My favorite retro restaurants across LA, Riverside, San Diego and beyond. Midcentury, desert highway, 1950s diners, 1970s steakhouses and everything in between. Go for the visuals and stay for the food, drink and dance.
Map
An LA institution that's been around for over 100 years. You can hear the grill sizzling.
Musso & Frank Grill
It's not just a gorgeous sign. Fun, kitschy, very Hollywood.
El Coyote
Part of the Ace Hotel, this used to be a Denny's and it still has those desert midcentury vibes. Plus Drag Queen Bingo Mondays.
King's Highway
Cheating a bit because it's central/southern, but it's the most colorful restaurant-hotel combination in the country and you have to go at least once.
Madonna Inn
Get steak and dance.
The Smoke House Restaurant
Classic California diner and the only San Diego restaurant repped on this list (for now)
Rudford's Restaurant Diner
Beautiful top to bottom, it's not actually vintage but every time I step in it feels like a 1950s tennis club in Morocco (I imagine).
The Pink Cabana
A history of mobsters dining in since 1939, it's been revamped and looks better than ever.
The Formosa Cafe
I'll be honest, I've never eaten at Cole's, but the cocktails from the speakeasy in the back (The Varnish) are near-perfect.
Cole's French Dip
Inside the Mission Inn, this is my favorite and only Presidentially-themed bar.
The Presidential Lounge
A tiny cabin-looking spot in the middle of nowhere that's drawn motorcyclists and famous folks for decades, and even has an attached winery.
The Old Place
Old school French food going back to 1927. Stick the classics then go to a Dodger game.
Taix French Restaurant
You're here for the vibe and the vintage sign, but the food hits the spot on a weeknight. I used to walk from my apartment for the combo deals from this family-owned restaurant.
Casa Vega
Similar to Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks, it's just good, plain Mexican (though at better prices than anywhere in LA).
