Where to Eat in Downtown LA

Whether it's business, pleasure or the burgeoning art scene that brings you to Downtown LA, you’ll need some stellar food to fuel your exploits – here’s where to eat and drink in the city’s hippest neighbourhood.

Need a pep in your step? March straight over to caffeine queen Maru Coffee for your morning mood-boost. A minimalist, bright-white space, dotted with smooth maple-wood benches and counters, makes for a soothing setting, while the impeccable, kicky brews served in hand-thrown ceramics will have you skipping into your first rendezvous. Green tea-devotees should order the superb matcha latte.

For something a little more substantial, nothing beats a good brekkie. The amusingly monikered Eggslut, in Grand Central Market, offers exactly that: warm brioche buns stuffed with all manner of eggcellent creations – fried, scrambled, coddled, soft-boiled or poached. Just add crispy bacon, Angus beef burger and Wagyu strip steak, slathered in chipotle ketchup, Sriracha mayo or honey-mustard aioli. Pure yolky indulgence.

Keep lunch fast, filling n’ furiously hot with a quick trip to Guerrilla Tacos. Much like the name suggests, this gourmet taco truck used to move around DTLA, but they now have a permanent set up on the corner of East 7th Street, shelling out taquitos, tostadas and quesadillas generously heaped with everything from pork belly and Baja cod to smoked cauliflower and sweet potato. Adventurous foodies should go for the omakase in the evening (Wed-Sat).

Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis’s Italian eatelier Bestia still beats off most of the competition in DTLA when it comes to locavore dining, but if you’re in the market for something new, Middle Eastern follow-up Bavel won’t fail to impress either. A bright, airy, breathtaking warehouse with pitched roof and an abundance of verdant drapery backdrop an achingly pretty procession of small plates, riffing on the smokey, spicy, toothsome flavours of Persia, North Africa and the Med.

Finally, sidle up to one of the coolest bars in town for a well-deserved cocktail or two. Tucked behind Art District favourite Lupetti (great for late-night munchies), vinyl-lined speakeasy In Sheep's Clothing is the ideal spot to wind down with slick Japanese whisky pours and an experimental jazz soundtrack. Kanpai!

Maru Coffee / 1019 S Santa Fe Ave / 7am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat-Sun / marucoffee.com

Eggslut / 317 S Broadway / 8am-4pm daily / eggslut.com

Guerrilla Tacos / 2000 E 7th St / +1 818 640 3033 / from 11am daily / guerrillatacos.com

Bavel / 500 Mateo St / +1 213 232 4966 / dinner daily / baveldtla.com

In Sheep's Clothing / 710 E 4th Pl / +1 213 415 1937 / 9am-late Mon-Sat, noon-10pm Sun / insheepsclothinghifi.com