The 5 Restaurants I Always Take Friends To When They Visit Los Angeles

Over the past 10 years I've lived in Los Angeles, I've been able to guide many first-time visitors on their journey eating their way across the city: parents, friends, and even old coworkers or classmates who happen to be in town for a few days. The sprawling city of Los Angeles can be tough to navigate as a tourist, especially without any firsthand knowledge of the different neighborhoods. Anyone who has lived here for a while knows the pain of hearing a visiting friend say they want to see the Santa Monica Boardwalk before hitting dinner downtown during rush hour. It's famously not super walkable like New York City, so having some insider information from someone who lives in Los Angeles is always beneficial. On the flip-side, one of the best parts of moving to Los Angeles is getting to show out-of-town family and friends how to live like a local.

Of course, the second-most populous city in America is home to countless incredible restaurants designed to dazzle diners, but some places are tried-and-true favorites for out-of-town visitors. Whether they're visiting the city for the first time or are frequent flyers looking for somewhere new and exciting, these restaurants are sure to be a hit. From the ambiance to the delicious food to the location — these are the five places I always take out-of-town friends and family to for a good meal and a good night out on the town.

One of my first apartments in Los Angeles was just a few blocks down the street from Electric Owl. Between 2017 and 2019, you could find me there on any given Friday. Now it's about a half hour away, but I still make the drive frequently — especially when friends are visiting from out of town.

This neighborhood favorite restaurant was modeled after the railcar station that sat in the same spot in the early 1900s. Old-school leather booths and sturdy wooden tables line this indoor/outdoor restaurant that sits on Sunset Boulevard right in the heart of Hollywood. Electric Owl is a great place to eat like a local — a hidden gem where in-the-know Angelenos can always find a good table.

Happy hour is the name of the game at Electric Owl, which serves elevated bar food, such as the L.A. Smash Burger, as part of the restaurant's ever-changing menu. When they're available, the seasonal Brussels sprouts and shishito peppers are also some of the best around. I always advise friends from out of town to order the Tequila Tang, a playful nod to the nostalgic orange juice from the '90s. The floral, fruity, and vibrantly purple hibiscus margarita is a hit as well. Besides being one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the city, I always take out-of-towners to Electric Owl to enjoy the unique ambiance and cheap happy hour eats after a day of exploring Hollywood.

Electric Owl is located at 1451 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles, CA.

Portuguese food can be hard to come by, but Barra Santos makes some of the most exciting in the United States. Hailing from a largely Portuguese community in southern Massachusetts, I grew up around some of the best Iberian cuisine on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. While Southern California undoubtedly has less Portuguese influence than the East Coast, Barra Santos is doing its part to spread the word of how delicious this nation's cuisine can be.

Located right along the LA River in Cypress Park, Barra Santos offers a mix of both inventive and more traditional Portuguese food, such as Maria's Bacalhau Fritters — a ball of fried salted cod that is a cornerstone in Portuguese cuisine. For a quick snack to share with friends, try the Lisbon Special; it comes with Iberico ham, Iberico chorizo, Alorena olives, cheese, and a seeded baguette. The bluefin tuna crudo is an excellent example of how Barra Santos mixes Portuguese cuisine with Los Angeles trends, pairing this raw tuna with the citrusy flavors of orange and lemon infused olive oil. Barra Santos's wine list is also nothing to scoff at, with an impressive selection of hard-to-find Portuguese wines.

For a dining experience unlike any other, Barra Santos is a must while visiting LA. I make sure to stop by whenever I'm feeling particularly homesick, or whenever family or friends from back east are visiting. The modern, creative iteration makes even the most habitual Portuguese cuisine eaters stop in their tracks for another bite.

Barra Santos is located at 1215 Cypress Ave., Los Angeles, CA

New York-style Chinese food in Los Angeles — what's not to love? Any LA transplant can tell you this city just doesn't have the sauce when it comes to a great General Tso's chicken. LA proper may have some of the best Mexican restaurants in the country, but its selection of Chinese food spots just doesn't quite hold up. Enter Genghis Cohen, the saving grace for Angelenos like myself who need that good old-fashioned East Coast Chinese food kick.

Takeout Chinese food was my favorite as a kid, but Genghis Cohen elevates the cuisine while maintaining the nostalgia of the Americanized meal. The Queen Chicken here, crispy chicken drenched in a not-so-spicy sauce and served with crisp peppers and veggies, reigns supreme. Paired with barbecue pork fried rice and a massive egg roll, Genghis Cohen serves all the makings of the ultimate comfort food meal. The garlicky Szechuan green beans are also one of my favorite items on the menu.

Genghis Cohen is my go-to spot whenever I have a lot of family or friends visiting at the same time. It's best to order family-style here, sharing a shameful number of plates with as many people that can fit around the table as possible. Loiter for a bit after your meal and catch some of the live music performances that Genghis Cohen hosts throughout the year. Local Chinese food and local bands make the perfect pairing to give out-of-towners a little taste of Los Angeles. 

Genghis Cohen is located at 448 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

La Boheme is the pinnacle of LA dining, with a stunning outdoor courtyard and a long menu that can turn any dinner into a multi-hour affair. It's my favorite place to sit outside and watch a summer sunset with a few drinks, a dozen oysters, and a bunch of friends. The beautiful atmosphere and sharable happy hour menu make La Boheme the perfect spot to spend an evening with out-of-town visitors.

My personal success story from La Boheme stems from when I brought a good friend visiting from New York City. He has a particular penchant for bougie and expensive-looking places, and La Boheme fits the bill perfectly. We ordered happy hour oysters and the restaurant's famed crostinis and were both happy as a clam without breaking the bank. Since then, it's always been a reliable choice to wow visitors with an expensive-looking lunch or dinner. $10 cocktails, such as the cucumber ginger fizz or the lychee martini, certainly sweeten the deal.

If you can't make it for happy hour, though, La Boheme's dinner menu is even more stacked. The LB Bistro Burger is a mouthwatering meal topped with Brie and white cheddar cheese. The Crispy Fried Calamari and Coconut Red Curry Mussels are two delicious seafood dishes, the latter served with charred bread for dipping into the slightly spicy curry broth. The West Hollywood restaurant has a little bit of something for everyone, and is a great choice no matter who is coming to visit.

La Boheme is located at 8400 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA.

Mrs. Fish is a larger-than-life restaurant with an even larger menu full of delicious and decadent sushi dishes. It's one of my favorite spots to have birthday dinners or other celebratory meals with friends — sitting below the massive fish tank that spans around the restaurant's ceiling is always special. The beautiful dining room is large enough that you usually never need to wait for a table, but Mrs. Fish also takes reservations if you're coming with a large party.

Most plates are rather small, so it's always best to come with a group and try as many dishes as possible. You can't go wrong with the fatty tuna sashimi, or the signature Oyabun roll with Maine lobster and wagyu beef tataki. I once attended a very memorable birthday dinner of around 10 people, where we ordered more sushi, gyoza, and pork belly skewers than we knew what to do with. The sushi is relatively cheap at Mrs. Fish, making it truly one of the best value sushi spots in the city.

Mrs. Fish is located in downtown Los Angeles, right below the rooftop hotspot Perch LA. During warm LA nights, I always make it a point to bring out-of-town friends to Mrs. Fish for some great food and spectacular aquarium-like views before taking the long elevator ride upstairs for an even better view of the Los Angeles skyline at Perch LA's tourist-favorite rooftop bar. Two must-visit establishments in one building makes for an easy night out in LA.

Mrs. Fish is located at 448 S Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.