Where to Find Downtown L.A.’s Most Elevated Dining, From Bistro Classics to Modern Mexican
From Michelin-starred tasting menus to stylish newcomers, these restaurants are reshaping fine dining in Downtown Los Angeles.
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Downtown Los Angeles is a historic hub home to world-renowned museums, scenic rooftop bars, urban nightlife and an ever-growing restaurant scene. Given its rich and diverse cultural landscape, you can find everything from authentic dim sum in Chinatown to mouthwatering pupusas at Sarita’s Pupuseria in Grand Central Market. Places like Good Clean Fun and Propaganda are perfect for sipping natural wine, while Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo is famous for its simple and traditional sashimi and nigiri spreads. Looking to indulge in the ultimate comfort cuisine? Pine and Crane is a casual Taiwanese eatery that crafts classics like Dan Dan noodles, dumplings and mapo tofu. Smorgasburg is another neighborhood highlight that takes place every Sunday, but if you’re looking to wine and dine in a more upscale setting, there’s no shortage of fancy fine dining options in DTLA.
Michelin-starred restaurants like Kato, Hayato and Camphor are worth the splurge for a special occasion, while newer staple Camélia beautifully blends French and Japanese flavors. Celebrity chefs including Stephanie Izard, José Andrés and Chris Bianco have also left their mark by crossing state lines to bring their award-winning concepts to downtown L.A. Whether you’re in the mood for modern Mexican in an industrial setting or sweeping city views paired with Spanish tapas, we’ve got you covered on where to enjoy elegant dining in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Best Restaurants in DTLA
Camélia
- 1850 Industrial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Camélia is a masterclass in French fare with a Japanese twist. The Arts District space features a covered terrace quartered off by manicured hedges, but inside, industrial bones are balanced by elegant, bistro-like decor and high-end furnishings. The market lettuce salad with mango is a can’t-miss dish, piled high with curly shavings of Comté—do yourself a favor and pair this with the sunchoke-infused white Negroni. The croque madame with katsu-style ham is another highlight, as is the Spaghetti Bolognese à la Japonaise and Koji-roasted chicken. In addition to creative cocktails and a decent wine list, Camélia also serves a solid sake selection.
Kato
- 777 S Alameda St Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Kato is a one-Michelin-star L.A. restaurant by chef Jonathan Yao, who most recently made headlines for winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef in California. The seasonal tasting menu, which costs $325 per person, features Taiwanese influences for a dining experience that is far from traditional. Situated within the Row DTLA, the clean and contemporary dining room blends airy accents with loft-like concrete walls, but the artful display of each course ends up stealing the show. Kato’s beloved summer series is also returning this year, and will run every Sunday until September 7. Expect 10-course collaborations with SoCal restaurants like San Diego’s Animae, Beverly Hills’ Funke and even nearby Camélia.
Hayato
- 1320 E 7th St #126, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Also located at Row DTLA, Hayato is one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants, hosting only seven seats in an intimate, kaiseki-style setting. For $450 per person, guests are able to watch from the counter as the chefs craft a 14-course, seafood-focused meal. Traditional techniques lead the way, yielding beautifully detailed bites, while a curated collection of vintage Japanese tableware adds to the artistry of each course.
San Laurel
- 100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
San Laurel is a chef José Andrés restaurant on the 10th floor of the Conrad Los Angeles. In typical José Andrés fashion, the menu revolves around elevated Spanish cuisine with a California spin. The open-air terrace looks right over Frank Gehry’s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, while the restaurant’s overall ambiance remains breezy and polished. The Jamón Ibérico is a signature appetizer, but if you’re a fan of seafood, don’t skip the seared scallops or gambas. End your evening with the Basque-style cheesecake and clarified Japanese milk punch.
Girl and the Goat
- 555-3 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Girl and the Goat is a Chicago transplant by Top Chef-winner Stephanie Izard. The massive, industrial space in the heart of DTLA’s Arts District is balanced by bright, airy windows and lush greenery in every corner. A new American menu meets global influences across unique creations like the shrimp and crispy greens salad, grilled oysters with sausage butter and the signature sticky glazed pork shank. Many of Izard’s most popular dishes take risks with complex textures and flavor combos, but the mango sticky rice dessert is one of her most eccentric recipes, featuring a creamy coconut cloud, pickled green mango and a crunchy watermelon granita. If you go for brunch, try the potato crepe or coconut sticky rice.
