With more than 400 restaurants participating this summer, here are the restaurants worth making reservations for
The highly anticipated Dine LA returns this month, with more than 400 restaurants across 86 neighborhoods offering specially priced prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. Whether discovering a new cuisine or revisiting a favorite spot, the biannual event invites Angelenos to explore Los Angeles’ diverse dining scene while supporting the restaurants that help define the city’s vibrant food culture.
Dine LA runs from Friday, Aug. 14, through Friday, Aug. 28, with participating restaurants offering everything from fine dining to casual favorites. To help narrow down the options, here are some of the city’s must-try spots.
Our Top Picks
Ladyhawk
Credit: Kallie Jung
Previously featured in Los Angeles magazine’s Best New Restaurants, Ladyhawk returns to Dine LA with a $65 three-course dinner showcasing the signature Eastern Mediterranean cuisine of Top Chef Middle East winner Chef Charbel Hayek. Located inside the Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, the restaurant offers standout dishes including Grilled Black Tiger Shrimp with matbucha coulis, chili oil and parsley, and Half Chicken with whipped toum, pickles and little gem lettuce. End the meal with the must-try Olive Oil Cake, served with orange compote and rosemary.
Sky Room
Credit: Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
While on the higher end of Dine LA pricing, Sky Room’s $85 three-course dinner is truly worth the price, offering diners the opportunity to try the fine dining destination at a fraction of the cost. Nestled atop the Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, menu showcases Executive Chef Maxwell Pfeiffer’s contemporary California cuisine, served inside of a glamorous Old Hollywood setting. Standout dishes include the Tomato & Melon Salad with stracciatella, tomato vinaigrette and basil sorbet, Red Wine Braised Short Rib with grilled maitake mushroom, spring onion and potato mousseline and a Mango Dessert featuring passion fruit curd, coconut meringue and almond crumble.
Bacari
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Who doesn’t love a Bacari deal? Across all Los Angeles locations, the Venetian-inspired Mediterranean favorite is offering multi-course meals at an exceptional value. For lunch and dinner, diners can choose a salad, two entrées and a dessert for $45 per person. Standout options include the Tuscan Kale Salad, Pistachio Lamb Kebab, Sea Bass and Bacari Burger.
On Saturdays and Sundays, Bacari is also serving a prix fixe brunch for $35 per person, featuring two entrées and a dessert. Highlights include the Chef’s French Toast, Shakshuka and Shawarma Tacos, followed by a choice of vegan double chocolate chip cake or Malabi.
Budget-Friendly Spots
Grand Central Market
Dine LA is taking over downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Central Market this August, with special menus from favorites including Broad Street Oyster Co., Olio Wood Fired Pizzeria and Sticky Rice.
With meals starting at just $15, Grand Central Market is an ideal stop for lunch breaks and summer visitors alike. Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth to the neon-lit food hall, Dine LA offers an affordable way to discover new favorites. Standout offerings include Moon Rabbit’s Thai grilled chicken rice bowl with cold-brew jasmine tea, Broad Street Oyster Co.’s chopped lobster Caesar wrap and barbecue platters loaded with smoked brisket, pulled pork, tri-tip and baby back ribs from Maple Block.
Confections by Kirari West
This Redondo Beach gluten-free bakery is serving $15 breakfast and lunch combos for walk-in customers. Breakfast features a choice of original, blueberry cinnamon or chocolate chip pancakes, served with a beverage, two eggs any style and two strips of bacon. Lunch includes gluten-free pizza paired with the bakery’s signature shortbread cookies or a Cluckwork Chicken Burger with roasted potatoes or salad. Breakfast is served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch available daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Planta
Inside Planta Cocina in Marina del ReyCredit: (Courtesy Planta Cocina)
A vegan haven on the Marina del Rey waterfront, Planta is serving a three-course Dine LA menu for $25 at lunch and $35 at dinner. Alongside marina views, diners can enjoy plant-based favorites including Crispy Rice with spicy ahi watermelon and avocado, Quesabirria with mushrooms, red chili and cilantro lime and Matcha Cheesecake for dessert.
New to Dine LA
Josephine
Credit: Oscar Mendoza
Making its Dine LA debut, Josephine is offering a $65 three-course dinner menu featuring Chef Marco Gagliardi’s French-Italian cuisine. The 1950s bungalow-style restaurant was opened by childhood friends Anthony Dragotto and Gagliardi and is located in Silverlake. The special menu highlights dishes including Heirloom Tomato with pine nut gremolata and colatura, Steak Frites with sansho peppercorn sauce and Blackberry Clafoutis with crème fraîche for dessert.
Omaniku
Located in the Sheraton hotel in San Gabriel, Omaniku is a fine dining restaurant that places quality ingredients at the forefront, featuring USDA Prime steak from Greater Omaha and Snake River Farms, along with Japanese A5 Wagyu from the Miyazaki Prefecture. For their first year participating in Dine LA, Omaniku’s $78 per person 10-course meal includes Tiger Prawns with a tangy pumpkin sauce, a SRF “Gold” American Wagyu Outside Skirt paired with a light citrus sauce, their SRF “Gold” American Wagyu Short-Rib seared with a creamy Boursin-Yakiniku sauce and for dessert, a mango pudding with fresh fruit.
Dune
After opening approximately a decade ago in Atwater Village, Dune will be opening its doors to Dine LA goers for the very first time. The Middle Eastern counter-service establishment is best known for its falafel sandwiches that please both meat-eaters and vegans alike. For Dine LA, their staple Organic Green Herb Falafel sandwich is at the top of the menu for $35 per person and is paired with both an appetizer and dessert. Highlights also include the loaded steak fries and House Baklava to end your visit with a sweet treat.