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As Los Angeles moves nearer to the one year mark of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there is hope for a brighter future ahead. Vaccines are arriving in large numbers, outdoor dining (albeit with limited capacity) is back in Southern California, and some restaurants have even found a way to stabilize operations during the hospitality industry crisis. As LA and Orange counties move toward Below is a long, but not exhaustive, list of prominent restaurants that have closed as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, sorted by month.
April 7
Spoon by H: Longtime Korean-American restaurant Spoon by H decided to close after it was hampered by various scams depriving it of much needed revenue during the pandemic. The dessert spot gained fame in recent years due to chef Yoonjin Hwang’s intricate presentations and daring takes on Korean comfort dishes in a quirky, colorful strip mall space. Hopefully Hwang comes back with another LA restaurant in at some point in the future.
Gail’s Rolls and Grills: Virgil Village’s loveable Korean snack corner closed after a little more than two years despite strong reviews. The place served everything from gimbap to spicy ramen at reasonable prices, but closed late last year.
Hurry Curry of Tokyo: West LA’s curry scene took a hit last year when Curry House suddenly closed just before the start of the pandemic. Now Hurry Curry, a long time strip mall gem along Sawtelle Japantown, has closed permanently as of late February. The restaurant had a long history in the neighborhood, opening back in 1989.
Osteria Bigoli: Though the quiet Italian fine dining spot from former Pane e Vino chef Claudio Marchesan had strong response from the ritzy Santa Monica area, it couldn’t make the five year mark and closed during the pandemic. It’s since been replaced by another outlet of Breakfast by Salt’s Cure.
Note: an earlier edition noted that Irelands 32 was permanently closed. It has reopened.
February 17
Lasa: Filipino dinnertime staple Lasa is no more, as the Valencia brothers have split amicably and left behind a new concept called Lasita that spins around rotisserie chicken, wine, lechon, and lots of fast casual Filipino flavors and feelings.
Jerry’s: The longtime Jerry’s space in Marina del Rey has come and gone over the past several decades, but the latest closure of its current iteration — Jerry’s Patio Cafe & Bar sure feels permanent enough. Ownership is said to be considering a new location elsewhere.
Hurry Curry: Japanese curry staple Hurry Curry is moving on after more than three decades on Sawtelle. The company maintains several locations in the Seattle area still.
January 20
101 Coffee Shop: One of LA’s most recognizable diner landmarks, the 101 Coffee Shop space has (in various iterations) played host to movies, music videos, and plenty of late night conversations over the decades.
Wah’s Golden Hen: Virgil Village has lost an icon in Wah’s Golden Hen, the beloved Chinese restaurant that stood for nearly 50 years.
The Golden State: Burger and beer destination Golden State lasted 12 good years on one of LA’s busiest blocks, but as of January 4 the Fairfax restaurant has closed for good.
Oil Can Harry’s: Studio City queer bar Oil Can Harry’s has closed, the latest in a growing list of LGBTQIA+ spaces to disappear partly as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Label’s Table: Pico Boulevard Jewish deli Label’s Table has closed after a 46-year run in the city’s Jewish corridor.
Vienna Pastry: Santa Monica’s iconic bakery Vienna Pastry has closed after failing to meet a crowdfunding goal that would have helped the 68-year-old business stay open.
Elf Cafe: Echo Park’s vegan dining destination Elf Cafe has likely closed for good as a result of the pandemic, though ownership says they may reopen some day, somewhere else.
December 9
Maradentro: A For Lease sign is up at Brentwood’s Maradentro, reports Toddrickallen, bringing and end to the seafood specialist’s five-year run.
Ebisu: Little Tokyo hangout Ebisu is closing at the end of December, following a 15-year run. Until then, food and drink is discounted heavily.
Yours Truly: Chef Vartan Abgaryan and company have let go of Yours Truly on Abbot Kinney as a result of the pandemic, marking a truncated run for one of the Westside’s most celebrated young restaurants.
Eagle Rock Public House: Owner Ting Su’s Eagle Rock Public House has closed after a six-year run. The restaurant is no more, but the brewery remains.
OB Bear: Koreatown beer and wing staple OB Bear is closed for now, owing to a terrible fire at the property. Ownership plans to reopen, but can’t say when.
