• The Bazaar by José Andrés (Beverly Hills): Walking into this SLS Hotel restaurant is total sensory overload: four separate areas all in one open space, with lots of shiny glitz and glam, artwork, and eye candy. Spanish celebrity chef José Andrés put L.A. on the dining map with his traditional and contemporary take on tapas. The cocktails alone are worth a visit—margarita with salt "air," anyone? 
  • Cut (Beverly Hills): Tom and Katie may not be regulars anymore, but A-listers still frequent this place, and because the room is so open, they have nowhere to hide. It's all in the details at Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse, from perfectly cooked steaks to top-notch service to Sherry Yard's amazing desserts.
  • Koi (West Hollywood): The combination of soothing feng shui ambience and superb Asian fusion cuisine made Koi one of the hottest restaurants in L.A. Hollywood's biggest celebrities come here often to nosh on addictive dishes such as baked crab rolls with edible rice paper and miso-bronzed black cod.
  • The Little Door (Los Angeles): Consistently voted one of L.A.'s most romantic restaurants is this French/Mediterranean charmer hidden behind a little door on 3rd Street. Sit at the shaded patio among the fragrant bougainvillea while sipping champagne and you'd swear you're in Provence.
  • Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles): Side-by-side Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza are a must-stop. Every time we eat at either one, we spend the next few days dreamily contemplating how simple yet brilliant the meal was.
  • Ray's and Stark Bar (Los Angeles): This is hands-down L.A.'s best museum restaurant. While it doesn't have the sweeping vistas of the one at the Getty, the patio is adjacent to the famous lamppost installation. Both food and drink are top-notch. It's something special.
  • Saddle Peak Lodge (Calabasas): This converted hunting lodge is quite the quixotic setting for a game-centric meal for two. Candlelit tables, a crackling fireplace, and a Wine Spectator-endorsed wine list are sure bets for creating la mood d'amour.
  • Best Places for a Power Lunch: Between 12:30 and 2pm, industry honchos swarm like locusts to a handful of watering holes du jour. Actors, agents, lawyers, and producers flock to perennial favorites The Ivy, West Hollywood, and the L.A. branch of New York's venerable The Palm, Beverly Hills, a steakhouse where the food is impeccable and the conversations read like dialogue from Entourage.
  • Best Old-School Diners: Stand in line for one of the city's best hamburgers at the U-shaped counter of Apple Pan, West L.A. Choose from the "steakburger" or the saucy "hickory burger"—though regulars know to get extra hickory sauce on the side (for french fry dipping). The wallpaper at this beloved family-run cottage on the busy Westside looks like it dates from the opening day in 1947. Former mayor Richard Riordan's the Original Pantry, Downtown, stays open 24 hours a day, serving up large plates of traditional American comfort food (meatloaf, coleslaw, ham 'n' eggs) that would win comfort-food culinary awards and offers some of the best values in town (you won't leave hungry, that's for sure). Du-Par's, Los Angeles, has been serving diner-style satisfaction, including breakfast all day, at the Farmers Market since 1938, and a visit is a great excuse to explore the historic Market and the shops of The Grove.
  • Best View: The Restaurant at the Getty Center, West L.A., has an in-the-clouds locale that makes for postcard views when the L.A. sky is haze-free. Reservations are recommended, even for lunch and brunch (served Tues–Sun); dinner is served only on Saturday, when the museum is open late. For one of the best views in Los Angeles, The Penthouse, Santa Monica, at the top of the 18-story Huntley Santa Monica Beach, has a 360-degree view of Santa Monica, with Los Angeles to the east, the beach to the west, Malibu to the north, and Venice to the south, not to mention the occasional celeb or two in-house. There is really no bad seat, but the cabanas are definitely prime real estate.
  • Best "Old Hollywood" Restaurant: Haunted by the ghosts of Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway—who drank here during their screenwriting days—Musso & Frank Grill,  Hollywood, is virtually unchanged since 1919. This is the Hollywood restaurant that all others imitate. The atmosphere urges you to order a martini and (on Thursdays) the creamy chicken pot pie. Some of the professional waitstaff has worked here for decade, and if asked, will swax nostalgic about the days when Hollywood Boulevard was still fashionable and Orson Welles held court at Musso's.
  • Best Spot for People-Watching: Nowhere in L.A. is better for people-watching than Venice's Ocean Front Walk, and no restaurant offers a better seat for the action than the Sidewalk Cafe, Venice. Unobstructed views of parading skaters, bikers, skateboarders, musclemen, break dancers, street performers, sword swallowers, and other participants in the daily carnival overshadow the food, which is better than it needs to be.
  • Best Spots for Celebrity Sighting: You'll always find well-known faces frequenting Hollywood hot spots such as Katsuya Hollywood. Other celebrity hangouts include Tower Bar at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood and, of course, Spago Beverly Hills.
  • Best Alfresco Dining: You'll find that more and more Los Angeles restaurants are eager to create appealing outdoor seating, even if it means placing bistro tables along a busy sidewalk.  An affordable way to enjoy a meal outdoors is to stroll Sunset Boulevard around Sunset Plaza Drive. At least a half-dozen sidewalk cafes dot this strip—and the people-watching is some of the best in the city. 
  • Best California Cuisine: Everyone seems to be doing market-to-table cuisine these days, understandable since L.A. is blessed with amazing farmers' markets and produce year-round. At Santa Monica's Michael's, chef/owner Michael McCarty is considered an originator of California cuisine, but others like Hatfield's, Los Angeles; and Forage, Silver Lake, always have some of the best season-inspired menus.
  • Best Italian Cuisine: After more than 40 years in the business, restaurateur Piero Selvaggio is still at the top of his game. Nothing beats the understated elegance of Valentino, Santa Monica, for an authentic Italian dinner. Selvaggio's hospitality is oft imitated (or exaggerated) but never duplicated. Though new-school foodies may chide me for my ode to the old-fashioned, sometimes simple really is best. I dare you to find a better vitello tonnato. And it's continually honored with Wine Spectator's highest ratings.
  • Best Mexican Cuisine: L.A. is teeming with authentic Mexican food—some of the tastiest is even found on mobile taco trucks. Nachos were said to be invented at El Cholo,  Los Angeles, and they're still made in the classic style; each item on the historic menu is notated with the date it was first added to the roster.
  • Best Afternoon Tea: Surrounded by botanical gardens, the tearoom at the Huntington Library, San Marino, is truly an oasis. The Huntington, located in a wealthy residential area near Pasadena, has the added appeal of pre- and post-tea activities, such as strolling the theme gardens, viewing the art gallery or library, and visiting the bookstore/gift shop. Though it's a bit pricey, the tea is served buffet-style, so you can stuff yourself with fresh-baked scones, finger sandwiches, and strawberries with thick Devonshire cream.
  • Best Noshing (While Standing): Open since 1917 but attracting more hipsters by the hour, Grand Central Market, Downtown, is L.A.'s largest and oldest food hall, selling everything from fresh bread, local and exotic produce, and fresh fruit juice to smoked meats, Chinese noodles, and chili.
  • Best for Late-Night Dining: On the theory that later is better, our vote goes to Toi on Sunset, West Hollywood. You'll never feel like the last patron at this place—they're open until 4am—and the terrific Thai food will give your fading brain a spicy kick.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.