Global Players Lounge

Restaurants in Los Angeles

The Dresden (Global's Favorite!)
1760 N Vermont Avenue, between Franklin Avenue & Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz (1-213 665 4294/
http://www.thedresden.com).Bus 26, 180, 181, Community Connection 203/US 101, exit Vermont Avenue north
Open 11am-2am Mon-Sat; 3-10pm Sun. Credit AmEx, MC, V.
This Los Feliz landmark has experienced something of a renaissance in the past few years, thanks to its appearance in the movie Swingers. An eye-popping white leather and corkboard interior - and regular appearances by lounge duo Marty & Elayne - are the main attractions, but experienced bartenders also make it a real pleasure for discerning drinkers. The overpriced food is best avoided, however.

Spago of Beverly Hills (Global's Favorite!)
176 N Canon Drive, between Clifton Way & Wilshire Boulevard (1-310 385 0880)
Bus 3, 14, 576/I-405, exit Wilshire Boulevard east. Open 11.30am-2pm, 6-11pm daily. Main courses $21-$33. Credit AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.
Branch: Spago 1114 Horn Avenue, at Sunset Boulevard(1-310 6524025)
Wolfgang Puck opened the original Spago off Sunset Boulevard umpteen years ago. One of the US's first celebrity chefs, he and his partner/designer/wife Barbara Lazaroff opened Spago of Beverly Hills in 1998. It's a huge, stunning extravaganza with Italian glass chandeliers, a romantic garden, an impressive art collection including a Hockney and a Picasso, a long bar and an expanse of glass that exposes the chefs at work. They create most of Puck's classic dishes: designer pizzas and light California cuisine with Far Eastern influences, with the addition of Puck's spin on sturdier Austrian dishes.Chinois on Main and p135 Granita.

Patina
5955 Melrose Avenue, at N Cahuenga Boulevard (1-213 467 1108)
Bus 10, 11/US 101, exit Melrose Avenue west. Open 6-10pm Mon-Fri, Sun; 5.30-10pm Sat. Main courses $24-$27. Credit AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.
Joaquim Splichal's flagship restaurant opened in 1989 and was completely revamped in 2000 - a sort of 'new urban' interior and exterior reigns, along with high-tech video cameras that monitor the progress of customers' meals, particularly useful for the popular tasting menus. Its location, handily near many of the movie studios, and Splichal's esoteric creations mean Patina has long been a favourite with Hollywood players: Madonna loves the foie gras, Warren Beatty the lobster. We're rather partial to the grouse flown in daily from Scotland.

Milky Way
9108 W Pico Boulevard, at Doheny Drive, West LA (1-310 859 0004)
Bus Santa Monica 5, 7, 12/ I-10, exit Robertson Boulevard north. Open 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-8.30pm Mon-Thur, Sun; 11.30am-2pm Fri. Main courses lunch $7-$12; dinner $10-$15. Credit AmEx, MC, V.
A restaurant owned by Steven Spielberg's mother, offering strictly kosher food and a warm atmosphere. Traditional choices such as cheese blintzes and potato pancakes are always popular, but the menu also branches out into the likes of pistachio-nut pasta and Cajun blackened snapper. 'Reservations are sometimes a good idea here,' says a modest Mrs Spielberg Sr.

Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills
9291 Burton Way, at Elm Drive (1-310 385 5307)
Bus 27, 316, 576/I-405, exit Wilshire Boulevard east. Open 6.30-11am, 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-11pm daily. Main courses breakfast $9-$12; lunch $12-$15; dinner set menus $55, $75. Credit AmEx, Disc, MC, V.
This upmarket Beverly Hills hotel houses a terribly elegant and intimate restaurant, with a magnificent domed ceiling and huge glass windows overlooking a modern fountain sculpture that roars like a fire. At the time of writing, David Myers had just signed on as the new executive chef. We recommend the tasting menu, so you won't miss out on anything. Service par excellence.

Maple Drive
345 N Maple Drive, at Burton Way (1-310 274 9800)
Bus 27, 315, 576/I-405, Santa Monica Boulevard east. Open 11.30am-2.45pm, 6-10pm Mon-Thur; 11.30am-2.45pm, 6-11pm Fri, Sat; closed Sun. Main courses lunch $18-$20; dinner $18-$25. Credit AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.
Maple Drive has been a lunchtime fave for years with the entertainment crowd and a dinner-time choice for Beverly Hills residents. Sit in a booth and listen to the jazz combo, chill out on the patio or loll at the long maplewood bar, where cigars can be puffed and, at happy hour, hors d'oeuvres are free. Wherever you sit, you cannot fail to be impressed by Leonard Schwartz's fine new American food.

Michi
903 Manhattan Avenue, at Ninth Street, Manhattan Beach (1-310 376 0613)
Bus 126, 439, Commuter Express 438/I-405, exit Hawthorne Boulevard north. Open 6-10.30pm Mon; 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm Tue-Fri; 6-11pm Sat; closed Sun. Main courses $12-$23. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Michi Takahashi is one of the Southland's hippest chefs, thanks to his cross-cultural culinary treat - inspired by French, Italian and Japanese cuisines. We like the oysters on roast potatoes as a starter, followed by seafood paella for two as an entrée, and absolutely anything for dessert.

The Pacific Dining Car
1310 W Sixth Street, at Witmer Street (1-213 483 6000)
Bus 18, 316/I-110, exit Third Street west. Open 24hrs daily. Main courses breakfast $8-$15; lunch $20-$25; dinner $41-$46. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V.
When this 24-hour, all-American steak house opened in 1921, LA barely extended west of Downtown. It was immediately adopted as a hangout by local politicians, businessmen, lawyers and sportsmen (from nearby Dodger Stadium). The front room resembles a Pacific Rail dining car, service is attentive and the menu is fastidiously realised: corn-fed beef from the Midwest, which the chefs age themselves and cook over mesquite charcoal, a good selection of fish and shellfish and inventive breakfast dishes such as eggs sardu (with spinach) and roast beef hash.

Smog Cutter
864 N Virgil Avenue, between Normal & Burns Avenues, Silver Lake (1-323 667 9832)
Bus 26/US 101, exit Melrose Avenue east. Open noon-2am daily. No credit cards. Map p308 A3.
If karaoke's your passion, don't miss the Smog Cutter. Tough-talking Asian barmaids encourage you to have another, while folks from all walks of life get up to take their turn at the microphone.

Mexico City
2121 Hillhurst Avenue, at Los Feliz Boulevard (1-323 661 7222)
Bus 180, 181/I-5, exit Los Feliz Boulevard west. Open 5-10pm Mon, Tue; noon- 3pm, 5-10pm Wed-Fri; noon-11pm Sat, Sun. Main courses $9-$15. Credit AmEx, MC, V.
The ambience is 1950s Mexican. The food is brave - myriad enchiladas with eclectic sauces and Yucatan specialities including carne and shrimp. The scene: young hipsters.