Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Downtown

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Downtown? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Mona Pasta Bar

4.9

4.9 (59)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Mona Pasta Bar

Dinner dishes highlight the marriage of Italian techniques with Southern California ingredients including Pesce Crudo with citrus cured hamachi, kosho beet vinaigrette and hazelnuts, Burrata & Tomato with burrata pugliese, heirloom tomato, pine nuts, pesto and squash blossom, Casarecce with lamb sausage and rapini, Lumache - alla vodka, and a Whole Branzino with caramelized fennel.

The menu is designed for snacking over a glass of wine, sharing with friends and/or enjoying a more coursed out dining experience. Pasta, a focal point of the offerings, will all be made in-house.

The wine list is focused on fun, daring, low-intervention, natural wines to accentuate and complement the food. The primarily Italian focused list with opening selections from Sicily to Puglia will be rotating based on seasonality and availability.

Top review

Jenvip

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

Delicious food and dessert! Excellent happy hour house red and appetizers! Quaint restaurant and great music. Must try it!

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Experience

Wednesday - Sunday Happy Hour!

Bar Amá

4.8

4.8 (445)

$30 and under

Tex-Mex

Downtown

About the restaurant

Bar Amá is a Tex-Mex restaurant located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Our outdoor patio is available only on Friday & Saturday evenings (weather permitting). If you have any questions, please e-mail us at info@bar-ama.com or visit bar-ama.com.

"Fideo and borracho beans with cilantro and pork belly simmering on the stove, the spicy warmth of menudo every Christmas and New Year’s, egg salad with a fried egg between a butter toasted bolillo, and puffy tacos stuffed with lengua carnitas and crushed avocado and doused with pequin chile vinegar salsa. These are just some of the dishes that have inspired me – the food that I was nurtured with by the women who raised me. Bar Amá is my interpretation of their Tex-Mex." – Chef Josef Centeno

Top review

Martha

Dined on Sep 26, 2024

Perfect dinner! The place wasn't even busy on a Wednesday so I just gotta say ya'll are missing out! Easy reservation, great menu, great drinks and the food was perfect! Large portions too!! Our server was wonderful and the bill was reasonable:) Highly recommend!

Guerrilla Tacos

4.7

4.7 (71)

$30 and under

Mexican

Downtown

About the restaurant

Guerrilla Tacos is a restaurant born and raised in Los Angeles. We take the influences of the many cultures of the city and put it in our favorite food - the taco.

Top review

theBZA

Dined on Sep 21, 2024

Carlos at the bar is such a pleasure. Really enjoys his job and makes everyone feel welcome. The food is also great. Been here twice and will return

Noe Bar at the Omni Los Angeles

4.6

4.6 (1534)

$31 to $50

Californian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Welcome to NOE, an Angeleno Bistro, a vibrant culinary haven nestled in downtown Los Angeles. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of diverse flavors, complemented by craft cocktails, Arts District microbrews, and an extensive wine selection. Whether you prefer our outdoor patio with mesmerizing skyline views, the intimate cocktail lounge with live music, or the refined dining room, each space offers a unique experience. Our menu, a fusion of small plates and mains, celebrates the eclectic spirit of Los Angeles, sourced sustainably from local vendors. Join us for Happy Hour, indulge in our rotating drink specials, and on Fridays and Saturdays, savor live piano melodies – the perfect backdrop to a delightful dining affair. Don't miss our summer concert series at the Yard, a collaborative venture with Grand Performances. NOE is where culinary diversity and cultural celebration come together.

Top review

Kristi

Dined on Oct 4, 2024

The Thai chicken was good. Caring people - Great service

Rappahannock Oyster Bar @ ROW DTLA

4.6

4.6 (569)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Downtown

About the restaurant

Exposed wood and concrete interiors of ROW DTLA’s historic produce terminal is the ideal setting for Rappahannock Oyster Bar’s first West Coast location. Nestled in LA’s Warehouse District, just blocks from the Arts District and Little Tokyo, ROW DTLA offers a West Coast spin on our East Coast heritage. With an emphasis on sustainability, locally sourced, ethically fished, and responsibly farmed ingredients, the menu draws inspiration from the people of L.A. and the bounty of fresh produce, fish, and meat sourced in Southern California.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Oct 5, 2024

Went here to celebrate my daughter’s 20th birthday. Great food and service. Had 12 oysters and two lobster sandwiches. Took her for street beer and tacos after bc it was so close. What a beautiful day!