Obicá: Mozzarella bar hotspot Obicá has closed at the Westfield Century City after a lengthy tenure.
Aburiya Raku: LA Cienega izakaya Aburiya Raku closed quietly last month, and has since been taken over by a new Japanese restaurant concept.
October 27
Dialogue: Chef Dave Beran’s highly-touted Dialogue closes November 7 in Santa Monica. The star restaurant earned a Michelin star and earned rave reviews from just about everyone, but with its small space and a menu that isn’t conducive to takeout, Beran and his team have made the difficult decision to leave their current location, with hopes of reopening in the future somewhere else.
Cliff’s Edge: The 16-year-old Cliff’s Edge in Silver Lake has formally announced that it is no longer in business, ending months of speculation about the onetime patio hotspot along Sunset.
Nak Won: One of LA’s longstanding Koreatown all-not spots, Nak Won played to generations of locals and hungry travelers eager for 24-hour eats. Now, after 34 years, it’s gone completely.
Taste on Melrose: The 15-year brunch specialist Taste on Melrose has quietly closed, saying on its website that they have shuttered permanently “as a result of COVID-19.”
Button Mash: Echo Park’s popular arcade bar and restaurant Button Mash is closing until further notice, though ownership says the plan is to return once it is safe to do so. For now, with the ending of another Dodger season and no indoor dining, they’re closing up tight.
September 25
The Bellwether: Studio City’s five-year-old casual restaurant the Bellwether has closed, with ownership saying there is simply no path forward to remain profitable, even at 50 percent indoor dining capacity.
Madeo: One of LA’s most prominent Italian restaurants is now down for the count as it waits to return to its original still-under-construction home on Beverly Boulevard. Their temporary address in Beverly Hills is now also being remodeled, leaving the family without a place to cook at the moment.
Pacific Dining Car: LA’s heralded all-night steakhouse has closed for now near Downtown. Ownership has sold off the interior (and the sign), but hopes to come back in some form down the line.
Rage Nightclub: One of West Hollywood’s most notorious LGBTQIA+ nightclubs has closed following a landlord dispute.
Dominique Ansel Bakery/189: Pastry wizard and savory chef Dominique Ansel has left his two-story restaurant at the Grove behind. The space will now be occupied by a picnic-themed takeaway from Curtis Stone.
Beverly Soon Tofu: Koreatown legend Beverly Soon Tofu has shuttered for good after 34 long years. Media members and chefs and locals all decried the closure, which came about as a direct result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Wildcraft: Culver City’s sourdough pizza palace Wildcraft has quietly closed, leaving Matthew Kenney to open a vegan pasta restaurant in its place.
September 2
Amacita: Culver City’s popular Tex-Mex destination from chef Josef Centeno closed in early April. Centeno has already shuttered his Downtown restaurant Baco Mercat, and it’s unclear what is to become of the corner Culver space now.
Caffe Vita: After seven long years, corner coffee shop Caffe Vita has closed along the Silver Lake / Los Feliz border. The Seattle-based company noted on its Instagram that a recent rent hike during the pandemic led to the tough decision.
Moore’s Deli: Ten-year-old Moore’s in busy downtown Burbank has closed. The modern Jewish-ish deli was a favorite amongst studio types in the area, particularly animators who took to lining a back room with art. The restaurant closed at the end of August.
Preux & Proper: Southern-fueled Spring Street restaurant Preux & Proper has closed after five years. Partners Josh Kopel and chef Samuel Monsour say that, after five long years, they’ve turned in their keys.
Ma’am Sir: Charles Olalia’s dream restaurant, the Filipino Ma’am Sir in Silver Lake, has closed permanently. The restaurant has a critical and cultural hit in the pre-COVID-19 days, drawing in legions of fans, generations of Filipinos, and lots of national media attention.
6th & La Brea: Artisanal Brewers Collective corner restaurant 6th & La Brea has closed.
August 4
Cuties: East Hollywood LGBTQIA+ coffee shop Cuties has closed after three years, saying on Instagram that their storefront was no longer financially viable. What’s more, ownership has turned over ownership of the company completely to a prominent staff member, with hopes of continuing to increase the diversity in coffee in LA and beyond.
Fig & Olive: The Melrose Place location of Fig & Olive has closed permanently, though others remain open.
