The Best Restaurants in West Hollywood

Cecconi’s is a scene, with heads turning every time a new party enters. But it’s fun and despite originating in Italy, feels very L.A. Blistered crust pizzas are a good bet. There’s one with black truffle for big spenders and a Beyond "sausage" pizza for the veggies in the group. Get fancy and go off-menu with the 14 oz Prime Ribeye topped with salsa verde, served with mushroom sauce, pepperonata, roast potatoes, broccoli and watercress salad.

On Sunday evenings, families pack the house. The draw is free childcare: two kind ladies entertain the kids with arts and crafts in one of the private dining rooms, so mom and dad can enjoy some uninterrupted grown-up time. There is also a roaming magician.

The lobster roll at Connie & Teds, Michael Cimarusti’s haute New England fish shack, is worth every calorie. Order it hot, which better shows off the sweet, tender chunks of perfectly cooked lobster, spooned into a toasty, brioche bun glossy with butter. It’s so good, it’s the stuff of last meals. Sweet little misshapen belly-on clams, fried in a light, corn flour batter, are another must. And if you’re an oyster person, the restaurant usually offers over a dozen varieties each day, shucked fresh at the raw bar, which just might be the most fun seats in the house. Add one of the two dozen craft beers on tap and a retro soundtrack of Joan Jett and Springsteen, and you can’t help but have a swell time.

In L.A. restaurant years, Dan Tana’s is positively ancient. Dan Tana opened his eponymous restaurant in 1964, and the Italian American eatery is still a hotspot for the A-list. But there’s nothing trendy about it, which is why its appeal endures. The tablecloths are red and white checked. There are old Chianti bottles hanging overhead and tuxedoed waiters. And besides the prices, the menu has changed little over the years. You can get a plate of spaghetti with champion-sized meatballs or satisfying chicken Parmesan. We especially appreciate the seasoned staff and stiff martinis, not necessarily in that order.

Delicious cocktails like the Eveleigh Lemonade, made with chamomile-infused tequila, are a great way to start your visit to this Sunset Strip favorite. On Sunday nights, you can try the week’s farmers market-inspired cocktails. In sum, good drinking is serious business here. The Cal-Med menu features dishes like lamb meatballs and roasted chicken. Sunday brunch is popular too. Start with a freshly baked breakfast pastry and a refreshing Summer Bae (Cuban style rum, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, sparkling rose) - heartier appetites can tuck into the Baked Eggs (tomato, olive, feta, harissa, spinach, toast) or the Grilled Hanger Steak & Eggs with two sunny eggs, chimi and fries. Pitchers of Sangria and the oversized cushy sofas on the airy rear deck are perfect for big groups.

California style mixes with Mexican flair at Gracias Madre, the organic, plant-based Mexican inspired restaurant on Melrose Avenue. Step through the bright interior and enjoy one of the most stunning patios in Los Angeles. The indoor/outdoor flow is reminiscent of a luxurious casita with hand-painted tiles, antique mirrors, linen couches, iron lanterns, and colorful jars and vases. Relax on the olive tree-shaded patio and peruse the menus for brunch, lunch or dinner. Although it’s plant-based cuisine, carnivores have no trouble forgoing meat because of the rich and vibrant flavors. The recently launched cocktail menu - "Madre's Got the Spirit" - is a beautifully designed booklet that features signatures like the Al Pastor Old Fashioned and Negroni Verde, along with detailed info on agave spirits and a glossary of terms so you can order like a pro.

Born in Boyle Heights in December 2010, Guisados is renowned for their homestyle braises, served on handmade corn tortillas that are made to order from the fresh ground masa next door at Carnitas Uruapan. The stews and masa are still made and delivered from the Boyle Heights location several times a day to ensure freshness and flavor in every bite. All tacos are priced at $2.75 each except seafood options, which are $3.

The menu includes steak picado, mole poblano, tinga de pollo, chicharron, chorizo, camarones (fajita-style shrimp), pescado (grilled white fish), and vegetarian options like calabacitas (squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, onions) and the fiery Chiles Toreados - habanero, serrano, jalapeno and Thai chiles blistered together over high heat. Can't decide? The sampler plate features six mini-tacos - you can take the first six on the menu, or mix and match.

Housed in a former hardware store - the sign is a dead giveaway - this rambling restaurant and bar is sexy cool, but in a "not trying too hard" way. Cocktails like the refreshing What's Your WiFi? made with dragonfruit & pomegranate white tea infused Beefeater Gin, cucumber and mint go down easy.

And there is plenty of alcohol-friendly food, including a good burger and cracker crust pizzas like the Italian Sausage. Mains include duck fried rice, short rib pappardelle, and pan-seared branzino with rainbow chard, cauliflower puree, lemon and capers. If you’re on a date, ask for a table on the enchanting patio with olive trees out back.

Night + Market is like the rebellious teenage child of the adjacent Talesai, one of the city’s first Thai restaurants that shares a kitchen with its younger neighbor. The walls are bright orange, while décor consists of a couple of neon Singha beer signs. And there’s little familiar on the menu. But this appears to be all well and good with the hip, young crowd who tuck into shared plates like fried pigtail, spicy duck rolls, and hor ab (catfish "tamale"). Caution: some of the dishes and sauces pack some serious heat, like the larb gai - minced chicken, lime, fish sauce, rice powder, chili, cilantro and onion.

Save room for the ice cream sandwich: super chewy, dense, coconut sticky rice tucked into a griddled sweet bun and crowned by a scoop of Thai ice cream glistening with condensed milk.

Even if your meal doesn’t include caviar - people do come here for the cipollini jam and bacon-topped burger - Petrossian feels like a special occasion. Maybe it’s the smart white dining room or all those tins of Osetra and Kaluga in the front marketplace. (Treat yourself to one of Petrossian’s classes to learn more about the highly coveted Kaluga.) We certainly hope your meal does include caviar. The Wedge Salad is served with baby iceberg, shaved egg, chives, smoked sturgeon dressing, caviar, trout roe, and Fleur de Maviar®.

The L.A. Burger Wars escalated when New York-based Shake Shack opened its first West Coast location in West Hollywood in March 2016.The sleek design is perfect for WeHo - black-and-white tiled walls, tables made from repurposed bowling alley lanes, and an expansive patio to sip Shack-branded beer or wine. The menu features signature items like the ShackBurger, Chick'n Shack, 'Shroom Burger, and Crinkle Cut Fries that even the most diehard In-N-Out fan will admit are great. The Shack also serves So Cal exclusives like the Roadside Double, a Double Swiss cheeseburger with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in bacon and beer. "Concretes" - frozen custard blended with mix-ins - are made with a local twist: the Shack Attack L.A. Edition mixes chocolate custard, fudge sauce, Larder Baking Company salted caramel chocolate brownie, and Compartes dark chocolate chunks. Five percent of sales from the Pie Oh My concrete are donated to LA PRIDE.