Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Los Angeles

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Los Angeles? 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!

Here's Looking At You

4.9

4.9 (904)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Koreatown

About the restaurant

We are an eclectic Los Angeles restaurant, located in Koreatown, heralded for its creativity and genre-defying cuisine. Their first restaurant together, owners Lien Ta and Chef Jonathan Whitener opened Here's Looking At You in 2016. Named a "Restaurant of the Year" by Food & Wine Magazine and one of Eater National's "38 Most Essential Restaurants," HLAY was also the subject of author Patric Kuh's "Becoming a Restaurateur." After four magical years as a small independent restaurant, COVID-19 would force its forever closure. But 17 months later, fate would have it that the community would come together to help resurrect this very special restaurant. Thanks to you, Here's Looking At You is back.

Top review

Holly

Dined today

HLAY is our go to for any celebration. Always delicious, always friendly, HLAY is hands down our favorite spot in LA. 🥰

Next Door

4.9

4.9 (142)

$50 and over

Mediterranean

Beverly / Fairfax / La Brea / Third St.

About the restaurant

Welcome to Next Door!

Top review

Galivip

Dined 1 day ago

Amazing restaurant. Great ambiance. The food was exceptional and authentic.

Georgia's Lounge

4.9

4.9 (216)

$31 to $50

Lounge

Redondo Beach

About the restaurant

A sophisticated, sleek lounge where the bartenders remember your name. The eclectic tapas menu offers comforting bar bites and rich treats to satisfy those late-night munchies. The cocktail program features classic and uniquely crafted cocktails from fresh, local ingredients. Expect local craft Beers and spirits to challenge the more adventurous drinkers. We have extra parking available every night from 6 pm -12:30 am. Look for the parking lot across the street from Georgia's Lounge, entrance via Huntington Lane at 1444 Aviation Blvd.

Top review

Jim

Dined on Aug 21, 2024

Love this little neighborhood bar. Always a nice time with good food and the service is always great!

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!

Koi - Los Angeles

4.8

4.8 (1641)

$50 and over

Japanese

West Hollywood

About the restaurant

Koi Los Angeles is a sophisticated blend of feng shui and modern elegance. Illuminated by candlelight, the natural and intricate details of the Zen inspired earth-toned colors, sleek design, fireplaces and waterscapes all create the perfect setting.
Koi's contemporary Japanese cuisine utilizes local and International ingredients. Among Koi's popular signature shared plates are Koi Crispy Rice topped with your choice of Spicy Tuna; Yellowtail Tartare Truffle Avocado, Filet Mignon; Hamachi Fusion with Soy Yuzu and Truffle essence. Signature entrees include Miso Bronzed Black Cod with Seasonal Vegetables; Peppercorn Filet Mignon "Toban-Yaki" with Shishito Potato Mash; and Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with a Habanero Truffle Sauce. In addition to our signature rolls, Koi's sushi chefs present traditional topmost grades of seafood, including daily selections which are often celebrated by the modern and adventurous palate.

Top review

jeffvip

Dined 1 day ago

Very good sushi. ................. . . Not too loud

Gaslamp - Music + Bar + Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (566)

$30 and under

American

Long Beach

About the restaurant

IF YOU CAN'T FIND A TABLE HERE...PLEASE CALL THE VENUE DIRECTLY! (562)596-4718...

LONG BEACH'S PREMIER LIVE MUSIC VENUE and RESTAURANT
THURSDAY - COUNTRY NIGHT with LINE DANCING
FRIDAY - 80's with KNYGHT RYDER
SATURDAY - CONCERTS featuring the TOP TRIBUTE BANDS and TOURING NATIONAL ACTS
SUNDAY - BRUNCH with LIVE MUSIC

Top review

Rodney

Dined 5 days ago

Staff was amazing. Service and food was incredible.

Market Venice

4.8

4.8 (7)

$31 to $50

Italian

Venice

About the restaurant

Tucked under the arches in one of the oldest buildings in Venice, you find Market — a modern Italian restaurant. The plates are a modern twist on Italian cuisine, designed to be shared European family-style.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Aug 28, 2024

Good ambiance, vacant outside patio. Service was quick—main meal came out before finished oysters. Pasta with lemon wasn’t my favorite, lacked flavor. Other than that the food and drinks were great.

The Brandy

4.8

4.8 (29)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Glendale

About the restaurant

The Brandy is Glendale's new and chic restaurant incorporating the highest quality Mediterranean and American cuisine along with craft cocktails and the finest hookah. Vision and inspiration for The Brandy was to rejuvenate three critical elements of the modern dining experience: high quality servings, exceptional service, and dynamic entertainment. The exceptional team at The Brandy has decades of experience managing and serving many establishments throughout the Great Los Angeles area and has utilized its vast knowledge of the industry to set forth a truly rare and distinctive yet familial and cozy vibe. The Brandy strives for the best in every sector and never sacrifices one for the others.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Sep 8, 2024

Whole vibe was good would go again . Service was good

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Experience

Live Entertainment Every Weekend

Sidecar

4.8

4.8 (99)

$50 and over

Speakeasy

Valencia / Santa Clarita

About the restaurant

Step back in time and immerse yourself in an era of elegance, charm, and secrecy. At Sidecar Market, we pride ourselves on impeccable service, unmatched hospitality, and a journey through the finest libations and culinary delights.

Top review

Erin

Dined 5 days ago

Fantastic place to have a date night. The food, drinks, and service were all amazing. Is it a little pricey, yes. Is it worth the price, 100%! Will definitely be back. Aaron the bartender deserves a 5 star grade on his own. He made the experience even better.

Broken Spirits Distillery

4.8

4.8 (35)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Long Beach

About the restaurant

We are Broken Spirits, a distillery born from a love of forgotten recipes and the desire to create something new from the echoes of the past. Step through our unassuming door and be transported to a bygone era. Our speakeasy-inspired interior is a warm embrace of exposed brick, plush seating, and the gentle hum of conversation. Worn leather-bound recipe books line our shelves, whispering secrets of forgotten cocktails, while vintage lamps cast a romantic glow. Our culinary creations are chef driven and locally sourced. Join us for a meal and stay for a memory.

Top review

Desiree

Dined 7 days ago

Great food, great cocktails, and great service! The food and cocktails are priced really well but that doesn’t mean it is lacking in quality and flavor. Parking was super easy as the restaurant is right next to a parking garage. Celeste did an amazing job and was great! She even threw in 2 lemon drops which is my favorite! We will definitely be back!!

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