Predicting the future is usually a losing game, but the end of the year tends to turn most of us working in media into wannabe psychics—and I’m no exception. Out of the 10 anticipated new restaurants I highlighted last year, just five of them actually opened, with little news on whether projects like Sushi Nakazawa (from New York City) and Jônt (from Washington, D.C.) will actually come to fruition. Some of these to-be-realized restaurants are probably still in the works, but I’ve chosen to highlight 10 other entirely new projects I’ve gleaned word of throughout the last twelve months. Next year, plenty of well-known local names are leveling up with tasting menus and spinoff projects, while a few notable out-of-towners will attempt to plant a flag in the city’s competitive restaurant scene. Most importantly: Will the Westside finally get a modernist House of Pies? Only time will tell. Until then, check out my guide to the 10 biggest L.A. restaurant openings to know for 2025. Photograph provided by JFOODO 1. Ki Anticipated opening: JanuaryThis Little Tokyo fine dining destination comes from namesake chef Ki Kim, the mastermind behind now-closed Kinn in Koreatown. Housed in the same basement level space as Sushi Kaneyoshi and Bar Sawa, this minimalist intimate chef’s counter will host a $285 Korean-influenced tasting menu—a much higher price point than Kinn, which Kim told Eater he hopes will allow for better staff compensation. It’s worth noting that Ki will be run by the same partners as Kaneyoshi and Sawa, both which rank among the city’s best fine dining experiences.  Photograph: Courtesy Rumi's Kitchen 2. Rumi’s Kitchen Anticipated opening: Summer Watch out, Westwood and Glendale: One of the best Persian restaurants in the country is coming to Westfield Century City sometime next summer. Originally from the Atlanta suburbs, Rumi’s Kitchen already boasts five other locations nationwide. The Century City outpost, however, is a homecoming for chef-owner Ali Mesghali, who spent his formative years in Los Angeles. Expect impeccably crafted kebab-centric Middle Eastern cuisine, including several varieties of koobideh, hummus, mast-o-khiar and khoresh bademjan, a creamy roasted eggplant dip topped with yogurt. Housemade sweets like kunefe—a traditional Middle Eastern dessert—and thoughtful house cocktails will round out the all-star menu. Photograph: Courtesy Jesse Hsu 3. First Born Anticipated opening: January After years of vacancy, the old Pok Pok space in Chinatown’s Mandarin Plaza will come alive in the form of First Born, a new-school Chinese restaurant from Destroyer alum Anthony Wang. The Chinese American chef will offer a creative interpretation of Chinese cuisine inspired by his upbringing in the South as a child of immigrants and adulthood working in the classically French world of fine dining. While the menu will change on a seasonal basis, Wang told Eater diners can expect two staples: egg custard and a honey-glazed French-style duck encrusted in Chinese spices. As of writing, First Born will initially begin with dinner service, and introduce a more affordable lunch menu later on.  Photograph: Jakob N. Layman for Time Out 4. House of Pies Venice Anticipated opening: TBD In the last few years, Westsiders have watched as this “absolute unit” of a building has slowly taken shape at the intersection of Venice and Lincoln boulevards. Now, sometime in 2025, this Los Feliz institution will finally expand westward after over a decade of anticipation—the project was first proposed back in 2012, though signs of progress in construction have only  become apparent in the last few years. Beloved for its housemade pies, classic diner fare and late-night hours, the current House of Pies is the last vestige of a once-prolific Southern California diner chain. Per multiple media reports, owner Victor Watana also plans to expand to Glendale at some point. 