Ristorante Per L'Ora

4.5

4.5 (230)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

As the namesake neighborhood restaurant of our hotel, Per L'Ora thoughtfully expresses LA culture and lifestyle through reimagined flavors of coastal Italy.

Top review

stephenvip

Dined today

Great for a post-opera matinee dinner. Beautiful space, friendly service. The food was surprisingly good.

Taberu

4.5

4.5 (74)

$30 and under

Japanese

Arts District

About the restaurant

TABERU - TOKYO SHOKUTSU - EAT TO LIVE & LIVE TO EAT
Tokyo's top restaurateurs w/ a combined total of over 200 restaurants throughout Japan, team up to bring artisan dishes, tastes and flavors from the streets of Tokyo... and bring to you TABERU!
The name TABERU comes from the japanese terminology 三大欲求・"Sandaiyokkyu" the "three major desires" which are said to be indispensable and key for our lives, and the main one being 食欲・"shokuyoku" which means to eat.
Our chefs are direct from Tokyo and have created a menu never seen in LA before! Our signature dish being YASAI MAKI which are fresh veggies wrapped in pork, beef and vegan options as well!
Come join us for a great atmosphere, food & drinks, vibes and a completely new dining experience!
Experience the "Real Deal" Tokyo comfort food without the jetlag!
We are located on the Traction side next to Kreation and offer patio dining and valet parking as well.

Top review

Juliovip

Dined 2 days ago

We love Taberu. Very unique take on yakitori with delicious drinks and outstanding service.

Cafe Fig

4.5

4.5 (22)

$30 and under

Café

Downtown

About the restaurant

A mainstay for DTLA professionals, locals and tourists alike – Cafe Fig is an everyday gathering place for all. Our culinary team uses classic quintessential recipes infused with unique, natural ingredients, to reimagine iconic dishes, offering breakfast, lunch and bar bites, consisting mainly of locally-sourced ingredients. Which feature fresh, organic, and sustainable products, along with vegan and gluten free options.
**After 3PM only Lounge seating is available.

Top review

KeeshaP

Dined on Sep 28, 2024

Love this place! It is beautifully decorated and has delicious food. I will definitely go back just to try different items on the menu. The Lounge has a cool Bar and great seating to meet up with friends to have dinner and drinks. This place has a great vibe!

Broken Shaker - Los Angeles

4.3

4.3 (451)

$30 and under

Californian

Downtown

About the restaurant

An oasis in the heart of Downtown LA, Broken Shaker, located on our rooftop pool deck, offers an eclectic menu of handcrafted cocktails and small bites. A James Beard Award finalist and winner of Tales of the Cocktail’s Best American Hotel Bar award, Broken Shaker serves up delicious cocktails, infused with homemade elixirs and exotic ingredients, bringing the flavors of the beach to the center of the city.

A 4% health service charge is added to all checks to help cover the cost of health care benefits that we offer to our full-time employees. Additionally, an 18% service charge is automatically included in your purchase.
Thank you for supporting our staff. If you would like either of these charges removed, please let your server know and the charge will be removed.

Top review

Monica

Dined 2 days ago

Great for a bday celebration! Heaters came on and helped with chilly night. Lights are beautiful! Fun music!

Hearts and Flame

4.2

4.2 (250)

$31 to $50

Italian

Little Tokyo

About the restaurant

Hearts & Flame.
Coastal Italian dishes in a modern industrial space in the heart of the DTLA Arts District.

From fresh made pastas, to sea-to-table dishes, utilizing the freshest seafood from the California coast, our kitchen is at the heart of everything we do. In the middle of our dining room, the flames are ignited from our grill, where steaks, are cooked over an open flame, creating a memorable experience for you and your guests.

Top review

Jeffrey

Dined 1 day ago

The Cacio E Pepe was amazing. Service was on point and the cocktails were amazing.

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Popular dish

Pappardelle alla Funghi

Popular dish

Pappardelle ai Gallinacci

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