Mid-Range in Los Angeles

Cognoscenti Coffee ★ 4.8

Yeekai Lim's Cognoscenti Coffee in Culver City, Los Angeles is a multi-roaster bar pouring rotating Heart, Verve and Coava since 2010. A reference LA cafe.

Monkish Brewing ★ 4.8

Monkish Brewing in Torrance, Los Angeles County brews some of the most-sought-after hazy IPAs in California. Bottle releases sell out in minutes online.

Holbox ★ 4.8

Gilberto Cetina Jr.'s Holbox in Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles serves Mexican seafood: aguachile, tostadas, kanpachi, ceviche. A Michelin Bib Gourmand pick.

TipThe aguachile flight is the order; come on a Wednesday at 13:00 when the market is quiet and you can sit at the counter.

Leo's Tacos Truck ★ 4.7

Leo's Tacos Truck on La Brea, Los Angeles carves al pastor until 02:00 nightly. Three permanent truck locations, the La Brea stop is the busiest.

OrderAl pastor and asada tacos

Chichen Itza Restaurant ★ 4.7

Chef Gilberto Cetina's Chichen Itza in Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles serves Yucatecan dishes from a market counter. At 3655 S Grand Ave. Booking recommended.

TipCloses at 17:00 daily, no dinner; come at 12:30 weekdays when there is no line and the cochinita has just come off the rotisserie.

Republique ★ 4.7

Walter and Margarita Manzke's Republique on La Brea, Los Angeles plates brunch in a 1928 commissary, with a French pastry counter and a long sit-down menu.

OrderKouign-amann with espresso, then the croque madame.

TipPastry queue is for the counter; sit-down brunch is a separate reservation system that opens 30 days out.

Bavel ★ 4.7

Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's Bavel in the Arts District, Los Angeles plates Eastern Mediterranean weekend brunch from the Bestia family.

OrderLamb belly hummus with hot pita.

TipThe brunch menu overlaps with dinner but adds a few egg dishes; book the patio for the strongest light.

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle ★ 4.6

Tsujita LA in Sawtelle, Los Angeles is the LA outpost of Tokyo's Tsujita, simmering tonkotsu broth for 60 hours and serving it as ramen and tsukemen.

OrderTonkotsu tsukemen at lunch only.

TipTsukemen is served exclusively before 15:00; after 15:00 the menu switches to ramen and stays open until 02:00.

Maru Coffee ★ 4.6

Maru Coffee in Los Feliz, Los Angeles serves Heart and Tim Wendelboe roasts on a 12-seat Korean-Californian counter, with the city's tightest cortado.

Highland Park Brewery ★ 4.6

Bob Kunz's Highland Park Brewery in Chinatown, Los Angeles brews crushable lagers and west-coast IPAs from a 5,000 square-foot taproom and brewhouse.

Sun Nong Dan ★ 4.6

Sun Nong Dan in Koreatown, Los Angeles is open 24 hours and serves the city's reference seolleongtang and a TikTok-famous cheese galbi jjim.

OrderGalbi jjim braised short rib finished with cheese, plus a bowl of seolleongtang.

Tip02:00-04:00 has no wait; come at 22:00 Friday and the wait is 90 minutes.

Kuya Lord ★ 4.6

Lord Maynard Llera's Kuya Lord in Melrose Hills, Los Angeles runs a Filipino lechon counter that grew from Smorgasburg. At 5003 Melrose Ave.

TipThe lechon belly is the order; come at 11:30 when the kitchen first slices, after that the line stays steady all afternoon.

Botanica ★ 4.6

Botanica in Silver Lake, Los Angeles is Heidi Swanson and Emily Fiffer's vegetable-forward brunch room. Tomato toast and a turmeric latte to go.

OrderSungold tomato toast and a turmeric latte.

TipHeidi Swanson and Emily Fiffer's room books out two weekends in advance; sit on the patio for the strongest light.

KazuNori ★ 4.5

KazuNori on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles is the original temaki handroll bar, with the five-roll set delivered within 30 seconds of rolling.

OrderThe five-roll set: blue crab, scallop, lobster, yellowtail and toro in sequence.

TipWalk-in only, the line moves once a seat opens; eat each handroll within 30 seconds, the nori loses snap fast.

