In case you haven’t heard, 5 pm and 6 pm are the new coveted 8 pm reservations, according to everyone from Danny Meyer to the New Yorker to OpenTable data, which shows that 36% of all 2023 dining happened between 5 pm to 7 pm.
Although Los Angeles has always been something of an early-dining city, these restaurants are among the best of the best for an early meal. Whether it’s a pre-Dodgers game dinner at a Silver Lake staple, tacos at a DTLA hit, or a Mid-City Italian favorite, it doesn’t get much better than these options. Read on for a guide to 6 LA restaurants for an all-out early dinner.
All Day Baby (Silver Lake)
Catching a nighttime Dodgers game? Slide into All Day Baby for whole prawns, lamb-blade chops, and cornish game hen from the grill and pair it with fun cocktails like boozy milkshakes and the Derby Hat Energy with whiskey, grapefruit, and honey. This bright Silver Lake spot also has some great happy-hour snacks from 4 pm to 6 pm, like hush puppies and hot wings with ranch and celery.
Bar Amá (DTLA)
Whether you’re downtown or not, it’s hard to find a casual restaurant that checks off delicious food, killer drinks, and a vibey atmosphere. Bar Amá has all three, without the price tag of other sit-down options in the area, making it an ideal destination for an early bite before a show or event in DTLA. Dig into favorites like the signature puffy tacos or chile relleno washed down with a well-made margarita. Another good reason to dine early? The restaurant’s well-known Super Nacho Hour runs from 5 pm to 7 pm (and all night at the bar).
CENTO (Mid-City)
Reservations are tough to score at this chic Mid-City Italian restaurant, where the pastas are housemade, the cocktails are vibrant, and the people-watching is superb. Show up early to snag a table on the expansive patio or seats at the marble-topped bar, then indulge on rigatoni with pomodoro, sweet corn agnolotti, and the signature (and Instagram-worthy) banana tiramisu, all before the restaurant gets packed to the gills.
Fia Steak (Santa Monica)
There may be no better treat than a baller night out at a steakhouse—but it’s best to start before 6 pm to work your way through caviar bumps and bubbles, foie gras torchons, and prime steaks at Santa Monica’s slick Fia Steak. And if you kick off your evening with a five-ounce martini, aka the Dean Martin’s Kick in the Head, you may need to turn in early anyway.
Queen St. (Eagle Rock)
This new Charleston-style seafood restaurant from the Found Oyster folks opens at 4:30 pm to take walk-ins at its gorgeous horseshoe-shaped oyster bar. Stroll into the elegantly nautical Eagle Rock space for buttery barbecue shrimp, raw bar specialties like Spanish mackerel tartare and deviled crab louie, and natural wines to wash it all down nicely.
Highly Likely (West Adams)
Let your late-afternoon coffee date linger into an early dinner at this stylish indoor-outdoor all-day cafe in West Adams. The evening menu kicks off at 4 pm and has hearty dishes both big and small like fried artichoke hearts, meatballs over harissa tomato sauce, and burrata with Bub and Grandma’s toast and roasted grape tomatoes. Order a beer or a glass of natural wine, or visit the well-curated wine wall for a bottle of something great.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
