18 Hottest Restaurants in Los Angeles, November 2021

While Santa Monica has no shortage of vegan dining options, you won’t find anything quite like Berbere, the new plant-based Ethiopian spot doing all-day hours and turning out a menu that ranges from tofu scramble breakfast sandwiches to crispy tacos with Ethiopian flavors. —Farley Elliott

Michael Greco and chef Brendan Collins have carved out a separate meat palace aptly called Fia Steak with an Italian approach to hulking pieces of grilled meat. The menu starts with luxe items like grand seafood towers, caviar service, and raw fish, stepping into classic steakhouse salads like wedge and baby gem caesar. Steak options included a massive costata di manzo, priced at $12 an ounce and plenty of other dry-aged, premium cuts seared and then sliced before being presented at the table. This is the baller steakhouse Santa Monica has been waiting for. —Matthew Kang

One of LA’s most unexpected openings, this supper club and music venue nestled into the Venice Boardwalk has a bit of that Delilah vibe but next to the beach. The fare is classic American with some Asian influences, and the music is a surprise every night in terms of star power but more than likely to be someone you’ve heard on the radio. —Matthew Kang

LA isn’t really aching for celebrity-riddled restaurants, but it’s hard to think of a flashier opening in recent memory than this Spanish spot co-owned by tennis star Rafael Nadal, soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo, and Laker hall of famer Pau Gasol. The midcentury modern-inspired decor couples well with classy jamon iberico, pan con lechon, and paella. Impromptu dancing, well-garnished cocktails, and live music add to the true party vibe of the place. —Matthew Kang

Beverly Hills certainly has plenty of places to get steak, but Matū might be the most compelling place for beef right now, with a gorgeous and understated dining room along South Beverly Drive. The menu has a five course tasting that offers various cuts of the restaurant’s trademark New Zealand-grown wagyu beef from First Light. What’s on the tasting menu changes every day, but the grilled ribeye, wood-grilled maitake mushrooms, and iceberg lettuce salad are highlights. Finish the meal with the delicious flourless chocolate cake. —Matthew Kang

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto has opened restaurants across the globe but this is the Food Network chef’s latest foray into Los Angeles. Previously the Japanese chef had opened a kiosk at LAX, but this is a fuller version of Morimoto’s pan-Asian outlook, with dumplings and sushi rolls to noodle soups. —Matthew Kang

Chicago’s popular Italian-inspired restaurant feels right at home in Southern California, with pastas, blistered pizzas, rustic grilled proteins, and seasonal produce dishes in a modern space in Culver City. —Matthew Kang

David Gibbs, who operates Augustine, Mirabelle, and Sushi Note in the Valley, expands into West Third Street with partner Andy Paxson (Simplethings) with a friendly neighborhood bar serving a tight, wine-friendly menu (with help from consultant Shane Lopez) and an extensive set of vintage and mostly Old World picks by the glass. —Matthew Kang

There might not be a classier rooftop venue than Bar Lis, which opened over the summer at the new Thompson Hotel in Hollywood. With sweeping views of the Hollywood hills and a sprawling lounge area, Bar Lis is more of a place for lighter fare and French-inflected cocktails (the Wednesday jazz nights are especially compelling). The bites are surprisingly good though, with blistered shishito peppers, hamachi crudo topped with shaved fennel, and a comté-topped burger highlighting the menu. —Matthew Kang

Puerto Rican food hasn’t had a standout new opening for a very long time, but Triple Threat Truck owner Omayra Dakis has landed with this exciting new restaurant in Little Tokyo’s Doubletree Hotel. Serving classic Puerto Rican street fare inspired by kioskos in Playa Pinones, as well as more composed dishes, it’s a party almost every night here. —Matthew Kang

The move at Chinatown’s Broadway Cuisine is to gather a group of hearty eaters, cram around the lazy Susan, and feast on expertly prepared Chinese-American fare. The menu is chock-full of classics like mu shu pork, hot and sour soup, and kung pao chicken. There’s also a Chinese-language menu featuring a dozen or so homestyle dishes from chef Yi Long Yu’s native Guangdong Province. And if the mood to belt out pop tunes happens to strike, snag one of the private dining rooms decked out with karaoke machines. —Cathy Chaplin