The food scene in LA is one of our favorites. While our time spent living there was cut short, we travel back more frequently than we’d like to admit, chasing good eats and walks on the beach.
Stay
If we’re looking for easy access to all of our favorite food destinations, we typically book a hotel in West Hollywood. Otherwise, we book a hotel in Santa Monica or Venice for easy access to the beach.
- Pendry West Hollywood: Spacious, comfortable, chic rooms. Love the vibe at this hotel.
- 1 Hotel West Hollywood: Great hotel in West Hollywood. Don’t recommend staying here with kids, as the cocktail lounge in the lobby can get loud and crowded in the evenings.
- The Culver Hotel: Love the vintage vibes at this historic hotel in Culver City
- Santa Monica Proper Hotel: Designed by Kelly Wearstler… need I say more? Love this hotel! Just a few blocks away from the beach.
Coffee
- Maru Coffee: Incredible coffee and matcha. The Bon Bon and Vanilla Bean Iced Latte are a must.
- Neighborhood: Great coffee and matcha
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Fuel at Westfield Century City
- % Arabica: Fuel at The Grove
Breakfast + Brunch
- SQIRL: Start off with the fritt-omelette and salmon sorrel pesto rice—both are fantastic—and finish off with the (best) brulee 42.5 hour french toast. Grab a honeycomb chocolate chip cookie and a jar of homemade jam to go.
- Gjusta: Incredible pastries—get here early enough to snag a baklava croissant. The smoked fish and egg plate is a must.
- Great White: Solid breakfast burrito
- Courage Bagels: Order a Run it Through The Garden on a Burnt Everything bagel and thank me later
- Hank’s Bagels: Excellent bagels
- Homestate: Great breakfast tacos
- Republique: Everything here is incredible. The lobster omelette, ricotta toast, and french toast are great. Grab all the pastries!
- Wake & Late: A breakfast burrito gem
- Sababa Falafel Shop: Takes me back to Palestine—they’ve perfected the falafel game
- Al Sanabel Bakery: The best mana’eesh (flatbreads) around town
Lunch + Dinner
- HiHo Cheeseburger: Wagyu grass-fed, grass-finished cheeseburgers. Order the HiHo Cheeseburger (make it spicy!) and a side of the hand-cut, twice fried fries. Thank me later.
- Matū: Food is superb. Don’t miss out on the best Philly Cheesesteak—only offered during lunch!
- Crudo e Nudo: Excellent spot if you’re into raw, sustainable seafood. The tuna tartare toast with onion confit is a must.
- Sugarfish: The best takeout sushi
- KazuNori: Solid handrolls
- Pizzana: Big fan of the cesare salad and cacio e pepe pizza
- Triple Beam Pizza: One of our favorite grab and go slice shops in LA
- Simpang Asia: Fantastic Indonesian food. The Mie Tek Tek and Ayam Bakar are a must.
- Jus’ Poke: Solid spot for Hawaiian-style poke
- Sunnin Lebanese Cafe: Excellent lebanese food. The Mezzat, Em Tony’s Specials, the Kebabs and Shawermas… all of it!
- Hayat’s Kitchen: Fantastic spot for Lebanese mashawi
- Felix: For the love of pasta, eat all of the pasta
- Mother Wolf: Evan Funke does it again—every bite here is divine. My favorite date night restaurant in all of LA!
- Anajak Thai: The spot that ruined all other Thai spots for me. The food is fantastic. Chef Justin keeps things exciting with a rotating menu and Thai Taco Tuesday.
- Bestia: Delicious food all around, but the grilled branzino really stands out.
- Cassia: Food is always excellent. Order the Papaya Salad, Laksa, and Chickpea Curry and thank me later.
- Cobi’s: Fun spot for a get together over food. Make sure to order the Kanpachi Crudo, Curry Puffs, and Dry Aged Branzino.
Dessert
- Saffron & Rose: The best persian ice cream around town. The saffron, pistachio, and rose flavors are the stars of the show here.
- Awan: Indonesian coconut based ice cream. The Balinese Vanilla Bean with Gula Jawa is divine.
- Levain Bakery: The best cookies—crisp on the outside and gooey inside. The chocolate chip walnut is a must.
Visit
- Palisades Park: Our favorite place for a stroll with views of the ocean
- Cayton Children’s Museum: Fun museum for kids in Santa Monica! Recommend going on a weekday as it gets crowded on weekends.
- Santa Monica Pier: Worth strolling through if you’re in Santa Monica
- Manhattan Beach: Great beach for a swim or a stroll along the ocean
- Griffith Park: Visit the Griffith Observatory, take a hike, hop on the merry-go-round or catch a train ride with your kids
- Southern California Children’s Museum: Great museum for kids on rainy or hot days
- Venice Beach: Rent a bike and ride along the Venice Beach bike path
- Venice Canals: Cute area to walk around Venice
- Abbot Kinney Boulevard and downtown Venice: Grab a cup of coffee and take a stroll through this strip—lots of independent boutiques and great eats!
