Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Los Angeles

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Los Angeles? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

SHU - Sushi House Unico - Bel Air

4.9

4.9 (644)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Bel-Air

About the restaurant

Nestled in the canyons of Bel Air, SHU is a dining experience like no other - a fusion of Japanese, Italian and Latin flavors and influences. The menu features traditional dishes as well as signature offerings, inspired by Giacomino Drago’s love of blending Japanese, Italian and Latin cuisines. SHU’s environment is well-suited to singles, couples and families. The bar seats up to ten people and there is a special booth that seats six people. Private dinning room is available to accommodate up to 12 guests. Signature dishes included halibut carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Kobe Beef sashimi and albacore sashimi with shaved truffles.

Top review

Aidavip

Dined 7 days ago

Delicious sushi and amazing service, can’t wait to go back

Pastina Trattoria

4.9

4.9 (541)

$30 and under

Italian

West Los Angeles

About the restaurant

Casually elegant, Pastina is home to some of the best Italian cooking in town inspired by the freshest ingredients, cooked simply and prepared beautifully with excellent service and a warm comfortable atmosphere. Many of the clientele are on the first name basis with host Franco Catullo who supplies ample amount of Italian charm to go along with delicate antipasti, splendid pastas, fresh fish, hefty veal chops and fabulous desserts flown in from Italy. Pastina strikes a perfect balance between favorite dishes of the moment and trusty standbys with waiters that have the Italian enthusiasm for seeing diners happy.

Top review

Art

Dined on Sep 4, 2024

An excellent location to meet friends. The food is always excellent and prepared just the way we want. Quiet enough to chat and never any pressure to leave. Overall, great food and service.

Il Segreto

4.9

4.9 (927)

$31 to $50

Italian

Bel-Air

About the restaurant

Nestled in the hills of Bel-Air, Il Segreto is the newest addition to the group of restaurants owned by Chef and restaurateur Giacomino Drago.

Top review

Nazy

Dined 1 day ago

The food was amazing, also the service. Got seated as we walked in and didn’t have to wait until the entire party gets there

Angelino Trattoria

4.9

4.9 (266)

$30 and under

Italian

Toluca Lake

About the restaurant

Angelino Trattoria is a bustling Italian restaurant in North Hollywood that serves happy diners sumptuous fare in its relaxing and inviting eatery. For a delicious start to your meal, enjoy the garlic, basil and tomato-topped bruschetta Romana and the breaded and fried calamari fritti with tangy marinara. Some of Angelino Trattoria’s most popular dishes include the prawn-laden risotto con gambieri, the fettucine Bolognese with a meaty tomato sauce and the pollo marsala free-range chicken with mushrooms in rich wine sauce. Angelino Trattoria’s gourmet pizza is a definite must-try. Delicious choices include the Napoli with fresh mozzarella, anchovies, capers and olives and the shiitake mushroom with shaved parmesan, truffle oil and parsley. Be sure to ask about the daily specials, because it’s fairly certain something tasty will be cooking up that day. Open daily, Angelino Trattoria also has a beautiful outdoor patio and offers diners delivery and catering services.

Top review

Minerva1

Dined on Aug 29, 2024

Sinatra was playing in the lowlight atmosphere… thought Sinatra himself would walk on in… felt like a NYC bistro and the food was DELISH!

Malbec Market

4.9

4.9 (140)

$30 and under

Argentinean

Eagle Rock

About the restaurant

Malbec Market is the little sister of Malbec Argentinean Cuisine. Providing the enticing flavors of Argentine and Italian Foods in a casual environment. Whether you order the meat dishes or one of our vegetarian dishes, you are sure to find something that you will enjoy.

Top review

evavip

Dined on Aug 10, 2024

Great place, wonderful and friendly staff and awesome food!!

Spruzzo - Pacific Palisades

4.9

4.9 (108)

$30 and under

Italian

Pacific Palisades

About the restaurant

Spruzzo is a new, family-friendly, Italian-American dining experience in the Palisades. Our menu features pizza, pasta, salad, chicken, steak, and fresh seafood entrées - all prepared with the love that comes from a family owned small business. Meant to be a neighborhood spot, a typical night at Spruzzo usually involves seeing friends on the way to your table. Just up the street from Sunset Beach at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Palisades Dr., there is ample parking, a full bar, and comfortable booths both inside the restaurant and on our outdoor patio.

Top review

Didi

Dined on Sep 7, 2024

It’s our go-to restaurant in Pacific Palisades! We love the food, the service, the ambience and it’s a mile from our house. We’re so happy they came to our neck of the woods! We love the Chinese chicken salad among many other things on their menu. Everything they make at Spruzzo is fresh, creative and delish!!!

Mona Pasta Bar

4.9

4.9 (59)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Mona Pasta Bar

Dinner dishes highlight the marriage of Italian techniques with Southern California ingredients including Pesce Crudo with citrus cured hamachi, kosho beet vinaigrette and hazelnuts, Burrata & Tomato with burrata pugliese, heirloom tomato, pine nuts, pesto and squash blossom, Casarecce with lamb sausage and rapini, Lumache - alla vodka, and a Whole Branzino with caramelized fennel.

The menu is designed for snacking over a glass of wine, sharing with friends and/or enjoying a more coursed out dining experience. Pasta, a focal point of the offerings, will all be made in-house.

The wine list is focused on fun, daring, low-intervention, natural wines to accentuate and complement the food. The primarily Italian focused list with opening selections from Sicily to Puglia will be rotating based on seasonality and availability.

Top review

Jenvip

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

Delicious food and dessert! Excellent happy hour house red and appetizers! Quaint restaurant and great music. Must try it!

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Experience

Wednesday - Sunday Happy Hour!

Aliotta's Via Firenze

4.8

4.8 (630)

$30 and under

Italian

Torrance / Carson

About the restaurant

Charming Italian fine dining enjoyed by business executives and romantics alike since 1999. Venetian plastered walls decorated with old world charm. Large selection of fine wines, prime steaks and seafood. If you don't see it on our menu we would be happy to make what You would like, simply ask. Salute Grazie! Chef Michael Aliotta

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Aug 27, 2024

Excellent service & wonderful food. We were welcomed like family! Would strongly recommend and will absolutely come back.

Altaeats

4.8

4.8 (758)

$31 to $50

American

Pasadena

About the restaurant

Tucked away on the Altadena/Pasadena border,
Chef Paul Ragan brings a feast of flavors to the dinner table.
Join us in our dining room or order the Roastie to go!

Top review

Karen

Dined on Aug 30, 2024

Great dinning and service experience as always. We will be back for their "roastie"

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Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

The Brandy

4.8

4.8 (29)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Glendale

About the restaurant

The Brandy is Glendale's new and chic restaurant incorporating the highest quality Mediterranean and American cuisine along with craft cocktails and the finest hookah. Vision and inspiration for The Brandy was to rejuvenate three critical elements of the modern dining experience: high quality servings, exceptional service, and dynamic entertainment. The exceptional team at The Brandy has decades of experience managing and serving many establishments throughout the Great Los Angeles area and has utilized its vast knowledge of the industry to set forth a truly rare and distinctive yet familial and cozy vibe. The Brandy strives for the best in every sector and never sacrifices one for the others.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Sep 8, 2024

Whole vibe was good would go again . Service was good

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Experience

Live Entertainment Every Weekend

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