The Best Brunches in LA
Between year-round access to amazing (and varied) seasonal produce, an ever-growing global influence and renewed interest in carbohydrates, brunch in Los Angeles has never been better or more interesting. Here are some of our favorites, new and old.
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Photo By: Natalie B. Compton
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Photo By: Natalie B. Compton
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Photo By: Natalie B. Compton
Photo By: Brianne Chan
Photo By: Natalie B. Compton
Beverly Hills Hotel
Going to brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel feels more like sightseeing than eating breakfast. From the instant you roll up to the iconic pink hotel to the moment when you find your seat on the sunny Polo Lounge patio, you'll want to stop and take photos like a tourist. Served only on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the hotel's brunch offers people-watching as great as the food. Seeing as you're in Beverly Hills, you should probably have some caviar to start the day. Order the Smoked Salmon Soft Scramble with wild smoked salmon, potato rosti, creme fraiche, caviar and asparagus.
Redbird
With its skylights, fiddle-leaf fig trees and luminous marble bar, the Redbird dining room is one of the most-pleasant places to dine in Los Angeles. Brunch highlights include the Basque baked eggs with short rib, morcilla, piquillos, potatoes and Ossau-Iraty cheese, as well as the smoked salmon tartine with avocado, radish and cucumber. Order the confusingly clear Bloody Mary — bar director Tobin Shea uses clarified tomato, clarified lemon, white balsamic, fennel, basil and chile vodka to make this new take on the classic brunch cocktail.
The Rose Venice
The Rose Venice is one of those places you can take your parents, or your grandparents, and know everyone's going to have a good time and a great meal. Brioche French toast, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy: The brunch gang's all here. If your family wants to expand its horizons, not-so-standard dishes are there for the ordering too, like the duck rillette with cornichons, fried egg and some market greens, and the trout madame.
Sqirl
Unless you go at 6:30 a.m. (yes, this place really opens that early), you're going to find a line at Sqirl on Virgil Avenue. While many of those people are in line thanks to the restaurant's ever-growing hype, the truth is that the hype is more than warranted. Everything on Chef-Owner Jessica Koslow's menu is worth ordering at least once, but if you can get only one thing, try the Crispy Rice Salad with cucumber, mint, cilantro, scallion and a fried egg.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Down in the Warehouse District inside ROW DTLA, Rappahannock Oyster Bar serves more than just seafood. Sit at the Carrara marble oyster counter and see how locally focused, sustainably sourced ingredients shine at brunch. Because you're sitting at an oyster bar, start with some freshly shucked oysters, then follow them with a brunch staple like a plate of smoked salmon and capers, French toast with berries or lobster eggs Benedict.
Square One Silver Lake
Only in Los Angeles can you find a kale salad on a brunch menu. Against the odds, Square One Silver Lake has managed to make one so good that you'll forget you're eating something healthy at a meal synonymous with indulgence. Crunchy pickled vegetables add a kick to the creamy avocado, quinoa and poached eggs that give the baby kale Breakfast Salad its rich textures. Take your brunch salad (with a side of crispy potatoes) outside to the dog-friendly patio seating area. Not in the mood for salad? Go for the migas tacos stuffed with soft scrambled eggs, crispy corn tortilla strips, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, avocado and cheddar.
Ma'am Sir
Filipino food might not be the first cuisine to come to mind when you're brainstorming brunch — until you've dined at Chef Charles Olalia's Ma'am Sir in Silver Lake. The FIlipino chef will change your life with his deeply flavorful and satisfying brunch creations. Go with the Ma'am Sir Breakfast Combo, a plate of garlic fried rice (or green salad if you want to miss out on some amazing rice), your choice of longganisa sausage, tocino or fried anchovies (our pick is the tocino, a sort of pork-jowl bacon), two eggs and pan de sal.
NoMad Los Angeles
The glory days of Downtown Los Angeles have been brought back to life in the new NoMad Hotel. You don't have to be staying in the gorgeous hotel to enjoy its brunch, served in the velvet-and-tassel-decorated lobby. Start with a Bloody Mary, of which there are not one but five versions. The Bloody Bull offers more umami than the classic, with the addition of beef jus. The NoMad croissant cart is a spectacle, adorned with a variety of flaky pastries for the taking. After your croissant appetizer, move on to something that will keep you full all day, like the suckling pig breakfast burrito.
