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Where to eat and drink in Los Angeles

Today’s post is all about Where to eat and drink in Los Angeles, but don’t hesitate to also check out my post on “What to see and do in Los Angeles” here,

Downtown Los Angeles

Where to eat and drink in Los Angeles

I have been meaning to write this post for a couple of months now, as I was lucky enough to have a ‘local’ guide to the best places to eat and drink in Los Angeles on my most recent visit.

Los Angeles’s restaurants and bars are as varied as its neighbourhoods and also spread out over a large area. In this guide to where to eat and drink in Los Angeles I have grouped the bars and eating places by area to make it easier to plan your day.

Beverly Hills/ Miracle Mile

Beverly Hills offers a shoppers’ heaven, located within an area known as the ‘Golden Triangle’, which encompasses world famous Rodeo Drive, the quaint pedestrian ‘Two Rodeo Drive’ and ‘Department Store Row’, where you can find many of the well-known American department stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus and Barneys New York.

If you feel in need of refreshment after all that shopping then you can continue in Julia Roberts’s footsteps and drop into the Beverly Wilshire for a cocktail!

There are several restaurants in the area, notably on Two Rodeo Drive, but there are also many cheaper restaurants on Beverly Drive, Wilshire Drive and West Pico Boulevard.

Los Angeles

An excellent choice for Sunday brunch is Marie Callender’s (5773 Wilshire Boulevard), where the buffet brunch is extensive and includes Callender’s famous pie selection. Have a look at the menu on Marie Callenders site

Continue down Wilshire to the Grove, which is one of the nicest outdoor shopping areas in Los Angeles, with a wide variety of high-end boutiques and restaurants.

Los Angeles

My favourite restaurant at the Grove is “The Cheesecake Factory”, made famous by ‘The Big Bang theory’. This chain of over 20 restaurants provides a good value for money selection of pizza, pasta, burgers, steaks, fish, seafood and “superfoods”; and, as the name implies, the choice of cheesecakes is extensive and I have yet to find one I don’t like!! For a list of locations and the menu; have a look at the Cheesecake Factory site

Los Angeles

The dancing water fountain, which is located in front of the theatre and close to Barneys New York, is a great feature and you can also catch a movie or take a free trolley ride between the Grove and Farmer’s Market. For information about the shops and restaurants you can look at The Grove site

Just next to the Grove, you will find the ‘Farmer’s Market’, renowned for it’s fresh food stalls and also it’s many healthy eating stalls and restaurants from American to Asian, French, Mexican and Italian. However, you should bear in mind that not all the stalls accept credit cards! For more information have a look at the Farmers Market site

Larchmont

Larchmont Village is an oasis of calm amid the bustle of Los Angeles. Although it is small, it has everything you might need, including a drug store, a book- store, a beauty salon, boutiques selling unique items and many coffee shops and restaurants.

Larchmont also has it’s own Farmer’s Market on a Sunday morning from 9am to 2pm. (parking is free in the car park next to Rite Aid, opposite the Farmer’s market). Have a look at the Larchmont village site

Los Angeles

There are many coffee shops and restaurants in Larchmont, including ‘bricks and scones’, ‘Starbucks’, ‘Noah’s bagels’ , ‘Cafe Gratitude’ and ‘red mango’ for frozen yogurt.

Hollywood

One of the most unusual bars in Hollywood is ‘No Vacancy‘ and I won’t spoil the surprise, but the entrance to this bar is unique. If you are a large group, you can reserve a table, but otherwise be prepared to get there early and queue. The bar is in a restored Victorian home and the theme is a speakeasy during the prohibition. There is also an outdoor patio which is a perfect location for a summer drink. Be warned that dress code is smart. Have a look at their site here

Another bar worth a visit is Good Times at Davey Waynes, which also boasts an unusual entrance.  This bar is owned by the same owners as no vacancy but has a 1970s hippy vibe.