Baroo
- 905 E 2nd St #109, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Korean cuisine meets fine dining at chef Kwang Uh and Mina Park’s Baroo. Smooth slabs of concrete extend from the floor to the walls, allowing the restaurant to fit right in with its vibey and hip Arts District neighbors. Though you can choose to sit at a standard table, the best experience happens at the chef’s counter of this Michelin Guide eatery. The seven-course seasonal tasting menu costs $125, though enhancing your meal with the $75 wine pairing or $60 Korean sool pairing is always a good idea.
Bavel
- 500 Mateo St #102, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Bavel is a hip Middle Eastern restaurant by industry power couple Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. A sea of hanging greenery serves as the focal point of the bright and airy space, while the sleek open kitchen gives guests a peek at what’s happening behind the scenes. Many dishes are slow-cooked, evoking a range of vibrant flavors across meats, seafood and farm-fresh produce. Spreads like the hummus with Duck 'Nduja are perfect for sharing, though you might need an extra order of blistered pita bread. The fried artichoke and okra is a crispy and savory starter, as is the fried quail. For your main course, opt for the ossobuco tagine before concluding with the labneh cheesecake.
Deme
- 939 S Figueroa St Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Modern Mediterranean fare takes center stage at Hotel Figueroa’s Deme. Don’t expect your standard kabobs and tabouli salad here—chef Blake Shailes takes a much more creative approach to Levantine cuisine with highlights like the bluefin tuna dolmades and slow-cooked duck shawarma. Rather than opting for a classic hummus, branch out with the whipped ricotta topped with caramelized harissa honey. The crispy lobster kataifi is another fun bite, but the crispy octopus with grilled grapes is one of the most memorable.
Camphor
- 923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013
One-Michelin-starred Camphor is a charming and elegant French bistro tucked behind a red brick wall in the Arts District. Headed by chef Genevieve Gergis, the menu features several signature creations, but whether you’re sitting at the bar or a table, start with the olive oil-washed Provence martini. The juicy burger has been a hit since it landed on the menu, but don’t sleep on the scallop-stuffed demi lune pasta, which is served in a buttery sauce that can be soaked up with the fluffy dinner rolls. The steak au poivre with a side of frites is another local Angeleno favorite, just make sure you save room for the bread pudding at dessert.
Pizzeria Bianco
- 1320 E 7th St Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90021
In 2022, Chris Bianco brought a slice of his famous Phoenix pies to the Row DTLA. Warm wooden booths, concrete walls and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors create a relaxed yet chic vibe for puffy-crust pizzas and free-flowing wine. Though small plates like the little gem salad and farinata certainly satisfy, you’ll want to save room for the star of the show. Many consider the Rose, which is topped with red onion, pistachios and rosemary, to be Bianco’s claim to fame, though meat-lovers will be more drawn to the sausage-topped Wiseguy or soppressata-adorned Sonny Boy.
Damian
- 2132 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Damian’s minimalist and urban atmosphere is enhanced by lush greenery and trees, creating a greenhouse-like backdrop in the middle of DTLA’s Arts District. Contemporary Mexican recipes are complemented by California produce, but before diving into the food menu, take some time to appreciate cocktails like the spicy mezcal margarita and passion fruit-forward Sabor a Mi. The herbaceous guacamole is a classic, but other standout dishes include the Cesar tostada, prawns a la parrilla, carne asada and duck carnitas tacos. For dessert, try the creamy soft serve ice cream. The restaurant also hosts a happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Bestia
- 2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Bestia, which first opened in 2012, is another venture by Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. This innovative Italian eatery is located within a repurposed warehouse where industrial bones meet wood-fired fare and creative cocktails. Appetizers like the charred octopus, homemade buttermilk ricotta and grilled Caledonian prawns start your meal strong, but when it comes to quenching your thirst, Bestia’s signature Chef’s Old Fashioned features a bourbon washed with smoked bone marrow, giving it a silky mouthfeel and savory undertones. The wood-fired pizzas are also a hit, though you can’t miss the corn mascarpone agnolotti and grilled branzino.
