The 12 Most Anticipated Los Angeles Restaurant Openings, Winter 2023

It’s a tremendously busy time of year for LA’s restaurant scene, with new openings happening multiple times per week in just about every single neighborhood. All that action can only mean one thing: Angelenos are hungry for big, new projects from known names and first-timers alike. In just the first few months of 2023 there are restaurants from chef Jason Neroni (of the Rose fame in Venice), Top Chef’s Jackson Kalb, and an award-winning Toronto restaurateur here to make a big Westside splash. From the depths of the San Fernando Valley to the heart of Beverly Hills, here are just 12 of the most anticipated coming restaurant openings for the year so far.

Best Bet

Location: 12565 Washington Boulevard, Culver City

Major Players: Jason Neroni

The Situation: The former A-Frame in the western edge of Culver City has been fully facelifted by Jason Neroni of Venice’s Rose Cafe with plans to open in early March with a pizza-focused, family-friendly restaurant called Best Bet. With design cues inspired by the 1970s and that era of comic books, Neroni plans to serve an all-day menu of California Italian fare, from rotisserie lamb shoulder to a few pasta plates. But pizza is the name of the game at Best Bet, with everything from wood-fired pies to New York Style thin-crust pizza to Sicilian square slices. And since the place has long had a tradition of serving pancakes as a former IHOP, Neroni will have a pancake on the brunch menu.

Projected Opening: March 2023

La Dolce Vita

Location: 9875 South Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Major Players: Marc Rose and Med Abrous, Call Mom

The Situation: The longtime Los Angeles folks behind Genghis Cohen, the Spare Room, and other fun projects are still hard at work reimagining a longtime Italian American Beverly Hills gem. The Call Mom hospitality group is pulling the Sinatra-loved red sauce destination into the modern era (without losing its timeless charm). Expect classic service, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, and a very cool-kid crowd dining inside by early spring.

Projected Opening: March 2023

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés

Bazaar Meat

Location: 100 South Grand Avenue, Downtown

Major Players: José Andrés

The Situation: José Andrés wasn’t going to let a decade of dominance with his original Bazaar restaurant go to waste in Los Angeles. Last year, the chef returned to LA with a hotel restaurant called San Laurel inside the Conrad in Downtown. But the plan was always to occupy part of the sixth floor of the impressive Frank Gehry-designed development to open Bazaar Meat, a fusion of his avant-garde Spanish menu with hulking grilled chops of steak that he originally opened inside the SLS (now the Sahara) on the Las Vegas Strip. Bazaar Meat should be a grand return for Andrés, one of the world’s most celebrated chefs.

Projected Opening: Late 2023

Jemma di Mare

Location: 11677 San Vicente Boulevard, Brentwood

Major Players: Jackson Kalb

The Situation: Jackson Kalb is on a Westside tear, having created his own crowd with the ever-busy Ospi and Jame Enoteca in recent years. He has since expanded his El Segundo restaurant with a snacky attached bar, and is pushing into Hollywood soon with lots of red sauce decadence for lunch and dinner. First, though, the focus is on Brentwood, where East Coast-style seafood shop Jemma di Mare will focus on dishes that range from fried and raw seafood preparations to lots of pasta and Boston-to-New Jersey Italian staples.

Projected Opening: March 2023

Angler

Location: 8500 Beverly Boulevard, Beverly Grove

Major Players: Paul Chung, Saison Hospitality

The Situation: Far more than just a reopening, this is an all-new Angler courtesy of Saison Hospitality Culinary Director, chef Paul Chung. While the address and the name remain the same, the cozy-cool Beverly Center ground floor space itself has been reimagined under the design direction of Built, Inc. and with a new (and still sustainably-sourced) seafood-forward menu fueled by lots of smoke and fire. Chung is pulling in LA, SF, and Korean influences to the redone menu, while cocktails and wine will also have a whole new dedicated focus. Expect big things from this one.