Los Angeles

One of my favourite restaurants for a light lunch is the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) at the corner of Hollywood and Highland. This chain of restaurants offers lunch sized portions and their flatbreads (see above) are delicious.

Have a look here for their menu and  a list of all the other locations in LA.

Downtown

Los Angeles

A great place for a drink with one of the best views over Los Angeles is PERCH in downtown LA. There are two rooftop bars and also a restaurant. The main bar and restaurant is on the 15th floor and the setting is beautiful. You can choose to eat in the indoor area or at one of the outside patios, with their amazing views over Los Angeles.  

If you are just looking for a drink (although I would definitely recommend the dinner menu), then you can move up to the 16th floor rooftop lounge. However, if you are travelling with a family then you should be aware that it is aged 21 and over after 9:00pm

Santa Monica

Los Angeles

A great place for breakfast, lunch or brunch is ‘back on the beach‘ café, which is situated right on the beach, so when you’ve finished you can take a siesta on the beach (be careful not to burn!).

The Shangri La hotels rooftop bar (Suite 700) on Ocean Avenue has a fantastic view of the ocean and is situated just across the street from Palisades Park and a 10 minute walk from Santa Monica Pier.

Los Angeles

Another great place for a drink is ‘The Bungalow on the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Ocean Ave. This part outdoor/ part indoor lounge area has five distinct, but inter-related spaces to relax: the Study, a main Bar area, a State Room, an outside deck and East Garden for private dining, as well as a games room. The layout of the Bungalow, as well as the comfy furniture and twinkling lights, make you feel as though you are having a drink in someone’s private home rather than a formal bar. However, be aware that is can get very busy, especially at weekends.

There are many restaurants on third street promenade. If you like Italian food, ‘Trastevere’ has a great selection of pasta, wood-fired pizzas, fish and meat, served on a spacious patio. If you prefer French cuisine, then ‘Monsieur Marcel’ provides a choice of French brasserie style food and there are also Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Sushi and fast-food restaurants along Third Street promenade so there really is something for everyone.

If you don’t fancy eating on third street promenade, there are also several restaurants on Santa Monica Pier with a sea-view. The ‘Ristorante Al Mar’ has a rooftop bar and restaurant, but remember to take a jumper as the sea breeze means it can be significantly cooler than in the town.

And, if neither of these options tempt you, then you can find the Cheesecake Factory and Pizza Antica in the the Santa Monica Place shopping centre. Click on the link to have a look at the menus below, and as both these restaurants are chain restaurants, you can also find the other locations here.

Abbot Kinney/Venice/ Marina del Rey

Venice Beach has a wide variety of shops and cafés from the Boardwalk, with its outdoor shops, bohemian fashion and tattoo parlours to the more upmarket Abbot Kinney Boulevard. At Abbot Kinney you can find organic juice bars, fine dining, art galleries, boutique shops and more !  For a full list see the Abbot Kinney site

Los Angeles

There are many restaurants in Abbot Kinney, including Gjelina’s, but I would also recommend “C&O Trattoria on Washington Boulevard in Marina del Ray (close to Venice beach), or it’s sister restaurant “C+O Cucina” on West Washington Boulevard, and close to Abbott Kinney Boulevard. Both restaurants offer an excellent selection of pasta, and house specialities, such as fire-grilled shrimp, veal picatta and Tuscan chicken breast and the complimentary garlic dough balls are delicious! Have a look here for more information and the menu.

Los Angeles

For lunch or brunch the Terrace Café in Marina del Rey is well worth a try – I had the pancakes, which were both copious and delicious!

Have a look below for some ideas for Where to Stay in Los Angeles

Booking.com

I hope you enjoyed this feature about Where to eat and drink in Los Angeles, and have a look here for more of our travel guides.

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I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog below to make sure you never miss a post,

 

With love,

90 Comments

  1. Great spots and reccomendations!! Thanks for sharing Julia
    xx
    Marcy

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks for reading Marcy xx

  2. Camila says:

    I’ve never been to Los Angeles but I do want to go one day, thanks for the travelers tips!

