Little Fish

Little Fish started as a backyard pop-up during the pandemic and has grown into one of Los Angeles’s most celebrated sustainable seafood destinations. Founded by Anna Sonenshein and chef Niki Vahle, the concept began with a beloved fried fish sandwich and has since expanded to two locations: a lively daytime cafe in Echo Park and a full-service dinner restaurant in Melrose Hill, the latter added to the Michelin Guide in March 2026. Together, the two spaces represent one of California’s most honest and personal approaches to seafood cooking.

For Anna and Niki, sustainability means understanding the full lifecycle of fishing and building real relationships with the people who harvest it. The kitchen avoids waste both literally and philosophically. With dry-agers built into the walls at the Melrose Hill space, the team can handle a wider range of fish, offer more preparations, and say yes to whatever the fishermen bring in — ensuring nothing goes to waste. The Echo Park cafe uses compostable packaging for its busy takeout service. Seasonality is non-negotiable: fish availability drives the menu, not the other way around.

The menu is built around the daily rhythms of the California coast, shaped by the team’s deepening knowledge of local species, climate, and fishing practices.

Little Fish shows what intentional growth looks like. Anna and Niki started cooking for friends in their backyard and built a business rooted in genuine respect for California’s seafood. Their Melrose Hill restaurant is the culmination of that journey — a full-service space where every decision, from the dry-agers to the compost bins, reflects the same values they started with. It is a place where humble cooking and serious craft coexist, and where the fish on your plate has a story worth knowing.