Silver Lake Restaurants

How does a lawyer decide to open a raw fish bar? Well, you can ask Octavio Olivas himself if you get a seat inside his super tiny (no reservations) restaurant. The Ceviche Project was Olivas’s long-running pop-up—one of the best in the city—that he often took on the road to his native Mexico City, NYC, and other places. In 2019, he decided to make it permanent, but not much bigger. The sleek, intimate space on Hyperion Avenue is ideal to catch Olivas artfully arranging uni and shrimp ceviche every night of the week (except Monday and Tuesday).

We're going to go ahead and say it: L & E Oyster Bar serves one of the three best breakfasts in LA (the other two being at Sqirl and Jon & Vinny's). Sit outside and watch the flocks of cool locals who patrol West Silver Lake Boulevard on weekends. Kick off with a dozen oysters, a glass of fizz, and a breakfast of everything but eggs—smoked trout toast with pickled shallots, the cured salmon plate, a few servings of cornmeal pancakes, and the sugar-dusted beignets. And if brunch runs late, move upstairs to the raw bar balcony for stunning views of the surrounding hills.

Rather than adopting one specific credo (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free), Silver Lake’s Jewel simply characterizes itself as plant-based. Everything’s good here, but we’re especially big fans of the pizza, which uses Jewel’s own house-made gluten-free activated-charcoal crust. Our favorite pie is the Black + Gold, topped with squash blossoms, basil pesto, almond milk ricotta, and Fresno chili. And the cozy leather booths and subway-tiled bar give it a chic modern diner vibe.

Located on that stretch of Sunset dense with good restaurants (Silverlake Ramen, Night + Market Song), Sawyer holds her own.

Blair’s is that quintessential neighborhood eatery where the chef’s wife takes your order and all the tables are packed with locals.

Botanica sits on a stretch of Silver Lake that feels like a real neighborhood (a rarity in LA). It’s both a restaurant and a market—pop in to re-up on local eggs, fruit, vegetables, and house-made specials like the Aleppo-Urfa butter and thick labneh. There are few prettier spots for a healthy breakfast of Mediterranean-inspired dishes, the freshest orange juice, and really good espresso. We go for the soft scramble (creamy soft-scrambled eggs with a side of lemony greens); the crunchy, garlicky bread; and the entire pastry case. (Bear in mind that portions are on the light side, so order with abandon.) Whether you're alone, with a friend, or coming with kids, the space is comfortable and inviting, with high ceilings and airy décor. Sit on the terrace out back and work your way through the biodynamic wine list (we’ve moved on to lunch now), and snack on one of the epic seasonal vegetable boards. The selection of wine and cookbooks is a godsend for last-minute gifts.

Despite being the most unannounced restaurant in LA, with no sign, no website and menus written on strips on brown paper, Mh Zh (pronounced Mah Zeh) on Sunset is packed seven nights a week.

LA local Zach Pollack split his culinary education between Italy—he fell in love with Italian food while studying (architecture) abroad—and the west coast, eventually teaming up with Chef Steve Samson to open the Italian restaurant Sotto in LA. And then in 2014, Pollack opened his own: Alimento in Silver Lake, which serves outstanding pastas (including a most notable tortellini), good wine, and a chopped salad that GP loves. It is small—and busy—so make a reservation or go early/late to avoid a long wait.

At the end of 2015, Moby opened an organic vegan restaurant in Silver Lake that features Mediterranean-inspired and California-style cuisine along with wine, beer, smoothies, and kombucha. It serves lunch and dinner daily and a weekend brunch. Even better, a few months after Little Pine's opening, Moby announced that all of the restaurant's profits will be going to animal-welfare organizations.

Cafe Stella is fun and low-key, and just the ticket when you want some cozy French bistro food and a glass of good wine.