Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country and is certainly a must for any first-time visitor to Los Angeles. With more than 4200 acres of land and multiple attractions, though, it takes a lot of energy to explore even a fraction of what Griffith Park has to offer. That’s just fine, though, since the park is surrounded by neighborhoods full of great local restaurants.
The restaurants in Los Feliz are perfect to eat at before or after your Griffith Park and Hollywood Sign tour, but remember that Griffith Park has multiple entrances. There are also restaurants in Atwater Village and other surrounding neighborhoods that are worth eating at, depending which part of the park you’re heading to.
Not sure where to go? Here are seven restaurant recommendations and one bonus dining tip to make your day in LA both memorable and delicious.
Where to find it: 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
This camp-themed neighborhood restaurant is located on the northern end of Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz (at the corner of Los Feliz Blvd and Hillhurst Ave), which is lined with restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. That makes Messhall Kitchen the closest restaurant to Griffith Park’s Vermont Ave entrance, which leads straight to the Greek Theatre. The restaurant is just a couple of blocks away from the Vermont and Los Feliz shuttle stop.
Proximity isn’t this restaurant’s only draw, though. Messhall Kitchen keeps locals returning with good burgers, BBQ, and cocktails. The large menu has something for everyone with gluten-free and vegetarian options. If you happen to be visiting on a weekday, they have happy hour from 3-6 p.m. with offerings like $6 beers and $8 Backyard Burgers.
Where to find it: 2064 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
You can find an Italian restaurant in pretty much every neighborhood in LA, but one that specializes in Calabrian cuisine like Civico 2064 does is much more rare. The linguine vongole here is made Calabrian-style with the addition of bottarga and you’ll find nduja in various dishes.
Owned by two brothers who came from Cosenza, Italy, the restaurant is the LA outpost of Civico 1845 in San Diego. Civico 1845 claims to be the first Italian restaurant in the country to have a fully vegan Italian menu, and the brothers have brought that menu to Civico 2064, complete with mozzarella made from rice.
Local tip: This restaurant is a great lunch or dinner option for groups, as they offer options for both the carnivore and the plant-based diets.
Where to find it: 1712 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Mirate is not only a good modern Mexican restaurant, but it also undoubtedly has one of the best cocktail programs in all of Los Angeles.
After all, Mirate was ranked #12 on the list of North America’s 50 best bars in 2025. Plus, the courtyard is also arguably one of the best spots for outdoor dining in the city, adorned by a large tree in the center. If you’re looking for a spot for dinner and drinks after a tour around Griffith Park, Mirate is the place to be.
Enjoy some cochinita pibil, and browse through the bar’s extensive list of agave spirits. Note that Mirate can get quite busy, so I don’t recommend attempting to walk-in for dinner. It’s best to reserve a table ahead of time, especially on weekends or with a larger group.
Where to find it: 170 Glendale Blvd unit c, Los Angeles, CA 90039
The southeastern part of Griffith Park borders Atwater Village, a walkable neighborhood with plenty of local eateries and shops along Glendale Boulevard. One of the hottest restaurants in this area is Holy Basil, a Thai street food specialist that has a location in Downtown LA and Atwater Village.
Holy Basil’s Atwater Village location has a more seafood-forward menu than Downtown LA’s, and these are the dishes worth stopping in for, especially for the spicy food lovers. The Caledonian prawns aguachile is a popular spicy dish while the much-milder wild shrimp curry is my personal favorite.
Where to find it: 5445 Hollywood Blvd unit a, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Thai Town neighborhood of Los Angeles is located near the Fern Dell Nature Trail, a shady walking trail in Griffith Park. You can access the rest of the park by car via Fern Dell Drive or continue hiking towards the observatory.
For those planning to enter or exit the park from this entrance, the restaurants in Thai Town are perfect for an affordable but boldly-flavored meal. There are a number of places I would recommend in Thai Town, but one of the most exciting openings recently is Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles.
Mae Malai specializes in boat noodles, a traditional Thai noodle soup typically sold from boats on Thailand’s canals. Just like how they serve it in Thailand, Mae Malai’s boat noodles come in smaller portions, but it’s easy enough to just order two.
Thai Town is a small neighborhood, but there are numerous other restaurants worth trying here. Across the street from Mae Malai is Heng Heng Chicken Rice which is known for its Hainan Chicken Rice. Grab desserts just a block east at Kanomwaan which serves Thai gelato and other desserts.
Where to find it: 1551 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201
Smashburgers are certainly the trendiest burger style these days, and there is no shortage of them around Los Angeles. The OG Smash Burger is a popular one that also happens to be just a stone’s throw away from the Riverside Drive entrance of Griffith Park. From this entrance, you can head west to Travel Town Railroad Museum or east to the Autry Museum of the American West and the Los Angeles Zoo.
Enough about the location — let’s get to the food. OG Smash Burger offers a small and sweet menu. There are smashburgers, patty melts, grilled cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (plus fries, of course). The burgers are simple but done well with crisped patty edges but still juicy in the center, topped with grilled onions. The burgers and sandwiches here make for a quick and easy meal.
Where to find it: 1208 W Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201
Also in Glendale and near the Riverside Drive entrance is Monta Factory. It’s not as close as OG Smash Burger, but since Glendale is known for its high concentration of Armenian restaurants, it’s worth visiting at least one of them. I recommend Monta Factory.
The restaurant specializes in monta (also known as manti): small, meat-filled dumplings that are baked in the oven and served with a garlicky, yogurt sauce. The only problem is that the montas come in a large portion, so come with friends. Solo diners can opt for other dumplings like the boiled khinkali or pelmeni, or one of the monta soups instead.
With over 50 miles of trails you can hike inside Griffith Park, bringing a picnic is also a good option to refuel during the day without leaving the park. Fortunately, supermarkets and deli stores are easy to find around Griffith Park.
Where should you go? Take your pick between Albertson’s, Gelson’s, Pavilions, or Ralph’s. All four of these stores can be found near the park’s entrances.
For restaurant-made sandwiches, grab some Italian subs from Giamela’s or Mediterranean sandwiches from Dune, both located in Atwater Village. For those heading out early, you can rely on Little Ground in Glendale for their breakfast burritos, though they’re closed on weekends.
Local tip: Parking near the Griffith Observatory is atrocious, but a shuttle runs every 15-20 minutes along Vermont Avenue to The Greek Theatre and the Observatory.
For more recommendations on what to eat and drink nearby, check out my guide to Los Feliz.