Kismet ★ 4.5

Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson's Kismet in Los Feliz, Los Angeles plates a vegetable-led California Mediterranean menu in a sunny corner room.

OrderCrispy turmeric chicken with sumac and freekeh.

TipBrunch on weekends from 09:00 takes walk-ins; dinner is a 30-day-out booking.

All Time ★ 4.5

Tyler Wells and Ashley Wells's All Time in Los Feliz, Los Angeles runs a 30-seat neighbourhood room with the best brunch eggs in Eastside LA.

OrderEggs benedict on the brunch menu, lemon-pepper chicken at dinner.

TipBrunch is walk-in only Saturday and Sunday from 09:00; dinner books two weeks out.

Pine & Crane ★ 4.5

Vivian Ku's Pine and Crane in Silver Lake, Los Angeles serves Taiwanese family recipes at a counter and a dozen tables on Griffith Park Boulevard.

OrderDan dan noodles and the three-cup chicken.

TipCounter service, fast turnover; this is the casual sibling of the more formal Joy in Highland Park.

Sun Nong Dan ★ 4.5

Sun Nong Dan in Koreatown, Los Angeles serves seolleongtang ox-bone soup 24 hours a day and a cheese-topped galbi jjim that built a TikTok following.

OrderGalbi jjim braised short rib with cheese, finished tableside.

Tip24-hour, two-hour wait at 22:00 Friday; come at 23:30 instead, lines clear.

Hippo ★ 4.5

Matt Molina's Hippo in Highland Park, Los Angeles is a 50-seat Italian-California room serving handmade pastas from the Mozza alum since 2021.

OrderMortadella and pickle, the focaccia, and any pasta on the chalkboard.

TipThe chalkboard menu changes weekly; reservations only on OpenTable, four weeks out.

Smog City Brewing ★ 4.5

Smog City Brewing in Torrance, Los Angeles County brews a wide stylistic range from sours to coffee porters, with a family-friendly taproom and food trucks.

Sun Nong Dan ★ 4.5

Sun Nong Dan in Koreatown, Los Angeles simmers seolleongtang ox-bone soup 24 hours a day and serves a cheese-finished galbi jjim with TikTok-driven crowds.

TipThe 02:00-04:00 window is when locals book the back room; the cheese galbi jjim arrives sizzling and is finished tableside.

All Time ★ 4.5

Tyler and Ashley Wells's All Time in Los Feliz, Los Angeles plates a 30-seat neighbourhood brunch on weekends, with the best brunch eggs in Eastside LA.

OrderPancake with peanut butter and chocolate shavings.

TipWalk-in only at brunch; the patio is the seat to ask for. The kitchen often runs out of pancakes by 12:30.

Gjelina ★ 4.5

Travis Lett's Gjelina on Abbot Kinney, Venice, Los Angeles plates a wood-fire brunch menu with vegetable plates and pizzas. A reservation a week ahead.

OrderWood-fired flatbread with eggs and a Bloody Mary.

TipThe patio takes walk-ins before 11:00 on weekends; after that book or sit at the bar inside.

Destroyer ★ 4.5

Jordan Kahn's Destroyer in Culver City, Los Angeles plates a Nordic-influenced morning menu at a counter, with grain bowls and a daily pastry case.

OrderToast porridge with stewed apples and a Stumptown filter coffee.

TipJordan Kahn's daytime counter is a slow, deliberate menu; the pastries from the case sell out by 11:30.

Jitlada ★ 4.4

Jitlada in East Hollywood, Los Angeles has been LA's southern Thai room since the 1980s. Owner Jazz Singsanong runs the dining room front of house.

OrderCrispy morning glory salad and the kua kling fried curry, ordered Thai-hot.

TipAsk for the green Southern Thai menu, not the laminated one.

Sqirl ★ 4.4

Jessica Koslow's Sqirl on Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles invented the ricotta toast format in 2012 and still draws a daily brunch line at the counter.

OrderRicotta toast on Sqirl brioche with house jam.

TipOrder at the counter, sit at a sidewalk picnic table; the queue is for groups, not solos.

Joy ★ 4.4

Vivian Ku's Joy on York Boulevard, Highland Park, Los Angeles serves Taiwanese family-style on a covered patio. Sister room to Pine and Crane in Silver Lake.

