New Indian Restaurants in Los Angeles (September 2026)
TL;DR
- The Los Angeles Indian dining scene in 2026 is producing genuinely original concepts, moving well past generic formats into wood-fire Indian cooking, Indo-Californian bar culture, and hybrid sports bar experiences. 🍽️
- Brick Lane opened in the Arts District in May 2026 under chef Sanjay Rawat, who brings regional Indian technique and California produce into a live-fire format.
- BADMAASH launched its third Los Angeles location on Abbot Kinney in Venice in March 2026, introducing a full cocktail program and a new menu chapter for the long-running brand.
- Pijja Palace in Silver Lake remains a must-visit reference point for what a new generation of Indian-American dining looks like — an Indian-Italian sports bar with James Beard recognition.
- Taken together, these three spots illustrate a clear trend: Indian-American chefs and restaurateurs are building restaurants around strong concepts rather than broad category appeal.
Why 2026 Is Shaping Up as a Notable Year for Indian Dining in LA
Los Angeles has had a solid Indian restaurant landscape for decades, anchored by Artesia's Little India corridor along Pioneer Boulevard and scattered across Culver City, Koreatown, and Palms. But 2026 has brought a new wave of openings that look and feel different from that earlier generation.
The distinguishing characteristic of the 2026 class is specificity. Rather than aiming to serve the widest possible range of Indian dishes under one roof, the newer operators are building around a tight culinary premise: live-fire cooking, a specific regional tradition, a bar program built around South Asian ingredients, or a mashup format that draws in non-Indian regulars alongside the diaspora community.
Three names stand out as worth tracking right now.
Brick Lane — Arts District
Brick Lane opened in Downtown Los Angeles's Arts District in May 2026. The name references the South Asian cultural corridor in East London's Tower Hamlets, and the restaurant brings a similar energy: a celebration of Indian heritage expressed through sophisticated technique rather than nostalgia.
Chef Sanjay Rawat, who previously cooked at Kahani at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, leads the kitchen. His partners are first-time restaurateurs Rishma Shariff and Sachin Nayyar. The cooking is defined by its live-fire equipment: a wood-fire grill and a tandoor working in tandem to produce dishes like charred sweet potato chaat, mor milagai branzino — a South Indian-inspired preparation — and applewood butter chicken.
California produce runs throughout the menu, a reflection of the Arts District's farm-to-table sensibility. The integration of local sourcing with regional Indian technique is the clearest statement the restaurant makes: this is cooking that could only exist in Los Angeles in 2026.
The bar program, developed by Horacio Cortez, centers South Asian flavors: mango, saffron, cardamom, jamun (Indian blackberry), and kanji (fermented beetroot) appear in the cocktail list. Wine lead Kathryn Coker curated a selection highlighting small producers and Indian winemakers from Northern California.
Brick Lane is at 1331 E. 6th St. in Downtown Los Angeles.
Insider Tip: The charred sweet potato chaat at Brick Lane is the dish food writers keep circling back to — it encapsulates the restaurant's approach (Indian flavor logic applied to a California ingredient using live fire) in a single bite. Order it first to understand the menu's point of view before moving to the larger plates.
BADMAASH — Venice (Abbot Kinney Boulevard)
BADMAASH debuted its third Los Angeles location on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice on March 27, 2026. Founded in 2013 by brothers Nakul and Arjun Mahendro, the brand built a dedicated following at its earlier locations before expanding to this high-profile Venice address.
The Venice opening is significant in several ways. It is the first BADMAASH location to feature a full cocktail program, led by bar director Steve LaFountain. The menu introduces several dishes created specifically for Venice: steak frites prepared with Indian spices, laal maas-style lamb chops, lamb neck korma, and an expanded seafood and vegetarian section. The space, designed by architecture and design firm Preen, Inc., fuses Indian heritage references with the earthy, skate-influenced visual culture of the surrounding Abbot Kinney neighborhood.
