AS A HOST CITY for this summer’s World Cup, L.A. has been graced with the presence of elite athletes and fans from around the globe.
But even after they go back to their home countries, we still get to eat their food.
For just about every country that made the tournament, L.A. County has a restaurant or a food business serving its cuisine. We found restaurants representing every country that made the Round of 16 and — in the spirit of international competition — we’re pitting them against each other.
This is… the L.A. Material 2026 Culinary Cup.
Members of our subscriber-only forum have chosen between restaurant nominees for representing each country (except for the countries, like Norway and Paraguay, where there was only one option). If you disagree with the selections, make sure to join the forum to argue about it.
The Round of 16, which reflects the actual seeding of its equivalent World Cup round, begins today. The World Cup results will have no more bearing on the Culinary Cup — countries like Brazil and Morocco that have already been knocked out of the soccer tournament still have a chance to win the food tournament.
Voters have until Thursday, July 9th at 3 p.m. to vote in the Round of 16.
Winners of the eight matches will move on to the Quarterfinals on July 10th. The Semifinals will be held on July 16, and the Championship on July 17.
Round of 16 (Restaurants)
To vote for a restaurant, just click on it! For more information on each competing restaurant, read below.
MATCH 1 | Paraguay vs. France
MATCH 2 | Canada vs. Morocco
MATCH 3 | Spain vs. Portugal
MATCH 4 | Belgium vs. U.S.A.
MATCH 5 | Brazil vs. Norway
MATCH 6 | Mexico vs. England
MATCH 7 | Argentina vs. Egypt
MATCH 8 | Switzerland vs. Colombia
The Competitors
ARGENTINA
Malbec (Pasadena and DTLA Arts District)
Opened in 2008 by brothers Pablo and Luciano Alcorta, Malbec is a steakhouse offering traditional Argentinean fare like empanadas, homemade pastas (Argentinean cuisine was heavily influenced by Italian immigration), and — of course — many cuts of grilled meat.
BELGIUM
Belgium Waffle Haus (Granada Hills and Studio City)
An SFV-based mini-chain that opened in 2014, this restaurant offers 18 different types of sweet and savory Belgian Liege waffles, along with lunch sandwiches built on waffle bread.
BRAZIL
Café Brasil (Del Rey)
Chef Marcelino Filho came up through L.A. restaurants The Ivy and Campanile before opening the original Café Brasil in Culver City in 1991. Today, the Del Rey location remains and serves, among other things, an all-day breakfast that includes freshly squeezed juice and pão de queijo, the Brazilian cheese bread.
CANADA
Courage Bagels (East Hollywood)
Known for their Montreal-style bagels, this Virgil Avenue shop is so popular that it has taken Sqirl’s long-held title of Virgil Village’s Longest Line.
COLOMBIA
La Fonda Antioquena (East Hollywood)
Located a few blocks from Paramount Studios, this East Hollywood restaurant has served traditional Colombian fare like ajiaco soup and bandeja paisa for decades.
EGYPT
Tut’s Egyptian Cuisine (Culver City)
One of the few (and possibly only!) restaurants in L.A. County offering Egyptian cuisine, Culver City’s Tut’s has been serving authentic dishes like koshari since 2017.
ENGLAND
Ye Olde King’s Head (Santa Monica)
Open since 1973, Santa Monica’s Ye Olde King’s Head serves up the classic pub experience: staples like bangers and mash and Shepard’s pie, a bar stocked with Guinness, Sunday traditional roasts, a weekly darts league, and even afternoon tea six days a week (which is temporarily on hold until after the World Cup).
FRANCE
Pasjoli (Santa Monica)
Dave Beran’s Pasjoli has gone through several iterations since it opened in 2019 — including a version that won a Michelin star — but the burnt Basque cheesecake it helped popularize in L.A. and the tableside pressed duck are still on offer. (You have to order the duck in advance.)
MEXICO
Angel’s Tijuana Tacos (several locations across LA)
In a city with endless options for tacos, this popular stand consistently draws huge lines of Angelenos from Glassell Park to Sylmar for their TJ-style tacos.
MOROCCO
Zizou (Lincoln Heights)
This French-Moroccan bar and restaurant in Lincoln Heights, named after international soccer star Zinedine Zidane, was opened two summers ago by childhood friends Boris Macquin and Maati Zouitina (Zouitina is half Moroccan), who grew up in Lyon, France. General Manager Majda Belaroui says to try the chicken tajine or harissa short ribs to really get the Moroccan flavor.
NORWAY
Norwegian Seamen’s Church (San Pedro)
A vestige of San Pedro’s Norwegian community and the country’s ships that once regularly sailed into the port, this church holds luncheons that serve fresh waffles and traditional dishes like mutton and cabbage.
PARAGUAY
Sara’s Empanadas (Torrance)
The sole Paraguayan chef L.A. Material was able to find in the entire Southern California area, Sara Dominguez started her catering business out of her home kitchen. She didn't know of any potential Paraguayan clients until she attended a friendly match between the USA and Paraguay women’s teams in January and met three other Paraguayans. Now she's served more than 200 people (very notable, since L.A. County only has roughly 500 Paraguayans). Her specialties include empanadas and vori vori, a chicken soup with cheesy corn flour dumplings.
PORTUGAL
Natas Pastries (Sherman Oaks)
Opened in 2005 by Lisbon native Fatima Marques after she couldn't find anyone selling the namesake pastry, Ventura Boulevard’s Natas Pastries expanded to a full-service restaurant in 2008 and continues to sell native dishes like Bacalhau à Brás alongside their array of baked goods.
SPAIN
Spain Restaurant (Echo Park)
There’s no confusion as to what kind of business the aptly-named Spain Restaurant is running. For those seeking the taste of Spain, this Echo Park mainstay has been cooking up paella and tapas with pitchers of sangria since 1995.
SWITZERLAND
Brötli (Hollywood)
This Swiss pop-up bakery operates out of a Spanish-style apartment building at the southern edge of Hollywood, and made headlines in 2024 when crowds started gathering on Saturday mornings. Jonas Fischer, Nick Langley, and Esmé Jackson run the bakery, which specializes in sourdough loaves and Berliners, brioche doughnuts filled with jam and popular in Switzerland.
U.S.A.
The Apple Pan (Rancho Park)
A West L.A. staple, this diner has served hickory burgers and pies loaded with ice cream since opening in 1947. Alas, the sodas no longer come served in paper cones.
