Aftertaste LA

Lielle just earned its first Michelin star, and it took four short months into its run at the former Bicyclette space for Marcus Jernmark, the executive chef who helped Stockholm's Frantzén earn three Michelin stars, and his team to secure it. You enter down a staircase into a moody wine cave: cork barrel-vaulted ceilings, warm antique lighting, smoked cherrywood tables and cozy leather booths mea...

We spent our anniversary on a bite-and-sip tour through New York, hitting 7 bars from North America's 50 Best Bars 2026, including 3 of the top 4 and the current #1. We came home and asked the obvious question: where does LA actually stand? We break down what each bar does well, where we would go back, and take a hard look at where LA's bar scene trails New York, where it can compete, and what we...

Curtis Stone's Michelin-starred steakhouse Gwen is Hollywood's award-winning destination for dry-aged meat — ranked #42 on the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. ⁠ The space exudes modern Hollywood elegance without feeling gaudy, and features glass-enclosed dry aging rooms, open kitchen, and a fully operational retail butcher shop. ⁠ ⁠ The menu is anchored by seafood, vegetables, and dry age...

LA finally has an answer to NYC in the elite cocktail bar space — and it's tucked into Los Feliz on Hillhurst Ave. We're calling Vandell our new favorite bar in Los Angeles. In this episode of Aftertaste LA, we break down why this neighborhood cocktail bar is the real deal. It only took 4 short months after opening for Vandell to be named #68 on the 100 best bars in North America. It's creative, i...

The restaurant has positioned itself as THE neighborhood ⁠bar & grill; a place that does the simple things right. Easy on paper, but a tough feat to actually pull off. ⁠ A classic bar & grill MUST nail specific essentials to be great. A burger, a steak, fries, a martini, comfortable seats, and a staff that knows how to make you feel like you're in your living room. It seems they have done...

When the pandemic caused the original Broken Spanish to close, Los Angeles lost an absolutely outstanding restaurant. https://brokenspanishcomedor.com Broken Spanish Comedor continues the ‘authentically inauthentic’ philosophy of Chef Ray with a more approachable price point and clear nod to Mexico’s comedores: small, typically mom-and-pop restaurants and stalls serving home style cuisine. Chef Ra...

“Sool jib” translates literally to “drinking establishment,” and that is exactly what Jilli is. The vibe here is drinks come first, but incredible food is a close second. ⁠ ⁠ The team behind Chimmelier — the Korean fried chicken spot that blew up in Ktown — took over the former Kinn space and turned it into one of the most fun places to eat and drink in the neighborhood. The dining area at Jilli i...

Avner Levi, a Bestia alum, started Cento as a pasta pop-up inside a downtown LA bar. Now he's got a permanent home in West Adams — and two very different restaurants to show for it.⁠⁠ Cento Pasta Bar is the concept that put him on the map: a modern and sleek room built around handmade pasta and a chef's counter where you can watch every bowl come together. The food is Italian at its core, but Levi...

Lucia on Fairfax is owner Sam Jordan's vision of a restaurant that feels like an event the moment you walk in. ⁠⁠The European influence drives the room: a late-night party atmosphere complete with a live DJ, but never crosses into tacky clubstaurant territory. (They do have a dress code — no hats, no sleeveless shirts — though enforcement is...flexible.)⁠⁠The food and drinks take you on a trip thr...

Electric Bleu is a brand new French Bistro in Mar Vista by husband-wife duo chef Craig Hopson and creative director Mai Sakai.⁠ ⁠ Chef Craig's resume is truly impressive with stints at Troisgros, Guy Savoy, Le Cirque, and Picholine — absolute titans of the French dining world. Don't let that scare you away from trying the food here because the prices are some of the most reasonable we have seen in...

Our Meal At Daisy Margarita Bar | Sherman Oaks | Los Angeles| California | Opened April 2025 https://www.daisyla.com/ @daisy.losangeles Daisy is a Northern Mexico–inspired cantina from the team behind Mirate in Los Feliz.⁠⁠ Come to Daisy if you covet flawlessly executed, high-craft cocktails and margaritas. The beverage program is unapologetically focused on showcasing Mexican-made spirits and ing...

Our Meal At Bar Benjamin | Bar Review | Melrose | Los Angeles | California | Opened May 2025 Bar Benjamin sits above The Benjamin on Melrose, delivering a modern day Hollywood cocktail den built for date nights and lingering rounds. The space feels classic, with wood tones, Art Deco style, and mohair banquettes. It’s intimate, it’s elegant, and that’s before you even get to the drinks. The drinks...

Our Meal At Firstborn | Restaurant Review | Chinatown | Los Angeles | California | Opened March 2025 https://www.firstborn.la @firstborn.la ⁠Chef/Owner Anthony Wang took over the former Pok Pok space and transformed it into his vision of a modern Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The menu is a journey through Chef Anthony’s biography—both personal and professional.⁠ The food is whimsical in execu...

