Los Angeles Dining Scene Heats Up With Six New Openings and Events in May 2026

LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2026 — The Los Angeles dining and food service landscape added a wave of new openings, seasonal programming and cultural events this week, spanning Culver City, Downtown Los Angeles, the Miracle Mile, Santa Monica and Hollywood, with six distinct developments across the region's restaurant and hospitality sector.

Culver Hotel Brings Back Garden Party Saturdays for Summer 2026

The Culver Hotel, located at 9400 Culver Blvd., relaunches its Garden Party Saturdays series beginning Memorial Day weekend, running every Saturday through Labor Day from 3 to 6 p.m. The weekly outdoor series transforms the hotel's courtyard into an open-air afternoon gathering built around spritzes, light bites, live music and a flower cart from The Floral Boutique.

The food and drinks menu covers Limoncello spritzes, micheladas, bottomless sangria pitchers and a selection of bites including tuna on crispy rice, oysters, deviled eggs, Culver sliders and a garden tier of burrata, mushroom bites and cucumber hummus canapés. The series is family- and dog-friendly, offering a Kidcuterie Plate and a Barkuterie Board. Resident DJ Oggy returns for the season.

New for 2026 is a limited-time rosé pop-up by Whispering Angel, appearing on select long weekends including Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. For information, visit culverhotel.com.

Boomtown Brewery Hosts FIFA World Cup 2026 Watch Parties in DTLA

Boomtown Brewery at 700 Jackson St. in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District will serve as a dedicated venue for 2026 FIFA World Cup watch parties, hosting group stage matches for Team USA, Mexico and Brazil. The brewery will also function as the home base for Barra 76 LA, the official supporter group for the U.S. Men's National Team.

Doors open a minimum of two hours before each featured match. Pre-game programming includes DJs, country-themed culinary pop-ups from Los Angeles food partners and craft beer specials, with full match audio across indoor and outdoor viewing screens. Brazil group stage watch parties will feature Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine on-site.

Nick Gingold, marketing director for Boomtown Brewery, described Los Angeles as one of the world's greatest soccer cities and said the brewery aims to deliver an unforgettable atmosphere combining passionate fans, craft beer, food, music and the energy of international football in the Arts District. Schedule and information at boomtownbrew.com.

Kouzeh Bakery Opens First Los Angeles Location on Wilshire

Kouzeh Bakery has opened its first Los Angeles outlet at 5466 Wilshire Blvd. in the Miracle Mile. Founded in 2018 by pastry chef Sahar Shomali, whose résumé includes Spago, the Lucques Group and The Hearth and Hound, the bakery centers its offering on the regional diversity of Persian bread traditions.

The bakery uses long fermentation methods and aged sourdough cultures, drawing on traditional and family recipes. Ingredients are limited to unbleached flours, raw sugar and sea salt. The range spans flatbreads rooted in nomadic Iranian traditions through to sourdough loaves tied to urban and village baking histories across the Iranian regions. For information, visit kouzehbakery.com.

Santa Monica Proper Hotel Rolls Out Spring Menus at Calabra and Palma

Santa Monica Proper Hotel at 700 Wilshire Blvd. has introduced spring programming across its two dining venues, Calabra and Palma. Calabra serves weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a menu covering green shakshuka, smoked salmon Eggs Benedict and house-made mezze alongside spritzes and rosé.

Palma operates a microbiome-focused daytime menu and hosts DJ performances every Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. Both venues offer a group happy hour package for parties of nine to 30 guests, featuring 10 percent off food and complimentary sparkling wine. For information, visit properhotel.com/santa-monica.

Japan House Opens Washoku Exhibition in Hollywood Through October

Japan House Los Angeles at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. opened "Washoku – Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine" on May 22, with the exhibition running through Oct. 18. The program is the first presentation of this exhibition outside Japan and was developed in collaboration with the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, and the Asahi Shimbun.

The exhibition covers the ingredients, history, seasonality and cultural significance of washoku, a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage — across four curated sections using natural specimens, food models, multimedia displays and interactive experiences. An accompanying documentary screening and panel discussion, "WA-SHOKU: Beyond Sushi," takes place on May 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Japan House Salon, Level 5. Tickets are priced at $20. For information, visit japanhousela.com.

Hollywood on the Coast Food and Wine Debuts June 13 in Santa Monica

The inaugural Hollywood on the Coast Food & Wine event takes place on June 13 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. The one-night strolling culinary event is produced by Shelby Russell and hosted by chef Neal Fraser, whose restaurants Redbird and Vibiana are Downtown Los Angeles fixtures.

The event will host 750 guests drawn from the entertainment industry and Los Angeles' food and beverage community, including producers, studio executives, celebrities and culinary figures. The lineup spans Michelin-starred teams, James Beard honorees and local restaurant operators. For information, visit hollywoodonthecoast.com.