge next to the Dream Hotel. It's all about vibes here, and it definitely attracts celebratory groups for the sharing plates, DJ, moody candle- and red-lamp light Asian-themed decor (including a giant Quan Yin statue looking out over the ornate main dining room), and the lively patio, lounge, and bar. The menu focuses on Japanese, Thai, and Chinese ingredients. Lobster wontons, Peking duck for two, and fresh sushi are popular offerings.

Despite being set in the middle of Hollywood’s mad dash, the surprisingly serene oasis that is the Tropicana Bar is where California fare meets refreshing tropical cocktails in a vintage Hollywood setting. While the poolside loungers are technically restricted to hotel guests, visitors are welcome (at the hotel's discretion) to take advantage of the bar and kitchen service in view of that glorious heated pool with its David Hockney mural. Summer events include movie nights and daytime DJs, so plan accordingly if visiting during the warmer months. On the menu are crowd favorites like fish tacos, sliders, and the ever-present avocado toast, here on house-made sourdough and topped with pickled onions.