Best Trendy Restaurants in Chinatown
6 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Baby Bistro
Chef Miles Thompson serves a concise six-dish seasonal menu inside an 1890s Victorian bungalow that seats just 35, designed to be fired as a complete progression.
Notable Picks
#1
Baby Bistro
8
Chef Miles Thompson runs a tight six-dish progression out of an 1890s Victorian bungalow in Chinatown, where the entire 35-seat room fires the same concise seasonal menu each night. The format rewards diners who want to hand over the reins—ankimo torchon and passionfruit-dressed spaghetti squash signal a kitchen comfortable with Japanese and European technique applied to California produce. Best approached as a complete experience rather than an à la carte stop, with the intimate scale and historic setting doing most of the atmospheric work.
Must-Try Dishes:
Country Bread with Liptauer Cheese, Ankimo Torchon, Spaghetti Squash with Passionfruit
What Makes it Special: Chef Miles Thompson serves a concise six-dish seasonal menu inside an 1890s Victorian bungalow that seats just 35, designed to be fired as a complete progression.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A Peruvian-Mexican fast-casual spot that keeps the griddle busy into the early hours on weekends, making it a reliable Chinatown nightcap. Expect punchy marinades, playful cross-cultural combos, and a menu that ranges from birria to Ensenada-style seafood tacos.
Must-Try Dishes:
Birria Tacos, Quesotaco, Ensenada-Style Seafood Taco
What Makes it Special: Peruvian-Mexican mashup tacos served late with strong birria and seafood options.
#3
Lasita
7.8
A Filipino rotisserie and natural wine bar built around lemongrass-rubbed chicken inasal and a no-rules, share-everything ordering format. The compact 32-seat Chinatown dining room runs loud when full, so the 25-seat patio is the move for conversation-heavy dinners. The curated natural wine list paired against dishes like sizzlin' shroom sisig gives it a lane that few spots in LA occupy.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Inasal, Pancit Kang Kong, Sizzlin' Shroom Sisig
What Makes it Special: Filipino rotisserie and natural wine bar in Chinatown with a no-rules dining format — order at any pace, share everything, and pair lemongrass-rubbed chicken inasal with a curated natural wine list.
7.8
An open-air covered patio KBBQ spot in Chinatown where the breezy design actually vents grill smoke, solving the biggest complaint most people have about Korean barbecue. The AYCE format leans on solid cuts like Black Angus brisket and marinated bulgogi at a price point that works for groups splitting the bill. Expect K-pop, sizzling grills, and energy—this is a loud, social meal, not a quiet dinner.
Must-Try Dishes:
Marinated Bulgogi, Black Angus Beef Brisket, Ribeye Steak
What Makes it Special: Open-air covered patio KBBQ in Chinatown where the breezy design vents grill smoke so you leave without the smell on your clothes
#5
Café Tondo
7.8
A Mediterranean-Latin café-bar in Chinatown that functions as much as a cultural venue as a restaurant, with weekly jazz and bolero nights spilling into an outdoor parking-lot stage. The kitchen runs a Latin-leaning menu anchored by milanesa de pollo and ceviche de camarón, served in a space where metro trains overhead and salsa dancers on the patio set the tempo. It draws date-night couples and creatives who want dinner and a show in the same seat.
Must-Try Dishes:
Milanesa de Pollo, Pan de Elote, Tuna Tostada
What Makes it Special: Mediterranean-Latin café-bar in Chinatown doubling as a cultural venue with weekly jazz and bolero nights
#6
Firstborn
7.8
Chef Anthony Wang's French bistronomy lens on Chinese American cooking produces technically ambitious plates—chili-crisp fried chicken, mapo-inflected steak tartare—inside a green-tiled Chinatown dining room at Mandarin Plaza. The polarized review pattern suggests diners who connect with the boundary-crossing approach leave thrilled, while others find the fusion concept uneven. Best on a quieter midweek evening when the noise drops and you can focus on the food.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fried Chicken Legs with Morita Chili Crisp, Steak Tartare with Broad Bean Paste and Silken Tofu, BBQ Cabbage with Aged Pork and Leeks Vinaigrette
What Makes it Special: Chef Anthony Wang applies French bistronomy techniques to Chinese American cooking, finishing dishes like chili-crisp fried chicken and mapo-style steak tartare in a green-tiled Chinatown dining room.