Dining Information

LA eating covers every extreme: whatever you want to eat and however much you want to spend, you're spoiled for choice. Try to take at least a few meals in the more acclaimed restaurants, if only to watch the city's many self-appointed food snobs going through their paces. If you simply want to fill up quickly and inexpensively, the options are almost endless, and include terrific burger stands where you can scarf down mountains of fried favorites, and the many restaurant and bar happy hours where you can get a range of good, free food available for the price of a drink. LA is also littered with celebrity-owned outfits - like Steven Spielberg's submarine-shaped sandwich store Dive ! and Planet Hollywood (where displays include Forrest Gump's box of chocolates) in Beverly Hills - but the food is usually unremarkable, as many visitors soon discover.

Buffet Palace 3014 Olympic Blvd tel 213/480-8949. Authentic Korean restaurant in the heart of Koreatown, good for spicy barbecued beef.

Clifton's Caféteria 648 S Broadway tel 213/627-1673. A cafeteria complete with redwood trees, waterfall and mini-chapel, and serving good, inexpensive American staples.

El Cholo 1121 S Western Ave tel 323/734-2773. One of LA's first big Mexican restaurants and still one of the best, despite the drunken frat-rats from USC.

La Bella Cucina 949 S Figueroa St tel 213/623-0014. Fabulous pizzas and homemade pastas, with the accent on northern Italian cuisine, and a predictably high price tag.

Langer's Deli 704 S Alvarado tel 213/483-8050. Over twenty types of hot pastrami sandwiches draw the crowds to this classic eatery, despite the grim surroundings.

Ocean Seafood 750 N Hill tel 213/687-3088. Cavernous and often crowded Chinese restaurant serving low-priced, excellent food - try the abalone, crab, shrimp or duck.

The Original Pantry 877 S Figueroa St tel 213/972-9279. Mayor Riordan owns this classic old diner serving huge pork chops and American breakfasts served 24hrs a day.

Pacific Dining Car 1310 W 6th St tel 213/483-6000. Starched linen and very expensive steaks in a former railroad carriage styled after the hushed tones of an English supper club. Good-value breakfasts available. Open until 2am.

Philippe's Original 1001 N Alameda St tel 213/628-3781. Since 1908, the home of delicious French dip sandwiches, stuffed with pork, beef and lamb; invented right here as well.

Casa Carnitas 4067 Beverly Blvd tel 323/667-9953. Tasty, cheap Mexican food from the Yucatan, with dishes inspired by Cuban and Caribbean cooking; lots of seafood, too.

Citrus 6703 Melrose Ave tel 323/857-0034. Trendy, upmarket restaurant, serving good California cuisine using fish, duck, and rack of lamb. Reservations are essential; lunch for two will be at least $65.

French Quarter 7985 Santa Monica Blvd tel 323/654-0898. Inside the French Market Place, a gay-run, New Orleans-themed Cajun restaurant that's at least as much fun as Disneyland.

Gloria's Café 3603 W Sunset Blvd tel 323/664-5732. Popular, gay-friendly local hangout that's great for dinner, especially Cajun food.

Hampton's 1342 N Highland Ave tel 323/469-1090. Over fifty styles of gourmet hamburger on the menu.

Mexico City 2121 Hillhurst Ave tel 323/661-7227. Spinach enchiladas and other Californian versions of Mexican standards served in red booths, with a great view of the street from the wall-length window and a young crowd. You're allowed to smoke in the adjoining bar, a rarity in LA.

Musso and Frank Grill 6667 Hollywood Blvd tel 323/467-7788. Since 1919, all the Hollywood bigwigs have frequented this landmark restaurant - but at $15 for bacon and eggs, you're better off having a cocktail in the bar.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles 1514 N Gower St tel 323/466-7453. Mind-blowingly caloric delights at this always-packed spot, highlighted by hefty helpings of the eponymous comfort food.

Shibucho 3114 Beverly Blvd tel 323/387-8498. Excellent sushi bar in the heart of Little Tokyo; go with someone who knows what to order, as the waiters don't speak English.

Tommy's 2575 Beverly Blvd tel 310/389-9060. Often called LA's best burgers: loaded with thick beef, toppings and, most importantly, grease. But watch the dicey neighborhood.

Yukon Mining Co 7328 Santa Monica Blvd tel 323/851-8833. Colorful coffee shop catering to local drag queens, Russian immigrants, and residents of the neighboring senior citizens' home. Open 24hr.

Apple Pan 10801 W Pico Blvd tel 310/475-3585. Grab a spot at the counter and enjoy great pies and fresh, juicy hamburgers. A much better choice than the adjacent Westside Pavilion mall's food court.

Campanile 624 S La Brea Ave tel 323/938-1447. Expensive Northern Italian restaurant with indoor fountain and pleasing pastries from La Brea Bakery next door.

Canter's Deli 419 N Fairfax Ave tel 323/651-2030. Waitresses in pink uniforms and running shoes serve kosher soup and sandwiches in a kitsch, white-vinyl setting, featuring its own bizarre cabaret.