Daily Grill Studio City: The longstanding Daily Grill location at the Laurel Promenade has closed, ending a run that has lasted decades in the Valley.
Thai Gourmet: Long Beach’s 11-year-old Thai Gourmet on 2nd Street has closed permanently.
Broken Spanish: Chef/owner Ray Garcia’s influential five-year-old restaurant has closed. The challenge of navigating a Downtown restaurant plus the lack of activity at the adjacent convention center, sports arena, music complex, and tourist corridors are only a few factors that likely contributed to its shutter.
Somni/Bazaar: Chef José Andrés will close his restaurants inside the SLS Beverly Hills, the Bazaar and Somni, due to a lawsuit filed by the hotel’s owners, Sunworld International, that sought to terminate the consulting agreement.
Flaming Saddles: Iconic West Hollywood queer bar Flaming Saddles has closed, following a fallout with its landlord.
August 3
Dong Il Jang: Dong Il Jang was one of Koreatown’s and LA’s longest running Korean restaurants that served barbecue, sushi, and more. After 41 years in business, it closes on August 15.
August 1
Baco Mercat: Downtown’s restaurant Baco Mercat closed permanently after nearly nine years. Chef/owner Josef Centeno’s first big restaurant led a DTLA dining revolution, spawned spinoff restaurants, and even earned its very own cookbook. This closing happened only days after Centeno’s Orsa & Winston was awarded Restaurant of The Year by the Los Angeles Times.
July 30
Patina Restaurant: Joachim Splichal’s flagship restaurant at Walt Disney Concert Hall laid off many of its longtime employees in late-July. The longtime restaurant closes permanently on August 15.
July 27
Trois Mec: Ludo Lefebvre’s Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant closed last week because it simply didn’t see a way forward with the current pandemic conditions. At the moment sister restaurants Petit Trois and Petit Trois Le Valley in Sherman Oaks are still open, though their future is also uncertain.
Jun Won: Koreatown’s highly regarded traditional restaurant Jun Won from Jung Ye Jun is closing at the end of July, saying slow business due to the pandemic is the reason for the closure. Jun Won first opened on 8th Street in 1994 before moving to its Western location in 2016.
Here’s Looking at You: Another celebrated Koreatown restaurant, this one serving modern takes on LA flavors from chef Jonathan Whitener and restaurateur Lien Ta, closed after four years of business. Sister restaurant All Day Baby is still open in Silver Lake at the moment.
Villa Blanca: Lisa Vanderpump’s glitzy Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca has closed. It was listed for sale multiple times over the years but the place is now closed until further notice.
Four ‘N Twenty Valley Village: The longtime Valley dinner closed its Sherman Oaks location early in the pandemic, and now its North Hollywood/Valley Village spot has shuttered.
The Wallace: Culver City’s modern restaurant The Wallace has closed after six years.
Haruchan: This relatively new Santa Monica ramen restaurant which opened in 2019 with a wide menu of Japanese dishes closed permanently despite having ample outdoor seating on its patio. The historic building was built in 1909.
Ruth’s Chris Beverly Hills: This upscale chain steakhouse occupied a prime spot along Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills before announcing its permanent closure this month.
Ippudo Ramen: The nationally known noodle shop, Ippudo Ramen, closed with Dan Modern Chinese taking over its space.
July 1
Pacific Dining Car Santa Monica: For thirty years Pacific Dining Car’s 24/7 restaurant served night owls on the Westside. The restaurant closed permanently in mid-June, auctioning off all of its furniture and equipment.
Jazz Cat Cafe San Gabriel: One of SGV’s longest running shabu shabu/hot pot restaurants has closed. Its Arcadia and City of Industry locations are still open at the moment.
Lincoln Pasadena: This six-year-old cafe and bakery in Altadena closed after owner Christine Moore said the pandemic was one of the many reasons it was time to call it quits. Moore’s popular Little Flower opens to reopen some time this summer.
Kogi Taqueria: Roy Choi’s popular Korean-Mexican taqueria opened a shop in Palms in 2016. Choi said the lease in Palms at a former sushi shop was up, and that he’s looking for another Westside space to open up in.
Bibo Ergo Sum: One of the city’s most well-regarded cocktail bars, Bibo Ergo Sum, closed on Robertson Boulevard after more than a two-year run.
