Silver Lake Restaurants and Bars

2903 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (map)

Surf and turf: Rowena's mainstay keeps devoted locals coming back again and again for New American and Italian takes on brunches, lunches and dinners teeming with tasty seafood and tender ribs.

3626 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

A solemn gray building next to a 99-cent store seems like an unlikely place for one of the city's consistently rated "most romantic" restaurants, but the inspired, leafy back patio is where all the magic happens.

2943 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

You know you haven't quite reached Echo Park when the cool kids are still this friendly. Sunset Boulevard's tasty resident has a wide-ranging menu that suits both carnivores and herbivores, the lemonade is top-notch, and the patio people-watching is fun, too.

1700 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

Just across from Spaceland and the actual reservoir, this Richard Neutra-house adjacent eatery marries perfect-location-for-an-upscale-spot with a Grace and AOC-caliber pedigree.

5233 1/2 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (map)

Thai one on (for your stomach anyway) at one of our city's biggest celebrities. (Among fans of the rare, legit Southern Thai food restaurant variety.) This place is the talk of all the foodie blogs, and the curries are spicy enough to make grown men cry, so get over there and make like you're in Bangkok for a night.

1637 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

Y.U.M. Chef Domenico's Italian beauty on Silver Lake Boulevard is taking everyone's favorite food and 'hood and kicking 'em both up several notches with comfortably upscale versions of both. Salud!

1636 Silver Lake Blvd, Silver Lake, CA 90026 (map)

This much-buzzed-about coffee haunt draws Angelenos from all corners to Silver Lake's toughest parking district, but with Chef Michael Cimarusti (Providence) setting the food menu, the vittles aren't too shabby, either.

3823 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

Home gardening's getting even more respect in Silver Lake these days with the addition of Forage--a community-centric, entirely farmer's market-food-sourced cafe and bakery. There's a Home Grower's Circle for Angelenos who wish to participate by bringing bounty from their own backyard. Lucky growers will end up seeing their goods on the menu that day or the next!

2838 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (map)

Everybody's always calling this place "Edendale," which makes sense as its connected to the popular Edendale restaurant, but it's got its own fun name ("Mixville") and very different aesthetic. The bartenders are tops, there's a photo booth, an outdoor patio area and loads of local musician sightings.

1717 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (map)

One of the most famous music venues in all the land. This crumbling Tudor institution is every indie rock fan's favorite, and it's easy to tell why. The acts are exciting, the location is appealing (apart from the parking situation), and, I mean ... It's SPACELAND.

2366 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (map)

Some people have been boozing here for decades, others don't know a time before there was a line, complete with a dude making decisions about who gets in to this extremely fun, year-round Oktoberfest celebration.

2375 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (map)

It's loud. It's rowdy and kinda red (as our photo indicates), and it feels very "Silver Lake." Whatever that means. Expect a pretty fun crowd getting hammered after music shows and before heading to the taco trucks.

2609 N Hyperion Ave, Silver Lake, CA 90027 (map)

Good times for Jane Fonda, good times for you. Silver Lake locals love this retro bar that's got a modern sensibility, not to mention 24 draft microbrews and a daily happy hour from 4pm-7pm. Think snazzy without losing the authentic edge. Kinda like Fonda herself these days.

4326 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029 (map)

Fiesta ... Forever: It's cheating just a tad to declare Malo simply a "bar," because the Mex fare here is tasty. (Try the beef-and-pickles or faux-beef-and-pickles tacos. You won't regret it.) But the drinking scene is seriously festive, with special themed events, tequila tastings and random revelry happening all night long.

2939 W Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake, CA 90026 (map)

The owner of Saints & Sinners has brought a mellow, but proper old-school cocktail and whiskey bar to this stretch of Sunset. So get over there, belly up to the bar and let the Sazaracs flow.