The region’s food scene has been quietly building momentum, with Los Angeles in particular becoming an increasingly serious destination for ambitious, boundary-pushing dining. From longtime institutions to a new generation of chefs putting their own spin on regional cuisine, the city is slowly but steadily holding its own alongside established culinary capitals like NYC and London.
Now, one local restaurant has earned a particularly notable distinction: Broken Spanish Comedor has been named the best new restaurant in Southern California and one of the best new restaurants in the country.
Broken Spanish Comedor, SoCal’s best new restaurant
The recognition comes from Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants 2026. The annual list highlights restaurants that opened between March 2025 and March 2026, with editors and scouts selecting standout newcomers from across the country. Broken Spanish Comedor is the sole regional restaurant to make this year’s list.
The restaurant is the latest chapter from chef Ray Garcia, one of the chefs associated with the city’s Alta California culinary movement. Garcia previously helmed Broken Spanish, which opened in DTLA in 2015 and closed in 2020. The new Comedor iteration takes that legacy in a more confident direction, with a menu built around punchy flavors, serious heat, and the interplay of acid, richness, and spice.
Among the dishes highlighted are coal-roasted Japanese sweet potato with salsa macha butter, refried lentils folded with quesillo, and aguachile made with raw bay scallops in a smoky citrus broth. There’s also a five-day-prepared, porchetta-style chicharron finished with garlic mojo, while dessert comes in the form of a tres leches Bundt with strawberry-guava curd.
Broken Spanish Comedor joins 10 other restaurants on Bon Appétit’s nationwide selection. The full ranking includes:
- Agnes and Sherman, Houston, TX
- Anjin, Kansas City, MO
- Bayonet, Birmingham, AL
- Broken Spanish Comedor, Los Angeles, CA
- Casa Juani, Boulder, CO
- Creepies, Chicago, IL
- Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA
- Jules, San Francisco, CA
- Junior, Nashville, TN
- Kabawa, New York, NY
