Guidebook for Los Angeles
Food Scene
Perch
448 S Hill StGreat rooftop restaurant with a French twenties esthetic.
Excellent coffee, nice spot for meetings, etc. Recently featured in the season finale of "Love".
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Verve Coffee Roasters
833 S Spring StExcellent coffee, nice spot for meetings, etc. Recently featured in the season finale of "Love".
Come here for high tea — or just walk through to check out the Overlook Hotel-era interior.
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Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
506 S Grand AveCome here for high tea — or just walk through to check out the Overlook Hotel-era interior.
Brunch and quasi Tex-Mex comfort food. Insanely good queso and freshly made chips. Also plenty of vegetable dishes.
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Bar 107
118 W 4th StBrunch and quasi Tex-Mex comfort food. Insanely good queso and freshly made chips. Also plenty of vegetable dishes.
Over a dozen excellent food spots and coffee, plus an amazing cheese shop and, on the opposite side, an amazing(ly expensive) butcher.
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I-Marikhi yaseGrand Central
317 S BroadwayOver a dozen excellent food spots and coffee, plus an amazing cheese shop and, on the opposite side, an amazing(ly expensive) butcher.
Nice, inexpensive breakfast spot next to the flower market. There's a weekend farmer's market as well. Be warned: you have to walk through some less savory blocks to get here. Lyft if homeless tents will horrify you.
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Poppy + Rose
765 Wall StNice, inexpensive breakfast spot next to the flower market. There's a weekend farmer's market as well. Be warned: you have to walk through some less savory blocks to get here. Lyft if homeless tents will horrify you.
Reasonably priced Italian place that usually has some seating available for last-minute dining. There's a happy hour.
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Terroni
7605 Beverly BlvdReasonably priced Italian place that usually has some seating available for last-minute dining. There's a happy hour.
Probably my favorite recent addition in Downtown. Contemporary fine-dining Vietnamese. Some of these dishes are mind-blowingly good.
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Little Sister Downtown
523 W 7th StProbably my favorite recent addition in Downtown. Contemporary fine-dining Vietnamese. Some of these dishes are mind-blowingly good.
Great gourmet pizza and Italian food. I find this place a bit loud and overcrowded most evenings — see Terroni for a less expensive alternative — but definitely worth checking out. Also if you like macaroons, it's the spot for those.
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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand AveGreat gourmet pizza and Italian food. I find this place a bit loud and overcrowded most evenings — see Terroni for a less expensive alternative — but definitely worth checking out. Also if you like macaroons, it's the spot for those.
Inexpensive pho and curry dishes. Get a young coconut with your meal.
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Blossom Vietnamese restaurant
426 S Main StInexpensive pho and curry dishes. Get a young coconut with your meal.
Excellent, reasonably priced sushi. Don't be scared off by the line. Usually the turnover is fairly fast, and it's worth the wait.
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KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar
421 S Main StExcellent, reasonably priced sushi. Don't be scared off by the line. Usually the turnover is fairly fast, and it's worth the wait.
Tender Greens
6290 Sunset BlvdConvenient, quick, tasty, inexpensive.
Great French restaurant — though if you're shelling out this kind of money, I recommend Perch as a first option.
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Church & State LA
1850 Industrial StGreat French restaurant — though if you're shelling out this kind of money, I recommend Perch as a first option.
Overly trendy but certainly tasty restaurant in the Arts District. $$$.
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Bestia
2121 E 7th PlOverly trendy but certainly tasty restaurant in the Arts District. $$$.
Little Bear
1855 Industrial StGood burgers and breakfast. Good place to watch a game.
Spring For Coffee
548 S Spring StExcellent espresso.
Yup, got one of these. It's one block from the lobby. (Also check out Verve, Tierra Mia and Spring for Coffee.)
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Starbucks
359 S La Brea AveYup, got one of these. It's one block from the lobby. (Also check out Verve, Tierra Mia and Spring for Coffee.)
