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Nestled just below the Hollywood Hills is sunny West Hollywood, perhaps the most vibrant and energetic city in Los Angeles. The famous Sunset Strip is studded with historic live music venues such as Whisky a Go Go, while Santa Monica Avenue is the place to go for clubs and buzzing nightlife. In this celebrity hotspot, it’s a party every day. Even on a Monday night you’ll find the bars bursting with crowds turning up for karaoke night or a drag queen show. WeHo is the home of the famous Halloween parade and the L.A. Pride parade – the neighborhood is extremely inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly. West Hollywood boasts almost 300 sunny days a year, and the city reflects this with its many rooftop bars, outdoor seating, and activities. The hills are filled with miles of great hiking trails, and the city itself is also one of the most walkable parts of L.A. And, of course, West Hollywood is the home of some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. We partnered with Visit West Hollywood to create our ultimate guide to eating, drinking, and hiking your way through WeHo! Keep reading to see our favorite spots.
Breakfast by Salt’s Cure
You’ve probably heard us rave about Salt’s Cure’s oatmeal griddle cakes, our favorite pancakes in L.A. But have you tried their breakfast-only spot, Breakfast by Salt’s Cure? Unlike their other location that only serves the OG griddle cakes with toasted cinnamon sugar, here you can find an entire expanded menu dedicated to their signature pancakes. Variations on the original include dark chocolate chip, apple and brown sugar, banana walnut, and blueberry flax seed griddle cakes, all made from a batter of oatmeal, cooked thin and crispy around the edges. There’s no syrup served here, but you won’t miss it, thanks to the generous amount of cinnamon molasses butter plopped on top.
Dayglow
This eye-catching shop on Santa Monica Boulevard looks like it was just made for the ‘gram, but don’t be put off by the cutesy neon signs – they actually serve great coffee here. Dayglow sells lots of coffee bags from the best roasters around the world, including Danish La Cabra and Swedish Drop Coffee. We tried a pour-over from Talormade in Norway, and took home a delicious, award-winning bag of washed Ethiopian beans from Sey Coffee in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Pizzana
Chef Daniele Uditi grew up making pizza in Naples, but his restaurant Pizzana combines Italian tradition with American creativity. Daniele’s signature is the Neo Margherita pizza, which comes with a basil powder sprinkled all over the pizza, putting basil in every bite. If you come in the fall or winter, indulge in the truffle pizza which is drizzled with truffle-infused oil (no chemicals here!) and topped with a generous amount of freshly shaved truffles. The Cacio e Pepe pizza with fior di latte and parmigiano crema is a must order (it’s our favorite pizza in L.A.), but don’t stop there. Chef Daniele’s vegetable and side dishes are just as incredible, with everything from polenta fries to pine nut “risotto” on the menu. Candace Nelson, the awesome pastry chef and founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, is in charge of the desserts here – so save room!
Shake Shack
It wouldn’t be a complete West Hollywood guide without including our favorite burger in town! We take our burgers very seriously, and we’re always on the hunt for the best burger in every city we explore. We’re thrilled that our favorite fast food burger in the world finally opened on the West Coast, with its first location in WeHo. We love the high quality ingredients and the amount of flavor that Shake Shack packs into each bite, and at such a low price point. Kaitlin always goes for the classic ShackBurger, a single cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and the signature ShackSauce. Anders loves the Roadside Double, a California exclusive burger with two patties topped with Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and caramelized onions that have been cooked in bacon and beer.
Salt & Straw
If you follow us on Instagram, you’re probably familiar with the purple ice cream cone adorned with rainbow sprinkles. It’s Kaitlin’s favorite ice cream in the world: Salt & Straw’s Honey Lavender! This delicious scoop shop hails from Portland, but now has a few locations in L.A., including one on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Salt & Straw serves up extremely inventive flavors made with seasonal, local ingredients, like avocado toast, black olive brittle and goat cheese, and strawberry and coconut water sherbet. For Thanksgiving, they have an entire Thanksgiving menu in ice cream form, with flavors like candied turkey and mashed potato, and for Christmas, they have seasonal specials like peppermint hot cocoa and chai-spiced eggnog.
Night + Market
There are places in L.A. where you don’t feel cool enough, places that are stuffy and pretentious, but Night + Market is for everyone. It’s got a great vibe, while still being welcoming and friendly. They’ve got killer Thai food and one of the best natural wine lists in L.A. Chef Kris Yembamroong’s empire has expanded to include a couple of other locations around L.A., but you can only make a reservation at the original West Hollywood restaurant. We love the cold noodles, the crispy rice salad (one of the spiciest dishes in L.A.), the crab and cream cheese wontons, and the world-famous fried chicken sandwich. If you’re a natural wine nerd, be sure to ask for the “reserve wine list” of Chef Kris’ favorite bottles.
Rosaliné
There are not many Peruvian restaurants in L.A., and the flavors at Rosaliné totally blew us away. Chef Ricardo Zarate makes the best kampachi ceviche we’ve ever tasted and his take on the causa (a layered potato and eggplant casserole) is like a delicious Peruvian seven-layer dip, served with toasted quinoa bread. For a main course, we love his chaufa paella – a really garlicky fried rice dish with pancetta, shrimp, and a runny egg in the middle. This Melrose Avenue spot has really nailed it – a beautiful interior with hanging plants, a great ambiance, friendly staff, and incredible food.
Bikes & Hikes Tour
After sampling some of the best food in town, you might want some exercise. We set out on a two and a half hour hike all the way up to the iconic Hollywood Sign – something neither one of us had ever done before! Along the way, our tour guide told us the rich history of the area, including juicy details about Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe’s love nest and how Hugh Hefner saved the Hollywood Sign from destruction. The best part? We got as close to the Hollywood Sign as you can get – legally, that is! Trust us, you don’t want to trespass here unless you want the thrill of a helicopter chase and a hefty fine. Bikes and Hikes is an outdoor tour company that offers group and private tours all over Los Angeles.
Chamberlain Hotel
Tucked in a quiet, residential neighborhood, but just one block away from all the action on the bustling Santa Monica Boulevard is the chic Chamberlain Hotel. We loved being able to walk everywhere in town! Our spacious executive suite had a walk-in shower and an all-marble bathroom, a cozy fireplace in the living room, and a balcony with a view of the neighborhood. There’s a fitness center and a restaurant, but our favorite amenity of all was the beautiful rooftop pool with cabanas and a gorgeous view of Los Angeles.
Looking for more recommendations? Check out our map of Los Angeles to see all our favorite restaurants in town!
What’s your favorite thing to do in West Hollywood?
Disclaimer
This is paid promotion by Visit WeHo. The selection of places to feature was curated by us.
I love this guide! Thanks for doing all the research so all I have to do is eat!