Los Angeles Restaurants

Los Angeles may not rival New York when it comes to top dining, but it does have a wide choice of exotic cuisines and chefs who are prepared to experiment. Fresh, seasonal local ingredients are the key to good food and the state benefits from some wonderful produce.

Whatever you are in the mood for, you will find it here; Argentinean, Cajun, Caribbean, Indian, Korean and Moroccan to name but a few. In particular, the city's proximity to Latin America gives rise to some tasty dishes. Local chefs frequently include ingredients indigenous to Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia.

If you want a table at the any of the city's best restaurants, you will probably need to book several weeks in advance for a table at a weekend and at least two weeks ahead for a weekday reservation. Remember, it's against the law to smoke in any restaurant in California. You should also plan on dining early as most restaurants close their kitchens around 22:00.

Where to eat

You should be able to get a decent meal in just about any part of the city, but the finest restaurants are west of downtown. West Hollywood, The Fairfax, Melrose, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are all good areas for top dining.

There are many famous celebrity-owned restaurants that attract most of the attention, but quite often the food is less than outstanding. Be prepared to explore some of the smaller neighbourhoods for the best dining experiences. If you're looking for something inexpensive then there are the normal burger bars and fast food restaurants everywhere. A lot of bars also have happy hours when you can get some good deals on food and drink.