It’s a hot brunch summer at downtown destinations offering master chefs, live entertainment, rooftop views, poolside adventure, delicious eats, mimosas, and much, much more.
DTLA Brunch Club presents… 10 Greatest Brunches in Downtown Los Angeles
Ristorante Per L’Ora – Classic Brunch Nostalgia from Europa
While it was the English that first discovered how delightful the fusion of breakfast and lunch could be, and later, the introduction of mimosas and pastries by the French added much spender, in Downtown, it’s the Italian-inspired Ristorante Per L’Ora at Hotel Per LA that has most successfully masters the look and feel of the classical European brunch experience.
Ristorante Per L’Ora is a trip back in time. It’s caged within the former Bank of Italy, a historical monument built in 1922. A building almost lost in time if it weren’t for its recent revival in 2018.
Where slight echoes once bounced within the room’s Doric columns, ornate golden ceiling, and marble floors, now sits a room full of hotel visitors rightfully gladdened by brunch plates with their choices that may just include Banana Foster Pancakes made with dark rum, topped with bananas, and Mascarpone whipped cream, or Avocado Toast with prosciutto, heirloom tomato, herb salad, two poached eggs, and added smoked salmon, if need be.
To the right of the Per L’Ora dining room, beyond the Moroccan arches, a full bar of spirits beckons guests to return for Aperitivo Hour, 5 pm–6 pm every night.
The floor-to-glass windows that once exposed the commotion of downtown’s earliest ambitions now only allow for enough natural light to expose the extricate details of the hotel’s interior, its modest speed of service, and several seating arrangements perfectly suitable for intimate romance, tidy business meetings, solo visits, or perhaps even royalty.
This is an early brunch, starting at 7 am; it is over by 12 pm, with patrons regrouping on the rooftop to enjoy Bar Clara after 1 pm. www.hotelperla.com
Cabra, see you at the top!
Of all the greatest brunch destinations in Downtown Los Angeles, Cabra excels for its vibrant, inviting atmosphere and exquisite, innovative cuisine crafted by master celebrity chef Stephanie Izard. Not only had Izard mastered the art of Peruvian cuisine, but she’s also mastered the art of presenting a unique, unforgettable brunch experience complete with cocktails, stunning panoramic views, and the town’s tastiest empanadas.
Cabra (means goat) has climbed so high above ground level atop the Hotel Hoxton rooftop, passerby’s below would never suspect just how much fun the visitors at Cabra may be having at any given moment.
Who would suspect a sun-soaked rooftop patio with shaded tables with a full bar and world-class restaurant serving plates of Crab Causa with aji potato, red crab salad, and limey huacatay and Wood-Fired Skirt Steak and Eggs, with stir-fried peppers, onions, tomatoes, tots, saltado sauce, and sunny-side eggs?
Beyond the stack of Blueberry Pancakes stacked high and topped with pickled kumquats, hoisin-espresso maple syrup, espresso-cocoa nib crumble, Cabra offers a birds-eye view of the city’s modern-day and historic buildings that stretch for miles.
The ambiance at Cabra is both sophisticated and relaxed. Rattan tables adorned with green mosaic tiles create a stylish yet comfortable setting. The cool summer breeze provides a refreshing escape from the city’s heat, while the rooftop pool invites you to take a dip and soak up the sun, making Cabra the perfect place to unwind and enjoy good company. www.cabralosangeles.com
Grand Cafe at Omni Hotel the Mother of All Brunches
If variety is the spice of life, then the greatest brunch of all time has got to be at the Grand Cafe at the Omni Hotel on Bunker Hill.
Executive chef Jeffrey Williams’ brunch is not a wow, it’s a wowow!
With a full jazz band of jazz legends to greet diners in two mega rooms filled with tables, families, and elated servers all focused on trips to and from the room’s brunch buffet centerpiece.
Everything imaginable that can be enjoyed at a brunch in downtown is right there at your fingertips including the Mimosa Flight Trio with choice of orange, grapefruit, cranberry or blackberry.
Hot chafing dishes of bacon, simmering sausages, scrabble eggs, potatoes, biscuits, gravy, salads, salmon, and on-demand slices of prime rib, and even fresh omelettes prepared while you wait.
Seafood lovers dive in! Grand Cafe at Omni Hotel boasts platters of chilled peeled shrimp, fresh oysters, crab legs, and lox. Prefer a seafood broil? Say less! Eat more!
A full platter of the same tasty sea morsels with added sautéed mussels is just steps away.
Almost unbelievable, with an added array of sweet desserts, each item proudly presents its own flavour and aesthetics like a flag bearer calling the attentions of each diner from across the buffet field. www.omnihotels.com
Spicy, Exotic Brunchtime at Baar Baar
Earning its place in the top five is newcomer Baar Baar, Downtown’s missing link when it comes to fine dining, Indian cuisine.
