Featured Restaurants

American. Prepare for a dining experience unlike any other. Opaque, located in Santa Monica, invites patrons’ taste buds to guide the way as they peruse soft and potent flavors in the pitch-black dining room. Aided by visually impaired servers, customers spend the evening immersed in darkness, stimulating the other four senses by conversing with dining companions, exploring the table settings, appreciating the aromas of each dish and savoring every individual flavor in a way that they never have before. Reservations are required for this Los Angeles dark dining experience.

Latin/Spanish. In America, Italian food has Mario Batali and Spanish food has Jose Andres. And now lucky Angelos have The Bazaar, Andres' ode to the best of Spanish and the New World cuisine interpreted by a modern master of cutting edge, molecular gastronomic inspired technique.

Californian, Mediterranean. Venerable continues to shine. Housed in a dramatic structure built in 1929 by architect Roy Sheldon Price for Charlie Chaplin, Campanile is a showcase for chef Mark Peel's talent. Over the past 20 years, both the restaurant and chef Peel have received numerous awards, including the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant Award and the Los Angeles Culinary Master of the Year Award. But it's the food that sets Campanile apart. The family style menus feature dishes like chunky mushroom soup, grilled venison, bouillabaisse and even Hungarian goulash.

Gastro Pub, American. Culver City has become one of LA’s brightest new neighborhoods and friendly Ford’s Filling Station gives the city satisfying plates of house-made charcuterie, satisfying entrees like braised Kobe beef cheeks, whole hog preparations, and a great cocktail menu. Chef Ben Ford’s dad is Harrison Ford, but the food is real star here.

Italian. Los Angeles has scores of Italian restaurants, continues to stand out. The Santa Monica restaurant, flagship of Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino Restaurant Group, is widely regarded as one of the nation's finest Italian restaurants. Valentino has received critical acclaim for its food, wine and service from Wine Spectator, Bon Appétit, Gourmet and Food & Wine. The restaurant has also received James Beard Foundation awards for both its wine list and service. When it comes to top notch Italian food you really can't do much better.

Italian. When is a pizza more than dough, sauce and cheese? When it's elevated to high art like it's done at Mozza. Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich meld their prodigious talents at Mozza has become the place in Los Angeles for pizza pie—and the celebrities and regular folks continue to flock. That's means you'll wait for a table but it's worth it.

Californian, American. The Westside Tavern serves one of Los Angeles’ definitive burgers in a plush, urbane setting. The restaurant features chef-driven yet affordable interpretations of California pub fare like braised short ribs, grilled salmon and roasted chicken alongside a deep list of cocktails, well-crafted beers and great wines.

Californian, French. This LA mainstay has still got it. Chef/owner Suzanne Goin delivers impeccably sourced, California-meets-Mediterranean food with homey style. Lucques kitchen excels at hearty meat dishes like the braised short ribs, grilled steak for two or the Greek inspired slow-roasted lamb sirloin with skordalia, lima beans, yogurt and marinated cucumber.