Henrietta

Tucked along Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park, Henrietta has quickly established itself as the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you glad to live nearby. By day, it operates as a welcoming cafe with a killer sandwich menu; by night, it transforms into an intimate dining room that feels like attending a dinner party at a friend’s beautifully curated home. The space strikes that perfect balance between effortlessly cool and genuinely cozy.

The kitchen, helmed by a Chi Spacca alum, knows how to make simple ingredients sing. Their mushroom dip sandwich on house-baked ciabatta is the kind of thing that makes you temporarily forget beef exists. When the sun sets and the candles come out, the menu shifts to date-night territory—think beef tartare brightened with pickled pumpkin, pillowy ricotta dumplings swimming in rich mushroom broth, and a roast chicken that pays homage to the legendary version at San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe.

What really sets Henrietta apart is the accessibility of the whole experience. The wine list is thoughtful without being pretentious, with every glass coming in under sixteen dollars. Even better, snagging a table doesn’t require the planning of a military operation—same-day reservations are genuinely possible, a rarity in the LA dining scene.

Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch at the counter or settling in for a leisurely dinner with someone special, Henrietta delivers the kind of neighborhood restaurant experience that Echo Park—and frankly, most neighborhoods—could use more of.