OrderBeef noodle soup and the scallion pancakes.

TipSister to Pine and Crane but takes bookings; ask the host for the back patio when you book.

Stereoscope Coffee Company ★ 4.4

Stereoscope Coffee in Echo Park, Los Angeles is the Fullerton roaster's Sunset Boulevard cafe, roasting single-origin filters and a clean signature espresso.

Sqirl ★ 4.4

Jessica Koslow's Sqirl on Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles has plated the ricotta toast format since 2012 and still draws a daily brunch line from 08:00.

OrderRicotta toast on Sqirl brioche with house jam.

TipThe line at 09:30 weekends runs 45 minutes; midweek 10:00 has no wait.

Salazar ★ 4.4

Salazar in Frogtown, Los Angeles plates a Sonoran-style Mexican grill brunch on a riverside patio. Chilaquiles and micheladas, walk-in only on weekends.

OrderCarnitas chilaquiles and a michelada.

TipFrogtown patio is the seat; come at 11:30 sharp on a Saturday and the host seats you immediately.

Guelaguetza ★ 4.3

The Lopez family's Guelaguetza in Koreatown, Los Angeles has cooked Oaxacan moles, tlayudas and clayudas for the city since 1994. A James Beard winner.

OrderMole negro over chicken, and a tlayuda to share.

TipThe Lopez family runs a moles-by-the-jar takeaway out the side door; carry one home on the plane.

Cofax Coffee Shop ★ 4.3

Cofax Coffee Shop on Fairfax, Los Angeles updated the LA breakfast burrito with chorizo verde and house-fermented hot sauces. A reliable Mid-City stop.

OrderChorizo verde breakfast burrito and a flat white.

TipCounter and patio only; queue at 09:30 weekends, walk-in fine weekdays.

Cassell's Hamburgers ★ 4.3

Cassell's Hamburgers inside the Hotel Normandie in Koreatown grinds its own chuck for griddled patties, a recipe in continuous use since 1948.

OrderThe third-pound cheeseburger with grilled onions, plus a vanilla malt for the side.

TipCassell's grinds beef in-house every morning; the breakfast burrito is the under-rated order from the same kitchen.

Boomtown Brewery ★ 4.3

Boomtown Brewery in the Arts District, Los Angeles brews crisp lagers and a clean West Coast IPA from a tall-ceiling Chinatown taproom on Jackson Street.

Frogtown Brewery ★ 4.3

Frogtown Brewery in Elysian Valley, Los Angeles brews German pilsners and clean IPAs by the LA River bike path. A small taproom that the cyclists adopted.

Camphor ★ 4.3

Camphor in the Arts District, Los Angeles is Lijo and Max's French-Indian tasting room, with a Michelin star awarded in 2023 and bar seats walk-in available.

TipThe bar serves the full menu walk-in; sit there if the dining room is booked, the pours are the same.

Great White ★ 4.3

Great White on Pacific Avenue, Venice, Los Angeles brings the Australian flat-white-and-avocado brunch format to the beach. Open daily 07:30-15:00.

OrderSmashed avocado on charcoal toast and a flat white.

TipBeach-block location is ideal for a 09:00 walk-in before the Venice tourist crowd hits at 11:00.

Cognoscenti Coffee (DTLA) ★ 4.2

Cognoscenti Coffee on San Julian Street in Downtown LA is the specialty bar architect-turned-barista Yeekai Lim built from the city's first pop-up coffee.

Pijja Palace ★ 4.2

Avish Naran's Pijja Palace in Silver Lake, Los Angeles fuses Italian-American pasta and pizza with Indian sauces in a sports-bar room. Open since 2022.

TipWalk in at 17:00 sharp to avoid a 90-minute wait; the sports bar is part of the experience, ask for the patio booth.

Pijja Palace ★ 4.1

Avish Naran's Pijja Palace in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, fuses Italian-American pizza and pasta with Indian sauces in a sports-bar room. Walk-in only.

OrderTikka masala rigatoni and a chicken tikka pizza for the table.

TipWalk-in only, three TVs always on sports; the wait at 19:30 is 90 minutes, at 17:00 it is zero.