I have just returned from what could possibly be one of THE most greatest adventures of my life. Sadly I didn’t manage to make it to MET Gala this May, but i did find myself blissfully lost in the City of Angels – Los Angeles. This was my first time in the city, it having been a dream of mine for the longest time. I have -and still do – dreams of living there one day and so I was beyond excited to see the city in person. Needless to say, I thoroughly did my research and have compiled together it all together to share with you lovely people in my ultimate Los Angeles Travel Guide. We only managed to visit around 91% of the places listed here, so this is a fairly condensed list of simply only the best places.
We stayed in Downtown LA in this incredible Airbnb Loft with a stunning, minimal design. It was my first time using Airbnb and I’ll definitely be using it again! If you fancy trying Airbnb and it’s your first time, then make sure you use my link to get £25 off your first stay! You’re welcome. A lot of my suggestions, especially those involving food, are catered towards vegetarian and vegans (being a vegan myself) so do bare that in mind. But whether you eat meat or not, my other half happily accompanied me to all these places and enjoyed the food as much as I did, so don’t let that deter you!
VENICE
Venice was probably one of my favorite areas. After waiting until our last day to go when the weather was its best, I was absolutely won over by the beauty of the Venice Canals. When you do visit Venice, make sure to park/get dropped off by the canals and take a walk through them to the beach (plus it’s free parking). I think my heart is set on having a house by the canal if I ever do end up moving over, it’s absolute bliss. I wish I had visited Abbot Kinney road in the daytime as there are lots of cute cafes and shops along the road that make for a lovely leisurely stroll, but we did head to The Butcher’s Daughter for dinner – which didn’t disappoint – and sat outside watching the sunset for our last evening.
Eat:
The Butcher’s Daughter | Gratitude Cafe | Salt & Straw
Coffee:
Great White
To See:
Abbot Kinney Road | Venice Sign | Santa Monica | Venice Canals
Shops:
Burro | General Store
Venice Canals
Beverly Hills
Unfortunately Beverly Hills was one of the places that we just didn’t get round to visiting. I’m not sure if there’s really much to do here, as such, but more just some really cool places to check out, take some pictures and do some shopping. Rodeo drive does look amazing on the photos and the streets lined with palm trees look like the epitome of LA. I’ll be sure to visit next time I’m in town.
To See:
Rodeo Drive | Beverley Hills Hotel
Downtown LA
We stayed just outside of central DTLA which is a very urban, hip and upcoming place for creatives and artists alike. We were a walk away from Maru coffee which is a MUST if you’re a coffee enthusiast. Stumptown coffee roasters was also down the road which I saw a lot of cafe’s using their roast.
Central DTLA reminds me a lot of Canary Wharf (if you’re familiar with London) mixed in with a bit of Soho and Shoreditch. FIDM is based here, so there’s a lot of creative young students hanging around and the Urban Outfitters store with it’s old cinema front is very cool.
Coffee:
Maru Coffee | Stumptown
Shops:
Urban Outfitters | BNKR
Eat/Drink:
Bottega Louie | The Ace Hotel
To Do:
Oue Skyspace | Broad Museum
The Ace Hotel (rooftop bar)
Hollywood
I was really looking forward to taking the hike up Runyon Canyon Park, it has amazing views of the whole of LA and the Hollywood sign. I loved how relaxing it was, getting away from the hustle and bustle of LA traffic and tourists. We also did the WB Studio Tour which I couldn’t recommend enough! Especially if you’re Pretty Little Liars fans…
To See:
Runyon Park Hike | Hollywood Sign | Griffith Observatory
To Do:
Warner Brother’s Studio Tour | Universal Studios
Runyon Canyon Park Hike
Hollywood Sign
West Hollywood
For your walking convenience, all the best shops and cafes are located in Melrose. Make sure you start on the West side of the road and visit Mansur Gavriel. Opposite are a selection of designer boutiques, including The Row and Isabel Marant. Carrera cafe was a great spot for a bite to eat and a coffee, conveniently placed opposite infamous Paul Smith pink wall (try to resist taking a photo, or have a little chuckle from afar at the absurdities of 21st century human beings).
To See:
Melrose Avenue
Eat/Drink:
Gracias Madre
Coffee:
Verve Coffee Roasters | Alfred Coffee/Tea Room | Carrera Cafe
Shop:
Mansur Gavriel | The Apartment by The Line | Moon Juice | Isabel Marant | Violet Grey | The Row | Glossier (eek!) | Reformation
To Do:
Fairfax Trading Post | The Now (massage)
Mansur Gavriel
Silver Lake/Echo Park
Another place we unfortunately didn’t get to spend much time in, but we did visit Sage for a delicious vegan brunch. I had an enormous acai bowl, but I did also try the mac ‘n’ cheese pizza and trust me on this one, it just works.
Eat/Drink:
Sage Plant Based Bistro | Dinette | Ostrich Farm | Dayglow
Coffee:
Eightfold Coffee
Shop:
Mollusk Surf Shop
To See:
The Bates Motel | Chandelier Tree
If you’ve already been to LA, leave some of your favorite places in the comments below so other people can see your recommendations. If you’re planning on going to LA, let me know where you’re most excited to go 🙂
Keep an eye out for more images from LA and San Fran guide, which I will be posting soon!