Cecconi’s is a scene, with heads turning every time a new party enters. But it’s fun and despite originating in Italy, feels very L.A. Blistered crust pizzas are a good bet. There’s one with shaved truffles for big spenders. We like the version with tiny circles of crisp-edged, spicy salami and broccolini. On Sunday evenings, families pack the house. The draw is free childcare: two kind ladies entertain the kids with arts and crafts in one of the private dining rooms, so mom and dad can enjoy some uninterrupted grown-up time. There is also a roaming magician.

The lobster roll at Connie & Teds, Michael Cimarusti’s haute New England fish shack, is worth every calorie. Order it hot, which better shows off the sweet, tender chunks of perfectly cooked lobster, spooned into a toasty, brioche bun glossy with butter. It’s so good, it’s the stuff of last meals. Sweet little misshapen belly-on clams, fried in a light, corn flour batter, are another must. And if you’re an oyster person, the restaurant usually offers over a dozen varieties each day, shucked fresh at the raw bar, which just might be the most fun seats in the house. Add one of the two dozen craft beers on tap and a retro soundtrack of Joan Jett and Springsteen, and you can’t help but have a swell time.

In L.A. restaurant years, Dan Tana’s is positively ancient. Dan Tana opened his eponymous restaurant in 1964, and the Italian American eatery is still a hotspot for the A-list. But there’s nothing trendy about it, which is why its appeal endures. The tablecloths are red and white checked. There are old Chianti bottles hanging overhead and tuxedoed waiters. And besides the prices, the menu has changed little over the years. You can get a plate of spaghetti with champion-sized meatballs or satisfying chicken Parmesan. We especially appreciate the seasoned staff and stiff martinis, not necessarily in that order.

Delicious cocktails like the Eveleigh Lemonade, made with chamomile infused tequila, are a great way to start your visit to this Sunset Strip favorite. On Sunday nights, you can try the week’s farmers market-inspired cocktails, and on occasional Mondays, Eveleigh hosts guest bartenders. In sum, good drinking is serious business here. The Cal-Med menu features dishes like lamb meatballs and roasted chicken. Sunday brunch is popular too. Try a freshly baked breakfast pastry, perhaps with a tall glass of Mexican iced coffee or for heartier appetites, a modern interpretation of bubble and squeak with sliced potatoes, kale and brisket. The oversized cushy sofas on the airy rear deck are perfect for big groups.

Fig & Olive is a beautiful restaurant - glamorous but relaxed. Paparazzi are always nearby, hoping to snap someone famous (a safe bet given the celebrity clientele). The main dining room features soaring ceilings with gently rotating fans and a wall of bottles of golden olive oil. Meals begin with a presentation of soft rosemary focaccia and three oils for dipping. If you like what you taste, you can add a bottle to your tab. Crostini are especially popular and you can mix and match. The vegetarian versions are excellent, like the one topped with meaty mushrooms, artichoke tapenade and shaved Parmesan. Beef carpaccio is another must for the table. Birthdays are acknowledged with the delivery of a brilliant sparkler in a halved lemon on a plate. It is guaranteed to make even the most jaded birthday boy or girl smile.

California style mixes with Mexican flair at Gracias Madre, the organic, plant-based Mexican inspired restaurant on Melrose Avenue. Step through the bright interior and enjoy one of the most stunning patios in Los Angeles. The indoor/outdoor flow is reminiscent of a luxurious casita with hand-painted tiles, antique mirrors, linen couches, iron lanterns, and colorful jars and vases. Relax on the olive tree shaded patio and peruse the menus for brunch, lunch or dinner. Although it’s plant-based cuisine, carnivores have no trouble forgoing meat because of the rich and vibrant flavors. The cocktail list is among the most unique in L.A., including “High Vibes” drinks made with Cannabidiol Oil (CBD) extracted from the Cannabis plant and “snow cones” made with tequila and mezcal.

