The Prettiest New Restaurants and Bars to Open in Los Angeles in 2021

Los Angeles has always been a trendsetter in restaurant and bar design, and last year was no exception. With the hardships of the past two years stunting openings and their first reemergence across the city, the past twelve months have still yielded a number of well-designed spaces that showcase the breadth and depth of L.A.’s restaurant interior architecture.

Some of the highlights include a return to a mid-century modern look that seems to find updated touches. Memories of the ’70s and ’60s have gone into everything from sweeping breweries in Mid Wilshire to gorgeous recording studio homages in decades past. Outdoor spaces have also thrived, with places like Soulmate, Cha Cha Chá, De La Nonna, and Belles Beach House embracing the new reality of al fresco dining. And finally, the grand dining rooms in places like Merois, Intercrew, and The Girl and the Goat, each incorporating classic, mixed, and modern design styles that feel fresh and inviting. Here now, these are the most beautiful restaurants and bars that opened last year in Los Angeles.

All-season brewing

This retrofit of a former Firestone tire store along La Brea was one of Matt Winter’s best historic projects of the year in Los Angeles, creating a wide open space, while moving air to give it an outdoor feel to help ease the entry of people into the reopening of a restaurant and bar. Spring 2021.

no cha cha cha

One of the city’s most lush outdoor spaces, this second-floor restaurant mostly embraced the vibes of Mexico City and Los Angeles right up to its tee, with excellent views of the major downtown skyscrapers. Modern Mexican cuisine by Alejandro Guzman and stellar cocktails made it one of the most popular arts district restaurants in the first half of the year.

Mirwais

Wolfgang Puck hasn’t opened a new big restaurant in Los Angeles since its downtown WP24 establishment, which closed this year. While the decade that followed produced an incredible change in L.A.’s dining scene, Puck has remained as consistent as ever. Merois’ unobstructed, gorgeous views from the Sunset Strip perch in Pendry West Hollywood are arguably the best in town at the moment, with modern Asian cuisine providing the perfect accompaniment to the vistas.

the grant

Mixing mid-century-chic modern vibes with Art Deco touches, this low-key Glassell Park bar from Michael Lippman and Joshua Weinstein of Bar Bandini creates a lovely cocktail destination in the small neighborhood. It’s the kind of quiet place to wander around, have a drink, and experience a relaxed bar in Northeast Los Angeles with style to match.

twin Spirit

Boasting a wonderful blend of different design influences from Kelly Architects spread across several rooms, Soulmate offers a California version of Spanish cuisine with a towering semi-outdoor patio and an elegant indoor area with a great cocktail bar. It is one of the most fun places to wander while looking for the restroom.

afory ramen

Tokyo’s popular Afori Ramen sparked a revival in the arts district when it opened earlier this year with homemade noodles produced in a separate lab-like space and a simple, airy and cool space that made every bowl look photo-ready. You shouldn’t have that feeling of effortlessly swallowing yuzu ramen and sake cocktails.

Agnes

Thomas Kalb and Vanessa Tilaka have worked in this stunning Pasadena space for years, and Oonagh Ryan’s design from ORA was a successful use of a building from 1922. With a modern “grandma’s house” feel with an open kitchen, vintage photography, and inviting design details, Agnes offers a seamless experience in the air The outdoors too. This market, cheese, and neighborhood restaurant represents a new direction for the Pasadena dining scene.

bike

Walter and Margherita Manzke opened the lower Bicyclette in the former Sotto space along Pico Boulevard, transforming the design of the former New York City underground Italian restaurant into something that felt like it was tucked away in a Parisian back alley. And the food was just as amazing, if not more, as the onion tart.

girl and goat

The West Coast Top Chef’s award-winning location at its flagship Chicago restaurant, Stephanie Izzard, doesn’t look like the original Windy City. Instead of planks made of charred wood, the arts district version is bright, airy, lush and can be seen when fully occupied. It’s no surprise that downtown residents took Izard’s Asian-themed cuisine with ease.

Esperanza

Esperanza, a modern Mexican restaurant inspired by Sonoran Beach in Manhattan, brought one of the best new establishments a look from designer Gulla Jónsdóttir and GAA Architects, which brought a kind of Mexican resort meets minimalist Scandinavian vibe. Jónsdóttir made excellent use of the fairly small space just steps from the beach, capturing a coastal vibe with the attractive lines and materials used across the interior.

dido

One of Los Angeles’ most popular new Korean barbecue restaurants may have the best overall vibe, with sweeping lines, exciting pendant lights, and an exceptional view through the space. Daedo mostly serves ribeye in three different cuts on cast iron pans right at the table, with a visible butchery near the entrance. Daedo feels like a chic Seoul restaurant that has been elevated and positioned in K-Town, Los Angeles.

Intercrew

Koreatown Intercrew’s grand dining room and cocktail destination rightfully captured the mid-century glamor of this part of Los Angeles, when the nearby former Ambassador Hotel and their Cocoanut Grove were some of the city’s finest places to be seen and seen. Now in the 21st century, Intercrew’s blend of quaint cocktail bar, mid-century touches, and dynamic lighting makes it one of Los Angeles’ top new designs. It’s a look that captures the allure of the evening without veering into the vulgar genre.

horses

Capturing the historic Ye Coach and Horses space that was recently Pikey, Horses is the hottest new spot in this stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, with excellent cooking from Liz Johnson and Will Aghajanian. With a strong look inspired by British pub and Californian food, the horses had a promising start that should last a long time.

Bellis Beach House

Comparisons with the popular HBO show the white lotus Last summer was instant once Belles Beach House opened in Venice, but thankfully this new Tiki-inspired restaurant doesn’t have to live with that kind of drama. The tropical vibe is unique to Los Angeles, with open planks allowing air to flow through 24/7. Belles Beach House should have plenty of fireplaces during the cooler months, but once endless summer arrives in Los Angeles (sometime in early April), this will still be one of the busiest spots on Los Angeles Beach. And Thomas Lim’s solid cooking includes everything from fresh sushi to great cheese.

de la nonna

A place that evokes a grandmother’s house doesn’t have to look that good. With mismatched furniture, pendant lights, and plenty of greenery, it’s hard to imagine an Italian grandmother enjoying this style. But De La Nonna delivers it in spades, with visually pleasing checkered red tiles and throwback details throughout the interior and exterior spaces of this square pizza specialty.

Grandmaster Recorders

There might not be a more attractive space that opened in Los Angeles last year. Acquired by a former Hollywood recording studio that now occupies three floors, the venue includes an outdoor rooftop area and enough lounge space to allow the party to go on for hours. Grandmaster Recorders is a compelling sequel from the EP and LP team (let’s say SOL was a daytime venue and not that ambitious), one destined to be in the middle of a hot Hollywood nightlife scene.