Best Trendy Restaurants in West Adams
5 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Yhing Yhang BBQ
Thai BBQ from the Holy Basil team offering both $23 combo plates and a rotating 6-course tasting menu finished over live fire at an 8-seat counter inside Maydan Market.
Notable Picks
8.1
Thai BBQ built around a live-fire counter where Chef Deau—a 2024 Food & Wine Best New Chef—chars pork collar, duck, and sour sausage over charcoal, then finishes a six-course tasting menu for $65 at just eight seats inside Maydan Market. The $23 combo plates at the fast-casual counter deliver the same grilling technique and house-fermented condiments without the reservation, making this a food hall stall that punches well above its format.
Must-Try Dishes:
Salmon Creek Pork Collar, Khao Soi with Smoked Noodles, Thai Anchovy Tartine
What Makes it Special: Thai BBQ from the Holy Basil team offering both $23 combo plates and a rotating 6-course tasting menu finished over live fire at an 8-seat counter inside Maydan Market.
#2
Chulita
8
Alta California modern Mexican built around a plant-forward kitchen that treats roasted cauliflower and oyster mushroom tacos with the same seriousness as its Creekstone hanger steak, all backed by a deep mezcal and tequila program. The West Adams location draws groups who want to split shareable plates across dietary lines without anyone feeling like they got the B-menu. Expect a brunch-to-happy-hour rhythm where the cocktail list does as much work as the food.
Must-Try Dishes:
Roasted Cauliflower Tacos, Tres Leches Cassava Waffle, Creekstone Natural Hanger Steak Tacos
What Makes it Special: Alta California modern Mexican with an extensive mezcal and tequila bar and a plant-forward menu that gives vegan dishes equal billing
8
A West Adams bakeshop built around deliberately underbaked, doughy cookies finished with fleur de sel and rotated through French-inspired flavors like matcha white chocolate and brownie fudge noir. The format is counter-service grab-and-go with a tight, curated menu—think specialty cookie shop, not full bakery. Near-unanimous approval across 162 ratings suggests they've locked in their technique and don't deviate from it.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip, Cookie au Beurre™, Brownie Fudge Noir Extreme™
What Makes it Special: Pandemic-born West Adams bakeshop specializing in deliberately underbaked, doughy cookies with French-inspired rotating flavors and a signature fleur de sel finish.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A bleached-coral grotto on West Adams built around a tiered raw bar format—oysters, crudo, and uni pasta served in a space designed to be photographed as much as eaten in. The energetic, cavernous interior rewards groups and date nights who want spectacle with their seafood, though a back patio offers a quieter lane. A polarized review profile (70% five-star, 11% one-star, almost nothing in between) suggests the experience lands hard when it lands, but doesn't always connect.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oysters, Seafood Tower, Hamachi Crudo
What Makes it Special: A bleached-coral grotto design turned one of LA's most photographed restaurants, anchored by pristine oysters and tiered seafood towers
7.6
A cocktail-first bar wrapped in Parisian theater—chandeliers, candlelit velvet booths, and a playlist-driven energy that tilts the room toward scene over sustenance. The drinks menu anchors around well-executed classics like the shaken martini, while the food stays in comfortable bar-snack territory with fries, pretzels, and grilled cheese. Best approached as a dressed-up evening out in West Adams where the room itself is the main course.
Must-Try Dishes:
Shaken Martini, Fries, Warmed Pretzel
What Makes it Special: Celebrity stylist Jason Bolden's Parisian-themed cocktail bar with chandeliers, candlelit velvet booths, and superb classic cocktails in West Adams