Welcome to Los Angeles Black Book, Part II: East Side Edition.

As previously mentioned in my West Side Edition, I am dividing LA into East and West for the purposes of understanding the city and traveling here for the first time. In this context, “East” can be described as all neighborhoods east of Beverly Hills (that included). This encompasses West Hollywood, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Downtown LA, Hancock Park, and the general vicinity of Mid-Wilshire/Mid-LA. DISCLAIMER: this is a HIGHLY simplified and condensed guide to a hugely diverse and sprawling city. This isn’t meant to be exhaustive, and there are many great areas, restaurants, and communities I’ve left out for the purpose of newcomers understanding the basics.

East Side Stereotypes (I don’t make the rules)…

Beverly Hills = old school and new school all in one. Entertainment Execs, Agents (WME, CAA, etc.), Rodeo Drive (stuffy, sleek designer shopping), very wealthy people. The city separates your recycling from your trash FOR you.
West Hollywood (WeHo) = Gays, people who like to go out, people who want more of a “city” energy (a.k.a. you just moved from Manhattan or you’re from New York and you require a doorman).
Hollywood = theaters and mid-sized concert venues, tourists, struggling actors, studios, wasteland, and some outstanding food.
Silver Lake/Echo Park/Los Feliz/Highland Park/Griffith Park, and the like (“Brooklyn” on the map) = what Venice wishes it still was (or maybe it wasn’t ever). Hipsters, artists, creatives, young hot celebrities a la Euphoria and deux moi. Gentrified and expensive (see, Erewhon).
Downtown LA = USC, homeless populations (Skid Row), warehouses, galleries, excellent dining, dodgy areas, Dodger stadium, Crypto.com arena (previously known as the Staples Center).
Pasadena = this is the valley, which I won’t get into much because it’s technically outside LA, but it is one of the oldest communities in the area, old money suburbia, mostly white, and home to the iconic Rose Bowl Flea Market.
Hancock Park = historic, grand homes and old money. The richest area that many people don’t know about because its plopped down in between random areas of LA. An interior designer I worked for is obsessed with the architecture and old homes in the area.

EAST SIDE

a.k.a. all areas described above plus way more obviously..

STAY

The Peninsula, Beverly Hills. Very nice and enjoyable pool cabanas. Enjoyed immensely when I visited for the day when a friend was in town with her family

The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills. The famous green and pink you’ve seen before. An LA establishment.

Hotel Bel-Air, Beverly Hills. Haven’t personally been but I’ve heard it’s outstanding.

Chateau Marmont, West Hollywood. I love this place. It’s shrouded in secrecy, scandal, and old Hollywood history. From the icons and celebrities who took up residence for years, to the owner, Andre Balaz’s, dodgy dealings and staff allegations of abuse. Despite the Chateau’s questionable past, it’s hard not to revel in the dark, dimly lit, possibly forbidden atmosphere. I love sitting in the garden. Closed for a while, reopened but hard to get in so book in advance. Bar Marmont used to be the greatest lounge for drinks, but it closed for renovations in 2017 and mysteriously remains so. Rumors have spread about the hotel becoming a private club someday. I am even more in love with their property in London, The Chiltern Firehouse.

Sunset Tower, West Hollywood. Similar to Chateau Marmont in the sense that it exudes Old Hollywood. Less scandal, more availability. The attraction is the restaurant, Tower Bar (for vibe, not food); the hotel is nothing to write home about. Ask for a table next to the pool with views of the city. People watching.

The Edition, West Hollywood.

The Mondrian, West Hollywood. Say what you want, but I love the SkyBar, the price is right if you’re in a budget, and the views of the entire city are amazing. Rooms are modern and nice. Very well located on the Sunset Strip.

Silver Lake Pool & Inn, Silver Lake. Nice bar, even if you’re not a guest. Usually not packed. Fun to go for a drink before another dinner reservation, likeBowet Bungaloe across the street or Cafe Stella. People like the pool cabana scene but it is SMALL.

Cara Hotel, Los Feliz. The billowing curtains in the pool/restaurant area make you feel like you’re on vacation. Bright and airy, romantic. Food is fine. Go for drinks.

Ace Hotel DTLA, Downtown.

The Los Angeles Athletic Club, Downtown. Very New York old school, like the Yale Club. They have incredible facilities, squash courts, and a great hotel. Only makes sense if you need to be in that area for something.

