It's no secret that I love food. I mean, who doesn't love food? Food brings together people, forming a bond between bites of rich chocolate cake. It gets us to go out and explore a city, to find new restaurants and meet new people. We find new recipes to try to make a home (which will never turn out as well as the restaurant) and we take Instagram-worthy pictures to show everyone how great our lives are. Whenever I adventure around LA, whatever I do tends to revolve around food. I love finding new places, tasting new desserts, and talking over a cup of overpriced coffee. I've been living in LA for almost a year and I'm always finding new places to try. This is my list of my favorite LA eateries so far, and perhaps they can inspire you to get out and explore.
Breakfast
"Malibu Farm" - Overlook the Pacific Ocean while enjoying your $6 latte and quinoa oatmeal next to a celebrity who's incognito. The food is good, but you're really paying for the atmosphere and overall trendiness. Next time you're in Malibu in the morning, stop by the pier and see what all the craze is about.
"Marmalade" - Thankfully Marmalade serves breakfast all day. They have amazing pancakes and omelets and have numerous locations in Beverly Hills and the Valley. There's not usually a line, but weekends are often busy for brunch.
"The Butcher's Daughter" - Everyone always Instagrams this place for a good reason. This place is mostly vegan and vegetarian, so you're out of luck if you want eggs, but there's a large juice selection and avocado toast that will make you forget all about how you wanted eggs.
"Eggslut" - You've probably heard of it and was turned off by the name. Eggslut is located in Grand Central Market in DTLA and always has a line. They mainly sell egg sandwiches (my favorite is the cheeseburger) but they're also known for their biscuits.
"Shutters on the Beach" - Shutters is a hotel with a great restaurant. While you dine you can people watch people rollerblade, bike, and walk along the beach between Santa Monica and Venice.
Lunch and Dinner
"Joan's on Third" - Great for seeing celebrities, Joan's is a cute café on 3rd street with great salads and sandwiches. It has a nice atmosphere and good comfort food.
"Mr. Chow" - If you want to spend a lot of money, go to Mr. Chow. They have amazing Chinese food (especially their shrimp fried rice!) and the service is impeccable. They have a few locations around LA, but my personal favorite is the one in Malibu.
"Urth Caffe" - Perhaps one of the most basic places to eat in LA, Urth has a strong following and great drinks. You'll spot a lot of people wearing baseball caps and sipping matcha lattes. Although they're primarily known for their coffee, their food is equally tasty.
"Sunlife" - I talk about Sunlife a lot. Probably too much. But it's where most of my money goes and who doesn't love a well made acai bowl? No one. It's more a snack than a meal, but I think it's still a good-sized lunch.
"Guisados Tacos" - Hands down the best tacos in LA. Order three or try the sampler and wash down the spice with their Horchata coldbrew.
"Poke Poke" - Head down to the Venice boardwalk and wait in line for fifteen minutes to eat the best poke in LA. Poke is raw tuna on top of rice and your choice of kale, seaweed, carrots, sriracha, and soy sauce.
Coffee
"Alfred" - Alfred, my love. Alfred serves Stumptown coffee (AKA the best coffee) in a variety of forms. They created the “but first, coffee” slogan and are so trendy it hurts.
"Dinosaur Coffee"- I love this place mostly because of its name, but they do have good coffee. The shop is full of good vibes and great people.
"Verve" - Another trendy coffee place, Verve is the new “it” place. It's minimalistic, which is all you need for a great cup of jo.
Dessert
"Bottega Louie" - Want the best macaroons in all of LA? Look no further. Bottega Louie opened in 2007 and quickly became the top macaroon place. They have a variety of flavors, including earl grey, birthday cake, violet, rose, coconut, and espresso among more common flavors. A macaroon is $2.50 a piece, so I recommend getting the box of five.
"Salt and Straw" - This ice cream place began in the PNW in Portland, but has quickly become a staple in LA. With fun flavors such as olive oil, coffee and bourbon, and honey lavender, there's a reason why the line is always thirty minutes long.
"The Pie Hole" - Hidden in the Arts District, The Pie Hole has great pie. Bring your laptop, order a slice of pie, and start writers and people watching.
"California Donuts" - You know those panda donuts you see all over Instagram? Those are from here. If you want cute and delicious donuts, look no further.
"Toppings" - If you're the type of person who loves toppings on your fro-yo, try Toppings in Pacific Palisades. They have great flavors (like cinnamon and Horchata) and the most toppings I've ever seen.
"Pressed Freeze" - Looking for a “healthy” fro-yo? Pressed Juice has a fro-yo place in the Grove that basics love to Instagram.
"Milk" - Macaroon ice cream sandwiches. I said it. This is the place to go if you want a sweetness overload of two of the best desserts.
"Sprinkles Cupcakes" - Perhaps you've heard of it, or seen it in a CW show. Sprinkles has a monopoly on cupcakes in LA and for a good reason. You can get a cupcake from their ATM anytime you'd like, or you can go inside and order a cupcake sundae (it's a scoop of ice cream between a cupcake).
What's you favorite place to eat in LA? Tell me in the comments below!
