7 Best Restaurants in West Hollywood (From a Local)

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My twin sister, Kell, has lived in West Hollywood for years, and I finally visited her for a week this fall.

While I was excited to see her, I was most excited to EAT. West Hollywood has amazing food. Because we were celebrating Dan’s 30th birthday and my sister and I’s 29th, we went all out visiting Kell’s favorites and watching food shows to get inspired for more.

I honestly didn’t have one bad meal or disappointing experience – it was my best run of good restaurants that I’ve ever had while traveling. It was so much fun that I knew I had to put together this guide to the best restaurants in West Hollywood so you guys can do the same. If you stick to this list during your time in WEHO, I promise you won’t have a meal you don’t enjoy.

PS: This list is in no particular order because, as I said, everything was fantastic, but I’ll include a quick recap at the end with my favorites if I have to choose just one or two. Now get eatin’!

 

Birthday boy with his birthday breakfast from Tartine

 

1. Tartine Sycamore

Cuisine: Breakfast, sandwiches, bakery
Cost: Moderate
Find it on Google Maps

We discovered Tartine from an episode of The Chef Show (S2 E4) on Netflix with Jon Favreau. They have a couple of locations, but of course, we went to the one in West Hollywood.

Tartine specializes in bread, pastries, and wood-fired pizza, but I tried what the bakery is named for: tartine, a slice of sourdough bread with toppings served like an open-faced sandwich. Dan got the breakfast sandwich on brioche with homemade sausage (it was delicious, and I’m big enough to admit, even better than my tomato tartine). We both also got coffee, a cinnamon roll, and a half-loaf of sourdough to-go.

It was relaxed, casual, and the perfect place for Dan’s 30th birthday breakfast. Easy five stars from us!

 

2. Otus Thai Kitchen & Coffee

Cuisine: Thai
Cost: Moderate
Find it on Google Maps

Otus is a Thai restaurant that originally caught our eye because it’s currently set up in the parking lot next to the Ralph’s by my sister’s house.

We passed the cozy, string-lit set-up so many times we eventually had to go, and we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was (Kell said it will be her new Thai go-to in West Hollywood). Plus, we walked in at the same time as Andy Dick, and who doesn’t love a good C-list celebrity sighting in LA??

At Otus, I got the pad see ew with crispy pork belly, and it was possibly the best pork I’ve ever had – I strongly recommend trying it in whatever dish you get if you go. We also had the cheesy crab wontons and the tom kha soup.

Everything was amazing, and I wish I could go back to try more. The crispy pork belly and casual setting makes Otus one of the best restaurants in WEHO for sure.

 

Three pizzas from Pizzana ordered to-go for a picnic in a nearby park. 

 

3. Pizzana

Cuisine: Pizza
Cost: Moderate
Find it on Google Maps

Pizzana – wow. Where to begin?

A month after our visit, I can still feel the texture of my first bite of Pizzana pizza in my mouth because it was that visceral of an experience.

This is one of my sister’s favorite restaurants in LA and we watched the Chef Show episode (S1 E10) before we went to get the full experience, which I recommend if you have Netflix.

The pizza is hand-made with a family recipe from Napoli, and the sourdough crust is cooked to perfection in a wood-fired oven. They also have unique toppings to choose from, like truffle, braised pork ribs, and squash blossom. Of the three pizzas we tried, the braised pork rib was my favorite, but Kell still swears the squash blossom is the best.

Pizzana is doing to-go orders only right  now, so we took it to a nearby park for a picnic under a shaded tree. Pure bliss, and one of those casually perfect memories I’ll cherish for a while.

 

 

4. Pink’s Hot Dogs

Cuisine: Hotdogs and burgers
Cost: Cheap
Find it on Google Maps

Pink’s is one of the best restaurants in West Hollywood because  it’s an establishment, you know? We went for the old-school, classic LA experience but stayed for the food, which, luckily, didn’t let us down.

The atmosphere is on-point with neon lights, outdoor patio seating, and rows and rows of celebrity photos from the hundreds who have visited over the years. While Pink’s has other menu options, like burgers and even a tamale, this roadside attraction is best known for their hotdogs, fries, and onion rings.

