Like mischievous kittens eyeing a fish bowl, patrons of The Hungry Cat sneak longing peeks at passing plates as they anxiously await their own choices from Suzanne Goin and David Lentz's East Coast-seafood-house-inspired menu. The husband-and-wife team had already achieved local-legend status when they opened their sleek Hollywood bistro and raw bar in 2004, but somewhere within this Sunset and Vine retail complex's industrial-chic setting, L.A.'s young and beautiful found reason to fall in love all over again. Hip, specialty cocktails and more than 20 wines by the glass pair perfectly with impeccable plates of the ocean's best, including such urbane choices as sturgeon caviar or bluefin tuna tartare. But dishes can be fun to eat, too: Order the trademark lobster roll, a classic treat for crustaceanophiles, or the massive bacon, avocado and blue cheese Pug Burger, one of the city's best. Full bar. Serving lunch and dinner daily. Late-night Mon–Sat. Sat brunch noon–3 pm, Sun brunch 11 am–3 pm.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"Until the Hungry Cat opened in 2004, the neighborhood lacked a casual yet seriously good seafood spot. This pet project of married chefs Suzanne Goin and David Lentz fills the void with small plates from the sea. ... It's quickly become a favorite with family brunchers, young couples, and off-duty chefs."
—Condé Nast Traveler
"The Hungry Cat is smart and different, a combination of straightforward, impeccably sourced seafood and more inventive dishes, that sing because they're both delicious and well-executed."
– S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times
"The Hungry Cat is a civic treasure, a place to drop into for a dozen oysters or a bowl of shrimp, a crab cake or a bowl of chowder. The primary object of desire here is the lobster roll, an abstracted rendition of the New England beach-shack standard transformed into a split, crisp, rectangular object about the size of a Twinkie."
– Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Weekly
"Meow indeed!"
—Gayot
How others rate Hungry Cat
Zagat 2009
24 food rating (very good to excellent)
Los Angeles Times
**1/2 (very good to excellent)
LA Weekly
Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential LA Restaurants, 2009