The new Los Angeles restaurants to book now

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 March, we take a trip to Italy, Paris, and Spain by way of West Hollywood, Melrose Hill, and Silver Lake with a new crop of wine-forward bistro-style restaurants.

The Wallpaper* guide to new Los Angeles restaurants

March 2025 restaurant openings

Alba

The latest buzzy Italian restaurant import from New York has landed on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood by Cobi Levy and Will Makris of Prince Street Hospitality. Alba Los Angeles is the sister restaurant to the popular East Coast Cucina Alba off the High Line.

Describe the mood: Inspired by the romance of their travels, Levy and Makris created the concept of an ‘Italian holiday’, evoking Italy’s charm and sophistication, which was carried out by GRT architects in Brooklyn using colourful abstract murals with cheeky statues and pottery for the indoor-outdoor space.

What to order: Roasted chicken is generously drizzled in a ‘bomba’ sauce made with Calabrian chilli, but first, the skin is lifted and dusted with sage salt to make it perfectly crispy. Rich Black truffle fondue agnolotti is stuffed with caramelised onions and Parmesan, worthy of a ‘chef’s kiss’ – in this case, to Adam Leonti, also from the New York crew.

Why we love it: Pure ‘la dolce vita’ while feeling like a stress-free Italian vacation for a few hours sipping amaro or grappa.

Alba is located at 8451 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069, United States; cucinaalba.com

Bar Etoile

The Domain LA natural wine shop owner Jill Bernheimer, along with partner Julian Kurland, have opened a French bistro in the blossoming Melrose Hill area on Western Avenue.

Describe the mood: Designed by Lovers Unite (of Dunsmore in Glassel Park and Bar Chelou in Pasadena) with 1970s Scandinavian influence down to the cherry wood banquettes and large powder-blue circular booths that flank a horseshoe-shaped central bar.

What to order: Unique martini made with an olive brine concoction soaked for three days with tarragon, golden balsamic, and citrus; addictive trout dip with homemade potato chips and classic steak frites by Chef Travis Hayden (last seen at Voodoo Vin wine bar in nearby Virgil Village.)

Why we love it: Over 150 small production wines (mostly from France) and the type of nibbly, savoury bar food you could eat every night of the week.

Bar Etoile is located at 632 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004, United States; baretoile.com

Bar Siesta

This Spanish restaurant and tapas bar was created by Heather Sperling (of Botanica in Silver Lake), along with Lucía Flors and Carlos Leiva (of Siesta Co.) The team partnered with Nickie Huang and Sol Stearns of LA-based design-build firm After Co. alongside interior designer Sergio Bonaque, from Valencia-based Bonaque Studio, for the sun-soaked interiors.

Describe the mood: The homey space will transport you to the Mediterranean – inspired by the magic of slowing down for a long, lingering meal, but the cacophony of voices from the centre community table fills the room with an energetic vibe that bounces off the raked stucco coved ceiling and walls.

What to order: All the small plates from traditional Spanish tortilla, hand-carved Ibérico ham, Spanish-style grilled bread With tomato, and gambas (shrimp) in butter and black salt, with plenty of cava.

Why we love it: A community bridge into a Spanish culture emersion showcasing its art, design, and gastronomy.

Bar Siesta is located at 1710 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, United States; barsiesta.co

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

Read our full restaurant review of Marea Beverly Hills

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

Read our full restaurant review of Seline

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

Read our full restaurant review of Somni

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

Read our full restaurant review of Wildcrust

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.