Best Mediterranean Restaurants in Downtown LA
17 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Zankou Chicken
Long-running Lebanese rotisserie and shawarma plates anchored by legendary garlic sauce.
Notable Picks
8.5
Vibes:
Comfort Food Classics
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Group Dining Gatherings
The Downtown branch of Zankou Chicken brings the family-run chain’s classic Lebanese-style rotisserie chicken, tarna and shawarma plates, and famous garlic sauce to a busy corner of 7th Street. High-volume foot traffic, takeout, and delivery prove its role as a go-to option when locals want reliable Mediterranean plates and wraps at accessible prices. The room is utilitarian, but the combination of roast chicken, kabobs, hummus, and pickles keeps it firmly in the DTLA rotation.
Must-Try Dishes:
Quarter Dark Chicken Plate, Chicken Tarna Plate, Tri-Tip Shawerma Plate
What Makes it Special: Long-running Lebanese rotisserie and shawarma plates anchored by legendary garlic sauce.
8.4
A 14-seat one-man operation where a chef with Eleven Madison Park and Per Se training applies fine-dining discipline to regional Turkish dishes—bulgur dumplings with hours-long preparation, kebabs with Sonoma-sourced beef fat, fermented tarhana butter. The kiosk ordering and industrial Fashion District location strip away formality, leaving direct connection with the cooking and a price point well below what the technique would command elsewhere.
Must-Try Dishes:
İçli Köfte, Levrek Marin, Shrimp in Tarhana Butter
What Makes it Special: A 14-seat one-man operation where a chef trained at Eleven Madison Park and Per Se serves Turkish dishes elevated with French and Japanese techniques
#3
Killer Kabab
8.3
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Comfort Food Classics
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Killer Kabab turns out hefty shawarma and kabob plates from a compact counter just off 8th and Flower, drawing office workers and residents who want full-on Mediterranean flavors without a long sit-down meal. Plates come piled with rice, salad, hummus, and sauces, making it a reliable downtown stop when you want something satisfying and halal-friendly. Delivery platforms and BOGO specials keep it in heavy rotation for nearby apartments and offices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma Plate, Mixed Grill Plate, Gyro Greek Pita
What Makes it Special: Big, saucy shawarma and kabob plates built for serious appetites.
#4
Miznon
8.3
An Israeli counter in Grand Central Market that turns fast-casual into something craveable, anchored by fluffy pita, bright salatim, and punchy roasted veg. The menu is simple but dialed, with proteins and vegetables that stay juicy even at market volume. Ideal for a quick, flavor-forward reset mid-crawl.
Must-Try Dishes:
Roasted cauliflower pita, Lamb kebab pita, Hummus with chickpeas
What Makes it Special: Israeli street-food pitas and salatim executed at market speed.
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Family-owned Syrian and Armenian spot serving fresh shawarma, falafel plates, and housemade hummus in the Jewelry District. The small counter-service operation focuses on authentic recipes with generous portions and warm hospitality that makes regulars feel like family.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma Plate, Falafel with Tahini, Filet Mignon Kebab
What Makes it Special: Family recipes with exceptional freshness at prices under $15
A buzzy shawarma pop-up at ROW DTLA serving Jordanian-style chicken shaved hot and wrapped in fresh saj bread. The menu is tight and confident—one great wrap, garlicky sauces, and beef-tallow fries—so lines move for a reason. It’s a street-food energy hit that feels very 90021 right now.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma Wrap (The Yaz Way), Beef-tallow Fries, Classic Garlic Shawarma Wrap
What Makes it Special: Single-focus shawarma executed at pop-up perfection.
#7
Bavel
8
Wood-fired Middle Eastern cooking from the team behind Bestia, built around shareable plates like slow-roasted lamb neck and house-made flatbreads that reward group ordering. The converted warehouse space runs loud—request patio if conversation matters—but the cooking technique on proteins justifies the Arts District pilgrimage for date nights willing to lean in.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oyster Mushroom, Baba Ghanoush, Grilled Prawns
What Makes it Special: Middle Eastern cuisine from the Bestia team, with wood-fired cooking and house-made flatbreads in a converted Arts District warehouse
Worthy Picks
7.9
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Healthy Haven
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Business Lunch Power Players
A casual, build-your-plate Mediterranean spot that leans clean and modern, with house flatbreads, bright dips, and grilled mains tuned for Downtown lunches. Flavor profiles stay familiar but well-balanced, and portions make it an easy value play for takeout or a quick sit-down. More dependable daily driver than destination, but consistently satisfying.
Must-Try Dishes:
Falafel wrap on za'atar flatbread, Lamb meatball bowl, Hummus with warm flatbread
What Makes it Special: Fast, customizable Mediterranean bowls and wraps with solid house breads.
