When it comes to dining, Los Angeles offers a vast cultural melting pot that celebrates techniques from around the globe while using local, year-round California produce. This February, try an elevated pizza place in Highland Park, the rebirth of a beloved Spanish-influenced tasting menu in West Hollywood, and a fine dining hero expands in Santa Monica.
During the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles last month, the restaurant community stepped up to support victims and first responders with Wildcrust serving pizzas to Fire Station 12 in Highland Park; Seline in Santa Monica raising $25,000 for the LAFD through a raffle, and many other local dining spots offering the opportunity for customers to support by purchasing community meals or gift cards.
Discover the best new restaurants in Los Angeles
January and February 2025 restaurant openings
Marea Beverly Hills
The latest power-dining New York import, and Italian restaurant to open on flourishing Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, just down the street from Gagosian gallery and Cipriani, is the coastal Marea by the global Altamarea Group, which includes everyone from Beyoncé to Barack Obama as fans.
Describe the mood: Designed by boutique design and architecture firm, Nusla Design, an outdoor sitting area with a green living wall, leads the way to an elegant, yet understated bar-lounge area across from two larger rooms with both pale leather banquette and table seating.
What to order: The menu is inspired by the brand’s New York roots and is a mix of signature staples from crudi to octopus with bone marrow fusilli, to new California ingredient-driven items, case in point, ‘the avocado’ half torched and filled with spot prawn tartare, seasoned with Calabrian chillies and fennel.
Why we love it: A New York Italian with California gusto.
Marea Beverly Hills is located at 430 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States; marearestaurant.com
Seline
Award-winning chef Dave Beran – formerly the chef de cuisine of Michelin 3-starred Alinea in Chicago, is back to his fine dining roots with Seline on Main Street in Santa Monica, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli, which is celebrated for the chef’s creative use of an entire duck.
Describe the mood: Designed by Rugo Raff Architects Ltd. in Chicago, also behind Beran’s other West Coast spots, along with Alinea in Chicago, the indoor and outdoor space is set off Main Street in Santa Monica behind large double doors which lead to a front patio space. Once inside, the discovery reveals an open kitchen that flows seamlessly with no barriers through the 38-seat space, inviting guests to feel part of the culinary process.
What to order: The menu features 15-18 courses that tell a personal story of the chef’s culinary journey while showcasing Southern California inspiration. The experience is full of surprises and melding of unexpected tastes and temperatures, such as frozen mustard and passion fruit to caviar and coffee.
Why we love it: An epic journey of unexpected flavour combinations.
Seline is located at 3110 Main St Ste 132, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States; selinerestaurant.com
Somni
Tucked away in a hidden garden setting on bucolic Nemo Street in West Hollywood, not far from a busy stretch of Santa Monica Blvd., Spanish chef Aitor Zabala has returned after four years to open an updated version of his beloved Somni. Formerly located in the SLS Hotel on LaCienega, the intimate restaurant earned two Michelin stars for its Catalan-inspired tasting menus.
Describe the mood: With Mediterranean and Basque roots, Somni 2.0 is a design ‘dream come true’ (the name translates to dream in Catalan.) Architect and designer Juli Capella Samper from Barcelona’s studio Capella Garcia Arquitectura, didn’t want to compete with the first incarnation of the restaurant, but rather with a ‘dream of domesticity and eating at home.’
What to order: The surreal dining experience begins in the garden with finger food, such as a crispy and ethereal Parmesan feather and thinly sliced Jamon Iberico, before sitting down inside at the chef’s counter for larger plates such as dashi with fish-shaped caviar, mussels in escabeche emulsion, and beets enshrouded in rose petals.
Why we love it: nothing tastes as good as dreams feel.
Somni is located at 9045 Nemo St, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States; somnirestaurant.com
Wildcrust
Who says no one eats carbs in LA? Pizza pop-ups and openings have been plentiful around town but Wildcrust warrants the lines around the block on the border of Highland Park and Eagle Rock.
Describe the mood: Chef Okabayashi collaborated with Jared Frank (Tenants of the Trees nightclub) to develop an original vision for what a West-Coast pizza parlour could be and argues that it’s LA, not New York, that leans into Italy’s enthusiastic relationship to modern life and food.
What to order: you can order a simple Margherita pie, or opt for more creative options such as the salame piccante with fermented chilli honey or braised lamb tzatziki with feta, which you can still pick up with your hands and fold.
Why we love it: A family affair where Milanese modernism meets Eastside cool.
Wildcrust is located at 4705 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042, United States; wildcrustla.com
How we choose the new restaurants to recommend
At Wallpaper*, design is always at the forefront. Our top picks for new restaurants all feature thoughtfully curated interiors that elevate the dining experience. And of course, the food must be exceptional too. We’re drawn to inventive menus that both surprise and delight. Each restaurant we’ve recommended has been personally visited by one of our editors. With the privilege of dining at some of the world’s most renowned spots, you can trust our firsthand experience. When we say something’s worth your time, you can be sure it is.
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West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsicalChef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
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Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gustoConceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
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Enchanting culinary entertainment awaits at this fine dining restaurant in Santa MonicaChef Dave Beran returns to his fine dining origins with Seline on Main Street, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli
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Milanese modernism meets Eastside cool at this LA pizza parlourWildcrust dishes up Neapolitan flavours courtesy of chef Miles Okabayashi, and seductive interiors by Jared Frank Studio
