People Watching Restaurants

Elysee Bakery & Café was founded in Westwood, Los Angeles, in 1979. Ever since then, they have been creating magnificent pastries, breads, and cakes from scratch. Using only high quality ingredients for their macchiatos and hot chocolates to their thick sandwiches with lots of add-ons and pastas, Elysee Bakery and Café opens at lunch so you can come by and get a very decent meal here. The bright yellow walls will help stimulate your mind and appetite for freshly made coffee and richly prepared sandwiches. So come by to the Elysee Bakery & Café for a meal to remember! Learn More »

If your idea of a great meal is garlic, garlic, and more garlic, head to Restaurant Row on La Cienega and visit The Stinking Rose. Executive Chef and owner Andrea Froncillo has created a garlic lover’s paradise, featuring great food in a wildly fun, garlic-themed atmosphere. Fantastic for large parties, the restaurant boasts a varied menu with specialties including roasted crab, prime rib, pastas, and giant tureens of steamed clams, all bathed in garlic. Don’t forget to visit "Dracula’s Grotto," one of many ornately decorated rooms, and to try Gilroy’s Famous Garlic Ice Cream. Learn More »

Dish in La Cañada Flintridge has been serving up California comfort food to the chagrin of hungry patrons. Weeknight specials included Fried Chicken Tuesday and half-off beers on Monday nights. All items are made in house, including Banana pancakes featuring banana batter, and desserts like the decadent Turtle Bar. The folksy atmosphere, accentuated by the shabby-chic décor, has touches like pop-up toaster ovens on each table so diners can toast their bread to exact taste. With a warm and cozy feel and filling meals, it is no wonder Dish is popular among those looking for something a little different. Learn More »

Specializing in using the freshest fare, The Lazy Ox Canteen prides itself on the creative presentation of dishes. Owner Michael Hide Cardenas delivers a menu of both exciting and exceptional ingredients that that may seem unlikely, but blend to form fine flavors. Basing much of their dishes off the idea of hospitality and culture, The Lazy Ox Canteen is a dinning destination for first timers and foodies alike. Get the meal started with the popular Pig Ear Chicharron. For the main course, try one of the best burgers in Los Angeles, the 7 oz Lazy Ox Burger. Sample the Lazy … Learn More »

Rod Rotondi, founder and Executive Chef of Leaf Organics, is a culinary expert whose tireless crusade to bring organic foods into the mainstream has reached some of SoCal’s main retailers like Mother’s Markets, Rainbow Acres, Erewhon, and Whole Foods Markets. Rod’s dream was to create an eatery where diners can make healthy and positive changes in their lives. His dream came true and Leaf Organics is now the place to go to when you want to eat from a unique and organic menu. Creative and original items include salads, veggie burgers, rice and noodle bowls, pizza, vegan desserts, chai with … Learn More »

Located in a Greek Market that has been open since the 1940’s, Papa Cristo’s Greek Restaurant has been serving South Los Angeles authentic culinary delicacies for more than 20 years. Using imported seasonings, cheeses, olives, olive oils, as well as other ingredients to prepare the culturally true plates featured at Papa Cristo’s, it is no wonder people rave that this is some of the best Greek food available in Los Angeles. A full menu with items like Sizzling Feta & Tomato, Dolmades, Tabouli, Gyro, and Rack of Lamb just to mention a few, will satiate any desire for tasty Greek … Learn More »

Situated at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, is one of the most delectable frozen yogurt venues in Los Angeles, Studio Yogurt. Their flavors are rich and creamy and many are non fat! Studio Yogurt serves up delicious frozen treats 7 days a week and has been doing so since 1997. They also tend to stay open until around 11pm in case you need that late night fro yo fix. Studio Yogurt has a few staple flavors such as Chocolate, Vanilla and Peanut Butter; however the rest of the board tends to rotate every few … Learn More »

Situated at the cross roads of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, is a quaint corner eatery called Toast Bakery & Café. This Los Angeles hotspot, often frequented by celebrities, offers a wide variety of menu options. Open from early in the morning to relatively late at night, this café provides a hearty breakfast, a relaxing get away from work for lunch break, or for simply a light cup of coffee when a pick me up is needed. Toast is a phenomenal venue for a Sunday brunch as well as a date. Their menu showcases pastries, eggs, salads, soups, sandwiches, and … Learn More »

Talk about a breakfast menu, The Griddle Café on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles is home to one of the most extensive in the city. This café boasts more than 10 different kinds of pancakes, a ton of egg dishes, and all your morning favorites. In addition, they even have a lunch menu and serve the entire menu all day! Come out to this fun eatery in Los Angeles and indulge in all your favorite breakfast goodies. Whether you’re in the mood for a burger or something hot off the griddle, The Griddle Café is sure to be a crowd … Learn More »

Enter into Electric Karma and prepare to excite all your senses. At this upscale casual Indian restaurant on Third Street in West Hollywood, you will find a warm atmosphere suitable for any day of the week. Bold colors and dim lighting set the mood for the experience, and a movie screen projecting Bollywood images is the anchor of the dining room décor. The plush floor pillows in the outdoor seating area invite you to get cozy and take in the scents of exotic Indian spices featured in the restaurant’s extensive menu of traditional Punjabi cuisine. Learn More »

