Stop for a cocktail at Bäco Mercat’s sister restaurant, and order an inventive cocktail like the spicy Zapatista. If you’re in a group, order a margarita pitcher and tuck into some puffy tacos and other Tex-Mex classics.

The toughest reservation to score is at this Italian hot spot, the brainchild of restaurateur Bill Chait (of Sotto and Picca fame) and chef Ori Menashe (of Angelini Osteria). Some say the pasta is the specialty, but others opt for the pizza or the crostini, so try to get a reservation and decide for yourself what they do best.

This trendy steakhouse serves delicious chops and cuts in a bold and colorful environment. With chicken and seafood options as well as traditional bur gourmet sides (black truffle gnocchi, lobster mashed potatoes) and an extensive cocktail menu, Boa is good for both group dining and more intimate meals. There is a second location in Santa Monica (101 Santa Monica Blvd.; 310-899-4466).

The interior at this gorgeous downtown restaurant pays homage to the Roaring Twenties, while the diverse menu attests to L.A.’s multiculturalism. In this showbiz town, it’s appropriate that the team here feels like a star-studded cast: executive chef Michael Hung hails from Daniel and La Folie; pastry chef Ben Spungin is a veteran of Carmel Valley’s Bernardus Lodge; and mixologist Michael Lay takes his cocktails seriously (but not too seriously). Start with an English Milk Punch, a fragrant and heady elixir of bourbon, rum, pineapple and clarified milk; order the oxtail agnolotti with apricot salsa; and finish with the apple and miso crumble.

The coffee shop at the Beverly Hills Hotel with its legendary banana leaf wallpaper, curvy counter and wrought-iron counter stools is a fun spot for a casual meal with kids. It opens early for breakfast, serves salads and burgers at lunch and dinner and is rightly famous for its homemade ice cream. But note that there are only 19 seats at the counter—and the counter is all there is—so it can be tough to get more than a few seats together.

This Beverly Hills hot spot from pasta genius Evan Funke (also behind LA’s Felix and Mother Wolf) is one of L.A.'s hardest reservations. The specialties are Funke’s now-signature handmade pastas, including highlights like tortelli di zucca and a duck ragú. Another must-try: the light-as-a-cloud sfincione in bianco, a Sicilian take on foccaccia.

Expanding across two floors, the interiors’ design doesn’t quite match the quality of the food. Music is also loud enough to make actual conversation difficult. One tip: there are no reservations needed at Funke's rooftop, Bar Funke, an elegant terrace that serves fancy cocktails, small bites and a selection of pizzas.

Recommended by Indagare Ambassador Andrea Feldman Falcione

Located right next to the Venice Boardwalk, Gran Blanco features Cal-Ital cuisine with fabulous, signature cocktail offerings to match.

Despite its friendly, casual vibe, this Italian eatery is far from the average neighborhood pizzeria. Named after owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (creators of LA staples Animal, Son of a Gun and Trois Mec, 716 N Highland Ave), this pint-sized restaurant serves scrumptious pastas and perfectly charred pizzas using simple but sublime ingredients. The interior is wrapped in white oak (the architect, Jeff Guga, previously worked for Frank Gehry), with artist-designed pizza boxes stacked along the walls. There’s also an on-site wine shop, Helen’s, which boasts an impeccable selection.

Note: A Brentwood location serves the same menu at a much more convenient location for travelers staying in Santa Monica or visiting The Getty.

With food from famed Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi and interiors designed by Philippe Starck, Katsuya’s eight locations (three of which are in Los Angeles) offers innovative sushi in spectacularly chic surroundings. An Indagare member raves, ‘Katsuya is always terrific. Standouts there include the baked crab roll and the seared tuna with Japanese salsa (I prefer this to their signature crispy rice with spicy tuna.)

Pioneering and beloved chef Josef Centeno, whose Bäco Mercat could be easily credited with making downtown Los Angeles a culinary destination, takes on fine dining at this omakase restaurant. Whether you opt for the five- nine- or 20-course meal, expect unusual pairings that balance elegance and audacity, with some subtle cues from Japan and Italy: eggplant and abalone with pomegranate seeds and scallions; sunchoke and salsify soup with pickled grapes; satsuki rice with uni. Relinquish control to Centeno, you won’t be disappointed.

