The best soups in Los Angeles reflect our wealth of cultures. You’ve got your Vietnamese pho, your Korean ox-bone broth, your New England clam chowder…the list goes on. They’re satisfying, healthy and ultra comforting. Make a mental bookmark of these spots (all currently offering takeout or delivery), because they’re the best bowls in the city, and there’s no better cure for the common cold or the late-night munchies.
The Best Soups in Los Angeles, from Clam Chowder to Wonton
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Published Dec 18, 2020
1. Laksa At Cassia
At this Southeast Asian restaurant, rice noodles in a spicy coconut-seafood stew is just what you want on a cold day. Or a rainy day. Or, failing that, Angelenos, anytime you want to be perked up by this flavorful and protein-packed dish. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
1314 Seventh St., Santa Monica; 310-393-6699 or cassiala.com
Pho Café
2. Pho At Pho Café
In a sketchy strip mall in Silverlake, this bright little Vietnamese home-cooking restaurant serves swimming-pool-sized bowls of pho to locals draped over the modernist chairs, inhaling basil-scented steam. Imagine obscenely good food served in a clinic decorated by Design Within Reach—this is it. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
2841 Sunset Blvd.; 213-413-0888 or phocafela.com
3. Cow Foot Soup At Natraliart Jamaican Restaurant
This popular Jamaican spot typically has multiple soups on the menu to choose from, but the cow foot soup cooked with lima beans and vegetables is our favorite. It’s rich, spicy and packed with flavor.
Courtesy of Silverlake Ramen
4. Ramen At Silverlake Ramen
It’s like the roulette wheel of ramen up in here, with spicy, vegetarian and meaty varieties to try to your heart’s content. We’re partial to the classic tonkotsu, flavored with pork belly and scallions. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
2927 Sunset Blvd.; 323-660-8100 or silverlakeramen.com
5. Pav Bhaji At Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se
This vegetarian spot specializes in Mumbai-style street food and the pav bhaji (a thick vegetable curry with ginger, garlic and tomatoes) served with toasty garlic bread is one of its signature dishes. Now open for takeout and delivery.
17705 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia; 201-844-1515
Connie & Ted’s
6. Clam Chowder At Connie & Ted’s
It’s a polarizing issue: Do you prefer Manhattan (tomatoey goodness), New England (smooth and creamy) or Rhode Island (clear-brothed and fresh) clam chowder? This popular seafood spot excels at all three, so you might want to consider ordering them all and having your very own at-home taste test. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
8171 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; 323-848-2722 or connieandteds.com
7. Fennel Soup At Soupelina
This soup delivery company began when its owner started whipping up vegan soups to help build up her strength while she was fighting aggressive breast cancer. Eight years later, she’s selling soup (rather than juice) cleanses and individual pints of the clean, aromatic and vegan offerings, including this savory blend of fennel, celery root, leeks and garlic. Available for delivery only.
8. Sopa De Pedra At natas Pastries
We love the traditional pastel de nata pastries at this café and bakery, but in order to indulge in them guilt-free, we like to slurp up a sopa de pedras first. This satisfying and extremely tasty soup is made with potato broth and root vegetables (so you get your five-a-day), and we highly recommend adding some mild (or hot, if you can handle it) Portuguese sausage for extra bite.
13317 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; 818-788-8050 or nataspastries.com
9. Wonton Soup At Kop Jai Lai
This Mission Hills restaurant is the only Laotian restaurant in town and the place to go for a healing bowl of fresh wonton soup, made here with chicken and shrimp rather than the usual pork. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
15423 Chatsworth St., Mission Hills; 818-891-1068 or kopjailai.com
10. Matzoh Ball Soup At Langer’s Deli
This Jewish deli really cares about us. Know how we know? ’Cause it’ll fill up a mason jar with its golden broth and chewy dumplings, and run it out to the curb for us to take back home. No spills + major convenience = soup heaven. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
704 S. Alvarado St.; 213-483-8050 or langersdeli.com
11. Tamarind Pork Ribs Soup At Jitlada
You think you love the heat? Hit this beloved Hollywood restaurant that specializes in southern Thai dishes. Adventurous eaters flock here for the hyper-spicy curries like this one, a mélange of tender pork short ribs in spicy tamarind and spinach.
5233 1/2 W. Sunset Blvd.; 323-667-9809 or jitladala.com
12. Bone Broth At Han Bat Sul Lung Tang
Angelenos’ favorite hangover cure is served up steaming and to your liking at this Koreatown restaurant. You’ll order the seolleongtang, which is made by boiling down beef bones for hours until the broth is milky white. Choose brisket as your add-in meat, then garnish with a bit of salt and green onion. And hydrate, for goodness’ sake. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
4163 W. Fifth St.; 213-383-9499
13. The Daily Special At Joan’s On Third
Whether it’s a bowl of humble and hearty lentil soup that’s got a smoky depth you can never quite achieve at home or a steaming bowl of matzo ball soup just like bubbe used to make, this café/deli always delivers. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
Locations on Third Street and in Studio City; joansonthird.com
14. French Onion Soup At Petit Trois
Be silent the critics extolling the escargot here, and let us now praise an infamous soupe àl’oignon. This perfectly salted broth with caramelized onions—topped with a crusty cap of Emmental and Gruyère cheeses, no less—transports you straight to Paris, especially when washed down with a glass of red. Now offering pick-up and delivery.
718 N. Highland Ave.; 323-468-8916 or petittrois.com