The LINE, Koreatown.

EAT

Mother Wolf, Hollywood. Hottest new restaurant from Felix chef Evan Funke. Grand and ornately decorated in such a way that you feel you’ve stepped into an Italian palace. I’ve been twice, and the first time I saw J-Lo and Ben Affleck. My friends go and always see a celebrity. Not only are all the pastas and pizzas standouts, but the veg and the meat is insane. Cocktails are A+. This place does not miss. Must-orders: ARTICHOKES (possibly favorite dish), squash blossoms, prawns, ruchetta salad, all pizza/pasta, but save room for the ribeye and branzino if at all possible. You can’t go wrong with the drinks, but I loved the White Negroni and ask about a red wine.

Horses, Hollywood. Newest summer 2022 spot. Feels like a bistro in NYC or Paris in the best way. Dark wood-panneled walls, velvet booths, secret menu spicy vodka pasta, white tablecloths with crayons to draw, delicious butter shaped like a horse. Tough reservation to get. Hot tip is arrive right when they open and sit at the tiny cramped bar in the back.

Found Oyster, East Hollywood. I basically went here every Sunday last year, or that’s what it felt like. This is the best seafood restaurant in LA. That’s all I’m going to say. The scallop tostada is my favorite dish of the year. No reservations, just show up and order a bottle of wine while you wait. Tiny space inside with a cool bar and outdoor seating. GET: prawns, platter of sorts if you have enough people (please do), scallop tostada (or a few), bread, lobster roll, wedge—check specials.

Bowery Bungalow, Silver Lake. This place has been my favorite since 2017. It’s a charming cottage bungalow (literally) with indoor or outdoor seating in the garden. Outstanding mideast/north african/mediterranean cuisine, some of the best I’ve ever had—nowhere else in LA like it. Wine/beer only, but I believe it’s BYO too. Must orders: fried cauliflower, spicy potato, beets, hummus, cast iron chicken (think about this often).

Cafe Stella, Silver Lake. Hot spot East side french bistro with great cocktails and scene. A place to be seen and mysterious. Get martinis, oysters, Frisée aux Lardons salad, steak frites, salmon.

Marvin, West Hollywood. Very chill and delicious French Bistro with natural wine in kinda a weird location in West Hollywood. Love sitting at the long wooden table in front. Gets loud around 9pm. Standouts are the Macho Salad (like avocado, date, it’s just perfect and I usually need my own), fries, pastas, toasts, salmon. Except avoid the Porcini soup, one time a coworker ordered this (honestly that was her bad—sorry, MC) and hated it.

Jon + Vinny’s, West Hollywood. They have a location in Brentwood but this is the OG. Classic LA new age Italian restaurant in a small space with oak wood booths and rap music. Understood as the all-time best takeout choice. The Spicy Fusilli is the best pasta dish in LA, in pretty much everyone’s opinion. The classics: ricotta honey toast, chop salad (the chop that made me like chops), spicy fusilli, cacio, LA Woman pizza.

Rosaline, West Hollywood. One of my personal favorites, a bustling Peruvian restaurant that most of my friends don’t know about. Went on a date here once and had to try so hard not to inhale my meal. GET: a ceviche, grilled avocado, crispy potatoes, prawns, short ribs. I was dying to get paella but have never had enough people for it to make sense, but I’m sure it’s excellent.

Olivetta, West Hollywood. Sceney, boldly recorated Mediterranean restaurant that does not skimp on food and drink. Fun place to go with a group. Order the bread, octopus, branzino, chicken, and anything else is delicious.

Republique, West Hollywood. An OG, I haven’t been in a minute but it is an excellent bakery, cafe and French/American restaurant in a beautiful, historic old building. No reservations for brunch, order at the counter and find a spot. Watch for weekend lines.

Milk Jar Cookies, Mid-Wilshire. Just go. Weird hours, not open past 5pm. The GF chocolate chip tastes exactly the same as the regular. Maybe my favorite cookies ever.

Tower Bar, West Hollywood. The restaurant in the Sunset Tower that makes the establishment so iconic. Get a spot by the pool and you’ve made. Indoors is vibey with a group at night and a good table. Old Hollywood. Get martinis, food is just fine but not the reason to go.

