Lunch

This Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica is special—it’s the chain’s first location where you can eat expertly folded xiao long bao while gazing at an ocean view.

Smokey Chance is a barbecue stand inside Citizen Market with delicious brisket—just skip the sandwiches.

Her Thai is a casual Thai spot in Mid-City that’s great for quick meals, vegans, and a pre-going-out khao soi.

Sobar is a quiet soba bar in Culver City that’s great for a meditative meal of pure buckwheat noodles.

Asal Bakery & Kabob is a Persian mini-mart in Woodland Hills that serves solid kabob combos and ghormeh sabzi.

Petit Trois is a narrow, dark-wood bar counter in Hollywood that serves classic French bistro food. It's perfect for a date or long lunch.

This casual Koreatown spot turns bibimbap into a tasty ritual with a ton of different topping combinations.

Interstellar is a Santa Monica cafe with sleek black decor, solid brunch dishes, and a small patio where you can see a sliver of the ocean.

Monty’s Good Burger is a very good vegan burger spot in Koreatown.

Roma Market Italian Deli is an Italian supermarket in Pasadena with a famous sandwich that has no name.

Eagle Rock Kabob is home to one of our favorite plates of shawarma on the Eastside.

Taverna at The Mar Vista is a casual Greek spot that’s a nice neighborhood option for drinks and snacking on mezze.

Located in the Palm Springs Art Museum, Livs is the perfect place for a sunny, slightly fancy lunch in Palm Springs.

Fatty Mart is a colorful market from the Little Fatty people with grab-and-go lunch options and a hot bar serving mapo tofu pizza-by-the-slice.

When temperatures hit triple digits in Palm Springs, head immediately to Crudo for fresh ceviche.

Shojin in Culver City makes vegan sushi that any sauce-drizzled roll lover will enjoy.

This casual Peruvian spot in Pico-Union is home to the best rotisserie chicken in LA.

Pollo Mania is a great rotisserie chicken shop in El Monte with even better housemade tortillas.

Holbox, a Mexican seafood counter inside the Mercado La Paloma in South Central, is eating in LA at its best.

Redwood Pie is a casual pizzeria in Hermosa Beach that makes the best pizza in the South Bay.

Bear Flag is a casual seafood restaurant with two locations in Newport Beach that serve incredibly fresh fish.

The Chicken Shop is a rotisserie chicken specialist in Newport Beach with healthy-ish lunch options.

This tiny yellow hut perched on a cliff on PCH has fantastic ocean views and great milkshakes.

Rye Goods is an organic sourdough bakery in Newport Beach with great pastries and bagel sandwiches.

Sichuan Street Food is a tiny restaurant in Pasadena serving solid spicy-and-numbing Chinese dishes.