Best New Restaurant Openings — July / August

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Enrique Olvera (Pujol, Damián) and chef Chuy Cervantes turned the old Atla Venice into a pure marisquería — Kumamotos with turnip salsa, Dungeness tostada de cangrejo, kanpachi al pastor. Eater calls it the hit restaurant of the season. Resy up, Wed–Sun.

WHY SOFIA CHOSE THIS

The Tokyo-meets-Naples shop that hit #2 in 50 Top Pizza USA graduates to a real dining room — fried montanara, Roman-style scrocchiarella, a Sichuan lamb pie. Reservations run hot at pizzeriasei.com; the bar sometimes takes walk-ins.

WHY SOFIA CHOSE THIS

The first Indian fine-dining that actually belongs in the warehouse district. Chili-cheese kulcha masquerading as a Neapolitan pizza, a giant tandoori prawn folded in naan, mushroom biryani shattered tableside. Resy, Wed–Sun evenings.

WHY SOFIA CHOSE THIS

Eric Greenspan ran the whole Jewish deli canon through a hypebeast filter: hand-carved pastrami, wood-fired Montreal bagels, creative babka in an air-hangar hall. Walk-ins only, daily 8am–5pm — your serious Saturday-before-noon situation. Validated parking off the alley at La Brea & 2nd.

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Santa Barbara’s Acme group (The Lark) lands in the Cumulus District with chef Luis Sierra cooking pan con tomate, tortilla Española, and a chorizo-dotted paella over live fire. All-Spanish wine list; the gin tonics are a religion. OpenTable.

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NYC’s garlic-chandeliered, boar-statued Italian-American spectacle took over the old Palm Steakhouse. Roni cups with ranch, over-the-top pasta, green velvet everything. TimeOut says the food is great and the chaos is real — an entertaining place to spend money. OpenTable; valet.

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The Farmers Market hand-roll institution gets a proper Westside room — 36-seat wraparound bar, sunny patio, made-to-order temaki straight to your seat. The best low-key weeknight move in the 90049. Daily 11:30am–10pm.

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The Sichuan-spiced fried chicken favorite relocated from Silver Lake into what looks like a cocktail bar that accidentally sells frisbee-sized cutlets — gold rooster lamps included. Same beloved tenders and sandos, now with optional $60 caviar tartar sauce. Counter service, Wed–Sun 12–8pm.

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Avish Naran goes Indo-Chinese next door to Pijja Palace — Manchurian chicken, Singapore noodles, spice-built cocktails under neon. Not open yet as of this writing; expect Pijja-grade crowds the moment it is. Watch The Infatuation and IG for the date.

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Atlanta’s upscale Persian favorite makes its West Coast debut at Westfield Century City — saffron kabobs, fried eggplant, a big patio over Santa Monica Blvd, and actual room for groups. Check the opening date before booking; Resy + rumiskitchen.com.

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Nancy Silverton anchors the rebuilt Palisades Village with an Italian-American steakhouse — nearly 250 wine labels, AvroKO room, chi SPACCA muscle. The most culturally loaded opening of the summer: the Palisades coming back, hard. Follow @nancysilverton for reservation news.

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Eater’s continuously updated map of LA’s best new openings — for when you’ve eaten through this list and need the next one.

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First bites from every opening on this list — tag @curationsla and we’ll reshare the good ones.