Best LA Restaurants of 2025 (#5 - #1)

You will find details about my LA Times 101 Best Restaurant journey HERE.  This is the grand finale of the year – drumroll please – the top 5 restaurants I enjoyed in LA in 2025.

#5:  Holy Basil: (Atwater Village) I’ve never been to Thailand, but this is the best Thai food I’ve ever had.  Specializing in Bangkok street-style comfort food, every dish hits with unapologetic heat and layered flavor.  It’s the kind of place where you linger over the last bite, already planning your return.

*Parking: Street Parking (easy)

#4:  Kuya Lord: (Hollywood) Kuya Lord made me want to try as much Filipino food as possible.  It is a casual counter-service spot that delivers beautiful regional Filipino dishes from Chef Maynard.  The Gem Salad alone earns its accolades, but the Kuya tray, loaded with savory sausage, grilled beef short ribs, and Chami noodles, is the kind of meal that stays top of mind long after the plate is cleared.

*Parking: Street Parking (tricky)

#3:  Villa’s Tacos: (Highland Park) The ultimate compliment: we finished eating and immediately ordered another round. Villa’s handmade blue-corn tacos are exceptional—super flavorful with a plethora of filling options (cilantro-free, in my case). The queso taco is actually something to write home about. Bonus points for beverages served in a deli cup…an unpretentious touch I always appreciate.

*Parking:  Lot – can get crowded

#2:  Petit Trois: (Sherman Oaks) When Chef Ludo opened Petit Trois in Sherman Oaks years ago I believe I visited three times the first week they were open.  I had what I thought of as a healthy obsession with this restaurant, but when we moved out of Sherman Oaks we didn’t go quite as often.  When I revisited this year for the list, I was overjoyed that this place had not missed a beat.  In fact – did it improve?  Old favorites remained flawless, while newer additions like the pillowy potato beignets stole the show. Also, one of the rare restaurants where dessert is a non-negotiable for me.

*Parking: Valet

#1:  Dunsmoor: (Glassell Park) We dined at Dunsmoor early in this 101-list journey and it quickly became the gold standard.  After each restaurant we visited we would ask – but was it better than Dunsmoor?  And each time the answer was no.  The Pork & Green Chili Stew became my favorite dish of the year.  Known for its refined take on American heritage cooking, Dunsmoor provided exactly what I hoped for when this dining journey began…and then some.

*Parking: Valet

Cheers to 2026!  Let’s see how many delicious memories we can make in the new year!