How to Explore the San Fernando Valley’s Beguiling and Diverse Dining Scene

The San Fernando Valley is the largest geographic subsection of the city of Los Angeles. It’s also a fabled, expansive jungle of wide boulevards, freeways, restaurants, bars, and single family homes cradled between mountains to the north and south.

The lower Valley contains the biggest concentration of compelling places to eat, spread across Ventura Blvd and passing through Toluca Lake, Burbank, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Tarzana. Further north, neighborhoods like Reseda, Granada Hills, and Northridge sport various international enclaves like Lebanese, Thai, and Indian. Here’s a handy and helpful compilation of Eater’s best San Fernando Valley coverage.

The essential San Fernando Valley restaurants

Matthew Kang

The Bellwether, a modern gastropub from former Father’s Office chef Ted Hopson, currently sits on the Eater LA Essential 38 restaurants, making it the single best culinary destination in the Valley right now. For a more comprehensive look at the Valley’s best places to eat, check out the essential San Fernando Valley restaurants, which Eater updates on a regular basis. Beyond that, perhaps the best aspect of dining in the Valley might be the amazing collection of sushi restaurants. Many of these sushi specialists sit on Ventura Blvd, a main dining drag that spans multiple neighborhoods. Finally, barbecue is a strong reason to check out the Valley, from Barrel & Ashes to Boneyard Bistro.

Guides and inside looks at international cuisines

Wonho Frank Lee

Whether it’s a standout Sichuanese restaurant, a collection of Indian places in Chatworth and North Hills, or an ambitious Peruvian chain called Chio’s that’s looking to expand across Los Angeles, the Valley has many amazing hidden gems and international finds. Check out these super cool food stands that recall an earlier era or this diner that successfully incorporates LA’s international history. Don’t discount a pizza place just because it resides in a strip mall. And finally, perhaps LA’s most intense Thai food experience lies hidden deep in a North Hollywood swap meet.

Special culinary destinations

Farley Elliott

There are certain things that could only happen in the Valley, like a restaurant built next to the Van Nuys airport that looks like a ruined World War II village (seriously). Or a fantastic burrito that serves inside of a gas station minimart. This Woodland Hills cookout prepares a unique style of barbecue called Santa Maria-style that grills up tri-tip and other cuts over oak, but only on the weekends. Meanwhile chef duo Phillip Frankland and Margarita Lee try to pack in four restaurants into a single Encino strip mall, from a high end sushi omakase to a clubby cocktail lounge with burgers and steaks.

Valley Features

Wonho Frank Lee

LA has a long history of great tiki bars, but perhaps the far-flung Tonga Hut in North Hollywood is the best place for tiki drinks in town. The Rabbit Hole is a truly bizarre and amazing strip mall dive bar inspired by Alice in Wonderland, while LA County’s oldest restaurant, Saugus Cafe, continues to live on after 130 years of history. And finally, one might never realize that LA’s burgeoning barbecue scene gets a helping hand from this custom smoker manufacturer in Sun Valley.

Farley Elliott

Though many LA diners still hesitate to venture out the San Fernando Valley, making it one of the most underappreciated parts of the city, it’s still a crucial part of LA’s unique restaurant culture. And while Eater has done its best job to compile these remarkable places, there are still plenty of other restaurants that deserve attention. Want to recommend any other hidden gems or special eateries? Hit the tipline here.