The Golden Bull
The Golden Bull in Santa Monica has gone through a major makeover and reopening to bring it back to its original 1949 charm with the spirit of an old-school chophouse. Wood paneling isn't the only throwback: Executive Chef Greg A. Daniels is serving shrimp cocktail and pork chops here for dinner. At brunch, the dishes still have a touch of country nostalgia — think steak hash, buttermilk pancakes, and steak and eggs.
Botanica
Silver Lake's health-focused darling, Botanica, always delights, no matter whether you're going in for a cocktail made with LA-local spirits or for a lingering meal. Brunch is no exception, with plenty of baked goods and savory dishes to please any kind of diner. The Turkish Eggs have become legendary since the restaurant opened, with Aleppo-Urfa butter, garlicky yogurt, charred scallions, lemony salad and cornmeal focaccia. Don't miss the seasonal fruit chia bowl, which is both Instagram-worthy and nutritious.
E.P. & L.P.
Australian-Fijian chef Louis Tikaram is one of those guys you want to be friends with immediately after you meet him. There's something about his laid-back, welcoming demeanor that makes your friendship fantasy seem possible. His radiating hospitality translates well through his cooking at E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood. Brunch dreams are realized with the E.P. signature chicken and waffles, made with a Hong Kong-style waffle, crispy jidori chicken, sweet chili and Thai-inspired maple syrup, and the baked eggs with fire-roasted Fresno chile, tomato, bell peppers, Thai basil and sourdough bread.
Rosaliné
Something as simple as steak and eggs becomes a lot more interesting when it's cooked by Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate at Rosaliné, his new West Hollywood stunner. Available on Sundays between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the brunch will satisfy your meat cravings with dishes like the Salchipapi, made with chorizo, Serrano ham, morcilla potatoes, rocoto ketchup and amarilla mustard aioli, not to mention that steak and eggs (aka parrillada de carne) with apple-ginger-soy dressing and quinoa toast. Sit at the chef's counter to watch the experts prepare your brunch, maybe while you're sipping a Quita Calzón cocktail made with mezcal, gooseberry, coconut water and lime.
Little Fatty
At Little Fatty in Mar Vista, Chef David Kuo serves "dim sum and then some" for weekend brunch, available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This brunch is for those seeking something savory, whether you go the classic dim sum route or opt for one of Kuo's more innovative dishes. That lineup is crazy, in a great way. Try the fried Hainan chicken and waffles or the moo shu breakfast burrito, and don't miss sides of the five-spice bacon or Sichuan potato tots.
Native
Most serious new restaurants focus all of their attention on perfecting their dinner service and wait to launch a brunch service. Not Native. When Chef Nyesha Arrington opened her Santa Monica restaurant, it was clear that she considered brunch just as important as dinner. That mindset shows when you take a look at the impressively creative menu. Your best bet is to order the entire menu — everything is interesting, and, more important, everything is good. To cut anything out of your brunch would be a crime. How could you skip the Kendrick Lamar-inspired Syrup Sandwiches? Or the comforting Seasonal Hangover Soup? The brunch cocktails also hold their own. Try the Morning Smoke, made with mezcal, creme de cacao, St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur and Angostura bitters.
Croft Alley at The Standard
Croft Alley at The Standard, Hollywood, seems to have been built for brunch. The chic diner space with its bright pastel-blue tables is the perfect backdrop for coffee, cocktails and egg dishes. Chef Phuong Tran's menu goes way beyond the standard brunch fare, with creations like yogurt with market berries and deep green chlorophyll; shakshuka with harissa tomato, avocado and jalapeno yuzu, and creme brulee French toast. Then there's the coconut risotto, a beautiful bowl full of brown rice, bok choy, toasted shallot, egg crepe and cucumber kimchi. Perhaps the best part about Croft Alley's brunch is that you can order it all day, every day.
Animal
Since Animal opened in 2008, the meat-centric restaurant has been known for its borderline-insane, always-delicious dishes like veal brains and foie gras loco moco. Brunch is a little less polarizing (although you can still get that foie gras loco moco, complete with quail egg, Spam and hamburger). Try Raymundo's Chilaquiles with Mexican sour cream, cilantro, scallion and Cotija, or the also meat-free peach toast with cinnamon sugar butter, lemon verbena and mascarpone.
Jaffa
Middle Eastern food is one of the hottest cuisines in Los Angeles, and available for brunch at Jaffa. Inspired by the ancient seaside city of Jaffa just south of Tel Aviv, the new restaurant brings the flavors of Israel to La Brea. Jelly-filled doughnuts, salmon shawarma and freshly braided rolls are just some of the must-try dishes. There's also the shakshuka that'll transport you to the Mediterranean, with organic eggs served over easy with tomatoes, feta cheese, herbs and a side of pita for dipping.