Chung King 11538 W Pico Blvd tel 310/477-4917. The best neighborhood Chinese restaurant in LA, serving spicy Szechuan food: don't miss out on the bum-bum chicken.

El Coyote 7312 Beverly Blvd tel 323/939-2255. Heavy portions of Mexican staples in a gloomy setting. Watch soccer and down the legendary cheap margaritas in the bar.

Georgia 7250 Melrose Ave tel 323/933-8420. Chic and upscale decor, but authentically downhome, Southern cooking at this celebrity-owned hot spot.

The Gumbo Pot 6333 W 3rd St in the Farmers' Market tel 323/933-0358. Delicious and dirt-cheap Cajun cooking amid hordes of tourists; try the gumbo yaya of chicken, shrimp and sausage, and the fruit-and-potato salad.

Mishima 8474 W 3rd St tel 323/782-0181. Some of LA's best miso soup and udon noodles, at surprisingly affordable prices.

Shamshiry 1916 Westwood Blvd tel 310/474-1410. The best of the Iranian restaurants in town, offering reasonably priced fine kebabs, pilafs and exotic sauces.

Swingers 8018 Beverly Blvd tel 323/653-5858. Basic and cheap American food served in a mildly surreal and trendy motel environment, loaded with hipsters and slackers.

Tail o' the Pup 329 N San Vicente Blvd tel 310/652-4517. A pop architecture favorite shaped like a hot dog. Munch on savory red hots before shopping at the nearby Beverly Center mall.

Tommy Tang's 7313 Melrose Ave tel 323/937-5733. Excellent Thai food in a very popular restaurant. Incongruous biweekly drag nights, with glammed-up waiters and a few customers as well.

Café 50s 838 Lincoln Blvd, Venice tel 310/399-1955. No doubts about this place: Ritchie Valens on the jukebox and hot 'n' juicy burgers on the tables.

Café Montana 1534 Montana Ave, Santa Monica tel 310/829-3990. Good breakfasts, excellent salads and grilled fish in this art gallery-cum-café on a new upmarket shopping strip.

Chaya 110 Navy St, Venice tel 310/396-1179. Coolly elegant culinary crossroads serving Japanese and Mediterranean foods to a smart clientele. Try the huge California roll platter for two.

Chinois on Main 2709 Main St, Santa Monica tel 310/392-9025. One of LA's most renowned restaurants, run by chef Wolfgang Puck, and serving nouveau Chinese dishes like fresh fish in garlic and ginger. Very expensive, with lunches from $25.

Inn of the Seventh Ray 128 Old Topanga Canyon Rd, just off Topanga Canyon tel 310/455-1311. The ultimate New Age restaurant, serving vegetarian and wholefood dishes in a relatively secluded environment. Excellent desserts, too.

Lighthouse Buffet 201 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica tel 310/451-2076. All-you-can-eat sushi; indulge to your heart's content for $10 at lunchtime or $20 in the evening.

Norm's 1601 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica tel 310/450-0074. The prototypical LA diner, with colorful 1950s architecture and ample $4 breakfasts.

Rae's Diner 2901 Pico Blvd tel 310/828-7937. Another classic retro diner popular with the late-night crowd. Check out the film True Romance for a better look.

Valentino 3115 Pico Blvd tel 310/829-4313. Some call it the finest Italian restaurant in the US - and definitely in LA. Expect to max out your credit card.

Angelo's 511 S State College Blvd, Anaheim tel 714/533-1401. Straight out of Happy Days , a drive-in complete with roller-skating car-hops and good burgers. Open until 2am at weekends.

Belisle's 12001 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove tel 714/750-6560. Open late with sandwiches, sweet and meat pies, and plenty of baked goods.

Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant 8039 Beach Blvd, located just outside Knott's Berry Farm tel 714/220-5080. Famous for fried chicken long before Disneyland was around - serving cheap and tasty meals for about 70 years. Park admission not required.

Ruby's 1 Balboa Pier, Newport Beach tel 949/675-RUBY. A solid spot for burgers and fries - the only eatery on this popular pier and one of the few cheap spots in this upscale burg.

Dr Hogly-Wogly's Tyler Texas Bar-B-Q 8136 Sepulveda Blvd, Van Nuys tel 818/780-6701. Queue up for the chicken, sausages, ribs and beans - some of the best in LA.

Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain 1526 Mission St, South Pasadena tel 626/799-1414. Serving good fountain drinks and diner food since the hallowed days of Route 66. Preserved with plenty of period detail.

Genmai Sushi 4454 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys tel 626/986-7060. Japanese-style vegetarian restaurant with brown rice, sushi and seasonal macrobiotic dishes.

Merida 20 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena tel 626/792-7371. Mexican restaurant with dishes from the Yucatan; try the spicy pork wrapped and steamed in banana leaves.

Sea Star 2000 W Main St, Alhambra tel 626/282-8833. Affordable dim sum at its best: pork, baos, potstickers and dumplings, and delicious sweets.

Wolfe Burger 46 N Lake St, Pasadena tel 626/792-7292. A great place for chili, tamales and burgers, with huevos rancheros served for breakfast.