For foodies—or anyone really—no trip to LA is complete without a dinner at Osteria Mozza. The team behind the popular Pizzeria Mozza (next door) followed up with a marvelous Italian restaurant that’s wildly, and deservedly, popular. The large interior has an upscale bistro ambience, centered—physically and spiritually—on the huge mozzarella bar. As you peruse the menu, banish thoughts of salad and proceed directly to the über-fresh cheeses. There are more than a dozen picks, each big enough to share, so order several. The incredibly tender and creamy burricotti, for instance, is served on two crostini and topped with roasted radicchio, crisp spiced walnuts, a drizzle of honey and fried rosemary. Or consider burrata with bacon, ricotta with hazelnuts, or bufala mozzarella with pesto. Of course, there are fabulous pastas (even a pasta tasting menu), and entrées like gnocchi with duck ragu or cedar-smoked wild salmon. Be sure to try the desserts. Osteria Mozza is the kind of place where, before the meal is even over, you are already planning your next visit. Is tomorrow too soon? Reservations several weeks in advance are absolutely essential.

Nancy Silverton, the talent behind the bonanza of La Brea Bakery, opened this stylish gourmet pizza joint, which serves pies topped with either wild nettles or eggs, plus any combination of guanciale, radicchio and bagna cauda. Salads and desserts are solid too. It took off the minute it opened, so don’t plan on coming without a reservation unless you don’t mind standing around waiting for a seat at the too-cramped bar. Don’t miss sister restaurant Osteria Mozza, which has a more upscale menu and a mozzarella bar. On busy nights, the restaurant can be quite loud.

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, of Food Network fame, are behind this hot spot (the pair’s second restaurant, after the equally foodie-favored Animal), a tiny eatery with a seafood-inspired menu. Disregard your better judgment and get the buttery mini lobster roll or the fried chicken sandwich.

In spite of now being part of a vast restaurant empire, Wolfgang Puck’s Spago still doesn’t miss a beat with superb service and eclectic cuisine influenced both by the chef’s classical European training and by California, where he lives now. You have a clear view of Puck’s trademark open kitchen from where you sit and eat dishes that include some of his favorites from his Austrian childhood, such as veal Wienerschnitzel and his famous “Jewish pizza” of smoked salmon and salmon caviar (only listed on the lunch menu but available at dinner if you ask). It’s a real scene at lunch when local power players occupy their regular tables on or near the tree-shaded patio, the best seats in the house.

This neighborhood joint is excellently helmed by chef Jason Neroni, of Osteria La Buca fame (although some Gjelina loyalists say this challenger is trying too hard). Churning out melt-in-your-mouth pastas as fast as you can say presto, Superba lives up to its name.

The youthful Broken Shaker rooftop bar at the Freehand Hotel has all the ingredients of an L.A. hotspot: bohemian-chic décor, a rooftop with hanging string lights and a pool and an impressive cocktail menu. Come in the early evening, order a fruity elixir and some guacamole to share, and enjoy the gorgeous sunset views, live music and people-watching.

It’s not quite the under-the-radar speakeasy it was when it opened, but The Varnish remains a find, thanks to creative cocktails, a cool understated ambience and moody-dark lighting. In some ways, it feels more like Williamsburg than LA. Tell the bartender your preference and let him craft your cocktail. Located at the back of Cole’s.

Opened in 2015 in the Avalon Hotel, this elegant restaurant combines mid-century décor with a touch of luxe thanks to designer Kelly Wearstler, who outfitted the space with a full marble bar, swathed it in teal blues and golden yellows and added vintage wood and brass pieces. The adjoining pool area with al fresco dining is also lovely and makes for a relaxing dinner setting. This California–inflected menu features fried jasmine rice with kale and sun-dried blueberries and pan-seared Pacific Cod with ragu of spicy eggplant, cherry tomatoes and olives. Wash it all down with a gin and tonic made with grapefruit ice cubes.