Photograph: Courtesy Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
Dine atop a Downtown skyscraper, on a Malibu beachfront or among the Topanga treetops at these picture-perfect restaurants.
Edited by Patricia Kelly Yeo
Food & Drink Editor, Time Out Los Angeles
Contributor: Michael Juliano
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Whether hiking or driving, Angelenos are willing to put in the work for a memorable view—and the same goes for eating—though with a little less cardio required. In a cityspread between the ocean and the mountains, it’s no surprise that restaurants with spectacular views, whether on the beachor a rooftop, are in no short supply. On the flip side, we can think of dozens ofcharming patiosin canyonsand beach communitiesthat are plopped in picturesque areas but without a view of anything but some twinkly string lights.
So with all those rules out of the way, we think these 25 restaurants below offer the city’s most picture-perfect vantage points (ranked in order of just how impressive their views are). Sure, many of them aren’t the best restaurants in town, but with views this good, does it even matter?
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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L.A. restaurants with astounding views of the city
- American
- Downtown Financial District
price 3 of 4
This skyscraper-topping restaurant easily could’ve coasted on its views alone. But 71Above—you guessed it, it’s 71 floors up in the U.S. Bank Tower—backs up its height with a tasty prix-fixe feast ofpoached oysters, agnolotti, steak tartare and scallops.Try the bar for a sunset-facing seat, and look out for a pair of tablespushed right up to the edge of the windows.
- Contemporary American
- Burbank
Valley views are significantly underrated, and this hillside Burbank eatery easily boasts the best of them. A recent renovationswapped a country club atmospherefor something a bit more fresh, with steaks, whole roast fish and impressive charcuterie boards. The patio, witha clear shot of the entire SFV, is the place to be, as is the adjacentsubject-to-availabilitybar, the Green Room.
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- Pan-Asian
- West Hollywood
price 4 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Though otherWeHo hotel restaurantsmight possess a similar winning combination of ritzy, ultra-chic interior design and breathtaking urban vistas (plus the glitzy patrons to match), only Wolfgang Puck’s newest fine-dining endeavor strives to do more than just coast on its looks. Pairing aesthetics with actual substance, Merois demonstrates that later works in a longtime celebrity chef’s oeuvre, even one as expansive and commercialized as Puck’s, can still delight and outright impress seasoned diners.French Californian dishes with plenty of Asian culinary influences, all atop the Pendry’s rooftop? Sounds like a date to us.
- Italian
- Beverly Hills
price 3 of 4
This New York City cocktail bar has landed on the rooftop of the Maybourne—and while the coastal Italian cuisine can be hit or miss, the award-winning drinks, ritzy ambience and a ninth-floor vantage point have made Dante a rooftop restaurant destination to beat. We’ll be the first to admit mortadella atop white pizza and bucatini al pomodoro aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but these highlights from the kitchen sure taste delicious when you’re sipping the brand’s signature “fluffy” orange juice Garibaldi and taking in sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. Open all day and mostly booked solid on weekends (though the bar is held for walk-ins), your best bet for a regular dinner hour reservation, released 30 days in advance, is to wake up early: Dante releases the next batch of tables on Resy at 8am.
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- Japanese
- Malibu
price 4 of 4
Perfect sunsetscenery and superlative sushi make chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s romantic beachfront restaurant a must.The interior is elegant, too, but the on-the-water patio is the primelocation for mini tacos andtiradito. The only unpalatable part: Expect to spend in the triple digits per person.
- Mediterranean
- Beverly Hills
price 3 of 4
This stunning open-air Mediterranean eatery from the h.wood Group (Delilah, The Nice Guy) comes alive every night with a curtain of twinkling lights, transforming the rooftop of the Beverly Hiltoninto one of the most romantic spots in the city. On weekend nights, live Greek music plays from 7 to 10pm, whileh.wood Group chefs Michael Teich and Burt Bakman's flavorful Cal-Mediterreanean cuisine wows from every angle. For breezier sunset views, hit up Sant'olina's excellent happy hour.
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- Contemporary American
- Santa Monica
Eighteen stories above Santa Monica, the Penthouse at the Huntley offers a wraparound view of the Promenade and the Pacific Ocean, plus a luxe white interior and chandeliers. In short: The restaurant is picture-perfect, and even comes with a ride up an all-glass elevator. Though the pricey Mediterranean-inspired New American food runs more adequate than truly memorable, the chance to enjoy a long evening with a loved one—or even a group of friends—at this ultra-romantic Santa Monica eatery with breathtaking ocean views is more than worth the cost of admission.
