Dan Tana's

Tucked inside a modest yellow bungalow on Santa Monica Boulevard, Dan Tana’s has been serving up old-school Italian-American fare since the 1960s. This isn’t some trendy spot your social media-obsessed friends are clamoring to visit—it’s a genuine LA institution where red booths, chianti bottles dangling from the ceiling, and tuxedoed waiters create an atmosphere that feels perpetually festive.

The menu leans hard into comfort food territory, and that’s exactly the point. Their legendary chicken parmigiana arrives as a towering monument of breaded chicken, melted cheese, and red sauce that instantly improves whatever kind of week you’ve been having. The fried ravioli makes for an essential starter (consider ordering two), while the penne arrabiata brings legitimate heat that most red-sauce joints wouldn’t dare attempt. When you’ve had your fill of tomato-based dishes, the linguini and clams with white sauce offers a lighter alternative that’s just as satisfying.

The cramped quarters function as a great equalizer—you might be seated elbow-to-elbow with award-winning screenwriters or recognizable faces without any velvet ropes or VIP sections creating artificial barriers. Everyone’s here for the same reason: hearty portions, flowing wine, and an atmosphere that transforms an ordinary Tuesday into something worth celebrating.

Whether you’re marking a birthday, entertaining out-of-town visitors, or simply need a reminder of what makes LA dining special beyond juice bars and grain bowls, Dan Tana’s delivers an experience that’s increasingly rare—a place with genuine history, zero pretension, and food that tastes exactly the way you want it to.