“A good part of any day in Los Angeles is spent driving, alone, through streets devoid of meaning to the driver, which is one reason the place exhilarates some people, and floods others with an amorphous unease.” - Joan Didion
In her telling snapshot of a city that never stops (driving), the late Didion encapsulates one source of LA’s divisiveness: endless sprawl. As a visitor this can be overwhelming, but I ask that you give it a chance, and at least a week. My advice? Pick one area per day, park up and explore on foot - that way you won’t spend your whole holiday behind the wheel. Here’s my five-day walking(ish) tour of LA.
Take a detour to the places I loved, which in turn, I hope you will too.
First order of the day is coffee at Canyon’s Echo Park cafe. They do a seasonal latte on tap (I had oat milk + fig leaf) and spelt polenta toasts spread with the likes of labneh + citrus fermented honey. Next door, peruse the beautiful des pair books and stock up on provisions at Cookbook, a diminutive grocer with shelves of oils, vinegars, sauces and other curios for home cooks. Outside, bunches of blooms lay in wait for your next dinner party.
It would be remiss to explore Echo Park without a visit to its namesake, so take the 15 minute walk down Echo Park Ave and hop on a kitsch swan ride around the lake, or pitch up on the grass for some sun. Time to get stuck into your Cookbook purchases, or walk over to Honey Hi for colourful smoothies and salads. Their menu makes use of produce from local farmers markets, including Echo Park - which is just down the road, every Friday from 3pm.
Afterwards, stop by El Prado for their fun natural wine selection. Sit on the sidewalk and eat unquestionably good snacks like carrot hot dogs and Saltines served in the wrapper.
24 minute walk | 1.9 km | Map
Start with a cashew + date milk latte and brunch (only on weekends) at Botanica Restaurant + Market. This is my favourite place in LA, a celebration of produce-led, veg-heavy cooking. Leave with a Botanica tote of spices and house-made dips. Take it for a stroll around Silverlake Reservoir & Meadows. Make a detour to Silverlake Wine to stock up on craft drinks.
Retrace your steps down Silverlake Blvd and take a right onto Sunset Boulevard. Stop by Moon Juice for a cosmic shake. For lunch, head to Night + Market Song for Thai ‘drinking food’ and funky wine (lunch is served Friday + Saturday, 1 -3pm). The crispy rice salad is out of this world, as are the gloriously gaudy interiors.
Carry on down Sunset Boulevard and stop at Clare V for chic accessories, Kamp for natural wine and artisan snacks, Aesop if you’re homesick, Golden Age for French-inspired workwear, and Mohawk General Store & Maison Kitsune for quirky clothing. Browse HEYDAY’s range of cult beauty products and swing by Yolk for Scandi kids goods. It has the best exterior on the strip.
Queue for another coffee at Intelligentsia. This place is incredible for people watching, and the cold brew will shake off any jet lag. It’s also open until 7pm. Australia, take note. Across the street is Tartine Bakery, a famous San Franciscan export.
Head up Hyperion Ave for a pre-dinner drink at the retro The Friend Bar. Magpie also does a mean soft-serve if you’re off the sauce. Jump in an Uber for tacos and margs as Salazar.
2 hour walk | 9.1 km | Map
A walking tour of LA doesn’t feel right without a wander down Abbot Kinney Boulevard - which is just so LA you have to see it to believe it. Start at Erewhon Market for a $19 smoothie and to become completely immersed in the Cali lifestyle. The neatly stacked shelves and mind-blowing range of CBD infused sparkling waters bring me an overwhelming sense of calm. Or is that the CBD talking…?
Visit Topdrawer for travel accessories and stationary, IRO Paris for high-end pieces, Cookman for fun aprons, and Le Labo for unique fragrances. There’s also The Cook’s Garden (only open Saturday + Sunday), a community garden that has blossomed in the middle of Venice.
Stop in at LA institution Gjelina for lunch. Order all the pizza to undo all the wholesomeness you ingested at Erewhon. Gjusta, their accompanying bakery is also wonderful, and next door they have a cute homewares store, Gjusta Goods. And if you want the complete experience you can stay at the Gjusta apartment - where everything you see is for sale!
Visit Blue Bottle for a flat white in scandi-cool surrounds, and take home a chocolate chip cookie and giant soda from Lemonade.
25 minute walk | 1.9km | Map
I confess, you’ll probably need a car to get out to Pasadena, but it’s worth an honourable mention regardless. Rise and shine with breakfast tacos from Homestate, because it’s something you’ll miss when back in Oz, land of avocado toast.
Altadena Beverage & Market is an essential visit for potentially the best selection of natural wine, and non-alcoholic aperitifs I’ve ever seen. Plus snacks with packaging that makes them almost too cute to eat.
Colorado Blvd is also home to homewares stores; Parachute and MAUM General Store, plus another Blue Bottle Coffee. On the way home, stop by Gamble House, an iconic arts & crafts style home.
25 minute drive | Map
Verve Coffee Roasters on Mateo Street serve great coffee, and their vegan sweet potato hash (hot tip - get it as a burrito) is even better. After take a browse through tomes on art, design + architecture at Hennessy + Ingalls and ARTBOOK.
Spend the morning at contemporary art gallery, Hauser + Wirth exploring unique exhibitions housed within a converted flour mill. Head down East 3rd Street towards MOCA and The Broad (you’ll need to book a ticket in advance). On your way drop by The Last Bookstore, not actually the last, but it is the largest bookstore in California, and the Bradbury Building, which you might recognise from the film (500) Days of Summer.
Go for an early dinner at Grand Central Market, a public food hall that dates back to 1917. Here you can find Mexican, German, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Texas BBQ, Italian, Filipino, Korean, and more under the one roof.
57 minute walk | 4.3 km | Map