The most expensive restaurant in LA is also one of the very best. Go if you like meticulously prepared seafood, trompe l'oeils, El Bulli, and flying across the world for a fine dining experience.

A cozy neighborhood bistro that exudes coastal California cool. Go if you like back porch dinner parties, perusing the local farmers market, This Old House reruns, and carbonic maceration.

A place to discover that roasted leek and banana taste incredible together. Go if you like flavor combinations that shouldn’t work but do, mid-meal ice cream, Alinea, and the seasonal section at Target.

A one-man sushi show that’s the best value omakase in LA. Go if you like trading sake pours, precision knifework, watching someone multitask, and salmon so silky it dissolves like a breath strip.

A Korean fine dining destination with big flavors in a tiny room. Go if you like secret entrances, Baroo, eating shaved ice with a cute ladybug spoon, and the Korean jang holy trinity.

A spunky bagel pop-up worth planning your weekend around. Go if you like defending LA’s bagel scene to New Yorkers, anchovy butter, sidewalk seating, and Courage swag.

Where highballs, vinyl, and peak-season produce add up to a sexy night out. Go if you like Japanese denim, Gjelina, impractical but gorgeous furniture, and shio koji.

A deluxe grill-it-yourself experience that's a whole lot of fun. Go if you like appreciating the difference between sirloin and tenderloin, frozen Sapporo mugs, Gyu-Kaku, and hitting your protein goal for the day.

Where beef rendang gets the big night out treatment. Go if you like any of the restaurants from the Found Oyster people, ordering more dishes than can fit on one table, and putting sambal on everything.

The neighborhood spot other neighborhood spots dream about. Go if you like paying less than $20 for fresh pasta, drinking vespers under a lemon tree, Nancy Meyers films, and Felix but you have kids.