have a 4 hour window, maybe 5, to grab some grub around LAX for dinner. Could use some guidance on what may be worth having and can be done with UBER / taxi as I won’t have a car.
TIA
With a 4 to 5 hour window I would think you have many options. So that leads to the next question what are you looking for in terms of cuisine, price point etc.
Price nonissue. Upscale meal is great. Something unique. No restrictions on diet. Will be in jeans and a polo. Fun wine list would be great
Whats the timeframe? Italian is not unusual but Felix is amazing – you’d have to be there at 5pm and lineup putside to grt a bar seat at 5:30pm when they open. Order a bit of everything.
Alternately Cassia’s Asian French fusion on the west side may please your curiosity.
If unusual amd unique is truly that important, you could do Korea town or something but it’d be a forty minute uber from LAX.
Best upscales in town prolly n/naka, maude, gwen. Provodence is good but not unusual enough prolly. Ditto Fishing With dynamite.
Not sure about getting in last minute or time factor of getting there and back to airport.
I think Fishing with Dynamite or MB Post would be good options, Manhattan Beach is close to LAX. I’m not sure if it’s worth going too far since with traffic, waits at the restaurant, etc., 4-5 hrs can go by fast. Plus security lines at the airport, etc.
Venice/Abbot Kinney is also relatively close, and prob more unique to SoCal. Gjelina, etc. plus Abbot Kinney’s a nice place to stroll around before/after, you can check out the canals
If I was coming from the airport I’d consider gjelina.
If you are up for Japanese you could do Shunji (25 minutes from LAX) however I don’t know what their wine list is like because I BYOB
Republique - has ok food and a very good winelist if wine is more important than food
Orsa & Winston - in downtown is doable if there is not to much traffic. Very good food and good small wine list.
Lukshon - I have not been yet but this is very close to the airport.
I used to fly into LAX for meetings a lot and would skip the unusual food and just go have a burger at the beach … so relaxing and so not IL.
Good ones, but I wouldn’t call Lukson very close to LAX. Moderate drive.
Thanks for pointing that out, mapquest says 10 minutes which I know means nothing in LA.
When? Time, day of week.
Google maps, which includes traffic, put it at 24 mins.
Didn’t know mapquest was still around tbh.
Waze is the best one, imo, for shortest driving routes.
Thanks!
Wednesday. Window is 3:00 PM until 8:45
I wouldn’t drive downtown or anywhere far; Venice is probably your best bet.
There’s also an In 'n Out right by the airport. 
Orsa & winston is probably a hour each way on average dependent on traffic. Could be a little less could be a lot more.
I’d go somewhere in the southbay. Manhattan Post and Fishing with Dynamite are good idea. Felix in Venice is also a good idea
These would be my top three choices too. But if you want unique, the Venice AREA and Abbot Kinney are cooler to visit than Manhattan Beach on a weeknight.