Best Of
The 10 best restaurants in Los Angeles (2026): ranked by 33,964 real Google reviews
Our picks for the best restaurants in Los Angeles, built from verbatim Google reviews rather than ads or paid placements.
The Local Desk · Los Angeles, CA · October 26, 2026
Key facts
Girl & the Goat Los Angeles tops this list of 10 places in Los Angeles, CA, ranked from 33,964 Google reviews, October 26, 2026. Cross-checked against 3 outside rankings. Nobody pays to be listed.
| # | Business | Rating | Reviews | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Girl & the Goat Los Angeles | 4.8★ | 3,854 | Best for shared plates |
| 2 | Bottega Louie | 4.5★ | 7,837 | Best for macarons |
| 3 | 71Above | 4.5★ | 2,848 | Best for skyline views |
| 4 | JOEY DTLA | 4.8★ | 5,912 | Best for birthdays |
| 5 | Oste | 4.7★ | 1,120 | Best for pinsa |
| 6 | Massilia - DTLA | 4.8★ | 744 | Best for pre-show dinner |
| 7 | Chubby Cattle BBQ | Monterey Park | 4.9★ | 6,119 | Best for AYCE wagyu |
| 8 | Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar | 4.4★ | 533 | Best for pre-game eats |
| 9 | Maccheroni Republic | 4.6★ | 3,180 | Best for walk-in dinner |
| 10 | NIKU X | 4.6★ | 1,817 | Best for large groups |
Los Angeles has more good dinners than anyone can eat in a lifetime, so this list is narrow on purpose. We read what people actually wrote after they paid the check — the dish they named twice, the server they asked for, the wait they hit on a concert night — and kept the ten places where the praise is specific and keeps repeating.
There are 33,964 Google reviews behind this list, which averages 4.66★ against a city average of 4.49★. We read the 1,216 newest reviews across Los Angeles and Monterey Park, and the topics that came up most were macarons (385), welcoming staff (226), champagne (204), pastries (199), bakery (191) and fresh food (122).
1,216
reviews read
33,964
Google reviews behind the list
4.66★
list average
city average 4.49★
2
areas covered
Los Angeles, Monterey Park
What reviewers mention most across the list: macarons (385) · welcoming staff (226) · champagne (204) · pastries (199) · bakery (191) · fresh food (122)
- 1
Girl & the Goat Los Angeles
★★★★★ 4.8 · 3,854 Google reviews555-3 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); social proof: 2 TikTok/Instagram posts · 2.7 km from downtown
Best for shared platesA 4.8★ average across 3,854 reviews is rare at this volume, and the Arts District room on Mateo Street, about 2.7 km from downtown, runs on shared plates — kalbi ribs, pork belly and roasted beet salad come up again and again. Reviewers also keep mentioning the outdoor patio and how hard the tables are to get.
“Get a reservation or you will never get it, worth every second and dollar!”
Girl & the Goat Los Angeles Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 2
Bottega Louie
★★★★★ 4.5 · 7,837 Google reviews700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017 · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 60,500 searches a month for its name; social proof: 2 TikTok/Instagram posts · 0.6 km from downtown
Best for macaronsmacaronspastriesbakerybeignetsNo restaurant on this list is more photographed — 27,536 photos and 7,837 reviews — and macarons are far and away the most-mentioned topic, followed by pastries and the bakery counter. Reviewers also name the portobello fries and truffle pizza, and warn that the Grand Avenue room gets loud.
↗ 29 of its 38 newest reviews landed in the last 30 days
“Some of the best macaroons you’ll ever taste!”
Bottega Louie Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 3
71Above
★★★★★ 4.5 · 2,848 Google reviews633 W 5th St 71st floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 40,500 searches a month for its name; social proof: 2 TikTok/Instagram posts · 0.4 km from downtown
Best for skyline viewsSeventy-one floors up on West 5th Street, barely 0.4 km from the center of downtown, this is the set-course splurge people book for anniversaries and birthdays. Reviewers describe watching the city go from sunset to lights, and several mention the wine pairing and window tables.
“Pro tip just sit on the bar for the best sunset”
- 4
JOEY DTLA
★★★★★ 4.8 · 5,912 Google reviews700 W 7th St Ste S430, Los Angeles, CA 90017 · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 50 searches a month for its name · 0.5 km from downtown
Best for birthdayswelcoming staffchampagnecomplimentary champagnehappy hourWelcoming staff and champagne are the two things reviewers mention most here, and the birthday write-ups pile up — 4.8★ from 5,912 reviews on West 7th Street. Regulars name the truffle fries, steak frites and happy hour, and several say to reserve because it fills fast.
