When we call something one of the best in DTLA, we mean it was selected by us, against the criteria on this page, from businesses we have actually checked. Payment plays no part in it, and a business cannot buy its way onto a list.
Most “best of” lists on the internet do not say how they were made. Some are ranked by who paid. This page exists so you can judge ours, and so we can be held to it.
What has to be true before a business is eligible
- It is currently open, and we have confirmed that within the last six months.
- It is physically in Downtown Los Angeles, in one of the neighborhoods we cover.
- It is open to the public. Private clubs, wholesale-only showrooms and appointment-only offices are listed in the directory but are not eligible for general “best of” lists.
- Its core facts, address, hours and contact details, come from the business itself.
How we choose
Selection is editorial judgement, not a score. We are not going to pretend an algorithm picked the best coffee in the Historic Core. What we can do is tell you what we weigh:
- Does it do the thing well? First-hand experience where we have it, and the consistent view of people who know the category where we do not.
- Would we send a friend there? The honest test behind every recommendation.
- Is it actually in DTLA, and does it serve people here? A chain outpost that could be anywhere is rarely the answer to “where should I eat downtown”.
- Is it reliably open when it says it is? A great restaurant that is closed four days a week is a worse recommendation than a good one that is open.
- Does the list as a whole serve the reader? Ten near-identical places is not a useful guide. We spread across neighborhoods, price points and occasions on purpose.
What has no influence
- Whether the business has a paid listing, at any tier.
- Whether it advertises with us, sponsors a category, or sponsors the newsletter.
- Whether it has bought photography from us.
- Whether it has asked to be included. Asking is fine. It does not help.
Featured and sponsored placements exist, and they are how the site is paid for. They appear in clearly labelled slots that sit apart from the editorial list. They do not reorder it. In the code that builds these pages, the editorial selection and the sponsored slot are two separate queries, so a paid placement cannot quietly become an editorial one.
Our own businesses
Common ownership · Headshots LA is owned by the same person who publishes this guide. It is excluded from “best of” lists in photography and portrait categories. We would rather lose the placement than ask you to trust a recommendation we cannot make impartially.
How often lists are reviewed
Every “best of” page carries a published date, a last-updated date and a last-verified date. We recheck each list at least twice a year, and sooner when something on it closes. If a business on a list closes, it comes off the list, not into a footnote.
Disagreeing with us
If you think we got a list wrong, or missed somewhere obvious, tell us through the contact page. We will not always change it, but we read all of it, and “you missed this place” is the single most useful message we get.
Related: editorial standards · advertising policy