Highly recommended date spot. Excellent Californian/European cuisine.
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Faith & Flower
705 W 9th StHighly recommended date spot. Excellent Californian/European cuisine.
Drinks & Nightlife
Bar Jackalope
515 W 7th StPrivate whiskey lounge within Seven Grand.
See a show here. Or a movie. This is an extraordinary venue within a restored 1920s movie house.
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Ace Hotel
929 S BroadwaySee a show here. Or a movie. This is an extraordinary venue within a restored 1920s movie house.
New Orleanian bar and restaurant in a pretty sexy location on Spring Street. I recommend sitting outside on the second floor.
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Preux & Proper
840 S Spring StNew Orleanian bar and restaurant in a pretty sexy location on Spring Street. I recommend sitting outside on the second floor.
The best Irish pub in downtown. I don't recommend the food, but it's a good spot for ping-pong, pool, darts or watching a game from a booth.
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Casey's Irish Pub
613 S Grand AveThe best Irish pub in downtown. I don't recommend the food, but it's a good spot for ping-pong, pool, darts or watching a game from a booth.
Pretty amazing space. Live music on Tuesday nights. Great place for pool. A bit loud unless you go outside.
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Seven Bar Lounge
515 W 7th StPretty amazing space. Live music on Tuesday nights. Great place for pool. A bit loud unless you go outside.
Mignon
128 E 6th StCozy wine bar on 6th next to Cole's.
To call this play a bar is to sell it short — you have to pop your head in here on a Friday or Saturday. An amazing, multi-level space with live entertainment—burlesque, big band, jazz, swing—and no cover charge. The owner poured something like $14 million into restoring this place from the iconic tiki-styled cafeteria that was its (much humbler) beginning. Can be a bit mobbed on on weekends, but it's always an interesting scene.
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Izintaba zasePacific eCafeteria ka-Clifton
648 S BroadwayTo call this play a bar is to sell it short — you have to pop your head in here on a Friday or Saturday. An amazing, multi-level space with live entertainment—burlesque, big band, jazz, swing—and no cover charge. The owner poured something like $14 million into restoring this place from the iconic tiki-styled cafeteria that was its (much humbler) beginning. Can be a bit mobbed on on weekends, but it's always an interesting scene.
Entertainment & Activities
Regal LA Live & 4DX
1000 W Olympic BlvdMovie theater.
Essentials
Whole Foods Market
788 S Grand AveVery walkable, but there's also a convenient lot.
CVS is across the street from the lobby of the building. Closes at 10pm.
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CVS
4414 York BlvdCVS is across the street from the lobby of the building. Closes at 10pm.
Not THAT much cheaper than Whole Foods, which is a pretty unbeatable shopping experience.
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Ralphs
645 W 9th StNot THAT much cheaper than Whole Foods, which is a pretty unbeatable shopping experience.
Getting Around
The train can actually be faster than driving to get to Santa Monica, if you're combatting morning or evening rush hour. Lets you off a 2-minute walk from Santa Monica Pier. Also useful if you're heading to Hollywood (e.g., the Arclight) or Universal Studios.
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7th St / Metro Center station
The train can actually be faster than driving to get to Santa Monica, if you're combatting morning or evening rush hour. Lets you off a 2-minute walk from Santa Monica Pier. Also useful if you're heading to Hollywood (e.g., the Arclight) or Universal Studios.
Ride the train to Santa Barbara for the weekend.
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Alameda / Los Angeles station
Ride the train to Santa Barbara for the weekend.
Arts & Culture
The Broad
221 S Grand AveVery popular new modern/contemporary museum.
IMuziyamu wezomculo wezokwakha
250 S Grand AveLess popular, but this is a really interesting collection of postwar art.
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The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 N Central AveLess popular, but this is a really interesting collection of postwar art.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S Grand AveWorth it to see a show here while you're in town.