Matchbook-sized grocery store with an impeccably curated selection. They may not have what you're looking for, but they have what you need.
Matchbook-sized grocery store with an impeccably curated selection. They may not have what you're looking for, but they have what you need.
Feel transported in this dark, smoky bar in Koreatown. Order a round of soju for the table and plenty of drinking snacks.
This 100% plant-based burger is definitely craveable, even for omnivores. About a dozen seats in the place.
Mediterranean flavors with a Californian influence. Reliably solid; good for couples, parents, dates, whatever. Service from brunch til dinner.
The best example of exuberant post-WWII Googie coffee shop architecture left in LA. Exemplary inside and out. And it's not just a feast for the eyes -- great chicken and waffle brunch on weekends.
Authentic Thai + youthful, hipster pop-up vibe + Miller High Life. Surprisingly good/fun. You MUST get the pork with condensed milk + turmeric. This location is supposedly the best.
If you love tiki bars, this tiny spot is considered one of the best in the country, according to tiki bar review community Critiki. Deceptively strong drinks, kitschy decor, and a rich history.
$10 cold-pressed juice is quintessential LA. Moon Juice is our pick to represent the genre because of its nondescript strip mall location and their new agey vibe (they light incense for their plants).
Love the coffee milkshake. If you want light and refreshing, get the carbonated tea. The waffles are also insane. Other locations: The original GGET in Larchmont, and G&B at Grand Central Market.
Delicate and precise flavors in a minimalist space in the Far East Plaza. Seemingly visited by all business owners of the LA hip food scene. Vanilla pandan and palm sugar whiskey lattes.
Recently restored piece of Los Angeles history. A forest wonderland/cafeteria in the thick of downtown LA. The food is OK, but there are themed bars on every floor. Go to explore and to marvel.
One of the most popular Korean BBQ places in LA. The staff is charmingly serious about making sure your meat is cooked to perfection. There's a long wait, so be sure to time this strategically.
An example of how weird/wonderful LA can be. Aroma Golf is a driving range perched atop of a multistory parking garage. Hit balls toward a giant target into the sunset. $20 gets balls and clubs for 2.
Love the coffee milkshake. If you want light and refreshing, get the carbonated tea. The waffles are also insane. Other locations: The new GGET in Los Feliz, and G&B at Grand Central Market.
Impeccable Frank Lloyd Wright example of exactly how weird the Mayan Revival craze got at its zenith. Worth a drive-by. Approach from the south side (Los Feliz Blvd) for maximum effect.
"A truly great, no-bullshit falafel place [by] Scott Zweizen, the vegetarian bon-vivant behind Elf... Simple, pure of heart, devoid of nonsense, healthy without being fussy." –5 Every Day Leer más.
So L.A.: Getting your tarot reading in a thoroughly hip mobile truck with impeccable hand-painted signs on the exterior. Erin is warm and approachable, super welcoming to first-timers.
An L.A. institution for a reason. Amazing interiors, warm service.
Take the Hollyridge trail to the top and survey Los Angeles from above the the immense, multi-story HOLLYWOOD letters. Consider how strange and wonderful this city is.
Step off the tawdry, dirty streets of modern-day Hollywood and into the hushed historical dining room, straight out of a Los Angeles noir. Completely transportive. We suggest a martini with sand dabs.
Legit Thai in Hollywood. For the brave, the crab curry (mild, NOT regular) will knock your socks off. For others, there's sour Thai sausage and plenty of other authentic delights.
You have not truly experienced the California health food movement until you've sipped a hot "elixir" at Erewhon while strolling the aisles and marveling at groceries you never knew existed.
Hand-dyed indigo garments from a lovely French couple, who run this shop in honor of their late son. Reminiscent of Japanese fashion's free-flowing shapes with an American southwest influence.
Disarmingly lovely and placid neighborhood in the midst of wild Venice. The houses and the interconnecting canals they perch on were built in 1905. Many residents have boats moored out front.
Historical vibes, a spare interior and U-shaped counter centered around a team of chefs who have been perfecting a single dish for years. Get a burger with a cone of Coca-cola and a slice of pie.
An icon for midcentury architecture and design fans. Integration between indoors and outdoors is masterful. Contact at 48+ hrs ahead ahead of your visit to reserve; exterior self-guided tour is $10.
Gorgeous, historic hand-painted tile in a 1930 vacation house by the sea. Take a tour if you like design, architecture, art, or tiles.
Beef. Roll. Beef roll beef roll beef roll -- beef roll beef roll. Beef roll beef roll beef roll beef roll, beef roll beef roll beef? Roll, beef roll beef roll. Beef; roll. Multiple locations.
Taiwanese breakfast served in a wonderfully spartan strip mall outpost. Get the savory fan tuan (rice roll) with black rice, egg, and pickle, with a sweet soymilk. Everything here is pretty good.
Thin-skinned, soup-filled xiao long bao without the long wait of Din Tai Fung, whose Arcadia location is (let's face it) not as good as Taiwan's anyway.
If you can go during its tiny window of operation (11:30-3pm), you will be rewarded with a bowl of chewy dan dan noodles. Be sure to order the deluxe plate of sliced tripe and pork on the side.
Best giant donut-shaped building in Los Angeles, Randy's included. Drive on through the double donut tunnel and get yourself a sweet.
A towering black Modernist building surrounded by a moat, perched on top of a hill, looking down at City Hall. Tells you everything you need to know about who holds the keys in Los Angeles.
Rumor has it that this was one of Walt Disney's favorite places to dine. If you get a seat in a back room, it certainly does feel like a Snow White/Sleeping Beauty cottage in Fantasyland!
My favorite low-key place to view the Hollywood Sign. There's a park with a playground and a field; a short walk up the hill is a perch where you can look out at the skyline and back at the sign.
Massive purple building complex that spans a full city block. Walk around to the Fountain Ave side to see the towering letters spelling S C I E N T O L O G Y.
An extensive neighborhood vendor market with raspados, mangonadas, candies, textiles, mole, dried seafood, leather goods, and more. On the weekends, the top floor restaurant hosts mariachi bands.
Yes, going on a studio tour in Los Angeles is a touristy thing to do. But we argue that it's essential LA. You won't watch movies and TV shows in the same way after seeing the sets and prop houses.
1930s Hollywood set designers' version of what a Chinatown ought to look like. Not authentic, but fascinating to consider Western romantic/exotic notions of China. I admit: It's highly grammable.
An amazing LA taco truck pick from Jonathan Gold, specializing in seafood tacos.
Definitely do your research beforehand, but if inventive fine dining, avant-garde staff uniforms, and an amazing building + garden sound ideal to you, you should make a reservation at Vespertine.
The best paletas I know of in Los Angeles. I lean toward the creamy flavors. Andrew eats everything.
The best paletas I know of in Los Angeles. I lean toward the creamy flavors. Andrew eats everything.
A gem. Rocio is famous for her molé. I loved the caldo (spicy chicken soup).
Tijuana-style birria de res. The rare place that is hyped and lives up to it, and Teddy couldn't be nicer. Join the line by the railroad tracks, and eat at one of the long communal picnic tables. Leer más.
Tijuana-style birria de res. The rare place that is hyped and lives up to it, and Teddy couldn't be nicer.
Tijuana-style birria de res. The rare place that is hyped and lives up to it, and Teddy couldn't be nicer.