Choose from various toppings for your dog like chili, bacon, and jalapeños, and then take it out back and dive in! Your body might complain a little about the treatment, but your mouth and mind surely won’t.

 

 

5. Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts

Cuisine: Donuts, coffee, and breakfast burritos
Cost: Cheap
Find it on Google Maps

Yes, Danny Trejo has a donut shop, and yes, it’s just as awesome as you’re imagining.

First, it’s in a classic pink corner building. Second, while they have all of the traditional donut flavors you love, they also have savory ones. (For us few savory-only breakfasters out here in the world, this is a game-changer.)

Third, they have fantastic breakfast burritos with soft flour tortillas and queso and hashbrowns inside. Fourth, and finally, they have a horchata iced coffee that’s cinnamony and just a little sweet. Perfect.

Oh, and it’s super cheap (the breakfast burritos were only $6). And it’s Danny Trejo. C’mon guys. Just go.

 

6. Milk Bar

Cuisine: Desserts and ice cream
Cost: Cheap (but moderate for a bakery)
Find it on Google Maps

Is there any foodie left in America that doesn’t know who Christina Tosi is?

The chef behind Milk Bar now runs a bakery empire, and her spot in LA is one of the best restaurants in West Hollywood. Her two most famous dishes are the crack pie (fantastic) and cereal milk soft serve ice cream (which I didn’t try but is supposed to be good).

The desserts are a little pricey (I think a piece of pie was $6), but it’s honestly worth it. Tosi is featured on an episode of the Chef Show (S4 E1), but you can find her on every single other food show that’s ever existed as well.

You have to try Milk Bar for the name alone, but it’s definitely one of the best restaurants in West Hollywood as well. I recommend it.

 

 

7. Mashti Malone’s

Cuisine: Ice cream
Cost: Cheap
Find it on Google Maps

Last but not least is Mashti Malone’s. This Iranian ice cream place is iconic because of its name. When the owner bought the Irish pub to convert it in the ’80s, replacing the sign was expensive, so he left Malone’s and only added Mashti instead.

Now, the place is famous for its rich ice cream and Persian flavors like rose and pistachio. Get it on a honey rosewater pastry (pictured above) for an extra sugary sweet and unique experience.

I taught in the UAE for two years, so these flavors brought back a flood of good memories for me. You won’t find an ice cream place like this anywhere else in West Hollywood or all of LA.

 

Honorable Mention

This isn’t a restaurant, but if you’re into craft beer like me, I strongly suggest trying Pliny the Elder while you’re in LA. It’s a double IPA from Russian River Brewing and only available in California, Oregon, Colorado, and, for some reason, Philadelphia.

Pliny is a cult classic and widely regarded as one of the best IPAs ever made because it has a perfect balance of flavor and because it was way ahead of its time being this delicious when it was unveiled in the early 2000s (we can’t forget how far beer has come since then).

In West Hollywood, you can get it at Whole Foods on W. Santa Monica and Roman’s Liquor store next to Mashti Malone’s, as well as a few other places.  If you’re into craft beer at all, I recommend giving it a quick google to learn about the fascinating history of this beer and trying Pliny the Elder while you’re here.

 

 

The best restaurants in West Hollywood

Everything I ate in WEHO was so good that it’s almost impossible to choose my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. Still, I’ll try. If I could go back and eat again at only one place on this list of the best restaurants in WEHO, it would have to be… Pizzana.

There’s just something about a thin-crust wood-fired pizza that makes everything else in the world fade away when you bite into it, even if it’s just for a minute. This honestly might still be the BEST pizza I’ve ever had (and that’s saying something because I lived in Italy for six months).

When I asked Dan which restaurant was his favorite, he said either Tartine because “the breakfast sandwich was dope and the cinnamon roll was f*cking good” or Otus because he “really liked the parking lot vibe for Thai food, it was happy and lowkey.”

So there you have it. If you only have time for one or two restaurants in West Hollywood, Pizzana, Tartine, and Otus are the winners. Go, eat, and tell me how delicious it was in the comments below!

 

Ready to go?

Explore unique stays in LA on Airbnb – like this cozy treehouse in an oak tree  and this castle in the Hollywood Hills – or the top-rated hotels on Booking.com to book your stay. Then, check out more food, culture, and outdoors experiences in LA to round out your itinerary!

 

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