Trendy / Hip Restaurants

Chicago-native Brian McKeaney and Emmy-award winning writer, Tom Patchett hashave brought Chicago’s Rush Street to Culver City. The restaurant, under the same name as the infamous avenue in Chicago, is known for their innovative menu and ambiance that encourages social interaction. Their modern atmosphere with a kind of low-lit ambiance is both comfortable and stylish. Boosting a large sidewalk patio facing Washington Blvd., a rooftop patio, and one of the largest bars in Culver, the layout of the restaurant incorporates a seamless openness from within the establishment and with out .

Rod Rotondi, founder and Executive Chef of Leaf Organics, is a culinary expert whose tireless crusade to bring organic foods into the mainstream has reached some of SoCal’s main retailers like Mother’s Markets, Rainbow Acres, Erewhon, and Whole Foods Markets. Rod’s dream was to create an eatery where diners can make healthy and positive changes in their lives. His dream came true and Leaf Organics is now the place to go to when you want to eat from a unique and organic menu. Creative and original items include salads, veggie burgers, rice and noodle bowls, pizza, vegan desserts, chai with …

Open since 1983, Diddy Riese, located in Westwood, CA has been serving some of the Los Angeles’ tastiest cold treats. For only $1.50, you can choose your cookies and ice cream and create your perfect ice cream sandwich. Their cookies are baked fresh daily and are available for purchase to have in your own home. This landmark establishment is situated on Broxton Avenue, one of the main streets in the area where the college crowd hangs out. You are sure to find a line out the door, however, not to worry, Diddy Riese stays open late and the line moves …

Just North of the University of Southern California on South Union Avenue, Bacaro LA Wine Bar serves California Fusion cuisine and fine wine. A nice selection of European and domestic wines as well as imported and craft beers are available. Plates are served tapas style and include customer favorites such as Bacon & Brie Pizza, Lamb Stuffed Eggplant, The Bacaro Burger, and Nutella Panini. Happy Hour between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday is a crowd favorite and features all plates for only $5! The place is popular with the local students, so a quiet evening may be …

The Farm of Beverly Hills offers a California spin on classic down home cooking. Taking an innovative approach to everyday American comfort foods, The Farm of Beverly Hills’ breakfast favorites include the Farmer’s Benedict and Huevos Rancheros. Lunch sees staples such as The Farm Classic Cheeseburger, Meatloaf Sandwich, and Maple Baked Salmon Salad. Dinner features the renown Dill Pickle Fried Chicken and Farm Chicken Pot Pie. The Famous Farm Brownie will satiate any chocoholic’s sweet tooth. An array of options is available for every meal, and each menu throughout the day features the freshest ingredients available. For food that satisfies …

Fig & Olive on Melrose Place in West Hollywood has a menu created around carefully selected ingredients from farmers offering the finest produce in order to present patrons Mediterranean influenced dishes. A passion for extra virgin olive oil prevails in the kitchen at Fig & Olive; each dish is prepared with olive oil in place of butter. The beginning of each meal sees a variety of extra virgin olive oil offered to guests to sample. Lunch, served during the week, offers a la carte entrees like Mediterranean Branzino and Rosemary Lamb Chops as well as soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta …

Sleek, sexy, and chic, Nirvana in Beverly Hills takes fine dining to the next level. With comfortable sofas and canopy beds, Nirvana offers some of Beverly Hills' most enticing Indian cuisine. Diners can enjoy the warmth of the fireplace on their breezy patio while partaking in the lounge atmosphere and romantic ambiance of the Kama Sutra themed restaurant. A treat for the senses as much as for the palate, a koi pond, statue of Ganesha, and an indoor “stream” all add to the unique atmosphere present at Nirvana. The next time the appetite calls for Indian food, and the senses …

D’Cache is a Toluca Lake local’s go-to spot for modern Spanish cuisine. This colorful restaurant is hidden in strip mall, and once diners step into the Spanish cottage, the lush décor and live music transports them on an exotic Latin vacation. Seated at comfy stuffed chairs or out on the enclosed patio, guests enjoy D’Cache’s take on modern Latin fusion cuisine in the form of tapas, pizettes, sandwiches, and entrees. Of its expansive menu, it is the tapas selection that keeps patrons returning for more. With options like Costillas Cubanas de Lechon, Baby Back Ribs in a Pasilla Honey B.B.Q. …

Up the stairs of the Via Rodeo, on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive is 208 Rodeo. A quaint and casual fine dining experience, 208 Rodeo has elegant outdoor patio dining that is perfect for people watching or just relaxing with old friends. The restaurant serves modern American cuisine made up of eclectic influences from around the world. Chef Alejandro Arrieta focuses on technique and ingredients when dishing up his signature cuisine. With a varied selection from the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert menu, 208 Rodeo gives those looking to take a respite from the hustle of Rodeo …

Via Alloro is the brainchild of brothers Giacomino and Tanino Drago. The restaurant, named after the street that they grew up on in the town of Galati Mamertino in Sicily’s Messina region, boasts an authentic family oriented atmosphere. The menu features a range of dishes from Italy, including soups, salads, pasta, pizza, risotto, as well as appetizers and entrées based on fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and sausage. Maintaining fine dining aspects with a heated patio and formal location, Via Alloro is a great place to host a party or sit down for some authentic Italian cuisine.