Helmed by Chef Sujan Sarkar, Baar Baar has managed to capture the allure of its predecessor and previous local hot spot Faith and Flower, especially when it comes to brunch time festivities.
Here you’ll find impeccable service and hospitality, with welcomes from the family-owned operators, head chef, and famous mirror bar, which offers their own take on American classics with an Indian cinematic twist.
Tequila Sunrise anyone? How about the movie “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” directed by Aditya Chopra in 1995? At Baar Baar, it’s re-release stars tequila, tamarind, aged balsamic, blackberries, and soda. And the National Film Cocktail Award goes too…
Brunch at Baar Baar is likely to start with the cinematography of Pani Puri, accompanied by Lamb Keema Hyderabadi and its blend of spices made from potato mousse, green peas, and masala pao.
Fun to eat and photo ready comes Baar Baar’s Vegetable Masala Dosa, a traditional cone-shaped dosa served with three sides of chutneys.
Here diners find flavors unavailable to anyone anywhere else on the continent, like the flavor of their Gunpowder Scallops made with cauliflower salan and fennel chutney or Baar Baar’s Kashmiri Duck Tacos, birria with cilantro, red onions, and cheddar.
It’s going to be hard to not get hooked on Baar Baar’s exotic desserts. Gulab Juman Cheese cake tastes just as it’s pronounced. Like a celebration of India’s sweet culture with every bite. www.baarbaarla.com
Sunday Soul Meetups at Fixins
Visiting Fixins for Sunday brunch, two things are for certain. One. There’s probably going to be a crowd outside dressed to the nines made up mostly of those straight out of church, and two, the food is going to be bangin!
We’re talking all the southern soul food favourites: cornbread, potato salad, fried chicken and waffles, oxtails, gumbo, black-eyed peas, fried catfish, etc. In Downtown, nowhere else does soulfood like Fixins.
Photo courtesy: Fixins Soulfood Kitchen
basketball all-star Kevin Johnson and his wife have reimagined Grandma Johnson’s home-cooked meals to present a world-class dining destination for travelers and locals located at the heart of LA LIVE in South Park, where the fans of the Lakers, the Kings, and shrimp grits collide.
Joining in the no-hold-barred match is a beverage programme showcasing Fixins Ultimate Bloody Mary, a supersized Ciroc vodka, homemade Bloody Mary mix, and lime juice topped with cornbread, chicken wings, bacon, olives, and lime. Did we just say topped with a soul food plate? Maybe.
Fixins’ family brunch hosts a majority of African-American eaters hungry for the sweet combination of candied yams and perfected mac and cheese. No need to worry—the greens come seasoned right, as does the rest of the delicious soul food on the menu dedicated to keeping the soul food traditions of America alive. www.fixinssoulkitchen.com
Castaway at Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Ships Ahoy!
Say hello to distant shores with imported oysters from Chesapeake Bay. Rappahannock Bar in downtown Los Angeles has a new executive chef. Chef Alex Rocha has presented several new menu items that make for a perfect sea-worthy brunch at the ROW DTLA.
Rappahannock brunch enthusiasts find themselves sailing in a sea of fresh scallops, shrimp, clams, oysters, and… lobster tacos. Aye, Aye, Captain. Just add lemon!
While others may be headed for a delicious mirage of Smorgasburg on Sundays, in contrast to waiting in long lines under the hot sun, castaways may pick a cool, seaworthy voyage to RappBar’s outdoor patio with the cool summer breeze whisk over Lobster Benedict with fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, and Hollander sauce. Another catch unique to RappBar is the Fried Oyster Omelette with trout roe cheddar cheese, tomato, onion, avocado, and chipotle crema.
Because of its chill, vacation-like atmosphere, and outdoor elements, RappBar is ideal for intimate brunches or larger brunches for the whole crew.
Also on the menu are craft cocktails like the Pom Pom with vodka, lemon juice, pomegranate seeds, and soda water to help cheer up fellow shipmates. Cheers mateees. www.rappbardtla.com
Brunches Galore at Delphi Hotel
While the Delphi Hotel prepares to reopen its lively rooftop in spring 2025, GM Leah Haproff and the Denae’s Diner crew (located on the ground floor) have wasted no time keeping the brunch vibes going with a full menu of diner favorites, flowing $7 mimosas, and rotating hosts and DJs to keep downtown’s favorite weekend pastime as festive as ever.
The blue and yellow retro-themed diner has always added to the hotel’s allure. It drew media attention pre-Covid with Wigs and Waffles drag brunch follies and has recently shared its weekend brunch slots with Feeling Brunchy, hosted by comedian Tahir Moore, DTLA Brunch Club Launch Party with DJ Matthew, and plans ahead for DTLA First Sundays, one of downtown’s longest-running brunch meet-ups on Labor Day.
