Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Downtown

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Downtown? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Capital Grille - Los Angeles

4.7

4.7 (568)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Downtown

About the restaurant

Make it a day to remember. From birthdays and anniversaries to professional milestones, we aim to make every gathering special at The Capital Grille. Open seven days a week, The Capital Grille is best known for our expertly prepared steaks, which are dry aged in house for 18 to 24 days and then hand-cut by our restaurant's on-premise butcher. The Capital Grille's wine list features more than 350 selections, and its floor-to-ceiling wine kiosk regularly houses 3,500 - 5,000 bottles. Reservations are recommended but not required. For more information, please visit our website. We look forward to delighting you.

Top review

CarlosVIP

Dined on 24 Dec 2024

Excellent service a little loud in window table overall nice evening

Discover more

Popular dish

Filet Mignon 10oz

Popular dish

Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese

Eigikutei

4.8

4.8 (92)

$50 and over

Japanese

Little Tokyo

About the restaurant

Eigikutei is a Japanese cuisine, sushi, and Shabu Shabu Kaiseki restaurant in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. We have a bar and offer high-end Japanese sake.
Eigikutei serves Japanese Kaiseki cuisine courses. Each Kaiseki course expresses the traditional Japanese culture and simple but deep tastes that Japan has grown from time immemorial. We hope all of our guests can enjoy our Kaiseki cuisine with Japanese cultural experiences.
**If you wish to select multiple courses, simply choose 'Standard' to reserve seats. We will take your orders at your table. Please do not select menu experiences.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on 25 Dec 2024

Long wait even with reservation, waited for more than 45min before seated. Food are good but not as impressive with the price. Staffs are friendly and accommodating.

Discover more

Experience

Sushi Kaiseki Tasting Menu

Experience

Plant Based Vegan Kaiseki Experience

Experience

USDA Prime Beef Shabu-Shabu Kaiseki

Bar Amá

4.7

4.7 (454)

$30 and under

Tex-Mex

Downtown

About the restaurant

Bar Amá is a Tex-Mex restaurant located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Our outdoor patio is available only on Friday & Saturday evenings (weather permitting). If you have any questions, please e-mail us at info@bar-ama.com or visit bar-ama.com.

"Fideo and borracho beans with cilantro and pork belly simmering on the stove, the spicy warmth of menudo every Christmas and New Year’s, egg salad with a fried egg between a butter toasted bolillo, and puffy tacos stuffed with lengua carnitas and crushed avocado and doused with pequin chile vinegar salsa. These are just some of the dishes that have inspired me – the food that I was nurtured with by the women who raised me. Bar Amá is my interpretation of their Tex-Mex." – Chef Josef Centeno

Top review

DonVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent food, excellent service. We will be back!

TENSHO

4.9

4.9 (70)

$50 and over

Shabu-shabu

Little Tokyo

About the restaurant

Even if seats are full, we may still have availability. Also, special requests or inquiries would be welcome. Please do not hesitate to reach us by phone (213-617-1016).

5.3.2022 Tue
NEW OPEN in Little Tokyo
[TENSHO]

Right in the heart of Little Tokyo, “Kagaya” has established itself a top tier shabu shabu restaurant. Now, the torches have been handed to a new head chef and owner, the next generation to carry the torches of tradition and exquisite flavor, with the new name of TENSHO.

Trained in traditional Japanese cookery, this 23 year veteran chef is on his way to introducing a new wave of Japanese delicacies to the States. As close as you can get to Japan itself, this chef brings his revisioned menu, with patron favorites, and extensive sake list. The desert and a la carte menu is designed by their French trained chef.

The wagyu beef is of A5 rank. The seafood, carefully selected to be of highest quality. Food that is not only delicious but also good for the health.

Top review

gavinVIP

Dined on 20 Dec 2024

Great as always. Weekly treats can’t wait to go back

Discover more

Experience

Deluxe A5 WAGYU (JAPAN, 8oz)

Experience

USDA Prime Beef (Rib, 8oz)

Experience

Deluxe A5 WAGYU & Seafood

PROPAGANDA

4.8

4.8 (72)

$30 and under

Italian

Arts District

About the restaurant

Propaganda focuses on organic, biodynamic, Italian natural wines, aperitivi cocktails, Italian style Tapas and the authentic Pizza (Pinsa) Romana.
Aperitivo Happy Hour everyday till 6pm and till 5pm on Sunday

Top review

Evelyn

Dined on 4 Dec 2024

Had a great time with my friends. We enjoyed the food and wine. Great customer service. Can’t wait to go back.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - Los Angeles, CA | Downtown LA

4.7

4.7 (147)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Little Tokyo

About the restaurant

Founded in Tokyo in 1996, Gyu-Kaku has become the world’s #1 Japanese BBQ brand! Thanks to our devoted fans we have reached over 700 locations worldwide. Each day, hundreds of thousands of people gather around the table-top smokeless grill, a centerpiece of our dining concept, enjoying selections of premium meats, just off the grill, and other freshly prepared foods from our kitchens, inspiring laughter, conversation, and a magical dining experience.

