Higher Education, Finer Dining: Inside the Culinary Scenes at California’s Top College Towns

Westwood

• University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the most diverse and unique culinary cities in the world, so it’s not surprising that UCLA students have the crème de la crème of restaurants right at their fingertips. Rival school USC is also a hallmark of L.A.’s educational landscape, and while the Trojans are closer to the authentic mom-and-pop eateries scattered around DTLA, the school’s location doesn’t feel much like a true “college town.”

UCLA, on the other hand, leans toward the Westside of the city and is conveniently located between Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Century City. Westwood Village is a major hub for students, and it’s packed with plenty of great food options. Violet Bistro is a charming, Parisian-inspired eatery that boasts a romantic courtyard in a refurbished terracotta-roofed building from the 1930s. The menu puts a California twist on French classics, with highlights being the double-patty smashburger, steak au poivre and escargot-style mushrooms.

Westwood is also a hub for Persian cuisine, and you can’t go wrong with a chicken koobideh from Toranj, Shamshiri Grill or Taste of Tehran Restaurant. In-N-Out Burger is a staple for any California college student, and UCLA attendees have one that’s less than half a mile from campus. Visiting parents who want to book a more high-end dinner will have better luck in nearby Brentwood, which is home to Matū Kai, Baltaire and the recently opened Sora Temaki Bar.