Nothing says “welcome back” like new restaurants to explore around Westwood.

By the time summer’s sweltering heat cools down, an assortment of restaurants will have opened their doors. These eateries in and around the UCLA area will offer fresh and familiar flavors for Bruins looking to eat, meet and unwind. American comfort food, traditional Persian dishes and morning staples, with company from furry friends, will give students plenty of reasons to go out and grab a bite.

Get hungry for Daily Bruin Arts contributors’ selections of restaurants opening this summer and early fall.

Boichik Bagels

One of the Bay Area’s most beloved bagel shops is heading south.

Boichik Bagels is coming soon to 911 Westwood Boulevard, marking the business’s thirteenth location. Deemed one of the best New York-style bagels by New York Times critic Tejal Rao, Boichik offers a variety of classic bagel options, from plain to poppyseed, paired with cream cheese spreads and New York-imported lox, whitefish and tuna.

The Berkeley-based bagel chain was founded by Emily Winston, a New Jersey local who grew up eating New York’s H&H Bagels with her father. After moving to the Bay Area and discovering that her childhood favorite H&H Bagels had closed, Winston sought to recreate the taste of New York bagels for Californians. Boichik Bagels uses long cold dough fermentation and kettle-boiling to create the New York-style flavor.

With quality ingredients and a New York-style preparation method, Boichik is bringing a bite of the Big Apple to Westwood.

– Julia Kinion

Cafe Chez Luna

Cafe Chez Luna aims to elevate people’s morning routines.

Located on Santa Monica’s Main Street, the new coffee shop is set to open before fall. Looking to create a new community space, Cafe Chez Luna blends quality coffee with a good cause – dog rescuing and fostering. The shop will feature two spaces: an indoor area designated for dogs up for adoption and an outdoor area where customers can bring their own dogs while visiting. The cafe was founded by Asia Bonetto and Kris Gunn, who are both affiliated with the dog rescue nonprofit Mutternity Project, which Bonetto founded in 2025.

The “adoption cafe” shared on social media that it hopes to become a third space where people feel comfortable extending their coffee run into a longer stay – encouraging visitors to meet new people and building community among locals. In addition to creating a relaxed atmosphere, Chez Luna also supports Los Angeles rescue organizations, allowing customers to donate even if they cannot adopt a pet.

Merging community with philanthropy, Cafe Chez Luna is set to change an animal’s life one coffee at a time.

– Ana Camila Burquez

Rumi’s Kitchen

Century City’s dining scene is about to get a little more poetic.

Rumi’s Kitchen, an upscale Persian restaurant chain from Sandy Springs, Georgia, is opening its first California location on the second floor of Westfield Century City mall this summer. Rooted in traditional Persian cuisine, the menu features coal-fired kebabs, a variety of seasonal dishes and an extensive wine list. Open for both lunch and dinner, the restaurant’s menu mixes dishes like pomegranate short ribs with lighter bites, including wings grilled with spicy lemon saffron.

The restaurant takes its name from Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet. Rumi’s Kitchen draws on the poet’s legacy in the restaurant’s approach to hospitality and focus on building a place where food and drink are celebrated.

Soon, for Century City diners, a dive into traditional Persian dining may be worth waxing poetic about.

– Ava Johnson

The Melt

Something cheesy is coming to Westwood.

The Melt, a fast-casual American restaurant with locations across California and Arizona, will be opening at 931 Westwood Boulevard this fall. The burger chain melds fresh ingredients with American comfort foods. Originally serving grilled cheese sandwiches paired with soup, the chain now serves a variety of dishes. Classic cheesy meals like mac and cheese and patty melts appear on the eatery’s menu. Alongside traditional casual American dishes like burgers and fries, more experimental combinations like barbecue-grilled chicken bacon sandwiches are also part of the restaurant’s repertoire.

The chain’s founder, Jonathan Kaplan, was a tech entrepreneur in the Bay Area, famous for founding the camera company Pure Digital Technologies. In line with its Silicon Valley roots, the restaurant was one of the first to use guest-facing technology, such as mobile ordering in 2011. Open each day of the week until midnight, The Melt will be accessible to Bruins with varying schedules – especially those seeking a late-night bite.

The Melt’s arrival will give Bruins another place to turn when cheesy cravings strike.

– Sara Green