Guidebook for Los Angeles
Essentials
Trader Joe's
1566 Colorado Blvd
Superior Grocers
133 W Ave 45Food Scene
Fun, quirky local coffee shop with great coffee, pastries, and breakfast food.
6 locals recommend
Zweet Cafe
4682 Eagle Rock BlvdFun, quirky local coffee shop with great coffee, pastries, and breakfast food.
Fun restaurant/bar with great food and a good beer selection including a lot of local brews.
219 locals recommend
The York
5018 York BlvdFun restaurant/bar with great food and a good beer selection including a lot of local brews.
After trying restaurants all over town, I think this is the best ramen in LA!
63 locals recommend
Ramen of York by Silverlake Ramen
5051 York Blvd After trying restaurants all over town, I think this is the best ramen in LA!
El Atacor #1
3520 North Figueroa StreetReally good, authentic, and inexpensive local Mexican food.
All'Acqua
3280 Glendale BlvdA beautiful Italian restaurant great for a date night.
Expect a long wait, but if you're up for it, this is probably the best Dim Sum in LA. Wait times have been known to be multiple hours on Friday and Saturday nights, but if you go during non peak times, you may be able to snag yourself some incredible Chinese food without too much waiting.
153 locals recommend
Din Tai Fung
1164 Caruso AveExpect a long wait, but if you're up for it, this is probably the best Dim Sum in LA. Wait times have been known to be multiple hours on Friday and Saturday nights, but if you go during non peak times, you may be able to snag yourself some incredible Chinese food without too much waiting.
A cool, new walk up pizza place much like pizza is sold in Europe: by the slice, constantly being made fresh at a counter rather than by the box. Great quality pizza and they even hand out house made foccacia bread while you wait in line.
82 locals recommend
Triple Beam Pizza
5918 N Figueroa StA cool, new walk up pizza place much like pizza is sold in Europe: by the slice, constantly being made fresh at a counter rather than by the box. Great quality pizza and they even hand out house made foccacia bread while you wait in line.
Entertainment & Activities
The Stronghold Climbing Gym
650 S Avenue 21LA's oldest bowling alley, operating continuously since 1927. It has just been recently renovated and it's now stunning inside and has good craft cocktails and food to go along with your fun night of bowling.
253 locals recommend
Highland Park Bowl
5621 N Figueroa StLA's oldest bowling alley, operating continuously since 1927. It has just been recently renovated and it's now stunning inside and has good craft cocktails and food to go along with your fun night of bowling.
Arts & Culture
An institution in LA: a street market that is open daily and is surrounded by some of the oldest buildings and monuments in LA. A great place to see local history.
412 locals recommend
Olvera Street
Olvera StreetAn institution in LA: a street market that is open daily and is surrounded by some of the oldest buildings and monuments in LA. A great place to see local history.
An area of downtown LA full of Japanese restaurants and markets where you can get amazing food, toys, and books you won't see anywhere else.
435 locals recommend
Little Tokyo
An area of downtown LA full of Japanese restaurants and markets where you can get amazing food, toys, and books you won't see anywhere else.
Any day of the week you can drive or ride through the beautiful landscape of the Angeles National Forest and end up at one of the most iconic motorsports restaurants in the world. Jay Leno is a regular along with every other motoring enthusiast in LA. Look up this place if you're into motorsports and you won't want to miss a visit especially on specific days (depending on your racing sport of choice).
6 locals recommend
Newcomb's Ranch
California 2Any day of the week you can drive or ride through the beautiful landscape of the Angeles National Forest and end up at one of the most iconic motorsports restaurants in the world. Jay Leno is a regular along with every other motoring enthusiast in LA. Look up this place if you're into motorsports and you won't want to miss a visit especially on specific days (depending on your racing sport of choice).
The other side of town houses the other super famous motorsports restaurant in Los Angeles. The roads surrounding this restaurant are legendary and YouTube is full of videos of one in the world cars and motorcycles riding through the winding canyon roads above Malibu before they stop here.
11 locals recommend
Rock Store
30354 Mulholland HwyThe other side of town houses the other super famous motorsports restaurant in Los Angeles. The roads surrounding this restaurant are legendary and YouTube is full of videos of one in the world cars and motorcycles riding through the winding canyon roads above Malibu before they stop here.
Getting Around
The metro station less than 10 minutes walk from our home which can take you directly to Union Station in downtown LA in less than 15 minutes.
89 locals recommend
Southwest Museum
4600 Marmion WayThe metro station less than 10 minutes walk from our home which can take you directly to Union Station in downtown LA in less than 15 minutes.
Parks & Nature
Griffith Park, which houses the observatory, is huge and full of hiking trails that can take you from one side of town to the other and over the hills separating the Valley from the basin. You can hike from Hollywood all the way to Burbank if you want to and it's full of trails, roads, and plateaus you will recognize from your favorite movies and TV shows.
4366 locals recommend
Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory RdGriffith Park, which houses the observatory, is huge and full of hiking trails that can take you from one side of town to the other and over the hills separating the Valley from the basin. You can hike from Hollywood all the way to Burbank if you want to and it's full of trails, roads, and plateaus you will recognize from your favorite movies and TV shows.
Just up the hill from us (a nice walk if you enjoy walking the hills) is the headquarters of the self-realization fellowship. It's an enormous garden/park with plenty of space to walk around and enjoy the variety of gardens, areas for meditation (it's a religious group but the gardens are open to the public), and gorgeous views of the city in every direction. It's very peaceful as they even have signs saying please keep your voice down on the property, so if you're looking for some beautiful gardens and quiet in LA, this is it.
70 locals recommend
Self-Realization Fellowship International Headquarters
3880 San Rafael AveJust up the hill from us (a nice walk if you enjoy walking the hills) is the headquarters of the self-realization fellowship. It's an enormous garden/park with plenty of space to walk around and enjoy the variety of gardens, areas for meditation (it's a religious group but the gardens are open to the public), and gorgeous views of the city in every direction. It's very peaceful as they even have signs saying please keep your voice down on the property, so if you're looking for some beautiful gardens and quiet in LA, this is it.
Drinks & Nightlife
Fantastic basement karaoke bar in the heart of Koreatown. No judgement here as you can sing to your hearts content all night long.
74 locals recommend
Brass Monkey Karaoke
3440 Wilshire BlvdFantastic basement karaoke bar in the heart of Koreatown. No judgement here as you can sing to your hearts content all night long.
A neighborhood bar that's been open for decades and is frequently filmed in nearby. If you're looking for a dive bar locally, this is the spot.
90 locals recommend
Footsies
2640 N Figueroa StA neighborhood bar that's been open for decades and is frequently filmed in nearby. If you're looking for a dive bar locally, this is the spot.