A Taste of FIFA World Cup Part I

One of the beauties of Los Angeles being a host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is all the global cultural color the event will bring to an already cosmopolitan metropolis. In fact, with an expanded lineup of 48 teams included for the first time in the tournament’s 95-year history, this World Cup will be more of a melting pot of fans and their cultures than ever before.

With a country’s cuisine being such a palpable aspect of its society, nationally and regionally themed restaurants across Los Angeles will gather expat and visiting fans while offering the rest of us a literal taste of their homelands. So, we’re highlighting an LA-area eatery to represent each of the 48 countries whose soccer squads and supporters will be gracing FIFA World Cup 2026.

Algeria’s 1982 World Cup Finals debut was a stunning defeat of West Germany, and they’ve been a team to watch ever since. Algerian-owned Maghreb Apron is a Friday/Saturday pop-up inside West LA International Market, focused on authentic and evocative Maghrebi couscous and rice dishes.

With restaurants in Downtown LA, Hollywood and Studio City, LALA’s Argentine Grill celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 and actually hosted Argentina’s national team at its Studio City location last year after a match against Costa Rica at LA Memorial Coliseum.

West Hollywood’s Strings of Life all-day café channels the famed coffee and cuisine culture of the Australian city of Melbourne, from where its founders hail, including breakfasts, bowls, sandwiches, salads, and a charmingly compact patio.

Opened in 1991, this Culver City classic is likely LA’s best-known Brazilian eatery. Serving healthy takes on exotic dishes with large sides of vibes, Café Brasil transports diners from an innocuous stretch of Washington Boulevard to a cosmopolitan Rio patio.

While a few other LA eateries serve poutine – a singularly Canadian dish of French fries and cheese curds topped with gravy – the specialist is Poutine Brothers, a food truck and delivery service offering eight varieties plus loaded fries and sides.

The small Atlantic archipelago nation of Cabo Verde is celebrating its historic debut appearance in the FIFA World Cup. While LA’s sole Cabo Verdean eatery, Cape Green, was short lived, you can sample adjacent West African fare at Melrose Avenue’s vibrant WEAF Restaurant.

With soccer on TV and portions large enough to last the full 90 minutes, Van Nuys’ cozy Macondo Kitchen is a mom-and-pop Colombian escape serving empanadas, pandebonos, buñuelos, arepas, morcilla, filete de pescado en salsa, and more, plus cute Colombian souvenirs.

While there is no specifically Ivorian eatery in Los Angeles, Côte d’Ivoire’s cuisine has much in common with its West African neighbors. Try Veronica’s Kitchen in Inglewood for a menu of Nigerian dishes that often share spices, cooking methods, and ingredients with Ivorian food.

In 2023, Los Angeles - Gardena specifically - finally got an authentic, family-owned Ecuadorian artisan bakery and restaurant. Step into DulcisFama Ecuadorian Restaurant & Bakery and succumb to homestyle Ecuadorian delights, culture and warm hospitality.

Liverpool star Mo Salah has only helped raise the profile of traditional African soccer powerhouse Egypt, and there’s nowhere better in LA to sample that country’s cuisine than the unpretentiously authentic, welcoming, family-owned Tut’s Egyptian Cuisine in Culver City.

There are multiple British-themed bars across LA, but few replicate the soccer-centric culture (and related good-natured banter) like Studio City’s long-established Fox and Hounds, with year-round soccer on projector TVs, packed houses for World Cup matches, and Euro beers a-plenty.

When Ghana qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 win over the Comoros in October, staff and patrons alike celebrated at Inglewood’s Airport Royal Cuisine, where Ghanian chefs ensure authentic waakye, fufu, fried yam, rice balls in groundnut soup and more.

One of the longest-running restaurants in Westwood’s “Tehrangeles” community, Shamshiri Grill is great for the large groups and family meals, serving exquisitely executed Persian-style kabobs, stews, seafood, vegan dishes and more.

Even in a city spoiled with Japanese eateries, Downtown LA’s hushed, intimate Hayato is a standout, but you (seriously) might want to make a reservation for summer 2026 now – and be braced for an eye-opening check!

Bringing Levantine cuisine to Long Beach, Ammatoli also recreates the warm welcome of that region’s hospitality. An indoor/outdoor space with a sophisticated café feel, it serves Jordanian classics including mezze platters, kebab plates and moussaka.

Boasting huge portions of Zacatecas-inspired fare, warm service, and retaining a neighborhood vibe even as it has expanded across four locations in North Hollywood and Lake Balboa/Van Nuys, you’ll never leave Salsa & Beer unsatiated or unimpressed.

Located in the heart of Melrose Avenue, Casablanca Moroccan Kitchen is a cozy yet elegant eatery which not only serves but downright celebrates Moroccan cooking, with very personal service, a large patio, even larger portions, and music and belly dancers on weekends.

The New Zealand-themed Tangaroa seafood restaurant and market in Culver City serves some of the best fish & chips in town, plus salmon, snapper, shrimp, scallops, and raw shellfish, as well as a quintessentially Kiwi NZ lamb burger.

While there’s no Paraguayan restaurant in LA, The Empanada Factory specializes in its namesake pastry turnover that’s ubiquitous across the region. In Paraguay, beef empanadas are perhaps most popular, but The Empanada Factory also crafts vegetarian, vegan and shrimp incarnations.

Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup and now their national team has progressed through the qualifiers for the first time. For a taste of Qatar’s traditional Arab cuisine, try Hollywood’s casual, 100% halal Dubai Sauce for delectable kabobs, gyros, rice and raved-about sauces.

In the 1994 finals, Saeed Al-Owairan’s stunning solo goal against Belgium announced Saudi Arabia’s arrival on the World Cup stage. While there’s no Saudi restaurant locally, Westwood’s Mandi House serves kindred, similarly spiced dishes from neighboring Yemen.

Two Hommés means “two men” in French, the official language of Senegal. One of the two “hommés” is Senegalese-American chef AB, who lends distinct Senegalese accents to an Afro-centric menu honed by years of pop-ups that preceded their brick-and-mortar Inglewood eatery.

The Springboks are South Africa’s national rugby team, and this Van Nuys sports bar also embraces the cultures of other rugby-loving nations. But there’s often soccer on Springbok’s TVs and its South African fare includes chicken peri-peri, Durban curry and Cape Flats fish & chips.

Koreatown standout Chosun Galbee serves Korean barbecue amid escapist koi ponds and a garden-like patio. Its extensive menu – sirloin steak, pork, pan-fried fish, chicken, crab, squid, shrimp, prime rib, myriad noodle soups – merits repeat visits, with or without World Cup fever!

Conveniently located on Sunset Boulevard, Moun of Tunis is a must for Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine. This spot has it all: escapist aura, attentive service, gourmet food and belly dancing! If you’re new to North African eats, a set menu makes selection much simpler.

Mate Conmigo is California’s very first materia. The specialty here is traditional mate (yerba mate-infused beverage) – Uruguay’s national drink and widely enjoyed across the wider region – alongside traditional facturas (pastries), sandwichitos, empanadas and other sweets.

Clark Street Diner occupies the old 101 Coffee Shop location (famously featured in Swingers), retaining much of its quirky throwback interior and a similarly classic American menu – all-day breakfasts, hot/cold sandwiches, dinner plates – now augmented with freshly baked pastries.

Born and raised in Uzbekistan, Azim Rahmatov established Zira Uzbek Kitchen to bring the authentic flavors of his homeland to LA. Since 2021, Zira has celebrated not only Central Asian cuisine but also regional traditions and hospitality, all on ultra-hip Melrose Avenue.