LOS ANGELES GUIDEBOOK
Lunch spots
The Original Farmers Market
6333 W 3rd St
Gracias Madre
8905 Melrose AveUrth Caffe Melrose
8565 Melrose AveE.A.K. RAMEN - LA Melrose
7455 Melrose AveGreat ramen place. Perfect place for a weekday lunch or dinner!
Hidden gem in Hollywood; it's the sister restaurant of a famous restaurant in Naples. It's a bit pricey but worth checking out for the brick oven pizza and beautiful patio!
17 locals recommend
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
1534 N McCadden PlHidden gem in Hollywood; it's the sister restaurant of a famous restaurant in Naples. It's a bit pricey but worth checking out for the brick oven pizza and beautiful patio!
Quick breakfast spots
Breakfast by Salt's Cure
7494 Santa Monica BlvdTry the Griddle pancakes!
Farm Cup Coffee
7748 Santa Monica BoulevardIt's a few blocks' walk and serves great coffee and pastries!
Neighborhoods
For a break from the tourist hot spots, check out this quaint and hip neighborhood. Get lost on Vermont ave in the shops and boutiques, and try Figaro Bistrot for lunch -- it's my favorite restaurant in the city!
101 locals recommend
Los Feliz
For a break from the tourist hot spots, check out this quaint and hip neighborhood. Get lost on Vermont ave in the shops and boutiques, and try Figaro Bistrot for lunch -- it's my favorite restaurant in the city!
This is the trendiest neighborhood, favored by hipsters and chill celebrities. Check out Intelligentisa coffee and the wine bar next door! For a chic upscale dinner and cocktails, check out Cafe Stella and its great basement bar, or for a more chill, relaxed vibe, try The Black Cat.
256 locals recommend
Silver Lake
This is the trendiest neighborhood, favored by hipsters and chill celebrities. Check out Intelligentisa coffee and the wine bar next door! For a chic upscale dinner and cocktails, check out Cafe Stella and its great basement bar, or for a more chill, relaxed vibe, try The Black Cat.
This neighborhood is really trendy and comes alive on weekends! Check out the breweries and galleries -- they are really worth paying a visit.
297 locals recommend
Art District
Traction AvenueThis neighborhood is really trendy and comes alive on weekends! Check out the breweries and galleries -- they are really worth paying a visit.
This section of Venice is a lot less touristy and VERY hip! I like to check out the boutiques, have lunch there, and then rent a bike and ride it to the Venice boardwalk, and then all the way to the Santa Monica Pier and back. In my opinion, it's the best way to check out all that those areas have to offer!
1065 locals recommend
Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Abbot Kinney BoulevardThis section of Venice is a lot less touristy and VERY hip! I like to check out the boutiques, have lunch there, and then rent a bike and ride it to the Venice boardwalk, and then all the way to the Santa Monica Pier and back. In my opinion, it's the best way to check out all that those areas have to offer!
My favorite brunch places!
Angelini Osteria
7313 Beverly BlvdGreat patio, great people watching, great drinks and great Mexican food! It's a drive, but if you're checking out the east side or downtown, you can't go wrong here.
155 locals recommend
Salazar
2490 Fletcher DrGreat patio, great people watching, great drinks and great Mexican food! It's a drive, but if you're checking out the east side or downtown, you can't go wrong here.
Nightlife
E.P. & L.P.
603 N La Cienega BlvdThe Surly Goat
7929 Santa Monica BlvdIt's a chill bar that serves only beer and offers games!
60s-themed lounge bar with a great atmosphere and throwback music! It gets busy, so get there by 10pm to skip the line.
266 locals recommend
Good Times at Davey Wayne's
1611 N El Centro Ave60s-themed lounge bar with a great atmosphere and throwback music! It gets busy, so get there by 10pm to skip the line.
For a fun, trendy dinner, people watching, and expensive cocktails! Don't let the entrance deceive you.
407 locals recommend
Laurel Hardware
7984 Santa Monica BlvdFor a fun, trendy dinner, people watching, and expensive cocktails! Don't let the entrance deceive you.
Beautiful patio & great for people watching! They also have a $30 all you can drink option on weekends and pitchers of Sangria!
11 locals recommend
Bacari W 3rd
8030 W 3rd StBeautiful patio & great for people watching! They also have a $30 all you can drink option on weekends and pitchers of Sangria!
Tu Madre
1111 Hayworth AvenueAffordable food and drinks + great outdoor seating!
Sightseeing
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso DrAbsolutely gorgeous botanical garden in Glendale.
I mean... you did come all the way to Hollywood. Make sure to reserve tickets in advance!
35 locals recommend
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
6067 Wilshire BlvdI mean... you did come all the way to Hollywood. Make sure to reserve tickets in advance!
Instead of driving, try hiking up there on one of the hiking trails available! It'll save you a lot on parking/uber, and it's a quintessential Los Angeles experience.
4367 locals recommend
Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory RdInstead of driving, try hiking up there on one of the hiking trails available! It'll save you a lot on parking/uber, and it's a quintessential Los Angeles experience.
This is hands-down my favorite sightseeing spot in the city! It was built by J. Paul Getty (of the Getty museum, which is ALSO work checking out) and modeled after a REAL Italian Villa discovered intact under Herculaneum, a town buried in the Vesuvius explosion that also buried Pompeii. The art and the flora is just stunning -- and the views of Malibu are breathtaking! If you're taking a day-trip out to one of Malibu's beaches, I really recommend you stop here. Entrance is free but parking is $15, and they close at 3pm.
883 locals recommend
The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast HwyThis is hands-down my favorite sightseeing spot in the city! It was built by J. Paul Getty (of the Getty museum, which is ALSO work checking out) and modeled after a REAL Italian Villa discovered intact under Herculaneum, a town buried in the Vesuvius explosion that also buried Pompeii. The art and the flora is just stunning -- and the views of Malibu are breathtaking! If you're taking a day-trip out to one of Malibu's beaches, I really recommend you stop here. Entrance is free but parking is $15, and they close at 3pm.
This is a beautiful public beach with stairs that go down from a cliffside to the water. It's a trip to get there, so plan to be there the whole way. For food, check out Malibu Seafood.
9 locals recommend
El Matador Beach Road
El Matador Beach RoadThis is a beautiful public beach with stairs that go down from a cliffside to the water. It's a trip to get there, so plan to be there the whole way. For food, check out Malibu Seafood.
City/town information
Iconic coastal beach town with beautiful sights. Known for its wine tasting rooms. If you have a couple days to spare, I would suggest you make the drive down (it's only 3 hours away) and check out neighboring vineyards or the town of SOLVANG, a little dutch settlement that looks like it's out of Epcot.
182 locals recommend
Santa Barbara
Iconic coastal beach town with beautiful sights. Known for its wine tasting rooms. If you have a couple days to spare, I would suggest you make the drive down (it's only 3 hours away) and check out neighboring vineyards or the town of SOLVANG, a little dutch settlement that looks like it's out of Epcot.