- Fusion
- Hollywood
price 3 of 4
This mountain palace (its literal translation) was built to house a private artcollection a century ago, but these days it’s best known for framing gallery-worthy views of Hollywood. While Yamashiro is only worth a visit if you could nab a window seat, the Japanese-leaning fusion menu is decent enough if you lower your expectations.
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- Cafés
- Topanga
price 1 of 4
Those afraid of heights may not want to take the barstools overlooking the canyons at Topanga’s Cafe on 27, a charming breakfast and lunch spot tucked away in the Santa Monica Mountains. Here, you’ll find breathtaking views of nature, classic American breakfast dishes and L.A. brunch favorites like avocado toast and grain bowls—all made with organic ingredients. For best results, make a reservation ahead of time, particularly on weekends; the team at Cafe on 27 now lets you pick which part of the restaurant you’d like to sit in.
- Californian
- South Park
With small plates from farm-to-table icon Suzanne Goin, highly focused, yet breezy cocktails and amazing views of Downtown, Cara Cara would easily land on our rooftop bars list, save for one not-insignificant snag: tables take up most of its square footage, and they’re almost always packed with reservations. Walk-ins are forced to hover by the fire pit or jockey for an empty table, making this excellent rooftop bar more of a light-bites lounge. Don’t let all the hoops deter you, though—the views, food and drinks at this Downtown rooftop restaurant definitely justify the need for advanced planning.
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- Italian
- Santa Monica
price 3 of 4
This Santa Monicaterrace offers a postcard-worthypanorama of the palm-tree–lined beachfront withouttheclubby vibes thatoverrun some of thespots closer to the ocean. The breezy rooftop feels like a chic living room—just one that happens to serve cacio e pepe pizza and squid ink and crab gemelli.
- American creative
- Beverly Hills
price 4 of 4
You’ll find most food items you order astonishingly mediocre and overpriced at the ultra-expensive luxury rooftop atop the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, but Rooftop by JG (short for mononymous celebrity chef Jean-Georges) also boasts nearly 360-degree sunset views of the city that are absolutely perfect for special occasions—hence why it’s still on this list. More restaurant than bar, Rooftop by JG reserves the best seats in the house for diners, while walk-ins are consigned to the first-come, first-served bar and lounge area. When it comes to food, skip almost everything but the ginger marinated tuna tartare.
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- French
- Downtown Historic Core
price 3 of 4
For ages,Perch was somehow the only rooftop restaurant and bar in DTLA. There may be plenty more now, but this one—draped in greenery and warm decor—is still the prettiest. Spread across two floors, the lower one features aromantic interior and a slim patio to feast on steak frites and bread pudding, while the open-air rooftopcarries over the same menu along with a happy hour on weekdays (4–6pm).Pretty much every seathas a perfect view of the skyscrapers surroundingPershing Square, as well as an eye-level perspective of the gothic crown of theTitle Guarantee Building.
- Malibu
price 2 of 4
If you can’t quite swing a meal at Nobu, make your way down the street and onto Malibu Pier instead for beachside bites from Malibu Farm. You’ll fine a pair of options: the casual cafe with scrambles and seafood sandwiches at the end of the pier, or California fare at the sit-down patio restaurant near the entrance.
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- Downtown Financial District
The skyline-topping Wilshire Grand Center has both a steakhouseand buffettucked into the top floors ofthe InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.But skip those for the 73rd-floor lounge—the tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere. On the one hand, the bottle service-y hotel bar vibes are strong and the prawns, steaks and burgers are just competent, but sitting outside next to a fire pit nearly 1,000 feet above L.A. makes up for all of it.
- Cafés
- Topanga
price 1 of 4
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The “scenic route” street sign bolted onto the wall here isn’t lying: This Americana café offers organic takes on diner classics literally in the treetops in Topanga, with a leafy platform that looks out onto the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains peaks.
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- Contemporary American
- Manhattan Beach
price 3 of 4
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Manhattan Beach’s steep oceanfront hillsmeanshuffing and puffing as you walk around town, but it also affords this mainstay an elevated view of the pier and beach. Sit on the small salt air patio, if you can, over some black truffle risotto and scallopsor stuffed French toast during weekend brunch. It’s not cheap, but what else would you expect from a top-notch meal a block away from the beach in one of the South Bay’s ritziest hoods.
