Essential Restaurants: Los Angeles Edition

For the connoisseur of exquisite restaurants, Los Angeles is a revelation. The diversity of the population allows for fine dining regardless of what ethnicity gets your juices flowing. Thai, sushi, fantastic delis, or a carne asada burrito so good it will bring you to tears: the City of Angels has you covered. In this article, we’ll give you a few of our top recommendations for a meal you’ll never forget.

We have to start with Cassia, in Santa Monica. Santa Monica is a hotbed of exceptional restaurants, and this is a standout among standouts. It’s not too formal, but it still feels upscale, and the menu has a lot to do with it. The expansive cocktail list alone is worth stopping by, but for the seafood lover, the raw bar is as fresh as they come. If you want something more substantial, the menu marries the flavors of Singapore with those of Vietnam, though the French technique is also much in evidence.

Gjusta is next on our list, another Santa Monica favorite. There’s not a ton of seating, but the bread, sweets, and pastries are available to go. If you’re there for breakfast, try a flatbread pizza…for lunch, you can’t go wrong with the porchetta or a prime rib sandwich. Make sure not to miss the house-made pate, either.

Staying in Santa Monica, dinner destination Felix is probably the city’s Italian heavyweight. You should be able to find something on the lengthy wine list that pairs perfectly with the homemade pasta. Standouts are the pappardelle bolognese, the tonnarelli cacio e Pepe, and the rigatoni all’amatriciana. These are real stick-to-your-ribs entrees..you’ll have to go straight to a spin class the next morning.

Our last recommendation is Manhattan Beach Post, further south than the others, but well worth the drive. The mood there is dark and dreamy, but the cheddar-bacon biscuits will snap you back to reality in a hurry. The braised lamb belly and green curry mussels are also to die for…but get there early, because this place tends to stay at capacity regardless of what night of the week you’re visiting.     

It’s been hard keeping this list short, but we’ll be back next time for some more essential selections. Happy dining.