    Have a wonderful day, xx

    My Vogue Style

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you so much Camila! Have a great day too xx

  3. Foxmystyle - Beauty, Grooming,Editorial Blog says:

    Amazing post! Makes me want to visit LA soon.

    Happy weekend!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! Happy weekend to you too!

  4. I love your blog, thank you for sharing!
    xoxo, Hadasah
    http://www.styletolove.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you so much Hadasah! Have a great weekend xx

  5. Rina says:

    I loved this travel post! I’m such a big foodie especially when I travel! I had such an amazing time in Santa Monica the last time I visited LA too! Seems almost like you’re visiting a different place!

    xoxo Rina

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading x

  6. Darlene says:

    I have never been!! makes me excited to come visit!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! 🙂

  7. Seems absolutely amazing place to visit, I love your post, truly inspiring, thank you for sharing!!!

    xxx

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Nora! It’s definitely worth a visit! xx

  8. Hira says:

    Honestly , i have booked mark your post ! We are planning are trip to LA … Your posts will be a super guide ! Thanks girl …. Hope you had a time of your life .
    Hira ,

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Hira! I’m so glad that you found it useful! Hope you have a great trip to LA! xo

  9. Stephanie says:

    What a wonderful post!! I love Perch!! =) Next time I travel to France, I’ll have to hit you up for recommendations!

    xoxo,
    Stephanie

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Stephanie! I agree Perch was one of the highlights of my trip!! 🙂

  10. AnnaMagia says:

    I always wanted to visit LA and to live there 🙁

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I hope you get to visit soon! 🙂

  11. Emily says:

    I want to go to L.A. right now! Ahhhh! Thanks for sharing these places – adding them to my bucket list haha!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Emily!

  12. Filipa Jackson says:

    I needed this list for my visit haha. Although I did check out the farmers market in The Grove it was so cute and everything was delicious

    Filipa xxx
    PlayingWithApparel.com | Instagram

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Filipa! The Farmers market is definitely worth a visit! Next time I can definitely recommend some of the bars too! 🙂

  13. Colleen says:

    No Vacancy, Davey Wayne’s, and Bungalow are some of my favorite bars here!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Mine too Colleen! xo

  14. This is such an incredibly helpful post, especially for someone like me who’s never been to LA before! I’ve heard that there are so many options, which can certainly be overwhelming as a first timer, so this is great! Thanks so much for sharing and I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    http://www.thestylecontour.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you so much Jalisa! I’m so glad you found it helpful! xo

  15. Siffat Haider says:

    I’m dying to go to LA and your pictures are not helping things! Everything looks delicious!
    xo
    Siffat
    http://icingandglitter.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Siffat! Have a great weekend x

  16. This is so helpful, thanks! I will be there in a month!

    mallory

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Hope you have a great time there Mallory 🙂

  17. Bernadette says:

    OMG! Those food photos are so mouth watering! <3

    Angelie

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading 🙂

  18. Thanks for sharing this post with us! I plan to travel to L.A. one day soon and I’m sure this will be useful to me, as I love to eat and drink 🙂

    http://www.thebeautybeau.com/ivory-gone-luxe/

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Candace! I love to eat and drink too!
      Have a great trip to LA! 🙂

  19. Leftbankgirl says:

    It all looks fantastic! So many things to do! I would love Santa Monica! Have to love Hollywood too

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you – Santa Monica is amazing xx

  20. So many nice places to eat and the foods are mouth-watering. This will come in handy with me when I visit LA one day 🙂 Thank you!

    http://www.busyandfab.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you 🙂

  21. All of this food looks delicious! We are hoping to plan a trip to California next summer, I have never been. I need to remember this post!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Carrie! I hope you have a great trip to California xo

  22. Sophia says:

    I just moved to LA a few month ago so that post is perefect, thank you! xo, Sophia

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading! Enjoy LA xo

  23. Meghan says:

    I wanted to try Gjelina when I was in town but didn’t have enough time. I will next time!