↗ 51 of its 51 newest reviews landed in the last 30 days
“The hostess were friendly and offered complimentary sparkling wine while we waited to be sat”
- 5
Oste
★★★★★ 4.7 · 1,120 Google reviews8142 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 1,900 searches a month for its name · 10.2 km from downtown
Best for pinsaThe West 3rd Street Italian room holds 4.7★ over 1,120 reviews, and the pinsa is what people cross town for — pizza, pasta and the ox tail ragu come up constantly. It's about 10.2 km from downtown, with valet out front and a patio regulars treat as their neighborhood table.
“I travel from NYC just to get their pinsa”
- 6
Massilia - DTLA
★★★★★ 4.8 · 744 Google reviews100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 110 searches a month for its name · 1 km from downtown
Best for pre-show dinnerTucked on South Grand at Bunker Hill, a kilometer from downtown's center, this 4.8★ spot gets written up by people with concert or opera tickets that night. Reviewers mention the open-air seating, the salads and the bar as a place to land before a show.
↗ 16 of its 16 newest reviews landed in the last 30 days
“Great views of Walt Disney Concert Hall and Dorothy Chandler”
Massilia - DTLA Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 7
Chubby Cattle BBQ | Monterey Park
★★★★★ 4.9 · 6,119 Google reviews501 W Garvey Ave #108, Monterey Park, CA 91754 · on 0 of 3 outside rankings; about 720 searches a month for its name; social proof: 2 TikTok/Instagram posts · 12 km from downtown
Best for AYCE wagyufresh foodwagyuchocolatediamond menuThe highest rating on the list — 4.9★ from 6,119 reviews — out in Monterey Park, 12 km from downtown on West Garvey. Reviewers keep naming fresh food, wagyu, the diamond menu and the all-you-can-eat tiers, plus the iPad ordering with photos of every item.
↗ 49 of its 49 newest reviews landed in the last 30 days
“The Experience & Food The concept of cooking your own meat right at your table makes dining here so engaging and unique”
Chubby Cattle BBQ | Monterey Park Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 8
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
★★★★★ 4.4 · 533 Google reviews800 W Olympic Blvd A-180 #A-180, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 480 searches a month for its name; social proof: 2 TikTok/Instagram posts · 1 km from downtown
Best for pre-game eatsOn West Olympic by the arena, this is the most practical pick here: reviewers time their meals around Kings games, concerts and Anime Expo crowds. A few note slow service on busy Sundays, while others got six people fed and out before puck drop.
“Good option for a quick bite before the game”
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 9
Maccheroni Republic
★★★★★ 4.6 · 3,180 Google reviews332 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 27,100 searches a month for its name · 1 km from downtown
Best for walk-in dinnerHidden off South Broadway in an alley courtyard, with 4.6★ from 3,180 reviews and a name people search about 27,100 times a month. Reviewers praise the handmade pasta and value, and one notes arriving at 5:30pm and walking straight in to the patio; there's no lot, so plan to pay for parking.
“Amazing pasta, cute patio, perfect lunch in DTLA”
Maccheroni Republic Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
- 10
NIKU X
★★★★★ 4.6 · 1,817 Google reviews900 Wilshire Blvd Ste 212, Los Angeles, CA 90017, USA · on 1 of 3 outside rankings (google.com/search); about 110 searches a month for its name · 0.3 km from downtown
Best for large groupsA fine-dining take on all-you-can-eat on Wilshire, 0.3 km from downtown's center, with 4.6★ from 1,817 reviews. Anniversaries, retirements and 14-person birthday lunches dominate the recent write-ups, and the A5 ribeye and wagyu nigiri get named most often.
↗ 32 of its 53 newest reviews landed in the last 30 days
“Highly recommended for special occasions especially with large groups!”
Start with the occasion, not the ranking. If you're celebrating, 71Above, JOEY DTLA and NIKU X are the three places where reviewers mention birthdays and anniversaries by name; if you have tickets, Massilia - DTLA sits by the concert hall and Lazy Dog sits by the arena. For a plain good dinner, Oste and Maccheroni Republic are the pasta picks, Chubby Cattle BBQ is worth the drive to Monterey Park, and Bottega Louie is as much a bakery stop as a meal. Check the reservation situation before you go — several of these fill up, and one of them doesn't take bookings at all.
Questions people ask
Which of these need a reservation?
Reviewers of Girl & the Goat Los Angeles say to get a reservation or you won't get in. At JOEY DTLA, one regular advises making reservations to avoid long waits except at Sunday brunch. Maccheroni Republic, by contrast, was described by one reviewer as not taking bookings — they arrived at 5:30pm and walked straight in to the patio.
Where should I eat before a game or concert downtown?
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar on West Olympic is right by the arena and reviewers routinely eat there before Kings games and concerts, though one notes it often has a waiting list after events. Massilia - DTLA on South Grand has views of Walt Disney Concert Hall and a bar reviewers use for a drink before a show.
What about parking?
It varies. A Maccheroni Republic reviewer says there's no parking and you have to pay elsewhere. At Bottega Louie, a reviewer calls parking the only problem but says the valet helps a lot. Oste has valet parking, which one reviewer called quick and another noted comes at a cost.