![\"kateen\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1752514516_731_960x0.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLos Angeles is one of the best cities in the world to eat in\u2014but only if you know where to go. Summer brings out the worst of its food scene (overhyped openings, influencer mobs, patios with no shade and even less finesse), as well as the very best: smoky tacos on the Westside, rooftop bars with actual personality, and high-falutin\u2019 hotspots that are still worth the chase.<\/p>\n
So, after a few weeks spent scouring street food and fine-dining establishments alike, here\u2019s a tried-and-tested guide on where to actually eat well in LA this summer\u2014no gimmicks, just the good stuff.<\/p>\n
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KA’TEEN, Los Angeles<\/p>\n
KA’TEEN<\/p>\n
KA\u2019TEEN, Hollywood<\/p>\n
The vibe is lush, the plates are shareable, and the crowd is textbook Hollywood\u2014half gorgeous people, half people with great taste trying to date gorgeous people. All of whom, undoubtedly, leave texting their friends about the best Mexican food they’ve had in ages. Chef Wes Avila (ex\u2013Guerrilla Tacos) leans into Yucat\u00e1n cooking at KA\u2019TEEN<\/a>, with standout wood-fired meats and a roasted bone marrow mole rojo I will defend with my life. Sunday brunch is an attraction in its own right: order the huevos rancheros, a roasted corn ash-rimmed mezcalita, get lost in the foliage and thank me later.<\/p>\n Desert 5 Spot, Los Angeles<\/p>\n Desert 5 Spot<\/p>\n Desert 5 Spot, Hollywood<\/p>\n Imagine Dolly Parton designed a rooftop bar. Now add mezcal. Just upstairs from KA\u2019TEEN, Desert 5 Spot<\/a> leans full-throttle into kitsch\u2014non-stop country music, poolside cactus murals, and a regular lineup of two-step classes that somehow draw more locals than tourists. Come for line dancing on a Wednesday, stay for the prickly pear-infused Ring of FIrecocktail, and a healthy round of mixologist-fuelled singalongs. It\u2019s high-camp, high-altitude, and offers more than enough reasons to forget you\u2019re in Hollywood (though you can literally see the Hollywood sign from the bar).<\/p>\n The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles<\/p>\n The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air<\/p>\n The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air, Bel-Air<\/p>\n If you\u2019re skipping a suite but still want the experience, there is no better way to get a taste of Bel-Air\u2019s most iconic hotel than visiting its namesake restaurant<\/a>. Perched beyond a swan\u2011filled lake and shaded by a canopy of impossibly bountiful florals, Chef Joe Garcia\u2019s Mediterranean\u2011Californian menu will quite simply give you too many options to choose from: handmade pea Agnolotti with sweet butter-poached lobster, the most indulgent Gulf prawn cocktail you\u2019ll ever lay tongue on, an impossibly decadent Old Hollywood onion dip topped with caviar, et al. All locally-sourced, all exceptional.<\/p>\n La Isla Bonita, LA<\/p>\n Lela London No summer food guide is complete without the truck that made LA seafood tacos a religion. La Isla Bonita<\/a> parks up on Rose Ave (often at 4th & Rose), and has been a local institution since the 1980s. Get the ceviche tostada\u2013a juicy mountain of fresh shrimp, octopus, avocado and tomato that barely holds together atop an impossibly light fried tortilla\u2013or the carnitas and fish taco if you’re feeling classic. Bring cash. Bring napkins. Bring respect.<\/p>\n Morihiro, Atwater Village<\/p>\n Chef Morihiro Onodera\u2019s omakase-only restaurant<\/a> shills sushi as slow art. He mills his own rice. He makes his own plates. He\u2019ll explain both to you, gently, as you eat in near silence with nine other diners. If that sounds like sweet relief, know it is\u2014and that you need to book immediately. Expect seasonal nigiri, impossibly precise technique, and a sake list that rewards those who lean in with curiosity. It\u2019s not flashy, it\u2019s just immaculate.<\/p>\n 88 Club, Los Angeles<\/p>\n 88 Club Led by chef Mei Lin (formerly of Top Chef fame and Nightshade), this sleek Chinese restaurant<\/a> just landed in Beverly Hills\u2014and it\u2019s already stealing reservations. Dinner feels like stepping into an underground glam\u2011noir film: dim wood panels, leather booths, vintage accent lighting\u2014think golden\u2011era Hollywood meets Chinese speakeasy. The menu respects traditional flavors (sweet & sour squirrel fish, Nam Yu roasted chicken) while elevating them through precision and playful presentation. Perfect for a late\u2011night date or celebratory blow\u2011out.<\/p>\n Gracias Madre, West Hollywood<\/p>\n It\u2019s plant-based, yes, but don\u2019t hold that against it. Gracias Madre<\/a>\u2019s mega-vegan Mexican menu has long outlived the \u201cnovelty\u201d phase and settled into being reliably great\u2014especially when paired with a mezcal margarita in its bougainvillea-covered courtyard. Try the sweet potato flautas and the mushroom barbacoa, and don\u2019t skimp on sides. It\u2019s popular with the wellness crowd, but more than delivers for the hungry foodie, too.<\/p>\n Restaurant Ki, Los Angeles<\/p>\n Restaurant Ki
\nLa Isla Bonita, Venice<\/p>\n
\n88 Club, Beverly Hills<\/p>\n
\nRestaurant Ki, Downtown LA<\/p>\n