Evan Funke's Venice pasta room rolls every shape by hand in a glass-walled laboratorio. Felix Trattoria is the busiest dinner reservation on Abbot Kinney.
Signature dishes: Cacio e pepe, Mafaldine alla Genovese
Must order: Cacio e pepe finished tableside in a wheel of pecorino.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out and disappear in the first hour; counter seats overlooking the pasta room are walk-in from 17:00.
Address: 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291, Los Angeles
Travis Lett's Gjelina in Venice has been the Westside's wood-fire vegetable room since 2008. The pizzas and roasted vegetables built the template.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Roasted vegetables
Order: Lamb sausage and pumpkin pizza from the wood oven, then the roasted Brussels sprouts.
Tip: Walk-in queue for the patio is fine before 19:00; after that, book or eat at the takeaway counter next door at Gjelina Take Away.
Evan Funke's Roman follow-up to Felix runs out of a 1930s Citizen News building in Hollywood. Mother Wolf serves Roman pasta in a marble-and-gold room.
Signature: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Suppli al telefono
Order: Suppli al telefono, then the tonnarelli cacio e pepe.
Tip: The bar room serves the full menu without a reservation, but you need to be in line by 17:15 on a Friday.
Niki Nakayama's modern kaiseki house in Palms, Los Angeles, runs a 13-course tasting menu that changes by season and books months in advance.
Signature: Modern kaiseki tasting, Spaghetti pasta course
Order: The 13-course modern kaiseki, including chef Niki Nakayama's spaghetti course.
Tip: Bookings open at midnight Pacific on the first of the month for three months out. Refresh the page; tables go in 30 seconds.
Michael Cimarusti's Providence on Melrose has been LA's two-Michelin-star seafood room since 2005. The tasting menu builds around West Coast producers.
Signature: Hokkaido uni, Santa Barbara spot prawn
Order: The full tasting menu; the spot prawn course in season is the one to remember.
Tip: Bar seats serve a shorter four-course at half the price; book those a week ahead instead of a month.
Travis Lett's Gjelina in Venice has been the Westside's wood-fire vegetable room since 2008. The pizzas and roasted vegetables built the template.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Roasted vegetables
Order: Lamb sausage and pumpkin pizza from the wood oven, then the roasted Brussels sprouts.
Tip: Walk-in queue for the patio is fine before 19:00; after that, book or eat at the takeaway counter next door at Gjelina Take Away.
Ludo Lefebvre's 20-stool bistro on Highland Avenue runs walk-in only and pours strong Bordeaux. Petit Trois is the most-imitated counter in Los Angeles.
Signature: Big-Mec burger, Omelette
Order: The Big-Mec burger at lunch or the bouillabaisse at dinner.
Tip: 20 stools, no bookings at the original; the larger Sherman Oaks sibling takes reservations and pours the same wines.
David Chang's Majordomo in Chinatown, Los Angeles, runs Korean-leaning family-style sharing plates and a whole duck that requires a 48-hour pre-order.
Signature: Bing bread, Whole roast duck
Order: Bing bread with chickpea hozon to start, then the family-style whole duck.
Tip: Reserve duck 48 hours ahead by phone; otherwise sold out by 18:00. Bar seats walk-in serve the full menu.
