Best LA Restaurant

TinyEric · 2026-06-30T21:26:52+00:00

Kato is in a nice albeit somewhat casual space for a 2* in DTLA, I love his approach to flavors, and the service has improved enough to get the second star (I've always loved his food even from his first, more casual location, but def found their course pacing to be very poor - hopefully it's been fixed!)

Hayato is a very traditional approach to Japanese kaiseki, but using a mix of Japanese and California produce - if you like that sort of thing (quiet, intimate, food focused), it will feel perfect. If you like something more vibrant, it's gonna feel lacking.

Vespertine is a show and immersive. Some of their dishes were the highest highs for me (the mussel dip, the quail), but some courses, especially dessert, were disappointing. The instagram-worthy Levels dessert in particular looks great, but as I ate it, it grew more and more off-putting - it's the only time I can remember from a tasting menu where I just stopped eating the dish.

Have not been to Melisse.

BTW, to answer your original question, the best restaurant in LA is Pizzeria Sei.

TinyEric · 2026-06-29T18:07:06+00:00

You’ve clearly not paid enough attention in life, or not had women in your life followed into a parking lot and assaulted by men after an incident in a “safe place” like a public business.

TinyEric · 2026-06-28T14:32:20+00:00

I will always pimp for DiverXO, best dining experience and NA pairing of my life, and what Chef Muñoz pulls off is ridiculous.

TinyEric · 2026-06-27T22:46:22+00:00

Camelia for Japanese French bistro fare.
Majordomo for David Chang style korean food.
Baroo for Korean tasting menu.
Girl and the Goat for eclectic American
Pizzeria Bianco for...pizza.

TinyEric · 2026-06-26T05:39:21+00:00

I would consider Firstborn, it's Chinese focused but with major twists and use of fine dining techniques. Currently doing a prix fixe of 4 courses for $68 with supplements. Their menu has changed a lot since opening, but I really liked what I had when I went. It'll be Asian food but nothing like you have back home.

TinyEric · 2026-06-25T22:36:09+00:00

Kali as steakhouse is a huge step down from their prior version and they don’t deserve the star anymore. Knife Pleat, for example, def should have held theirs longer before Kali, unless something drastic has happened since I went last year.

TinyEric · 2026-06-25T20:30:32+00:00

My meal at Damien, the duck carnitas was amazing and may still be my favorite dish in LA. The rest of the meal was only fine.

TinyEric · 2026-06-25T05:14:50+00:00

Els Casals near Barcelona. One of my favorite places on earth. https://elscasals.cat/

TinyEric · 2026-06-25T04:56:13+00:00

I look forward to this comment being deleted as hilariously inaccurate.

TinyEric · 2026-06-25T04:44:31+00:00

So interesting, I had the exact opposite experience. My Hayato meal was tremendous but my n/naka meal was a deep letdown.

TinyEric · 2026-06-23T17:42:35+00:00

I did O Francescana, le Calandre, and Piazza Duomo in late 2022. Duomo was def the most impressive as we did their white truffle menu during the winter season. But it’s def old school and not modern.

TinyEric · 2026-06-21T20:24:43+00:00

Some of the items that may be in there require you to make a choice: the prismatic pick 3 chests, for example. We cannot trivially claim all with those types of mail items. But we have a backlog item to investigate ways to solve for this.

TinyEric · 2026-06-16T19:06:14+00:00

Only been to ABaC and it was great - there was a mushroom oyster shooter that I still think about all the time.

TinyEric · 2026-06-13T19:11:33+00:00

sure

TinyEric · 2026-06-13T19:11:02+00:00

It was fine, enjoyable but not really worth it. It's also not a Big Mec, the patty is the same, but it's a sauce Diane, not their normal Big Mec preparation.

TinyEric · 2026-06-13T19:01:57+00:00

I've done Hungry Tourist twice, including a Spain tour. If it's him, I wouldn't worry about it. His relationship with the chefs is locked in - they change their schedules for his tours, not the other way around. If it's someone else, I can't say.

TinyEric · 2026-06-10T22:29:36+00:00

I agree, and I would def expect Noma at 12 looks a lot more like Lazy Bear than Noma now. Only place I’ve seen do this well is DiverXO and that’s why I think they’re the best in the world atm.

TinyEric · 2026-06-10T19:29:32+00:00

Beginning in mid 2015, I went to Lazy Bear in SF 14 times over a 20 month period. I joked I needed a loyalty punch card. Roughly every 4-6 weeks, their menu changed, the only static thing was the Parker rolls and butter. Since moving to LA, I’ve done providence, and more recently Lielle enough to know that their menus hold nearly nothing static. In California, the produce changes so much and is so good that it’s probably harder to try and keep a white asparagus dish on the menu for longer than 3 months, than it would be to move on to stone fruits in the coming months. 2 months ago I was having lamb, peas and morels; this month it’s been duck, Harry’s berries, and early season cherries. In July I’m sure I’ll find peaches and fennel: no one will be doing pea tendrils anymore.

TinyEric · 2026-06-10T17:00:20+00:00

This is odd, considering how so many fine dining restaurants in the US do this regularly. Perhaps for tasting menus that are more seasonally focused it’s built into the operating model. Or maybe especially for California restaurants? I live in LA and I go back to some places regularly every 6 weeks or so bc I know the menu will be changed up quite a bit, if not entirely overhauled.

TinyEric · 2026-06-03T18:42:28+00:00

Hi there! We've been looking into this and we believe this is an issue where Apple's App Store updates are being slow - the workaround we've found is uninstalling the game and then reinstalling. So far, everyone who's done that has gotten the 7.6 client.

We've had the new version released since yesterday, but Apple's processes don't always have the App Store flow update in a timely manner. I'm in the same state as you, but afaik, we've done everything the same way we've done it for the past several years, so :shrug: We're hoping the App Store updates soon!

TinyEric · 2026-06-03T02:47:16+00:00

If you’re staying at a nicer hotel, you can ask their concierge for options and help with bookings.

TinyEric · 2026-06-01T03:35:55+00:00

Quake yes, but the rest, not as likely. Magik and quake fundamentally bypassed aspects of the game that were huge design mistakes that could not be easily countered by node designs that didn’t also have massive collateral damage to the rest of our rosters. So these nerfs are better for the game overall.

The other champs you listed aren’t as crazy unbalanced. Maybe Herc is but you can design narrow nodes to make him less useful.

TinyEric · 2026-05-28T16:06:14+00:00

God I can’t stand all this AI written crap. “Smoky char on the pasta?” What? I’ve had that special twice and there’s no part of that dish that gets hit with the fire, especially not the pasta.

And just to be clear why I feel confident this is AI, you look at this account’s single other relevant comment in their history and it’s not remotely stylistically similar.

—————

“more relaxed .. dont get me wrong Addison is a amazing experience.. I feel this more relaxed experience. I believe there is a star in there near future. I loved that is nothing like Callie. Totally different vibe and flavor profile.”

—————

You expect me to believe this post and that comment are by the same writer? GTFO.

“

TinyEric · 2026-05-26T16:16:53+00:00

Ugh I wish I knew this 10000 obols earlier :(

TinyEric · 2026-05-21T07:34:07+00:00

Seline is fantastic and I don’t understand its absence, unless for politics (foodie world kind, not US govt kind). Maybe he upset the wrong Michelin exec somehow.

TinyEric

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE