Los Angeles is no stranger to restaurant openings, whether a splashy opening in iconic buildings helmed by big-name chefs, a humble neighborhood spot, or a pop-up leaping into a permanent space. Consider this monthly rundown a go-to guide for the newest and boldest debuts across the Southland. For more under-the-radar restaurant openings, check out this companion list.

Good Alley – Rosemead

On September 26, David Shao and chef Peter Pang opened Good Alley in Rosemead. The partners also operate San Gabriel Valley’s longtime Ji Rong Duck House, and their latest restaurant specializes in guan tang bao, a soup dumpling from the city of Kaifeng in Henan. Shao and Pang found that the local community wanted more traditional dishes and dove right in with Good Alley’s regular or soup dumplings, beef rolls, beef noodle soup, and rice or noodle dishes. They’ve even got a wagyu hamburger to accompany Good Alley’s beer, whiskey, sake, soju, teas, and boba selections. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Wonho Frank Lee

RVR – Venice

After a five-year hiatus, chef Travis Lett returned to a familiar space and opened RVR (pronounced “river”) on October 1. The Abbott Kinney restaurant used to house MTN, which closed in 2020. Lett brought on Toronto chef Ian Robinson to lead RVR’s kitchen, though both will shape the menu. For now, the restaurant is just open for dinner. It will eventually expand to lunch service with signature bowls of ramen and hand rolls served all day and shareable Japanese-influenced comfort dishes like grilled skewers, tempura, chicken kaarage, and gyoza in the evenings. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Graydon Herriott

Olive & Rose – Long Beach

Chef Philip Pretty and sister Lauren Pretty opened their third Long Beach restaurant on October 2. Olive & Rose resides inside the revamped 60-year-old City Center by the Sonder hotel group. The chef named the new spot after his daughters Olive and Rose. The Prettys try their best too source goods from their Long Beach farm and local vendors like Costa Mesa’s Boil & Bake bagels. In the early hours, O&R Bagels staff prepares lattes using Play Coffee beans and builds bagel sandwiches for breakfast. After 5 p.m., the lights will dim, as Pretty’s crew, including Heritage chef de cuisine Patrick Clayton, will focus on 15 neo-bistro dishes served a la carte. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Olive & Rose

Modu – Highland Park

After years of popping up across Los Angeles with her pastries, Jiyoon Jang opened her standalone bakery and cafe on October 9. Modu Cafe, located in Highland Park, serves a line-up of Jang’s classic sweets like chewy dark chocolate mochi brownies, barley tea-infused boricha madeleines, hojicha mochi muffins, and miso and misugaru cookies. Alongside the pastries, Modu serves a full coffee and tea menu, with a focus on matcha. Modu, a Korean word that translates to “all” or “everything,” represents the intentionality Jang hopes to bring to the cafe and her work. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor

Wonho Frank Lee

Chez Mia – West Hollywood

Marissa and Matt Hermer took over West Hollywood’s former Ago space three years ago and opened Chez Mia on October 8. They built a French Riviera-like oasis on Melrose slightly east of La Cienega in partnership with the Boujis Group, the hospitality group behind restaurants the Draycott and Olivetta, and Vital Proteins founder Kurt Seidensticker. Culinary director Ivo Filho’s lengthy and sumptuous menu includes a raw bar, 72-hour fermented fougasse bread paired with softened Normandy butter, three kinds of pasta including a truffle-topped linguini, whole grilled branzino with preserved lemon, and cote de bouef. The lush patio and interior were designed by Tom Parker’s Fettle. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Simran Malik

Orla – Santa Monica

Starting October 16, chef Michael Mina’s Santa Monica restaurant Orla began serving an ambitious Egyptian menu from the Egypt-born chef inside the nearly completed Regent Santa Monica Beach. Chef Jacob Solomon and Mina incorporated dishes made by Mina’s mother and aunts while highlighting the cultural similarities between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. The chefs and kitchen will take on the challenge of changing the menu daily depending on what is available at the farmers market. Starters feature a hamachi crudo, Turkish chile pepper (urfa) big eye tuna with crispy falafel and whipped tahini, and a Greek salad. Hot dishes might feature charcoal-grilled octopus, phyllo-wrapped prawns, and a kebab platter for two. Also, Orla is massive. With 270 seats across the main dining room, an ovular bar, two levels of outdoor seating, and a private dining area, it’s well on its way to becoming Santa Monica’s new hot spot for oceanside fine dining. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Tanveer Badal Photography

Backbone – La Crescenta-Montrose

The former owners of McCall’s Meat & Fish Co., Karen Yoo and Nathan McCall, opened Backbone in Montrose on October 23. The dinner-only restaurant serves globally inspired “new American” food for just 35 diners at a time inside a 1,600-square-foot space on North Verdugo Road, located 14 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. On the menu are small and large plates, including octopus with fennel or pork, along with richly conceived pastries from Yoo. The main menu is divided into three sections: bites, appetizers, and entrees. Influences from France, Spain, and Asia appear throughout, emphasizing seafood, including a Basque-style smoked fatty albacore. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Wonho Frank Lee

Luke’s Lobster – Santa Monica

Prominent East Coast chain Luke’s Lobster splashed into Santa Monica on October 24, bringing its signature chilled New England-style lobster roll prepared with a touch of mayo, a drizzle of lemon butter, and a proprietary seasoning blend laced with celery salt. Luke’s West Coast debut can now compete with LA’s outstanding options for the East Coast specialty, though its founders, Luke Holden, Ben Conniff, and Luke’s father, Jeff Holden, maintain a commitment to sustainable and transparent seafood sourcing. The original East Village location opened in 2009 and now has locations in Boston, San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo, and beyond. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Jakob N. Layman

Tomat – Westchester

After four years of development, Tomat opened in October in Westchester, a neighborhood located between Playa del Rey, El Segundo, and LAX. The restaurant comes from the husband and wife team of Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, who lived in London before moving back to Los Angeles in 2020. The menu takes cues from global cuisine, blending British dishes with Los Angeles’s bounty of produce and Persian flavors from Posner’s upbringing. Meals start with smoky barbari bread served with roasted tomato butter or autumnal crudites with a walnut beet dip before moving onto larger dishes like roast duck with pomegranate or a shareable pork chop. Save room for a fresh-baked madeleine for dessert, or a warm British-style sticky toffee pudding. In addition to dinner service in the dining room, Tomat also offers pastries and coffee in the morning and cocktails on its rooftop terrace in the evening. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor

Wonho Frank Lee

Bar Etoile – Melrose Hill

Though the team behind Bar Etoile are first-time restaurateurs, their vast experience at LA restaurants is fully displayed at their Melrose Hill spot. Bar Etoile opened on October 29 by Jill Bernheimer (Domaine LA), Julian Kurland (formerly of Native, the Rose), and chef Travis Hayden (formerly of Rustic Canyon, Voodoo Vin). The trio hired Lovers Unite, which designed a 65-person dining room and 16-seat patio. Bar Etoile serves two European-leaning menus: One with bar bites, including spiced nuts, olives, and bread with cultured butter for patrons having a glass of wine or a martini, and another with small and large plates. For the larger menu, Hayden prepares house-cured charcuterie, including rillettes, mortadella, coppa, steak frites, and a Caesar steak tartare. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Wonho Frank Lee