Best Instagram Worthy Restaurants in Highland Park
10 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Magpies Softserve
Chef-created soft serve and pies that treat frozen dessert with restaurant-level creativity.
Notable Picks
8.9
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Family Friendly Favorites
Trendy Table Hotspots
Chef-driven Magpies brings scratch-made soft serve and over-the-top frozen pies to York Boulevard, carrying on the dessert-focused vision Warren and Rose Schwartz launched in 2016. Expect rotating dairy and vegan flavors plus cult pies that locals treat more like special-occasion cakes than casual ice cream cups.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cornflake Softserve Pie, Strawberry Shortcake Softserve Pie, Original Fried Softserve Pie (vegan corn almond)
What Makes it Special: Chef-created soft serve and pies that treat frozen dessert with restaurant-level creativity.
#2
Hippo
8.8
Tucked behind a former post office, Hippo is chef Matt Molina’s Cal-Italian dining room with handmade pastas and wood-grilled mains in a tall, buzzing space. It sits at the intersection of neighborhood hangout and destination date-night, with a menu that changes often but leans heavily on seasonal produce and technique.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hippo house rolls with honey butter and sea salt, Tagliolini with duck ragù, Ricotta tortelloni in lemon butter
What Makes it Special: James Beard–decorated chef-driven Cal-Italian with standout pastas in a lofty room.
#3
Yi Cha
8.5
Yi Cha is a modern Korean pub from chef Debbie Lee, bringing pocha-style drinking food, creative small plates, and a serious soju and cocktail program to Highland Park. Open late on weekends, it’s become a neighborhood destination for shared plates like Korean fried chicken, gamjatang, and playful bar snacks in a neon-lit, alley-like dining room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gochujang buffalo Korean fried chicken, Wagyu bone marrow corn cheese, Gamjatang (spicy pork and potato stew)
What Makes it Special: A true Korean pocha experience with serious cocktails outside Koreatown.
#4
Mala Class
8.5
Mala Class is a modern Sichuan dining room where crisp mala wings share menu space with dan dan noodles and numbing small plates. Opened in 2024, it’s already a buzzy York Blvd destination for sharp, chili-forward flavors and a compact, design-forward room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mala Wings, Dan Dan Noodles, Mushroom Fries
What Makes it Special: Modern Sichuan dining where mala wings share spotlight with noodle classics.
#5
Donut Friend
8.4
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Trendy Table Hotspots
Family Friendly Favorites
Since 2013, Donut Friend’s Highland Park flagship has been drawing lines for over-the-top vegan donuts and, increasingly, its in-house ice cream. With sundaes like the Taking Back Sundae and affogato-style creations built on their Creamo ice cream, it doubles as both a bakery and a serious dessert stop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Taking Back Sundae donut ice cream sandwich, Vanilla Bean Creamo ice cream scoop, Off!ogatto espresso-over-ice-cream
What Makes it Special: Cult-favorite vegan donut shop that backs up its reputation with house-made ice cream and donut sundaes.
8.4
Inside The Goldfish, Sticky Rice’s Highland Park kitchen turns out Thai-style Sticky Rice Wings alongside street food favorites, all backed by $10 cocktail happy hour. Neon-lit decor, a checkered dance floor, arcade games, and regular live music make wings and drinks here feel like a full night out.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sticky Rice Wings, Panang Curry Fries, Boat Noodle Soup
What Makes it Special: Thai street-food wings with full bar happy hour, arcade games, and live music under one roof.
#7
Modu Cafe
8.4
Opened in October 2024, Modu Cafe is a minimalist bakery and coffee bar from pastry chef Jiyoon Jang specializing in Korean-inspired pastries with meticulous design. Items like dark chocolate mochi brownies, milk cream buns, and sweet potato or kabocha tarts draw early crowds and frequent sell-outs.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dark chocolate mochi brownie muffin, Perilla lime tart, Milk cream bun
What Makes it Special: Design-driven Korean-inspired pastries that feel both playful and refined.
8.4
Ggiata’s Highland Park outpost brings East Coast Italian deli swagger to York with overstuffed hot and cold sandwiches on charred seeded baguettes. The narrow dining room, mosaic floors, and counter seating make it a lively spot for saucy, crunchy chicken cutlets and classic Italian combos.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy P, The Masterpiece, The Classic Italian
What Makes it Special: East Coast–style Italian deli sandwiches with serious crunch and sauce.
8.3
Born in Orange County in 2014 and now a West Coast mini-empire, Afters’ Highland Park shop channels the brand’s social-media-famous energy into cereal-inspired scoops and their signature Milky Bun. Late hours, colorful interiors, and big, indulgent flavors make it a go-to dessert stop after dinner on Figueroa.
Must-Try Dishes:
Milk & Cereal scoop, Cookie Monster Milky Bun, Ube Brownie ice cream
What Makes it Special: Flashy, trend-driven ice cream with flavors and Milky Buns built for late-night cravings and photos.
8.2
Kitchen Mouse is a vegetarian, gluten-free cafe that treats sandwiches with the same care as its bowls and brunch plates, from the tempeh Reuben to stacked breakfast sandwiches on griddled gluten-free bread. Bright, cozy interiors and a leafy patio draw steady lines of families, veg-forward eaters, and neighborhood regulars.
Must-Try Dishes:
Tempeh Reuben Sandwich, Jo's Breakfast Sandwich, Avocado TLT
What Makes it Special: A health-conscious cafe where gluten-free, vegetarian sandwiches actually feel indulgent.