Berlin-style döner kebabs built on halal-certified meat slow-roasted on a vertical broiler, wrapped tight with house sauces that locals describe as addictive. The board-game-stocked dining room and dog-friendly patio give it a late-night hangout identity that most counter-service Mediterranean spots lack. Nearly two decades and five LA locations later, Spitz still draws repeat visits for the same reason it started—oversized wraps at neighborhood prices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Döner Wrap, Gyro, Mediterranean Bowl
What Makes it Special: Berlin-style döner kebabs served late-night in a board-game-stocked Arts District hangout
#10
Arthur's Garden
7.8
A daytime-only Persian grill tucked into an industrial stretch of Hooper Ave, built around charcoal-fired kabobs with enough flavor depth to hold up against Westwood's established Persian corridor. The garden patio and weekday-only hours give it the rhythm of a neighborhood lunch counter rather than a destination restaurant, and rotating specials like Tahchin Tuesdays suggest a kitchen cooking for regulars who know to call ahead.
Must-Try Dishes:
Boneless Chicken Kabob Plate, Tahdig Gheimeh, Beef Koobideh
What Makes it Special: Family-run Persian kitchen with a garden patio tucked into an industrial stretch of DTLA, serving charcoal-grilled kabobs and crispy tahdig at neighborhood prices
A DTLA food truck running halal Uzbek-Mediterranean street food — plov, samsa, and manti alongside shawarma — with late-night hours that keep it parked until 2am on weeknights. The 81% five-star rate across 338 reviews suggests the core menu lands reliably, though a 12% one-star cluster signals occasional misses. Works best as a post-shift or late-night stop for anyone who wants Central Asian comfort food at street-cart prices near Figueroa and Cesar Chavez.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma, Plov, Samsa
What Makes it Special: DTLA food truck serving halal Uzbek-Mediterranean street food — shawarma, plov, and samsa — until 2am on weeknights.
7.7
Counter-service Greek spot on the concourse level at FIGat7th, George's Greek Grill turns out gyros, salads, and hearty platters tailored to downtown office workers and shoppers. Expect reliable, fast-moving lines, broad customization, and portions that lean generous rather than precious.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef & lamb gyro wrap, Chicken souvlaki plate with Greek salad and rice, Traditional Greek salad with grilled chicken
What Makes it Special: Long-running FIGat7th staple for customizable gyros, salads, and Greek platters.
#13
Vespaio
7.7
Chef Agostino Sciandri's Tuscan kitchen draws pre-concert crowds with house-made pastas and whole butterflied branzino, backed by 45 years of LA Italian restaurant credentials. The 1,800-square-foot patio with retractable awnings delivers atmosphere for date nights near Disney Concert Hall, though execution can vary on busy theater evenings. Prices run premium for the Bunker Hill location—expect expense-account positioning rather than neighborhood value.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pappardelle, Paccheri Bolognese, Whole Butterflied Grilled Mediterranean Branzino
What Makes it Special: Chef Agostino Sciandri's Tuscan kitchen with house-made pastas using organic flour and wood-burning oven pizzas, steps from The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall
#14
California Pita
7.7
A no-frills Mediterranean counter near the downtown courthouse that moves fast and prices low, built around grilled proteins tucked into fresh-baked pita. The draw is the lunch-rush math: a filling gyro or wrap for single-digit dollars in a neighborhood where that equation rarely works. Expect a queue, a number, and a tray — not a dining room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gyro, Lemon Chicken Wrap, Hummus Plate
What Makes it Special: Fast, affordable Mediterranean counter steps from the downtown courthouse, built on fresh pita and simple grilled proteins.
7.6
Tucked just off 7th and Flower, Restaurant Petra Grill operates from a modest space focusing on shawarma, kabobs, and mezze-style plates for nearby offices and hotels. Portions are generous and the menu hits the expected chicken and beef shawarma, falafel, and hummus combos that travel well for takeout. Recent reviews point to comfort-first plates rather than destination cooking, making it a practical choice when you’re close by and craving something Mediterranean.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma Plate, Beef Shawarma Wrap, Falafel Plate
What Makes it Special: Unassuming downtown spot serving hearty shawarma and falafel plates near offices.
#16
Z Falafel
7.6
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Late Night Legends
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Late-night Mediterranean counter serving crispy falafel, shawarma wraps, and fresh hummus until midnight most nights. The casual spot caters to downtown's diverse crowd with halal options and vegetarian-friendly menu at wallet-friendly prices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Falafel Sandwich, Chicken Shawarma Plate, Lemon Chicken
What Makes it Special: Open late with consistent falafel and shawarma
7.5
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Outdoor Dining Oasis
Family Friendly Favorites
Group Dining Gatherings
Persian and Mediterranean chain location with outdoor seating near Pershing Square. The menu spans kebabs, gyros, and vegetarian plates served in a contemporary setting that attracts nearby hotel guests and convention attendees.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Kebab, Lamb Gyro Plate with Dolmas, Koobideh Kabob
What Makes it Special: Reliable chain with extensive Mediterranean menu