On the 24th floor of the Ritz Carlton in Downtown Los Angeles is WP24 by Wolfgang Puck. The location offers patrons breath-taking panoramic views of downtown, just a stone’s throw from LA Live and the Staples center. The lounge at WP24 is a fine place to grab a bite to eat and a quick drink before a game, concert, or show. This Chinese-Fusion Bistro offers diners two Prix Fixe choices, a three-course and four-course meal, should they choose to dine in the main restaurant. Popular entrees include the Peking Duck, “Angry” Two-Pound Live Maine Lobster, and Whole Sea Bass Baked …

Just off Robertson Boulevard nestled in the heart of Beverly Hills lies one of Los Angeles’ premium Moroccan restaurants, Tagine. A fusion of old and new recipes combine to create both their ala cart and tasting menus. Each dish is carefully hand crafted and the menu is always seasonally fresh. An eclectic combination of beers and wines follow their ever-changing menu. Chef ‘Ben’ Benameur says about his restaurant, “all I want is a warm place where the food is made with love” and with such an intimate location and cozy ambience he has made this simple statement a reality. For …

Specializing in using the freshest fare, The Lazy Ox Canteen prides itself on the creative presentation of dishes. Owner Michael Hide Cardenas delivers a menu of both exciting and exceptional ingredients that that may seem unlikely, but blend to form fine flavors. Basing much of their dishes off the idea of hospitality and culture, The Lazy Ox Canteen is a dinning destination for first timers and foodies alike. Get the meal started with the popular Pig Ear Chicharron. For the main course, try one of the best burgers in Los Angeles, the 7 oz Lazy Ox Burger. Sample the Lazy …

Glamorous and chic, Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills is as stylish and elegant as it is delicious. Both dinner and lunch menus offer savory Mediterranean seafood and pasta options for the delight of diners. Frequented by various celebrities, Villa Blanca restaurant is a great place to people watch, or meet with friends for a tasty luncheon date. The wide selection of wines from Italy, France, Argentina, and California make it even more enticing, not to mention the vast cocktail menu. Come enjoy the restaurants sultry ambiance, of the upscale shabby chic Villa Blanca.

Vegetarians and vegans rejoice at Happy Family Vegetarian, one of Los Angeles’ first organic and macrobiotic restaurants. Meat-lovers also flock to Happy Family for tasty entrees that may substitute ingredients, but never lack in flavor. Tofu and soy are used brilliantly throughout the menu to add substance, healthy protein, and other vital nutrients to specialties already rich in goodness. Whether you’ve fully committed yourself to a meat-free lifestyle or are simply wild about amazing tasting food that just so happens to be good for you, Happy Family will satisfy your appetite and please your soul.

Providing an exquisite menu that features Argentinean cuisine in a hip environment, Gaucho Grill in Brentwood creates palate teasing dishes that guests will enjoy. The menu showcases an arrangement of delicious dishes that utilize Latin herbs and spices like the New York Santa Fe, a succulent 10 ounce Grilled New York steak with sautéed mushrooms over a white wine sauce or the Suprema Napolitana, breaded chicken breast lightly fried with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Both use traditional Latin cooking techniques and flavor combinations. Gaucho Grill also offers burgers and sandwiches like the Chicken Chimichurri burger that couples an …

Located on the corner of Pine Avenue and East Broadway in Long Beach, Gaucho Grill showcases a sensational Argentinean menu in a hip and chic atmosphere that guests will surely enjoy. Gaucho Grill’s outside patio is adorned with traditional Argentinean décor and polished steel accents, marrying a sense of modern day swank with rooted Argentinean notes. Inside, the dining room is dressed in deep red with wood panel walls and a stone archway, giving guests a juxtaposition of three different medium textures, while the atmosphere offers subtle sonnets of Argentinean classics played by a live guitarist. Just like its décor, …

To many people a chef and an artist are one in the same. This is absolutely true of Chef Jordan Kahn of Red Medicine located in Beverly Hills on Wilshire boulevard and South Gale drive. The concept of Red Medicine was cooked up during late nights in Chinatown dives after grueling 18-hour restaurant shifts. It is not classic Vietnamese food, nor is it trying to be. Red Medicine is something new with a tip of the hat to old Vietnam. A dish like the Pork contains traditional Asian ingredients, spring onion, and Sriracha, but the caramelized pork is taken in …

Sweet Rose Creamery offers small batches of homemade ice cream to those looking for a cool treat in Brentwood. The fine folks at Sweet Rose use only organic ingredients in creating their fabulous flavors, and never use any stabilizers or ice cream bases. Toppings, cones, sauces, and ice cream sandwiches are made from scratch on a daily basis, so patrons can rest assured that freshness is at the forefront at Sweet Rose Creamery. Ice cream flavors feature rotating staples like Peanut Butter with Brownie Bites, Ginger with Honey, and Toasted Coconut with availability throughout the year. Classics like Old Fashioned …

Huckleberry Café in Santa Monica has a fresh approach to cafeteria style dining. Homemade artisan breads, pastries, soups, salads, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and deck oven flatbread pizza are just a quick sample of the items on offer. All produce is sourced from a local farmer’s market, and all meat and dairy is free range, as well as hormone and antibiotic free. The menu changes frequently due to the seasonal nature of the produce used and whims of the baker, so expect something new with each visit. The Thursday night family dinner is different week to week and allows guests a …