Menu items remind diners of the downtown they love with brunch favorites like The Black Dahlia, french toast made with a cinnamon swirled croissant, with almond brittle, and blueberry sauce. It’s a dark, bittersweet mystery; it just screams DTLA.
Through the Denae’s window shines The Bradbury, a sunny-side-up dgg, Swiss cheese, country ham, Dijon Béchamel on sourdough. In high demand, the Grand Central Stack, silver dollar pancakes, strawberry butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and hints of lemon.
The outside patio at Denae’s doubles as a separate bar and dance floor once the spiked shakes and list of specialty cocktails start to kick in. Shake a leg! Denae’s at Hotel Delphi is one of the greatest. www.thedelphihotel.com
Brunch vs the Competition at 33 TAPS
Open at 12pm Monday through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday rings an early 9 a.m. wake-up call for brunch fans at 33 Taps.
Photo courtesy: 33Taps DTLA
The new downtown location at the base on the corner of The Moxy & AC Hotel offers a sports bar brunch with a wall lined with taps.
With fifty 75-inch screens and a three-sided jumbotron, 33 Taps also doubles as an arcade with ten arcade games to play.
Ordering the breakfast bowl with eggs, bacon, cheese, black beans, breakfast potatoes, avocado, and salsa verde or the Chilaquiles Verde, made with seasoned tortilla chips, beans, salsa verde, cheese, and over easy eggs, earns free tokens for the arcade with every purchase.
Arcade favorites include Lakers NBA Airball, Mario Kart Arcade GP, Shaq Attaq Pinball, Foosball, Shuffleboard, Golden Tee, and Combo Boxer-Double Combat.
This is a tapas bar (think chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, etc.) with tapas menus mostly, but Chef Jorge Galvez adds a breakfast items for brunch. There’s also a Churro Waffle topped with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla ice cream for those with a sweet tooth.
Say goodbye to Saturday night’s aftermath with a 33 TITO’S Bloody Mary, a sweet spicy pick-me-up with a mix of house clamato and chopped veggies.
Photo courtesy: 33Taps DTLA
Another great point about 33 Taps Sports Brunch is there’s enough room and libation for large parties, so patrons don’t have to ever worry about keeping their voices down.
The food is uncannily good for a sports bar, maybe that would explain why 33 Taps has been so successful. It’s so good, sometimes it’s hard to tell if guests are cheering for their favorite team or for Chef Galvez. www.eatdrink33.com
Brunch Nesting at Lady Byrd Cafe
We don’t always leave downtown, but when we do, it’s for brunch at Lady Byrd Cafe. Located on Echo Park Blvd., this hidden gem began as a cafe created by owner Misty Mansouri and later developed into something that has to be seen to be believed.
Lady Byrd Café is known for its delightful outside garden setting. Almost completely circling the cafe, diners sit at tea tables or choose intimate miniature greenhouses of their very own.
And here’s a poem!
Within the garden’s labyrinth of treasures old, Sweet jasmine scents the air—a story untold.
Diners find themselves surrounded by nature’s art, wildlife, flowers, and seedlings, all playing their part. Hummingbirds flit, a joyful, buzzing sound, at what has been described as a hip, casual, trendy, intimate, and romantic dining arena.
When it comes to eggs, Lady Byrd slays … we mean lays them all. The menu selections include eggs any style, poached eggs, eggs Benedict, eggs Norwegian, scrambled eggs in puff pastry, etc.
But that’s not all the Lady Byrd brings to the table. Vegan sausage, pan-seared steaks, shrimp, grilled salmon, and a list of pastas and garden salads also complement the nest.
There are pastries and fresh cookies, and coffee choices come aesthetically pleasing. The fresh-roasted blends help keep the conversations flowing as sunlight does its best to peak through the low-hanging trees from above.
Lady Byrd also pairs its brunch plates with red and white wines and Soju-based cocktails to enhance the bright ambiance even more. Don’t forget to tweet! www.ladybyrdcafe.com
A Modern Day White & Pink Brunch for the Senses
Staying true to its pastel color scheme, Bottega Louie is renowned for its brunch, as passerby’s can clearly observe. When the room is filled, the soundscape of Bottega Louie is equally captivating. Under its high ceilings, there is a lively buzz of conversation, with the occasional outburst of joy and the soft clinking of the wine and cocktail glasses.
The extensive wine list features house wines and sparkling options like Prosecco, Moet, and Don Perion. There are also a variety of flavors, classic cocktails like mimosas and Bloody Marys, and even good old-fashioned fountain Italian sodas for a touch of nostalgia.
Bottega Louie’s brunch hums with energy, reminding diners of the vibrant downtown culinary landscape. Here, wood-fired pizzas, delectable plates, and delicate pastries share the stage within the historic facade of this iconic downtown Los Angeles restaurant. www.bottegalouie.com
