Good Restaurants in Hollywood (Los Angeles)

Insomnia Cafe

Open until pre-dawn, this is a place for the sleepless to come and interact with their fellow insomniacs. Settling into one of the overstuffed sofas with a soothing hot drink may make you drowsy, but since this is a place where people like to talk, you may find yourself invigorated instead. Snacks are served, as well as a variety of cold and hot drinks. The crowd is a mix of students, writers, artists, actors and just about anyone else who needs to take a late night break.

Crush Bar

On Friday and Saturday nights, the crowds here fill up the dance floor, boogying to the hits of the 60s and 70s. The mood is pure fun and the DJs spin their sets for maximum caloric burn. It's a great club to come to with a group of friends or just by yourself. The crowd is young and primed for fun. Drinks aren't too expensive and come in cheap, plastic cups. Those who make reservations get tables.

The Palms

A major hangout for the lesbian community, this nightclub fills up on the weekends with lovely ladies from all over town. Nightly specials keep them coming on week nights as well. For example, Wednesday is $1 night - drinks, wine and some beer are all available for yup, a buck. There's an outdoor patio and a large dance floor. Although the music is largely pre-recorded, there is some live music. Call for a schedule. Admission varies.

Ed's Coffee Shop

Filled with regulars, this comfortable, no-attitude shop serves excellent comfort food. Patrons rave about the egg salad sandwiches, omelets and homemade pies. The serving staff is prompt and friendly. This breakfast and lunch-only place fills up on weekdays and doesn't take reservations, so either get there early or be prepared to wait. But it's worth it! You will enjoy having the meals here; it's cheap and best.

Nyala Ethiopian Cafe

This place is a community builder, hosting jazz combos, poetry readings, and meetings for African-American business leaders. A section for performing the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is reserved in the back across from the bar, and large and small tables are set tastefully around tropical flowers. Traditional Ethiopian dishes such as Dora Wot (marinated chicken), Kifto (sautéed beef), and Kik Alecha (split peas with onion and garlic and ginger) are available. All dishes are served with injera, a spongy Ethiopian pancake, vegetables and salad.

Les Deux

Believe it or not, this was once a private Hollywood home. However, now it ranks among the most popular restaurants in town. The crowd is young and dressed mostly in black. The menu is filled with wonderful creations, such as Braised Chicken in a Bouillabaisse of fennel, onions, tomato and saffron. Also try the Lobster and Tabbouleh salad or the Steak sautéed in Brown Butter. Then at night the restaurant turns into a chic bar/club where many come for a little dancing and a lot of drinking.

Anarkali

Located on the hippest street in Los Angeles, this two-room restaurant serves up excellent fare in the traditional Indian style. Order your dishes mild, medium or hot and they'll arrive exactly suited to your taste buds. The chicken dishes are succulent, the naan is hot and tasty and the Indian beer is great. The decor is appropriate to the menu, as is the sound system. Indian music fills the place, drowning out your neighbors' conversation, but not your own.

Hollywood Canteen

This airy hangout is the preferred spot for employees of the numerous sound stages in the area. You'll find a hipper crowd filling its booths after 8p. You'll appreciate the mostly healthy fare, which includes organic salads, Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Teriyaki Chicken. It's an eclectic menu, but everything's good and priced to move. Right from homemade chips and salsa to spicy chicken wings and tropical crab cakes, everything will leave you truly satisfied.

Flying Leap Cafe

This tiny, richly decorated room in Silverlake offers a cozy spot to find wonderful meals at a very decent price. There's a bar upstairs if you want to chill out before dinner. There's also a full bar downstairs with a few stools for those who prefer drink over food. For the rest of us, the menu is a wonderful find. Steaks, meatloaf, salads, soups and burgers are all top quality and great. Try the pork chops smothered in caramelized apples, it's mouthwateringly good. Only dinner served.

Sante La Brea

This is another example of the great choices offered to the non-meat-eating population of this town. Whether you're a strict vegan, a vegetarian or just someone who wants to eat healthy, Sante La Brea has something for you. Starting with the renowned blue corn and yellow corn pancakes, this place serves food that is good, and good for you.

California Chicken Cafe

California Chicken Cafe is a cozy, comfortable place for a fast, healthy lunch. The chicken is great, but it's the wraps, salads and sides of butternut squash and potatoes that set this apart from the average rotisserie chicken restaurant.

Silver Spoon

Waiters in maroon vests and bow ties look like they're waiting to take tickets. King Kong and Ed Wood posters plus brass chandeliers and tile-pattern carpets are straight out of some cinema lobby. But this 70s-style diner's extensive menu includes broiled New York steaks, burgers and seafood, fish and chips and scallops. Tuesdays through Thursdays are family nights, which means that after 3p, you can get a fried half chicken, soup or salad, fries and coleslaw for around $8.