Born in Boyle Heights in December 2010, Guisados is renowned for their homestyle braises, served on handmade corn tortillas that are made to order from the fresh ground masa next door at Carnitas Uruapan. The stews and masa are still made and delivered from the Boyle Heights location several times a day to ensure freshness and flavor in every bite. All tacos are priced at $2.75 each except seafood options, which are $3.

The menu includes steak picado, mole poblano, tinga de pollo, chicharron, chorizo, camarones (fajita-style shrimp), pescado (grilled white fish), and vegetarian options like calabacitas (squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, onions) and the fiery Chiles Toreados - habanero, serrano, jalapeno and Thai chiles blistered together over high heat. Can't decide? The sampler plate features six mini-tacos - you can take the first six on the menu, or mix and match.

Housed in a former hardware store - the sign is a dead giveaway - this rambling restaurant and bar is sexy cool, but in a ‘not trying too hard’ way. Cocktails like the refreshing Gavrons Boogle, made with cucumber-infused Herradura Blanco and a chile-salt rim go down easy. And there is plenty of alcohol-friendly food, including a good burger and cracker crust pizzas. For something different, try the version with thinly sliced squash, smoky Tallegio, fresh mint, and sumac. If you’re on a date, ask for a table on the enchanted patio with olive trees out back.

The flagship restaurant opened in 1998 by Suzanne Goin (named Outstanding Chef at the 2016 James Beard Awards) and James Beard nominee Caroline Styne offers a warm and inviting setting for a special meal. Whether it's on the romantic patio or inside the comfortable dining room, Goin's seasonal, French-inspired Mediterranean cuisine is sure to impress. The famed Sunday Suppers, which are featured in Goin's cookbook of the same name, are served from 5-9:30 p.m. and priced at $52 per guest.

Night + Market is like the rebellious teenage child of the adjacent Talesai, one of the city’s first Thai restaurants that shares a kitchen with its younger neighbor. The walls are bright orange, while décor consists of a couple of neon Singha beer signs. And there’s little familiar on the menu. But this appears to be all well and good with the hip, young crowd who tuck into plates of crisp, meaty, fried pig tails, and juicy charred pork meatballs that are meant to be eaten nestled in cool cabbage leaves with slivered ginger. Caution: some of the dishes and sauces pack some serious heat. Save room for the ice cream sandwich: super chewy, dense, coconut sticky rice tucked into a griddled sweet bun and crowned by a scoop of Thai ice cream glistening with condensed milk.

Even if your meal doesn’t include caviar - people do come here for the cippollini jam and bacon-topped burger - Petrossian feels like a special occasion. Maybe it’s the smart white dining room or all those tins of Osetra and Kaluga in the front marketplace. (Treat yourself to one of Petrossian’s classes to learn more about the highly coveted Kaluga.) We certainly hope your meal does include caviar. The caviar salad layers perfect leaves of butter lettuce like a blooming rose. They are dressed in a bright, utterly seductive lemony crème fraiche and finished with finely chopped egg and generous dollops of caviar.

The L.A. Burger Wars escalated when New York-based Shake Shack opened its first West Coast location in West Hollywood in March 2016.The sleek design is perfect for WeHo - black-and-white tiled walls, tables made from repurposed bowling alley lanes, and an expansive patio to sip Shack-branded beer or wine. The menu features signature items like the ShackBurger, Chick'n Shack, 'Shroom Burger, and Crinkle Cut Fries that even the most diehard In-N-Out fan will admit are great. The Shack also serves So Cal exclusives like the Roadside Double, a Double Swiss cheeseburger with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in bacon and beer. "Concretes" - frozen custard blended with mix-ins - are made a local twist: the Shack Attack L.A. Edition mixes chocolate custard, fudge sauce, Larder Baking Company salted caramel chocolate brownie, and Compartes dark chocolate chunks. Five percent of sales from the Rainbow Connection (vanilla custard, Cofax spiced crumb donut, Sqirl Seascape Strawberry & Rose Geranium jam, rainbow sprinkles) support LA PRIDE.