- Hotel bars
- Downtown
Tropical cocktails, street-food-inspired dishes and colorful, seaside shack flair combine totransport vacation ambience toDTLA’s most easygoing rooftop. Pull up one of the mismatched chairs at the Freehand Hotel’s restaurant and bar and slurp down a frozen cocktail day or night against the skyline. Just a heads up, though, thatthe seating area is barely bigger than the pool.
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- Contemporary American
- Hollywood
price 2 of 4
This Hollywood boutique hotel’s main restaurant sits on the ground floor, but if you’re meeting someone at Mama Shelter it’s probably for the first-come, first-served rooftop. Hollywood is overstuffedwith hotel-topping hangouts at this point, but noneis as colorful andlaid-back as Mama—and those vibes translate into its menu of globally inspiredcomfortfood, likeNashville hot fried chicken baos, calamansi chicken drummettesand the Le Royale Burger on a Hawaiian bun.
- American creative
- Downtown Fashion District
price 3 of 4
This 10thfloorDowntownrooftop comes courtesy of Stephanie Izard, whoseoutpost in the Arts District has also drawn rave reviews. In similar Chicago-to-L.A. fashion, Cabra is the second location of theTop Chefwinner’s Peruvian-inspired small plates concept, with Izard’s usual sharp, playful takes on dishes like striped bass ceviche and lomo saltado. From appetizers to dessert, there’s something memorable and delicious for everyone to love at Cabra. The quinoa andbeetsalad’s cornucopia of bright flavors and textures particularly won us over, and caramel-covered picarones—sweet potato doughnuts topped with puffed rice—stood out on the dessert front.The views aren't as nice as Cara Cara, but you can still look out over much of Downtown L.A. from your table.
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- Californian
- Rancho Palos Verdes/Rolling Hills Estates
price 3 of 4
Palos Verdes’ sumptuous resort Terranea boasts more than a half-dozen outdoor dining options, butMar’sel is the go-to for an impress-your-date (or parents) kind of place. Its peninsula-topping patio looks out toward the rugged PV coast and Catalina Island; it’s the kind of privileged setting that simply won’t want to give up when you’re done. Dinners quickly climb into the triple digits, soconsider the three-course Sunday brunch for (a still expensive) $75 to keep things in check.
- Gastropubs
- Long Beach
price 2 of 4
The Long Beach outpost of the San Diego-based brewery sits right on Alamitos Bay, with a patio pointed toward the end of an oceanfront jetty that’s perfect for beer flights and fried pub fare. Just make sure to join the waitlistbefore you start perusing the 60-draft-strong beer menu.
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- Things to do
- Event spaces
- Hollywood
price 2 of 4
Alright, L.A.’s most famous music venue isn’t really a restaurant. But the Hollywood Hills amphitheater is a spectacular setting for a meal during the third of the year when it’s hosting shows (withpicnic opportunities even when it isn’t). Here’s how we see it: The picnic boxes and menu offerings put together each summer bySuzanne Goin and Caroline Styne are shockingly good for such a massive venue, and you can either wine and dineat a proper table ina swanky boxor opt for the cheap seats with even better views of the hills and (if you’re particularly high up) the Hollywood Sign.
Book online
- Museums
- Art and design
- Westside
You’re probablytaking the 405 and thetram uphill to the Getty for theImpressionist masterpieces and French furniture, not the food. But don’t pass up the dining options at the Sepulveda Pass museum: The sit-down Restaurant offers modern American fare withtravertine-trimmed views of the Santa Monica Mountains, whileyou can pick up a simple sandwich or wrap from the Garden Terrace Café and eat it overlooking the museum’s sloping lawn, central garden and a city-meets-the-ocean vista.
Book online
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- Things to do
- Angeles National Forest
Sure, you can find better hot dogs and bowls of chili elsewhere—but we’re pretty sure this is the only spot inL.A. County where you can enjoy them a mile above the ground. This seasonal cafe atop Mt. Wilson takes some dedication to get to (about a half-hour-plusverywinding drive up Angeles Crest Highway), but you’ll be rewarded with the entire basin below you (and sometimes even the clouds). It’s only open on weekends (Apr–Nov 10am–5pm), and we’d also suggest coming later in the day and sticking around for sunset.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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