    Great post!!!

    Meghan

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading Meghan! Hope you get to try Gjelina next time! xo

  24. molly says:

    Great list! I just moved to LA so I can definitely use this!
    Xx
    Molly

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! Have fun in LA! I wish I was still there! xo

  25. flowery says:

    Wow just amazing, I would love to visit these places too.

    xoxo
    flowery

    http://www.beautynature.ch

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you x

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Me too! It’s a great place !

  26. Sierra | @itsberrystylish says:

    This makes me want to visit LA so badly, especially after seeing how delicious that pancake looks!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! Yes, the pancake was delicious! xo

  27. Wow, all the food looks so delicious and such great tips! Would love to visit LA one day! x

    Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! I hope you get to visit LA! It’s worth the trip! xx

  28. Great shots! All this yummy food makes me hungry!
    xx
    Jen
    http://www.belledecouture.com/2016/07/cactus-poms.html

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Jen! It’s making me hungry too! 🙂

  29. What a great post! I’ve lived in LA for three years now and still haven’t tried most of these. Life of a hermit. Haha! But it’s definitely time to go out more now that it’s summer and try new things. Can’t wait to go down this list! 🙂 xo, sharon

    http://www.stylelullaby.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Hope you enjoy them Sharon! xo

  30. Candice Nikeia says:

    The grove is one of my favorite places to eat!

    xoxo, Candice

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Me too Candice! I wish I was still in LA! xx

  31. Great suggestions! I love the farmers market at the Grove! I would also suggest trying Korean BBQ – so good in LA!

    Tina
    http://www.justatinabit.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Tina! The Farmers market is great and thanks for the tip about the Korean BBQ!

  32. Wow.. thanks for sharing this girl. I always wanted to go to LA. What a lovely post and amazing pics. Very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
    Have a great week!
    Much love, Len
    http://www.lenparent.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you so much Len! Have a great weekend xx

  33. Violette says:

    All of these photos makes me so hungry!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I know! Me too! 🙂

  34. Definitely need this post when I hit up LA later this summer! 🙂

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading! 🙂

  35. Kashmir & Silk says:

    I love LA! I’ll definitely keep these addresses in mind next time I go !! 🙂 Xx

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading x

  36. Maria says:

    helpful tips. i am going to Las Angeles tomorrow. will visit these places.

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Maria! Hope you have a great time in LA! xo

  37. Jamie says:

    My husband and I are taking a road trip to LA in a few weeks, so I’ll definitely have to check some of these places out! I love The Grove!

    Jamie

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Jamie! The Grove is definitely a great place to while away a few hours!

  38. LOVE the post and it’s so timely too since I’ll be there this Thur! I took note of your fave places, thanks! 🙂
    xoxo, Vanessa
    http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Vanessa! I saw that you were heading out to Cali! Hope you have a great time and I can’t wait to see all your photos! xo

  39. Amazing.. I will have to keep this in mind if I ever visit there! I always love to make new blogger friends by the way, let me know if you would like to follow each other and stay in touch! x

    adelelydia.blogspot.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Adele! I will definitely head over to your blog x

  40. Martin says:

    Next time try Old Town Pasadena – only old by California standards but a lot like a European city centre the kind you walk around with a mix of boutiques, bars and restaurants

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Martin! I will definitely try this next time (which I hope will be soon!) xx

  41. The food looks so delicious, lovely tips! Love frozen yogurt, always add too much topping though hahah! Xx

    http://www.thefashionfolks.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you! I love frozen yogurt too and it is really easy to add too much topping!

  42. Wonderful post, I’m ready for my lunch now that’s for sure 😀

    Gemma x
    http://www.jacquardflower.uk

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Gemma x

  43. Great roundup of places in LA! Thanks for the holiday wishes. This post is making me hungry. Have a wonderful week Julia!

    http://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Kathrine!

  44. Monique | WritingMonique says:

    Oh, this makes me want to go and eat in LA! Such cool places!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you 🙂

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