5. Zaytinya Anticipated opening: December 17 In just a few days, José Andrés Group (JAG)—the world-renowned chef’s namesake hospitality group—will open this upscale Mediterranean concept in the former Etta space in Culver City. Billed as an homage to Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisine, Zaytinya already has locations in Washington D.C., New York City and Miami. Like the other three outposts, Zaytinya Culver City will feature a white-and-blue design scheme with bronze accents, plus menu signatures like grilled octopus, kebab platters and various kinds of flatbread. Other highlights include the Ancient Olive, a dirty martini that uses olives three different ways, and Turkish coffee chocolate cake. On the same day, JAG will also relaunch the Shay Hotel’s rooftop space as Butterfly, an all-day concept serving tacos, ceviche and drinks. The menu will be similar to one offered at JAG’s pre-existing Mexican concept, D.C.’s Oyamel.  Photograph: Courtesy Alta Adams/Andrea D’Agosto 6. Jaca Anticipated opening: TBD Daniel Patterson and Keith Corbin, the pair behind Alta in West Adams and the newly rebooted Locol in Watts, will open this tasting menu concept inside the former Son of a Gun space in Beverly Grove. Jaca represents a return to fine dining for Patterson, who founded San Francisco’s two Michelin-starred Coi back in 2006 before leaving the now-closed restaurant in 2015. For Corbin, who got his start in restaurants at the original Locol, the Beverly Grove project will be the chef’s first foray into the world of tweezers and sky-high menu prices. According to the Los Angeles Times, Jaca will offer two menu formats—one shorter, another longer—plus a more casual wine bar and bottle shop next door. Patterson and Corbin also plan to use Jaca to extend the education and training pipeline for Alta Community, the pair’s nonprofit, through which Locol trains and employs at-risk youth. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out 7. Corridor 109 / Bar 109 Anticipated opening: Late spring After operating intermittently from the second floor of Far East Plaza, Brian Baik’s Korean-influenced seafood tasting menu pop-up will open inside a former furniture store in East Hollywood. The second-generation chef, whose parents own and operate Koreatown’s Kobawoo, trained in the NYC fine dining world before returning home during the pandemic. Initially, Corridor 109 began as a weekly pop-up inside Kobawoo before transitioning into a semi-regular Chinatown dinner series. The upcoming East Hollywood space will feature a tasting menu in the back while a more casual wine bar, Bar 109, will operate in the front. Rendering: Courtesy Jade Rabbit 8. Jade Rabbit Anticipated opening: End of January After a few months’ worth of construction and permitting delays, Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng are gearing up to open their fast-casual Chinese restaurant just in time for Lunar New Year (Jan 29). Located a few blocks away from the couple’s other Santa Monica restaurant, Cassia, Jade Rabbit will draw culinary inspiration from classic Chinese American takeout, Hong Kong cafés, Cantonese banquet halls and mainland cuisine. While the affordable combo menu isn’t completely finalized, dishes to look forward to include Cantonese-style steamed salmon, spicy minced lamb and orange-mango chicken—a cross between classic orange chicken and Korean fried chicken.  Photograph: Robb McDonoughGott’s Roadside 9. Gott’s Roadside Anticipated opening: Fall One of the Bay Area’s best burgers is coming to Los Angeles late next year—and at the iconic Original Farmers Market, no less. Founded in 1999, Gott’s Roadside began as a Napa Valley roadside stand and now has eight locations, including similar food hall outposts in the San Francisco Ferry Building and Napa’s Oxbow Market. The James Beard award-winning fast-casual chain is best known for its burgers, but also serves salads, sandwiches, tacos, hot dogs and (fancy!) wines by the glass. Photograph: Courtesy Matt Armendariz 10. Neighborly Anticipated opening: December 19 The Thousand Oaks culinary scene is about to get a whole lot more interesting with the opening of Neighborly, a food hall inside the Promenade at Westlake Village. Six new culinary concepts, including Mini Kabob and the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, will operate within a joint satellite kitchen that promises a higher level of consistency compared to most ghost kitchens. The other eateries include L.A. classic grab-and-go Joan’s on Third; Flour Shop (home of the viral “explosion cake”); a line of lunch items by online recipe developer Gaby Dalkin; and Social Monk, a Chinese American casual concept owned by the Cheesecake Factory.