Chateau Marmont, West Hollywood. Mentioned above, but an excellent special occasion spot with bistro chairs and high ceilings in a dimly lit, secretive garden atmosphere. Generally a very gated, high-profile, secretive place, so it’s always a treat to go.

Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood. An old school, old Hollywood LA establishment if there ever was one. Frank Sinatra would come and sit at the bar and order martinis. Their classic take on the drink comes with a separate shaker to continue filling up your glass. Steakhouse, white tablecloth, you know the drill. If you have the occasion to plan or attend a group dinner in a private room, this one is exceptional.

Dan Tana’s, West Hollywood. Great fun, classic Italian establishment with red and white checkered tablecloths. Cramped, pictures all over the walls. Everything just comes with a side of pasta. Martinis.

Erewhon, West Hollywood. Just like Erewhon Venice (as described in my West Side edition), except more LA. Influencer culture is at its peak in WeHo, no longer subject to watering down by the chiller, crunchier types on the west side. Just read about it in the New York Times.

Honey Hi, Echo Park. The first time I came here I was blown away. It’s a tiny cafe but the ingredients are bar-none and everything is gluten-free but you wouldn’t know it. I was in 2018, and still am, holding out for a West Side location. Everything is perfect, from the bowls to the smoothies to the bone broth to the buckwheat sourdough sandwiches to the halloumi to the housemade hot sauce to the GF chocolate chip bookies with grassfed butter. I’m drooling as I write this, ugh. I get the breakfast bowl (pictured) or BLT, side halloumi, chicken bone broth, cookie.

Sqrl, East Hollywood. Similar order-at-the-counter cafe vibe to Honey Hi, still so good (hard to compete with HH). People are obsessed with the jam/ricotta toasts which they are famous for, as they also make a line of jams that make great gifts. I love the “Hold the Rice Bowl” with Salmon (or the Salmon Sorrel Rice with extra kale instead of rice—same order, they get confused either way sometimes). Most things are excellent, more bakery-forward than Honey Hi.

Flamingo Estate, Highland Park. This is not a restaurant but home to Richard Christiansen, owner and creator of the brand that started delivering local farm boxes around LA during COVID and has grown to a full business making environmentally friendly and luxurious products from soaps and bath products to single origin olive oils and other niche, limited edition items. You can still order fresh produce boxes for delivery every Friday.

Bestia, DTLA. Favorite restaurant in DTLA, same owners as Bavel below. This is Italian and they do everything perfectly, from pasta to pizza to meat to cocktails to decor. One of the first great restaurants I ever went to in LA and I will never forget it. Reservations hard to get. Do NOT miss: bone marrow pasta, margherita pizza (veryyyy special), any of the rotating pastas, ribeye, any of the rotating cocktails. Trustttttttt.

Bavel, DTLA. I need to go here more, it’s truly my dream restaurant. Middle Eastern version of Bestia in every way in an equally gorgeous, high ceiling, impressive and airy space. When I say I wish I ordered everything, it’s true, so my must-order items are just what we got and loved. Ask your server, inquire, you cannot go wrong. ORDER: duck or regular hummus, cauliflower, slow roasted lamb neck shawarma, any cocktail.

Damian, DTLA. Fantastic modern Mexican restaurant from the team behind Pujol in Mexico City. Opened in 2021. Similar large warehouse space like all other DTLA restaurants, beautiful indoor and outdoor and bar. Drinks are excellent. For food, order guacamole, fish tostada, octopus, mushroom quesadilla, and a variety of taco meats, including duck or steak (comes with fixings).

Majordomo, DTLA. David Chang and the Momofuku team bring this massive, outstanding restaurant that blew me away. You need the Smoked Bo SSam.

Otium, Downtown. If you’re visiting the Broad (or not), this is an excellent restaurant.

DRINK

Bar Lis, Hollywood. My favorite new bar located in the Thompson Hotel Hollywood. This is a great place to go for drinks or dancing after dinner at Mother Wolf (literally one block away), but I would also travel here. Once of those cool places without a huge wait (yet) that you can get into with a group without needing to buy a table. Not packed, it is part-lounge, part-bar, and part-dance floor with fun DJs going off most nights and a wrap-around deck to get some air or have a quieter conversation. Last time I went I saw the cast of Riverdale, but it was chill.