Our Meal At Cobi's | Restaurant Review | Santa Monica | Los Angeles | California | Opened October 2021 https://www.cobis.la/ @cobis.la Cobi’s began as a pandemic pop up called Cobi’s Curries started by Chef Cobi Marsh. Its popularity was enough to open a brick and mortar in the former Dhaba space on Main Street in Santa Monica. The food is heavily inspired by Indonesian, Thai, Malaysian, and India...

Our Meal At Alba | West Hollywood | Los Angeles | California | Opened February 2025 https://www.cucinaalba.com/ @cucinaalba (NY AND LA shared) When Cucina Alba opened in New York in 2022, it became an instant classic. Earlier this year, its sister restaurant, simply called Alba, opened in West Hollywood and has garnered positive reviews, quickly becoming one of the premier classic Italian destinat...

Our Meal At Baby Bistro | Victor Heights | Los Angeles | California | Opened April 2024 https://babybistrola.com/ @babybistro.la What happens when you take a Victorian-style house with a lush courtyard and convert it into a small dining room? Baby Bistro. It's supposed to feel like a dinner party at a friend’s house complete with tons of natural wine and a concise menu of eccentric combinations. T...

Our Meal At Budonoki | Restaurant Review | Virgil Village | Los Angeles | California | Opened 2023 https://www.budonoki.la/ @budonokila Budonoki is a modern Japanese Izakaya that serves mostly snacks as well as traditional pressed Japanese sushi and a few entrees, pairing perfectly with the sake-forward drinks menu. If you want to be transported to a cool-clubby underground bar in Tokyo then this...

Our Meal At Dunsmoor | Eagle Rock | Los Angeles | California | Opened June 2022 www.dunsmoor.la @dunsmoor.la Dunsmoor is the namesake restaurant of chef-owner Brian Dunsmoor and is his years-in-the-making vision of heritage cooking. The restaurant is housed in a 1929 Spanish revival-type building that has been converted into a rustic restaurant, which is centered around a large hearth that provide...

Our Meal At Alto | Studio City | Los Angeles | California | Opened August 2025 www. Alto.la @altolosangeles Alto in Studio City a "fire to table" restaurant showcasing the cuisine of Rio de la Plata, which borders Argentina and Uruguay. Chefs Esteban and Juana have brought their culinary roots and fine dining experience from Michelin restaurants to their first restaurant together. The menu highlig...

Our Meal At Manuela | DTLA | Los Angeles | California | Opened October 2016 https://manuela-la.com/ https://www.instagram.com/manueladtla/ Manuela is located inside the Hauser and Wirth gallery complex in the Arts District of downtown LA and is surrounded by contemporary art, restored industrial architecture, and lush green courtyards. The food is bolstered by an in-house garden nestled inside the...

Our Meal At Kurrypinch | Thai Town | Los Angeles | California | Opened 2025 https://www.kurrypinch.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kurrypinch/ Wine featured during the episode: https://www.villagepopwine.com/ Originally opened in Van Nuys as a mostly takeout operation, Kurrypinch, and its Chef/Owner Shaheen Ghazaly have just reopened with a more modern dining room in East Hollywood Kurrypinch's cui...

Our Meal At Butchr Bar | Echo Park | Los Angeles | California | Opened August 2024 https://www.butchr.bar/ https://www.instagram.com/butchr.bar Butchr Bar is a combination wine bar + retail butcher shop showcasing beef and lamb from Australia alongside natural wines, charcuterie (all made in-house), and small bites. Their aim is to offer a more relaxed alternative to a traditional steakhouse witho...

Chef Johnny Lee, previously with Pearl River Deli, is behind the stove bringing his extensive experience eating and traveling through most of the Malay archipelago along with him, with a little bit of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cantonese techniques thrown in the mix. This is the type of restaurant that you wish would open next to you. Its cuisine is filled with unique and powerful flavors without be...

Our Meal At Pasjoli | Santa Monica | Los Angeles | California | Opened Sept 2019 https://www.pasjoli.com https://www.instagram.com/pasjoli.sm Opened Sept 2019 in Santa Monica, Open Daily 5pm-10pm Type: Focusing on Classic French Cuisine with Californian Flare and Ingredients Executive Chef: Dave Beran Awards and Recognition: Michelin Star 2021, Michelin Plate 2022, James Beard Semifinalist for Out...

Lasita started off as Lasa in 2017 by brothers Chad and Chase Valencia and was a fine dining, tasting menu restaurant before covid. They re-launched as Lasita in 2021 focusing on a more casual approach to their modern filipino fare. Lasita has done a great job of bridging the gap between fine fining and casual with its modern take on filipino cuisine, centered around a rotisserie, and natural-wine...