The best restaurants in Los Angeles aren't necessarily the most expensive, trendiest, or most modern. Forget being a foodie: soak in a little history with your dinner at establishments that have been around since before your parents were born. Some of the spots on this list are unassumingly simple, others exhibit that old-school Hollywood charm; all are historic. Here are some of my faves.

Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock is a quiet residential neighborhood with plenty of good bars and restaurants that will thrill the “foodie” crew. Not to be overlooked is Colombo’s, a jazz club and Italian restaurant open since 1954. Don’t go for the food (which is not amazing but it’s hearty and well-priced): go for the old-school, “door’s always open” ambiance. On the nights they have jam sessions, people wander in with instruments, put their name on a clipboard, and wait to be called up for their turn to play with the house band. It’s a rare opportunity to pay witness to some really excellent and soulful music.

Make a date out of it: Enjoy a wine flight and the chill ambiance at Colorado Wine Company down the street.

Koreatown

Koreatown is chock-full of history, thanks mostly to Wilshire Boulevard. The HMS Bounty, a nautical-themed bar and restaurant dating back to 1921, is across the street from the former site of the Ambassador Hotel, where RFK was assassinated. A few blocks away is The Prince, built in 1940, which has been used as a shooting location for everything from Chinatown to Mad Men.

Make a date out of it: Catch a show at the nearby Wiltern, a gorgeous, 1930s, art deco theater that is now a concert venue.

Downtown LA

Cole’s and Phillippe The Original, which both opened in 1908, both claim to have invented the French Dip. They also both claim to be the longest continuously operating restaurant in LA. Sounds like they've got some beef. (Sorry. I had to.) If you're down for an adventure, try both of them on the same day and compare.

Make a date out of it: Check out the Varnish, the speakeasy in the back of Cole's that reopened in 2008.

The Tam O’Shanter. Photo copyright 2019 by Anna Boudinot

Atwater Village

Atwater Village is another quiet residential neighborhood with not many sights to see except a beautiful (yes really) stretch of the Los Angeles river and some great bars and restaurants. Walt Disney Animation Studios were once nearby and Walt Disney was a regular at Tam O’Shanter, a Scottish-themed restaurant founded by the guys who went on to open Lawry’s. Disney's favorite table, 31, is proudly marked.

Make a date out of it: Go bar-hopping along Los Feliz Boulevard, stopping at the Griffin, the Roost, and the original Bigfoot Lodge.

For more historic LA restaurants, head to part II.