Delilah, West Hollywood. A sceney lounge, a favorite of the Kardashians, bougie Hollywood execs, Rosewood Hotel group entourage, and people in the know. You have to know someone at the door typically, unless you’re going for dinner. Justin Bieber has performed many times, special events and after parties are hosted here.

The Roger Room, West Hollywood. Dark, dimly lit speakeasy on La Cienega.

Harriet’s Rooftop, West Hollywood. A truly really fun rooftop bar, go at night.

Tower Bar, West Hollywood. As mentioned above. Inside the Sunset Tower Hotel. Martinis.

Bar Stella, Silver Lake. Front area is the bar of Cafe Stella and separate from the dining areas. You can also sit in the back dining area at the bar. Lots of martini options.

Good Times at Davey Waynes, Hollywood. Kitschy bar with funky decor, games and outdoor seating. Casual.

Los Globos, Silver Lake. Dance club, a real send. Go if you have a DJ or band you like, or you heard it’ll be.

The Semi-Tropic, Echo Park. Very fun packed east side bar, good for bigger groups.

Bar Flores, Echo Park. In the hills, hidden like a treehouse is this charming, lively bar with amazing cocktails and fun music. Recently went here for the first time and fell in love. They have food trucks usually you can get snacks from and sit inside or out.

The Friend, Silver Lake. Small but mighty really fun bar. Avoid really packed nights as it can be tough to get a drink. Similar to The Little Friend in Venice, except that one is….too little. And full of 20 year old USC grads.

Tenants of the Trees, Silver Lake. Fun sprawling, actually spacious and indoor-outdoor bar with dancing. Feels like someones huge yard with a bar attached.

Highland Park Bowl, Highland Park. I had my 26th birthday here and it was the best party I’ve ever planned. An old restored bowling alley turned into an actually amazing restaurant and cocktail bar. Historic old lanes and seriously so much fun. But FAR.

Psychic Wines, Silver Lake. My favorite wine club and wine shop. I get my wines (one red, one white/orange) shipped to me in Venice each month because I don’t get over to Silver Lake much, but if you’re in the area definitely check out the shop. Each month used to come with an awesome poster, and they still include a handbook that is cleverly designed and explains each wine. Usually organic, biodynamic, skin contact, from small purveyors with niche, super special offerings.

COFFEE & TEA

Philz, Hollywood. Mint mojito iced coffee is crack. I sub stevia for the brown sugar.

Alfred, various locations. Great lattes, including matcha.

Sightglass, Hollywood.

DO

Highland Park Bowl, Highland Park.

Cinespia Cemetery Movie Screenings, Hollywood. Bring a blanket and a cheese plate and enjoy classic old films in the great outdoors.

Concerts at…. The Greek, The Hollywood Bowl, the Troubadour.

The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA.

Hike: Runyon Canyon (I like to go up the left side first as it’s steeper on a dirt path and better views, not for faint-hearted).

Museums: The Broad (eat at Otium), LACMA, The Getty Center, The Hammer Museum.

Architectural Landmarks: The Stahl House, Griffith Observatory, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens, Eames Case Study House #8, Hollyhock House, Gamble House.

SHOP

Rose Bowl Flea Market, Pasadena. The second Sunday of every month. Try and get there early! It opens at 5am. This is the most iconic and comprehensive flea market I’ve ever been to. It’s a real LA cultural experience to go, and I guarantee you’ll come back with treasures.

Just One Eye, West Hollywood.

Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. I like to begin at Melrose Place, right where the Alfred Coffee is. It’s a nicely manicured street with designer shopping—think Rachel Comey, A.P.C., Zimmerman, Veronica Beard, LoveShackFancy, Chloe, The Row, Staud, and the like. You can continue down Melrose Avenue or go on Sunset towards Fred Segal depending on your needs.

Midland, Silver Lake.

Row DTLA, Downtown. Outdoor shopping center with cutting edge brands, art, and cultural events.

Mohawk General Store, Silver Lake.

Credo Beauty, West Hollywood.

Independent Bookstores: Book Soup, West Hollywood. Skylight Books, Los Feliz.

Design Shopping & Showrooms (my faves—there are so many more): The Future Perfect, rewire LA, Lief, Galerie Half, Galerie Provenance, Obsolete, Panoplie, Ralph Pucci, Nickey Kehoe, Lawson-Fenning, counter-space.

ON MY LIST TO TRY NEXT….