Katana is a chic assault on the senses. Like an industrial, futuristic Zen temple, Katana’s steel and wood décor juxtaposes urban grit with delicate sophistication. Its staggering menu presents a delightfully daunting selection of treats, through which diners are free to sample with reckless abandon. Katana features two distinctive styles of Japanese cuisine: the familiar sushi bar, and the more novel robata bar, which features tapas-like Japanese barbeque. Food is sculpted skillfully with almost architectural heights, echoing the artistic details of the surrounding environment. With one of Los Angeles’ only sake sommeliers and a sake selection as distinguished as its … Learn More »

Asanebo dishes gourmet Japanese cuisine to the crowds of Studio City. Tucked into a strip mall, the exterior of Asanebo mirrors the surplus of similar restaurants around town, yet hidden behind the window blinds awaits a luscious Japanese sushi experience. This classy and engaging restaurant differs vastly from other places, from its simple but creative food presentation, to its sophisticated décor. While the menu features signature pieces such as Seared Toro with Fresh Seaweed Sauce, and a selection of cooked and raw dishes, it is the Omakase option that makes Asanebo a top rated spot. This Japanese version of a … Learn More »

tap & kitchen, inspired by the taverns, gastropubs, brasseries, and bistros from around the world. Claud and Co.welcomes you to the newest Pasadena destination to gather and enjoy "pints & bites". Learn More »

Sweet Rose Creamery offers small batches of homemade ice cream to those looking for a cool treat in Brentwood. The fine folks at Sweet Rose use only organic ingredients in creating their fabulous flavors, and never use any stabilizers or ice cream bases. Toppings, cones, sauces, and ice cream sandwiches are made from scratch on a daily basis, so patrons can rest assured that freshness is at the forefront at Sweet Rose Creamery. Ice cream flavors feature rotating staples like Peanut Butter with Brownie Bites, Ginger with Honey, and Toasted Coconut with availability throughout the year. Classics like Old Fashioned … Learn More »

Milo and Olive offers diners in the Santa Monica area well made comfort food, crafted using the freshest ingredients. This neighborhood bakery and pizzeria serves fresh baked pastries and bread, wood fired pizzas, fresh salads, and small plates to the hungry in search of an intimate dining experience. The communal tables offer diners a chance to meet and greet one another, while counter seating allows guests to watch as their meal is created right before their eyes. All pizzas are made with the house dough, and guests can expect eight to ten different pizzas on a daily basis, depending on … Learn More »

The Grill on the Alley in the heart of Beverly Hills serves classic American food in a warm and unpretentious atmosphere. The Grill, created and modeled after great grills in San Francisco and New York, has earned an international reputation for its quality and consistency. There are mirrored walls and chandeliers hang from the ceiling. As for the food, The Grill presents simple comfort food in generous portions. A dish to try is the Braised Short Ribs that fall off the bone because they are so tender. The Grill is a great power lunch spot as well as a place … Learn More »

Taste in West Hollywood offers diners a California spin on down home American comfort food. Lunch features soups, salads, pizzettas, sandwiches and burgers, as well as pasta entrées. Dinner pares down the overall menu options, but expands upon main courses to include items such as Lobster & Brown Butter Risotto, Grilled Salmon, and Crispy Parmesan Chicken Paillard. Brunch, served on the weekends, offers a la carte items like Huevos Rancheros and Brioche French Toast, while a Prix Fixe menu allows diners to choose from a two-course menu for a flat fee. Every Thursday, Taste offers the “Farmers’ Market Dinner,” where … Learn More »

Your senses may revel in the stunningly engaging décor and modern Japanese cuisine menu presented at Katsuya. Executive Chef Katsuya masterfully crafts traditional sushi rolls and distinctive specialty dishes to please more seasoned and fresh palates alike. Dishes like the Crispy Rice and Spicy Tuna and the Kobe Filet with Foie Gras have developed their own loyal following. Chef Katsuya’s artful menu is complemented and heightened by the truly innovative and equally satisfying décor of designer Philippe Starck. Striking contrasts of black and white capture snippets of moments for patrons to muse over as they dine in the appetizing “wooden … Learn More »

Since 1983, Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main has been serving Asian Fusion cuisine to the hungry hordes in Santa Monica. The décor has not changed since the day the doors opened, but Chef Rena Mata presents a menu that features not only selections of dishes that made Chinois on Main famous, but some new additions as well. All dishes presents ingredients from the Far East, transformed into modern culinary masterpieces of daring and stimulating flavors. Dishes served family style include classics such as Whole Sizzling Catfish with ponzu, Shanghai Lobser, Mongolian Lamb with cilantro-mint vinaigrette, and the Famous Chinois Chicken … Learn More »

Typhoon located at the Santa Monica Airport is not just another Asian Fusion restaurant. Serving over 70 dishes from the Pacific Rim, and with one of Los Angeles’ finest selection of Asian beer, guests at Typhoon are not left for choice. The restaurant is famous for serving dishes with scorpions, ants, water bugs, silk worm larvae, and crickets, but just as popular is the Deep-fried Whole Catfish, Chinese Crispy Duck, and Mongolian Lamb. A wall of windows faces the Santa Monica Airport’s runway, so patrons can watch as airplanes depart and arrive, a sight especially breathtaking at night. For a … Learn More »