Orsa & Winston
At Chef Josef Centeno's quietly marvelous Orsa & Winston, Japanese and Italian flavors come together seamlessly. That's particularly true of the omakase Japanese breakfast, a hidden gem in the LA brunch world that features dishes like the Misostrone, a minestrone and mixed-tomato reduction with a miso base. Since Centeno spent years perfecting his croissant recipe before he debuted it to the public, you owe it to him to order one while you're there. The proof of his efforts is in the impossibly flaky layers of buttery wonder.
Bacaro
There's a lot going on at Bacaro come brunch time. Executive Chef Lior Hillel seems to have something for everyone, whether they're going decadent (the Chef's French Toast with vanilla custard) or healthful (the ancient-grain salad). Those who are gluten-intolerant have been considered too: A gluten-free brioche substitute is available. What makes the Bacaro menu particularly special is the little touches, like getting cardamom butter with your pancakes and elderflower macerated with your berries.
Veranda
Hotel Figueroa debuted in Downtown Los Angeles in 1926, and thanks to a recent multimillion-dollar renovation, the place is looking better than ever. Bask in the beauty of the reno over brunch at Veranda, the hotel's Coastal Mediterranean restaurant helmed by Chef Casey Lane. The Busker's Brunch is available Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with standouts like the Croque Madame Flatbread and the Tortilla Espanola with chorizo, piquillo and d'espellete creme.
Salazar
Nestle in between the towering cacti on Salazar's sunny patio, preferably with an agua fresca in hand, if you're in the mood for a Mexican brunch in Frogtown. What to order for desayuno depends on what you want to eat with a fried egg. Chorizo Con Papas Argentinian comes with red chorizo and a fried egg. Nopales with roasted sweet peppers, pickled onions and Cotija cheese also involves a fried egg. Sans egg, the guacamole with red onion, cilantro, Fresno chile, queso fresco and pomegranate seeds is always a good move.
Little Dom's
Little Dom's is a classic — one of those can't-fail, feel-good spots you keep going back to over and over again because it just feels right. No matter the time of day or the meal, you're happy at Little Dom's. At brunch, available daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., your order includes, but is not limited to, a plate of the ricotta cheese and fresh blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. Order them as a pancake appetizer, or pancakes for the table, or your own personal side of pancakes. The point is that you must order these pancakes, because you've never had a stack like this anywhere else, and you never will. To complete your meal, there's the smoked salmon pizza.
Jon & Vinny's
Known primarily for pizza and pasta, Hollywood favorite Jon & Vinny's also kills breakfast and brunch. Morning pastries (e.g., Bomboloni with Nutella, or Vinny's Coffeecake) are a great idea for a sweet brunch beginning or end. If you're looking to be full for a long, long time, look to the plates, like the olive oil fried eggs with nduja sausage, grilled Tuscan kale, crispy potato and preserved Meyer lemon, or the soft scrambled eggs with Burrata, basil, chive, tomato and grilled Gjusta ciabatta bread.
Wallflower Venice
Indonesian fare shines at brunch at Wallflower Venice, thanks to the creative cooking of Chef Harryson Tobing. Served until 3 p.m., Sunday brunch features staples everyone recognizes (like pancakes and porridge) executed with Southeast Asian ingredients. Order both of those classics. The scallion and kimchi pancake, served with a sunny-side-up egg, shallots, cilantro and nori, is spiced with Korean chile, while the black-rice sweet porridge (or bubur ketan) is a sweet delight made with pandan coconut cream and caramelized banana.
Manuela
Los Angeles does museum restaurants well, and the Arts District's Manuela is no exception. Located at the Hauser & Wirth gallery, the restaurant celebrates California cuisine under the expert direction of Executive Chef Kris Tominaga. The brunch menu is stacked with hearty options, like the Strauss hanger steak and eggs with chimichurri, and the housemade merguez fried egg, labneh and herb salad. Lighten things up with a side of market vegetables, or, conversely, go all in with a decadent pecan cinnamon roll.
Cosa Buona
Certain brunch dishes at Zach Pollack's Italian-American comfort food spot, Cosa Buona, come with a side of nostalgia for some LA residents. For example, the French toast with prunes and mascarpone pays homage to a beloved, now-shuttered Atwater Village restaurant, Canelé. Pollack is also offering a taste of Sicily in Echo Park with daily Sicilian-style square pizza. Spice up your savory orders with a side of Calabrian chiles for an extra-Italian touch.
