5 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, California

Certainly (and deservedly) on any short list for the best pizzaiolo in Los Angeles, chef Daniele Uditi's secret is his family's 65-plus-year-old sourdough starter, which he transported from Italy and still keeps alive. The sizzling pies here will remind you of Naples, with their crackling crusts and inventive toppings. The restaurant was co-founded by the creators of Sprinkes Cupcakes (no strangers to buzzy food trends) and actor Chris O'Donnell. In addition to the perfect pizzas, the shop offers weekly sandwich specials and a bevy of healthier salad-loving sides. Devotees order Pizzana pizzas online to have shipped to their homes in other states, so keep that in mind as you chow down.

Meaning, 'from the grandma' in Italian, De La Nonna is the newest, hippest, most fun pizza restaurant in DTLA. Owned by three friends, chef Patrick Costa, restaurateur Jose Cordon, and bar manager Lee Zaremba, the outlet features a bevy of focaccia-styled pizzas with engaging toppings like Japanese sweet potato or roasted mushrooms with garlic cream sauce. You can still get a basic Margherita (and should), while scarfing down on sides like whipped eggplant or a half-dozen raw oysters. The fun comes in the form of the attached bar, The Let's Go, where Italian cocktails and late night dancing are on the menu. Come to eat, stay to drink and dance, and leave full and tipsy. An incredible combo that your grandma would approve of.

While Masa of Echo Park does do excellent “bistro pizzas,” as the restaurant calls them, it's mostly known for the delectable deep-dish pies that may just be the best you’ll find this side of Chicago. Be prepared, though—it can take a while to get seated and up to 45 minutes to get that deep dish you ordered, so it might be best to call ahead.

If the charming, Italian square--inspired interior doesn’t turn you into a sappy mush, then Miceli’s musical servers serenading you with Italian opera will. Studio City might not be the most romantic place in L.A., but one dinner at this restaurant might make you feel like you're in a Hollywood version of Rome.

The red building situated on the corner of York and North Avenue 51 houses a pizzeria that's as quirky and hip as the neighborhood it inhabits. Pizza purists, however, may cringe at some of the toppings, which include dried figs, corn, and mole. Vegans and vegetarians, on the other hand, will appreciate them.