The Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood sign . . . some of the most iconic attractions in Los Angeles seem as endemic as the Santa Monica Mountains that frame the city. But just like the transplants who’ve flocked here for decades—seeking a new lease on life, their name in bright lights, or simply some sunshine—L.A. is constantly reinventing itself, offering new reasons to visit and a multitude of things to do around town.
Bar Chelou in Pasadena is inspired by the “avant-garde bistronomie movement” in Paris. Expect sharing dishes, a natural wine list, and a memorable evening.
Photos courtesy of Bar Chelou
Destination dining
Long overshadowed by the eats of New York and San Francisco, L.A.’s dining scene has, over the past decade or so, become a force to be reckoned with. Case in point: Udatsu Sushi, opened in September. When the Japanese chef Hisashi Udatsu sought to open an outpost of his Michelin-starred omakase restaurant outside of Asia, he zeroed in on Hollywood, but not in the expected way. No big signs or flashing lights point you toward Udatsu, which sits above Sunset Boulevard. Occupying a former recording studio and hidden behind an antique wooden door imported from Japan, the intimate sushi bar (there are eight seats) makes you feel as if you’re dining at the home of a fabulous friend who just returned from Japan with a trunk full of treasures. You may not recognize all of what’s on the menu—a typical meal sprawls out over 17 courses—but watching Udatsu’s Tokyo-trained chefs finesse slices of fish and grains of rice into edible art, you’ll come away from this culinary theater sated in every sense.
A few miles west in Beverly Hills, there’s another show going on, at Funke, the latest Los Angeles addition to Evan Funke’s Roman empire. Widely considered one of the premier makers of pasta outside of Italy—he’s featured in the new season of Netflix’s Chef’s Table—Funke treats pasta like glutinous gold. Several nights a week, you can find him presiding over the open kitchen at the Beverly Hills restaurant he opened in 2023, following the success of Felix (in Venice) and Mother Wolf (in Hollywood). The best premeal aperitif? Any had at Funke’s rooftop bar, the better to bask in the view of a Negroni-colored sunset.
Delicacies at Hotel Bel Air’s Pâtisserie include muffins, cookies, and a tempting pain au chocolat.
Photo Courtesy of Hotel Bel Air
If the notion of world-class pasta in a city famous for eschewing carbs seems off base, prepare to have your mind blown by what’s on the menu at the recently renovated Hotel Bel-Air. At the on-site Pâtisserie, opened in August, executive pastry chef Christophe Rull turns out croissants that crumble into buttery oblivion; in the Living Room, culinary director Joe Garcia (formerly of the French Laundry) turns out a truffled grilled cheese sandwich capable of winning over even the most carb averse.
For sure, there are salads and lighter fare to be had in this city. Some of the best are at Deme, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, opened in August at downtown’s Hotel Figueroa, that turns the stars of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market—hello, Early Girl tomatoes—into heavenly dips. Azizam, which opened in Silver Lake in March, has generated lines out the door with its homestyle, vegetable-heavy, Persian cuisine. But in a town of scene stealers, some restaurants defy categorization: Take Bar Chelou, the Pasadena “neo-bistro,” opened in 2023, that’s straight out of Paris’s Marais district, where Szechuan peppercorns and sprouting cauliflower mingle happily with curry-flecked lamb ribs and natural wine.
Wellness central
Is there anything to do in L.A. besides eat? The trails of Runyon Canyon, Griffith Park, and Point Dume have beckoned for decades; newer ways to get in your steps include The Class, a Santa Monica studio, opened in 2022, that serves founder Taryn Toomey’s signature workout, a mash-up of yoga and calisthenics bound to get your heart pumping and your motivation soaring, if you take to heart the self-betterment mantras that come with each class. Wellness clubs such as Heimat, which opened in West Hollywood in 2022, and Love.Life, which opened in September in El Segundo, offer one-stop shops for those interested in breaking up their days with periodic sweat sessions, cold plunges, and holistic health checkups. (In what other city could you get an analysis of 120 biomarkers with your post-workout smoothie, as you can at Love.Life?)
Mars Hollywood is open until 2 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday.
Photo by Robiee Ziegler
On the town
Yes, there is always a reason to get up early in L.A.—to break a sweat, to hit some balls, to beat the traffic—but there are also plenty of new excuses to stay out late. You might spy the Intuit Dome as you descend into Los Angeles International Airport, given its dazzling exterior of illuminated diamond panels. It’s a worthy endeavor to get up close and personal with the city’s newest stadium, which has played host to such luminaries as Billy Joel and Bruno Mars since opening in August; the year 2025 highlight headliners include Mary J. Blige and the L.A. Clippers, who call the arena home. Because of its construction, there’s no bad seat in the house, and no matter where you’re situated, you can catch the action on a video board that wraps around the inside of the dome. Thanks to face ID technology and Intuit’s app, you can breeze through concession stands without swiping a card. You can decide whether this is a good or a bad thing when you assess your charges at the end of the night (or strategically avoid doing so because you’re afraid of the bill you racked up).
Beyond sports and music, L.A. is this winter playing host to critically acclaimed theater productions. In December, Wicked takes over the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood before ceding to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in February. If you’re into stand-up comedy, you’ve come to the right place. The Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory, and the Largo regularly host some of the biggest comics in the game, and Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, and Dave Chappelle have solo shows on deck in the region.
If you’ve packed your dancing shoes, good news: There are several new places around town where you can get your groove on. The Keys, a three-story Sunset Boulevard club dedicated to electronic dance music, opened in August, the latest offering from the H.Wood Group, the nightlife impresarios behind Delilah and the Bird Streets. The Moon Room, on Melrose Avenue, and Mars Hollywood, behind Funke’s restaurant Mother Wolf, start out as cocktail bars but turn into raucous parties as the night goes on, each with its own distinct flavor. (The centerpiece of the Moon Room: a baby grand piano. Mars Hollywood’s calling card: red velvet couches that you might find yourself bouncing on before the night is over.)
The Conrad offers 305 guest rooms across 25 floors in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy of Conrad L.A
Happening hotels
And to sleep? The Conrad L.A., opened in 2022, is an ideal downtown home base, what with its spacious suites, top-notch dining and drinking options—Agua Viva shakes up some of the best margaritas in the city—and prime location, steps from the Broad Museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Those seeking a home away from home in West Hollywood would be wise to hole up at Pendry, which opened in 2021. Another of our favorite L.A. hotels, Pendry boasts what might be the most scenic rooftop pool in the neighborhood, with a sprawling view of the mansions and manicured lawns below. Spa enthusiasts will rejoice over the Regent Santa Monica Beach, opened in October, which promises the only Guerlain facilities on the West Coast. But like a rare good sequel, one of L.A.’s most exciting “new” hotels is a revival. The Georgian, in Santa Monica, first opened in 1933 but looks better than ever, thanks to a 2023 renovation that restored it to its art deco glory. From the cushy velvet couches to the light-filled guest rooms to the oceanfront banquettes on the Sunset Terrace, it’s easy to see why Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin chose the Georgian as the place where they could see and be seen. Now, you can join them.