The original BADMAASH following may recognize the tikka poutine that made the brand famous — it remains on the menu, now sitting alongside a cocktail list built with the same Indo-Californian logic that defines the kitchen. The result is a more complete restaurant experience than either of the earlier locations offered.
Pijja Palace — Silver Lake
Pijja Palace operates out of a strip mall at 2711 W Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake and represents what may be the most influential Indian-American restaurant concept to emerge from Los Angeles in recent years. Founded by Avish Naran and earning James Beard Award recognition, the restaurant opened in 2022 and continues to draw strong attention in 2026.
The format is deliberate and specific: an Indian-Italian sports bar. Chef Miles Shorey runs a kitchen that produces dosa onion rings, paneer pizzas, and a rotating menu of specials — Indian flavors applied to bar food formats, served with a strong beer and wine list in a room with screens. The combination is not for everyone, but it has earned Pijja Palace a fiercely loyal following and a place in regular "best Indian restaurants in LA" coverage.
Pijja Palace is not a 2026 opening, but it belongs in any September 2026 survey of where Indian dining in LA stands. Naran is reportedly planning a neighboring concept at the same Silver Lake address, which would make the location a genuine destination for Indian food in the neighborhood.
The Broader Indian Dining Landscape in Los Angeles
These three spots represent the new-concept end of the LA Indian dining spectrum. The traditional end remains well-served: Artesia's Little India corridor — Pioneer Boulevard and surrounding streets — has dozens of Indian restaurants, sweet shops, and grocers that have served the South Asian-American diaspora for decades. Traditional Punjabi dhabas, South Indian tiffin spots, and Indian-Chinese hybrids are all represented there.
The Indian-American community in Los Angeles is one of the largest in the United States, and the dining scene reflects that scale. The Culver City stretch has seen Indian restaurant growth, and established spots in Koreatown and Palms continue to draw regulars from across the metro area.
For visitors and newcomers, Artesia is still the essential foundation — a full afternoon there covers more Indian culinary ground than anywhere else in Southern California. But for Indian-American residents and food-focused visitors, the 2026 wave of concept-driven openings gives the city a new set of answers when someone asks where to eat Indian food in LA.
FAQ
What is the newest Indian restaurant in Los Angeles in 2026? Among the most recent openings, Brick Lane in the Arts District launched in May 2026 and BADMAASH's Venice location opened in March 2026. Both are operating as of September 2026.
Is BADMAASH a traditional Indian restaurant? BADMAASH is better described as a modern Indian-American restaurant. The menu takes Indian flavors and applies them to familiar formats — poutine, steak frites, cocktails — rather than presenting traditional Indian regional cuisine.
Is Pijja Palace good for a group dinner? Pijja Palace is a sports bar format, which makes it well-suited to groups. The shareable menu items and lively atmosphere work for larger parties. Reservations are recommended.
Where is Little India in Los Angeles? Little India in Los Angeles is centered in Artesia, along Pioneer Boulevard, approximately 20 miles south of Downtown LA. It remains the primary hub for traditional Indian grocers, restaurants, and sweet shops serving the South Asian diaspora community.
Does Brick Lane take reservations? As a full-service restaurant that opened in 2026, Brick Lane almost certainly takes reservations — check directly with the restaurant for current booking options.
Bottom Line
The Indian dining scene in Los Angeles in September 2026 has more genuinely interesting options than it did three years ago. Brick Lane brings chef-driven, live-fire regional Indian cooking to the Arts District with a California-sourced sensibility. BADMAASH carried its long-running Indo-Californian brand to Venice in March, adding a cocktail program and a new menu chapter. And Pijja Palace in Silver Lake has demonstrated that a fully original Indian-American restaurant concept can earn serious recognition — and its influence is visible in the 2026 class of openings. For Indian-American dining in LA, the current moment is one of real expansion in both ambition and format.