New restaurants continue to pop up throughout LA. Here are my favorite new Los Angeles restaurants for 2016.

Los Angeles continued to cycle through many new restaurant openings in 2016, as well as more than a few closures. Given my palate for healthier fare, I'm always happy to see the amount of spots with well sourced and veggie-centric dishes. In fact, Los Angeles magazine named Erven, a plant based restaurant, as their number one new restaurant for 2016. Erven of course made my list as well with their unique vegan creations.

It wasn't all veggies though. There were also some meat-centric restaurant openings like Gwen and the Cannibal that made my list, but I liked that they served plant based sides as well. Luckily the arrival of the metro allowed for a little more convenient travel between Santa Monica and downtown LA, but I still have many more restaurants to try. It's nice to have some early goals for 2017!

Looking forward to trying these new 2016 LA restaurants too: Destroyer, 71 Above, Shibumi, Wolf, PYT, Kali, Here's Looking at You and Kato for 2017. Stay tuned!

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EP & LP Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

For a taste of LA fun, check out EP & LP. Cocktails on the roof give sweeping Los Angeles views, while the downstairs restaurant offers great Asian flavors in a lively setting.

Gwen Los Angeles

Curtis Stone's latest Los Angeles restaurant Gwen, includes a complete butcher shop, full restaurant with tasting menu, and small plates to enjoy at multiple bars or on the outdoor patio.

Michael's Santa Monica New Chef

Michael's Santa Monica has been serving diners for 37 years, but is fresh off a small face lift which includes the installation of whiz kid chef, Miles Thompson, formerly of Allumette.

Erven Plant Based Restaurant - CLOSED

A block off Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade is Erven, an unassuming, plant based restaurant, serving unique and bold flavor combinations.

The Cannibal, Culver City Platform

Culver City's metro-adjacent Platform complex has a new meat-centric restaurant, The Cannibal, with an equally solid selection of interesting vegetable dishes and a vast collection of beer.

Charcoal Venice

Charcoal Venice is Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin's turn at a casual steakhouse. Expect heavy use of the grill for everything from steaks to seafood and a large variety of vegetables.

Otium LA

Chef Tim Hollingsworth, former Chef de Cuisine of the French Laundry, is delivering unique dishes in a buzzy setting next to the Broad Museum. Foie gras funnel cake is a must order dish.