City guide · data as of 8 October 2026
Los Angeles: where the top scores and the value overlap
Of 874 places scored, 47 reach 90 or above, and the best value sits with unfussy sushi, Mexican and Korean rather than the grandest names.
- Places scored
- 874
- Scoring 90+
- 47
- Median Harry score
- 79
- Great value picks (70+ score)
- 121
The ten best-scored places in Los Angeles, CA
Ranked by Harry score among places with at least 150 reviews. Scores are explained on the how-it-works page.
| # | Place | Harry | Worth it | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | n/nakajapanese | 100 | 80 | Occasion Worthy · Michelin Guide · World's 50 Best · Time Out |
| 2 | Holboxmexican | 98 | 84 | Smart Spend · Michelin Guide · World's 50 Best · Eater 38 |
| 3 | Hayatojapanese | 97 | 83 | Smart Spend · Michelin Guide · World's 50 Best · Time Out |
| 4 | Te Isshoku Sushi • Made to Order Take-Outsushi | 96 | 83 | Smart Spend |
| 5 | Ambue Restaurant | 95 | 82 | Smart Spend |
| 6 | BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyleasian-fusion | 95 | 84 | Great Value |
| 7 | Providenceseafood | 95 | 78 | Occasion Worthy · World's 50 Best · James Beard Foundation · Time Out |
| 8 | Morso Kitchenitalian | 94 | 82 | Smart Spend |
| 9 | Sushi Kaneyoshisushi | 94 | 82 | Smart Spend · Time Out · Michelin Guide |
| 10 | Burger Spot Venicemeal-takeaway | 94 | 82 | Smart Spend |
What does a score of 90 or more actually buy you in Los Angeles?
We have scored 874 places in Los Angeles, and 47 of them reach 90 or above. That is a small group, and it is worth treating as a shortlist rather than a ranking to be followed in order. At the very top, n/naka scores 100 and Holbox 98, with Hayato on 97. All three carry Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best acclaim.
The more useful point is that the top ten is not made up only of critic-approved names. Four of the ten have no acclaim recorded at all, among them Te Isshoku Sushi, Ambue Restaurant and Morso Kitchen, which score 96, 95 and 94. Their scores come from diners alone, and they hold up well against the decorated places beside them.
Is the best food also the best value?
Often, but not at the very top. n/naka has the highest Harry Hungry score at 100, yet its Worth It score is 80 and it is badged Occasion Worthy. Providence is similar, with 95 for quality and 78 for value. Those are places you book for the event, not the bill.
The best value sits just below. Holbox pairs 98 with a Worth It score of 84, and BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyle matches that 84 on a quality score of 95. Hayato and Te Isshoku Sushi both reach 83. If you want the strongest result for the money, that cluster is where the data points. Price tier data is confirmed for only a small number of places, so the Worth It score is the better guide here.
Best value in the data
Places scoring 70 or above on the Harry score, ranked by Worth It score.
| # | Place | Harry | Worth it | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holboxmexican | 98 | 84 | Smart Spend · Michelin Guide · World's 50 Best · Eater 38 |
| 2 | BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyleasian-fusion | 95 | 84 | Great Value |
| 3 | Hayatojapanese | 97 | 83 | Smart Spend · Michelin Guide · World's 50 Best · Time Out |
| 4 | Te Isshoku Sushi • Made to Order Take-Outsushi | 96 | 83 | Smart Spend |
| 5 | Ambue Restaurant | 95 | 82 | Smart Spend |
| 6 | Morso Kitchenitalian | 94 | 82 | Smart Spend |
Which cuisines are worth steering towards?
Korean has the higher average among the cuisines we can compare: 85.1 across 12 places, with Jumsim the best of them. Mexican averages 81.9 across 20 places, led by Holbox. Those averages are well above what a random pick would give you, so both are reasonable defaults when you do not know where to start.
A caveat applies. Only two cuisines appear in this comparison, so this is not a full league table, and 12 places is a modest sample. Treat Korean as a strong signal rather than a guarantee. Mexican has more depth, and its best place is also one of the best-value places in the city.
Where the strong scores cluster
Neighbourhoods with at least six scored places, ranked by how many score 90 or above.
| Area | Places | 90+ | Average | Best scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | 27 | 2 | 80.5 | Tava House Restaurant |
| Sherman Oaks | 10 | 2 | 78.7 | Aromas Indian Cuisine |
| Venice | 15 | 1 | 80.9 | Burger Spot Venice |
| Long Beach | 29 | 1 | 80.2 | Due Fiori |
| Studio City | 20 | 1 | 79.3 | Sushi Tomoki |
| Santa Monica | 24 | 1 | 78.5 | SELINE |
| West Hollywood | 17 | 1 | 77.7 | Love Organic Cafe |
What this city eats, by score
Cuisines with at least twelve scored places, in order of how many there are.
When Google and Yelp disagree, who is right?
Neither, exactly. They measure different crowds. Flavor of India - West Hollywood has 4.8 on Google from 1,718 reviews and 3.9 on Yelp from 231. J BBQ has 4.6 on Google from 1,722 and 3.6 on Yelp from 810. Thai Food Express shows 4.5 against 3.5, and Nara Thai Cuisine 4.8 against 3.9.
The gap is consistent, close to a full point, which suggests Yelp reviewers simply mark harder rather than that these places are divisive. Read it as a reminder to compare a place with others on the same platform. The size of the review counts means these are not flukes. Blending sources, as our score does, smooths out that habit.
Does the neighbourhood matter?
Less than you might expect. Among the neighbourhoods we have enough data on, average scores sit in a narrow band, from 77.7 in West Hollywood to 80.9 in Venice. Long Beach averages 80.2 across 29 places, and Glendale 80.5 across 27.
Strong places are scattered rather than concentrated. Glendale and Sherman Oaks each have two, with Tava House Restaurant and Aromas Indian Cuisine as their best. Venice, Long Beach, Studio City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood have one each. The practical point is that no area guarantees a good meal, so choose the restaurant first and the district second. Many of the top-ranked places are simply listed under Los Angeles itself.
Where the review platforms disagree
Places with at least 150 reviews on both platforms and a gap of 0.4 to 1.0 stars. Yelp is used for US cities, Tripadvisor elsewhere.
| Place | City | Other platform | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Food Express | Los Angeles, CA | 4.5 (444) | Yelp 3.5 (166) |
| J BBQ | Los Angeles, CA | 4.6 (1,722) | Yelp 3.6 (810) |
| Nara Thai Cuisine | Los Angeles, CA | 4.8 (352) | Yelp 3.9 (274) |
| Flavor of India - West Hollywood | Los Angeles, CA | 4.8 (1,718) | Yelp 3.9 (231) |
The short version
Book n/naka or Providence for an occasion, but for value look at Holbox, Hayato and BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyle. Choose by restaurant and cuisine rather than by neighbourhood.
Every figure on this page is computed from Harry Hungry's own database on 8 October 2026; the commentary is written with AI assistance from those figures and checked against them. Scores blend Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor with editorial acclaim; see how they work. No placement on this page is paid for.