Los Angeles Travel Guide: Where to Stay Across Hollywood, Venice, and Downtown

Three picks across the spectrum of how Angelenos actually eat in America's most diverse food city.

For the modern LA-cuisine reference: République, at 624 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Chef-owner Walter Manzke's all-day restaurant in a 1928 Spanish-Moroccan revival building (originally built as Charlie Chaplin's office) — properly serious modern French-Californian cuisine with the most-cited pastry programme in Los Angeles. The breakfast and weekend brunch services are legendary.

For the iconic Italian institution: Bestia, at 2121 East 7th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90021 in the Arts District. Chef Ori Menashe's Italian restaurant — properly serious house-made pasta, charcuterie, wood-fired pizzas. Reservations 4-6 weeks ahead; the city's hardest-to-book restaurant for years.

For the affordable, locals' standard: Grand Central Market, at 317 South Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90013.

The 1917 covered food market — proper LA food diversity in one venue (Eggslut for breakfast eggs, McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Sticky Rice for Thai, Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, Wexler's Deli). Walk-in friendly. The iconic Downtown LA experience.

For Los Angeles seafood with serious Champagne, the destination is Connie and Ted's, at 8171 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046.

Chef Michael Cimarusti's New England-style seafood shack — daily fresh oysters from East and West Coast farms, the iconic Connie's lobster roll (with the warm butter), proper New England clam chowder, and a serious Champagne and American sparkling list (Schramsberg, Iron Horse, Argyle are the California-Oregon references).

Casual setting with a serious raw-bar programme.

For a refined fine-dining alternative, Providence at 5955 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038 (Michael Cimarusti's two-Michelin-star sister restaurant — among America's top fine-dining seafood destinations) is the upscale alternative.

For raw bar with the iconic LA sunset view, The Lobster at 1602 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica on the pier serves Pacific Coast seafood with serious wine programme overlooking the Pacific.

For an old-world historical stay in Los Angeles, the reference is Hotel Bel-Air, at 701 Stone Canyon Road, Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA 90077.

Opened in 1922 as the Joseph Drown Hotel — Los Angeles's most iconic mid-century-glamour luxury hotel, set across 12 acres of Bel Air canyon with the iconic Swan Lake garden, individual mission-style bungalows scattered through tropical gardens, and 103 rooms (no two alike).

Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, the Reagan family, and most Hollywood golden-era figures stayed. The Bar Bel-Air with its piano and the iconic Wolfgang Puck restaurant continue the Hollywood-establishment tradition.

Pricing from around USD $1,200/night. Bookings via the official Dorchester Collection site.

For a more iconic alternative, The Beverly Hills Hotel at 9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (opened 1912, the iconic Pink Palace, the Polo Lounge is Hollywood's most famous power-lunch spot, Polo Lounge banana leaf wallpaper is among the most-photographed interior patterns in the world) is the alternative Beverly Hills classic.

California legalised same-sex marriage in 2008 (initially struck down by Prop 8, then restored by US Supreme Court ruling in 2013).

Los Angeles has one of the largest and most visible LGBTQ+ scenes in the United States. LA Pride takes place in early June in West Hollywood and Hollywood (around 400,000 attendees).

The neighborhood: West Hollywood (specifically the area around Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega and Robertson) is America's most iconic gay neighborhood — independently incorporated in 1984 specifically to protect LGBTQ+ residents from discrimination, with one of the highest concentrations of LGBTQ+ businesses anywhere. Silver Lake has the contemporary creative-queer scene. Long Beach has the iconic Long Beach Pride.

The bars and clubs: The Abbey Food & Bar at 692 N Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069 is the iconic West Hollywood gay bar (and an internationally famous brand) — multiple themed bars and dance floors. Akbar at 4356 Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake is the iconic Silver Lake gay bar (long-running, mixed crowd, weekend dance nights).

For nightlife, The Eagle at 4219 Santa Monica Boulevard is the leather-and-bears institution. For drag, Hamburger Mary's at 8288 Santa Monica Boulevard, WeHo is the iconic drag-show standard.

Saunas: Faultline at 4216 Melrose Avenue, Silver Lake, CA 90029 is the central men's bathhouse with the iconic Sunday Beer Bust event. Steamworks LA at 2900 W Olympic Boulevard is the contemporary alternative.

The famous-person small museum: Hammer Museum, at 10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

UCLA's contemporary art museum — among LA's most architecturally significant museum spaces after the 2023 Michael Maltzan-designed renovation, with one of the city's most consistent contemporary art programmes. Free admission. Closed Mondays.

For a more single-artist focus, the iconic Norton Simon Museum at 411 W Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena houses one of the most important European art collections on the West Coast (Rembrandt, Goya, Van Gogh, Picasso, Degas's largest collection of bronze sculptures).

The recent landmark: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 — opened in 2021, designed by Renzo Piano.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' permanent home for cinema history, with the iconic Saban Building (the 1939 May Company department store) restored and connected to the new Dolby Family Terrace and the spherical Sidney Poitier Theater.

Among the most architecturally significant museum openings of the 2020s. Pair with the iconic LACMA next door (the Peter Zumthor-designed new building is currently under construction with planned 2026 opening — check status).

1-3 day itinerary: Day 1 — Downtown LA and Mid-Wilshire (Grand Central Market lunch, The Broad museum + Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry, evening on Sunset). Day 2 — Hollywood and Museum Mile (Academy Museum, LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits, evening at the Hollywood Bowl if a concert).

Day 3 — West Side (Getty Center morning — Richard Meier-designed, free, magnificent Pacific views; Santa Monica beach afternoon; sunset at Griffith Observatory; dinner at Bestia or República).