An overhead shot of Big Boi food, Filipino classics with roast meat and rice and drinks. — Big Boi Filipino

13 Great Places to Wine and Dine in West LA

For all 405-adjacent dining needs in (and around) Sawtelle and Westwood

by Eater Staff Updated Oct 30, 2019, 1:43pm PDT

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Big Boi Filipino

| Wonho Frank Lee

by Eater Staff Updated Oct 30, 2019, 1:43pm PDT

West LA hasn’t always been considered the most vibrant dining neighborhood in the city, but that’s okay. These days Japanese cuisine of all sorts thrives on Sawtelle and longstanding stars in ‘Tehrangeles’ offer some of the best Persian food — to say nothing of the area’s Michelin-level feasts, enduring breakfasts, and quality Thai food. Frankly, there’s maybe never been a better time to dine adjacent to the 405. Here now, the 13 essential West LA restaurants from West to East.

Added: Emporium Thai, Javan, John O’Groats, Shamshiri Grill, Sonoritas Prime Tacos, Tacos Tu Madre

Removed: Audrey At The Hammer (closed), Jon & Vinny’s Brentwood, Killer Noodle, Mala Town, Masakazu, Nanbankan, Pizzana Brentwood, Red Rock, Vincenti Ristorante

Kato

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Jon Yao’s Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant gleans flavors and ingredients from across Asia, especially Japan and Taiwan, making it a hidden strip mall gem. The tasting menu isn’t cheap, but the quality comes through on the plate. Kato continues to prepare some of LA’s most innovative food despite not offering any alcoholic beverages.

11925 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(424) 535-3041

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Outdoor dining patio at Kato in West Los Angeles, California. — Kato

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Javan Restaurant

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Longstanding Persian spot Javan’s had quite a ride over the last three years. In 2018, the space turned into Safir for a year, but Javan returned in 2019 to resume the same quality Persian they’ve been doing for years. The portion sizes are huge and the quality is great, especially when eating the $18 combination platter with chicken koobideh and beef koobideh with cucumber salad and rice. They’ve even incorporated Beyond Meat koobideh and into the menu, or ash joe, the more traditional garbanzo bean stew.

11500 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(424) 900-8573

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Sichuan Impression

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Alhambra’s Sichuan Impression cooks up a wide menu of classics at its West LA outpost, from the saucy spaghetti-like special noodles to the heavily spiced mapo tofu to cold steamed chicken swimming in a chili sauce. Bullfrog, toothpick cumin mutton, and rabbit show up on the menu too.

11057 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 444-7171

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Sonoritas Prime Tacos

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Sonoritas Prime Tacos keeps it simple. The taqueria is influenced by Mexico’s carne asada and meat capital, Sonora, where staff prepare filet mignon and ribeye tacos on a mesquite grill with handmade tortillas. Salsas are also made from scratch, naturally.

2004 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 444-9100

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Hamasaku

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Yes, there are plenty of rolls popular with the celebrity set, but the real star at this West LA gem is the omakase by chef Yoya Takahashi. Making the experience even better is the $80 price tag, which is very competitive for the quality delivered in this part of town.

11043 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(310) 479-7636

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Big Boi

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Big Boi comes from B Sweet Dessert Bar founder Barb Batiste, whose best known for her Filipino-inspired desserts. With Big Boi, Batiste is trading in ube cakes and halo halo for a range of Filipino comfort fare, like excellent sisig, fanfastic lumpia, and more.

2027 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(424) 832-7199

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Filipino food from Big Boi on Sawtelle. — Big Boi

Emporium Thai

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Westwood’s stalwart Thai restaurant Emporium draws deep roots from Southern Thailand from owner John Sungkamee and chef Gina Sungkamee. The menu draws from across Thailand, though of course the spicy southern dishes are the highlights here. The curry-laced Phuket wings, crying beef salad, and Jitlada-style green curry mussels are must-orders.

1275 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 478-2838

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A white bowl showing a yellow curry sauce noodle dish. — Emporium Thai

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15 Essential Restaurants in Westwood Near UCLA

Attari Sandwich Shop

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Westwood’s sandwich game is strong thanks to Persian staple Attari, where the tongue sandwich reigns supreme, and pleasant afternoons can be spent on the sunny patio while taking comfort in homey bowls of osh.

1388 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(310) 441-5488

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Shamshiri Grill

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What’s not to love about Shamshiri Grill? Founder and chef Hamid Shamshiri opened the original restaurant in 1981, where stews like ghormeh sabzi or fesenjan are prepared vegan, unless adding baked chicken, lamb shank, or lamb neck. If sitting indoors, food preparation takes place right in front of Shamshiri’s massive grill. It’s impressive to watch.

1712 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 474-1410

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Tacos Tu Madre Westwood

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It’s a refreshing sight to see Tacos Tu Madre colorful Westwood Boulevard spot. Joshua Pourgol and Oliver Mateen’s first opened their Westwood storefront in 2015, with additional locations in West Hollywood, Larchmont, and Los Feliz. The approach is hardly traditional Mexican, with vegan Korean barbecue tacos or barbacoa tacos. They’re open early and stay that way until midnight.

1945 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Tacos Tu Madre in Westwood, California. — Tacos Tu Madre

Taste of Tehran

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A meal at West LA staple Taste of Tehran is as close as it gets to a meal at a Persian grandma’s home. The ghormeh sabzi stew is as nourishing and soul-warming as restaurant food comes, and the kebab plates adorned with grilled tomato is exactly what on-the-go locals need for daily lunchtime needs.

1915 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(310) 470-0022

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The Apple Pan

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This LA icon has been serving classic diner fare since 1947. Little has changed, save for adding credit card payments and to-go items during the pandemic. That means there’s a standout patty melt and old-fashioned slices of pie, but the thing on everyone’s mind is the Hickory Burger dressed in the enduring restaurant’s proprietary barbecue sauce.

10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(310) 475-3585

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Hand holding up a hickory burger from the apple pan wrapped in paper against a wood background. — Apple Pan

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John O'Groats

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John O’Groats is one of those longstanding LA stories to love. Robert and Angelica Jacoby opened John O’Groats in 1982. But only during daytime hours so the Jacobys could care for their sons. Robert passed away in 2018, but they’re still making those beloved biscuits, pancakes, eggs, and sandwiches that keep people coming in.

10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

(310) 204-0692

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