Projected Opening: February 2023

Topanga Social

Location: 6600 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Canoga Park

Major Players: Westfield Topanga Mall, Katsu Sando, Fat Sal’s, Amboy, and others

The Situation: West Valley food fans have a lot to be excited about with Topanga Social, the bold new food hall coming to the Westfield Topanga Mall. The multi-unit space will pull in some of LA’s biggest culinary names like Alvin Cailan of Amboy to help create the kind of do-it-all dining experience that deep SFV diners have long asked for. Expect more big names to be announced in the coming weeks, too.

Projected Opening: Early spring 2023

Bar Monette

Bar Monette

Location: 109 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica

Major Players: Sean MacDonald

The Situation: Star Toronto chef Sean MacDonald has hit the shores of Santa Monica, and he’s bringing the party with him. At jewel box Bar Monette diners can expect wood-fired pizzas, lots of share plates, and heavy pours of boisterous wine. There will be upscale nods too, like caviar and champagne, but for the average diner, it’s okay to just think of Bar Monette as the hippest new date night spot to hit Santa Monica since Elephante.

Projected Opening: January 2023

Sushi Nakazawa

Location: 145 North Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood

Major Players: Daisuke Nakazawa

The Situation: While Daisuke Nakazawa might have developed a name from his tenure at the famous Sukiyabashi Jiro (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame), the apprentice has become a master on his own, expanding from his original New York City location to outlets in D.C. and now Los Angeles along North Robertson. Offering about 20 pieces of nigiri priced at around $200, Nakazawa brings yet another high-end omakase option to Los Angeles, a city already riddled with plenty of high-end sushi. Still, with a curated sake menu and his own Tokyo-trained touch on the format, expect Nakazawa to draw plenty of attention when it opens later this year.

Projected Opening: Spring 2023

Lingua Franca

Location: 2984 Allesandro Street, Elysian Valley/Frogtown

Major Players: Peter and Lauren Lemos, Wax Paper

The Situation: The Lemos clan behind hit sandwich outpost Wax Paper have long promised to make Lingua Franca the kind of restaurant that speaks to everyone, with morning-through-dinner service right along the LA River. The restaurant is now nearly at the end of a long road to opening, with reservations going live shortly and fans earning sneak peeks of design details and New American menu items on the restaurant’s social media accounts. Expect upscale casual classics done the LA way at this long-anticipated gem.

Projected Opening: February 2023

Des Croissants Paris

Location: 8539 Washington Blvd, Culver City

Major Players: Angelique Sakho-Green, Samuel Manar

The Situation: Parisian-born Angelique Sakho-Green and chef Samuel Manar spent the last few years building a following at various farmers markets throughout LA. Their Culver City cafe will be a traditional French boulangerie patisserie with freshly baked breads, croissants, pastries, sandwiches, and pies. Manar spent 10 years baking in France before moving to California and working at various outlets including Milo & Olive, while Sakho-Green will lean on her plant-based cooking experience for those avoiding animal products.

Projected Opening: February 2023

Za Za Zá

Location: 1993 Blake Avenue, Elysian Valley/Frogtown

Major Players: Alejandro Marin, Jorge Salim, and Javier Hernandez Pons, Paco Moran

The Situation: Alejandro Marin, Jorge Salim, and Javier Hernandez Pons

The Situation: Outside of Salazar, Frogtown’s evening dining isn’t particularly busy with lunchtime options scattered throughout the mostly residential neighborhood. The Cha Cha Chá team hopes to change that next month by introducing a sister restaurant called Za Za Zá. The space is nestled off the LA River near La Colombe and Wax Paper, with charcoal-grilled seafood as a particular focus. It’s an ambitious leap for this experienced team who owns one of the Arts District’s most popular rooftops with Cha Cha Chá, and is in a neighborhood that’s entrenched in ample development and ongoing gentrification.

Projected Opening: February 2023

Flor y Solera

Location: 1335 East 6th Street, Arts District

Major Players: Mònica Angelats, Factory Place Hospitality Group

The Situation: There is no shortage of exciting Spanish restaurants on the horizon and this Arts District newcomer is expected to be as solid as they come. The menu winds through Spain’s 17 regions and aims to expand diners’ understanding of Spanish cuisine. The standalone sherry bar was built for happy hours and late-night meetups.

Projected Opening: February 2023

Flor y Solera