Aussie dining in La La Land…

FINDING somewhere to eat in LA can be an intimidating prospect, especially for first-time visitors.

A tip is to rely on the hotel concierge — they can make recommendations and reservations — while a second option is simply sticking to the green and gold with a gaggle of Aussies chefs and restaurateurs making their mark on the southern Californian food scene by opening restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and bars around La La Land.

Eveleigh

The casual but cool Eveleigh (above) occupies a 1920s farmhouse that once sat at the centre of a sprawling fruit orchard. A neighbourhood favourite since opening in 2010, its menu focuses on “the freshness of California cuisine’’.

Maude

Australia’s favourite exported celebrity chef Curtis Stone called his “tiny restaurant” in Beverly Hills Maude (below) after the grandmother he credits with opening his eyes “to cooking and food’’. A monthly menu of nine tasting plates is inspired by a single seasonal ingredient.

EP & LP

Grant Smillie — the Aussie DJ who co-owns Melbourne bar Ponyfish Island — opened a drinking and dining destination on Melrose Ave in trendy West Hollywood last year. EP & LP (below) is a dual-level address boasting fine dining downstairs and a rooftop bar with cocktails crafted by Alex Straus.

Paramount Coffee Project

Paramount Coffee Project — or PCPLA — opened in November after Mark Dundon of Melbourne’s Seven Seeds and Russell Beard of Sydney’s Reuben Hills joined forces to hop the Pacific.

Qantas Business Lounge

Neil Perry is weaving his magic in LA, now responsible for shaping the cuisine at LAX’s renovated Qantas Business Lounge (below). The renowned Aussie chef is using multicultural “Los Angeles flavours’’ to craft the pre-flight menu.