Our authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience crowns you the chef. Share a variety of delicious appetizers and premium cooked meats over a flaming grill, paired with Japanese sake, frosty cold beers, or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options of your choice. We're the perfect spot to enjoy time with friends and family, organize an office party, or to spend quality time with your significant other!

Before you go, don't forget to taste our best-seller Harami Skirt Steak or Prime Kalbi Short Rib among other must-try dishes!

Top review

PeteVIP

Dined on 25 Dec 2024

Great time. Great service. The food never stopped coming.

Discover more

Experience

Prix-Fixe BBQ Courses for Everyone: Starting at...

Kato

4.8

4.8 (336)

$50 and over

Contemporary Asian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Kato serves seasonally-focused tasting menus influenced by Taiwan and Asian American nostalgia.

Dining Room Tasting Menu │ $325
The dining room tasting menu focuses on seasonality and innovation.

Bar Tasting Menu │ $185
The bar tasting menu is a slightly abbreviated collection of classic Kato dishes.

An 18% fair wage and operational fee has been added to your bill. It goes to provide elevated, comprehensive benefits, as well as consistent, livable wages for all staff. Though many of our guests choose to leave gratuity for exemplary service, it is neither necessary nor expected, though it is greatly appreciated. This gratuity will be shared by all hourly staff.

Top review

ColinVIP

Dined 1 day ago

This is the best restaurant experience I have ever had in LA by far!

Discover more

Experience

Bar Cocktails & Snacks

Experience

Bar Tasting Menu

Experience

Dining Room Tasting Menu

San Laurel

4.8

4.8 (378)

$50 and over

Spanish

Downtown

About the restaurant

San Laurel is one of the flagship restaurants in Chef José Andrés’ collection at Conrad Los Angeles. Here, he effortlessly combines his signature forward-thinking approach to Spanish cuisine with the gorgeous produce found at Southern California’s year-round farmers’ markets. San Laurel is open daily for breakfast and dinner service.

The restaurant’s interior combines organic, earthy tones and natural wood finishes with richer hues to complement what’s on the plate: the flavors of Spain as seen through a California lens.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 5 days ago

We enjoy going to the theater and are always looking for a good place to get a meal before or after. We tried San Laurel for the first time and were delighted. The service (thank you, Johnnie) couldn’t have been better. He asked before we ordered and what time the show was so he could be mindful of the timing of the courses. My husband and I aren’t meat eaters so we kept to the appetizer section and ordered several of the vegetarian options to share. The olive oil cracker with membrillo and cheese was heavenly, the eggplant, and wild mushrooms both had sauces that made us want to lick the bowls clean. The only downside was the restaurant seemed a bit noisy due to all the hard surfaces with nothing to help absorb sound. We ate relatively early and the dining room was half empty so I wonder how loud it would be at full capacity. I’m looking forward to going back again and hopefully for a matinee show so we can try brunch.

Manuela

4.8

4.8 (225)

$31 to $50

Californian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in the Arts District of Los Angeles, Manuela unites chef, farmer and artist to create an authentic and original dining experience. Under the direction of Executive Chef Kris Tominaga, the menu celebrates seasonal ingredients sourced from the best farms and producers in Southern California.

Serving a wide range of vegetables, grains, fish, and game, Manuela also features an exemplary bar program, which serves classic cocktails using house-made bitters and tonics. Local beers are on tap, while the carefully selected wine list is designed to pair with the smoke and acid at the heart of Manuela’s menu.

Designed by Los Angeles native Matt Winter and named for Manuela Wirth, the restaurant is illuminated and animated by specially commissioned works from artists Paul McCarthy, Mark Bradford and Raymond Pettibon.

Top review

JPVIP

Dined on 25 Dec 2024

By far my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles and it didn’t disappoint once again! My visiting mother from Florida thoroughly enjoyed it and the food, service, and ambience could not have been any better, especially for a Christmas Eve dinner. Great value for the quality!

Bavel

4.8

4.8 (5001)

$31 to $50

Middle Eastern

Downtown

About the restaurant

A Middle Eastern restaurant in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

Top review

Brian

Dined 7 days ago

Overall amazing meal. Service was top notch. Food was inspiring and different. The sauces were fantastic. Best meal I’ve had in a long time and we’ve had some good meals. A little loud in the restaurant so it was nice to sit outside.

Discover more

Popular dish

Oyster Mushroom Kebab

Popular dish

Slow Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma

Popular dish

Grilled Prawns

Explore Diners' Choice best of Downtown

Explore more Diners' Choice lists