Four N’ Twenty Sherman Oaks: After more than forty years, the Sherman Oaks location of this popular Valley diner closed due to the pandemic.
Casa Cubana: Gorgeous Downtown Cuban cafe Casa Cubana, which came from grocery store coffee brand Don Francisco’s, closed its shop in late May without a plan to reopen.
Olive Tree Anaheim: Longtime Arabian restaurant Olive Tree in Anaheim closed after 15 years in business. Founder Yusuf Abdo handed the business off to his son Alan made spectaacular lamb feasts and evening buffets during Ramadan.
The Pikey: British-inspired restaurant The Pikey has closed and may potentially turn into something else in the future.
Seafood Palace: This popular neighborhood Cantonese/Chaozhou restaurant closed in March due to the pandemic early effect on SGV.
Cafe 86: This casual cafe and dessert shop closed its Pasadena location after garnering solid reviews from locals.
Din Tai Fung: Din Tai Fung has become a worldwide empire with locations across the U.S. at this point, but its first American outlet opened twenty years ago in Arcadia with a modest space. It closed in early June after twenty years of business, though the soup dumpling restaurant still has a location inside the Westfield Santa Anita mall.
101 Noodle Express Arcadia: Popular SGV chainlet 101 Noodle Express has closed its Arcadia location, with its original Alhambra spot still in operation.
Krimsey’s: This popular Valley vegan restaurant with Cajun flavors has closed, and its Silver Lake expansion will likely not happen either.
Plan Check DTLA: After closing its Fairfax location, budding burger chain Plan Check has closed its Downtown LA location, which means the Sawtelle original is the only will still in operation.
Beachwood BBQ Seal Beach: The original Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach has decided to close after 14 years in business. The brewery and barbecue spot still operates in Long Beach, Garden Grove, and Huntington Beach.
The Tripel: This beachside stop for burgers and beers from power couple Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts officially closed in early June.
Plum Tree Inn: Chinatown’s classic Szechuan restaurant Plum Tree Inn closed after more than forty years, spawning an empire that stretched to the Westside, as well as Woodland Hills and Las Vegas. The fast-casual Plum Tree Express also opened everywhere from Hollywood and Cerritos to Toronto.
MTN: The onetime Travis Lett izakaya fell off on June 18 officially, after having already flipped to become a (at the time temporary) taco takeaway during the pandemic.
Little Bar: La Brea’s 15-year-old tiny watering hole Little Bar has closed as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and related bar shutdown announcements.
May 8
Auburn: Celebrated fine dining restaurant Auburn, which came from Republique and Guy Savoy veteran Eric Bost, announced it was closing last week after opening in March 2019. The restaurant received wide acclaim from critics and featured one of the best looking dining rooms in recent LA memory. But the high cost of construction and other financial burdens weighed heavy on the place, making the possibility of a successful reopening unlikely. Auburn was named a James Beard Award Foundation finalist for restaurant design with over 75 seats.
Bon Temps: Lincoln Carson created Bon Temps as his first standalone restaurant, and it also received high praise from critics and the public. The ambitious daytime pastry program helped it stand out in the crowded Arts District scene while its refined fare made it one of the better European-inflected fancy dinners in town. Carson announced a permanent closure of the 10-month-old restaurant, just before he was named a finalist for Best Pastry Chef by the James Beard Award Foundation.
Stan’s Donuts: Classic shop Stan’s Donuts closed in Westwood after 55 years of business, with founder Stan Berman making a heartfelt statement. The UCLA student favorite was a popular sweets destination, and it even expanded to numerous locations in Chicago (which are still standing). Berman’s statement reads, “Over the years each of you have touched my life. Your support and friendship has meant more than you know.”
Sushi Ichi: This sushi restaurant announced it was closing permanently right at the start of mandated dining room closures on March 15. The high-end omakase restaurant was a classic LA-style strip mall find from Tokyo-trained chef Ichiro-san with gorgeous cuts and a wide variety of sake. Sadly, Pasadena loses one of its cherished sushi restaurants amid the coronavirus shutdowns.
Update: Over time, some restaurants have reopened around Los Angeles in the past year, including Nate ‘n Al’s, though a permanent location remains in limbo; Swingers, which was bought and reopened by a former employee; and Nick’s Cafe in Chinatown.
