Going out to eat is serious business. We’ve covered a decent amount of ground when it comes to gaby’s guides to various cities. We have Austin on the map, Santa Barbara, Honolulu, Palm Springs, San Diego, Napa, Dallas is coming next week along with Orcas Islands. Portland is in the works, as is Ojai… but the one I get asked about time and time again is my home base… Los Angeles!
L.A. is massive and it’s tough to try and cover the whole thing in 1 map, so there are a handful of LA maps in the works and first up is the Westside because that’s where I live!! Brentwood, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and Venice. I cover these areas on a daily basis seeing as how it’s beyond easy to ride my bike from one neighborhood to the next. So here ya have it… Gaby’s Guide to Los Angeles (Westside style)
Baltaire - is the new kid on the block in Brentwood but it’s pretty fab when it comes to a swanky night on the town. Grab your friends and some cocktails and chill in the open air dining area.
Don Antonios - hands down, no questions asked, my all time favorite Mexican restaurant on the westside. (taco trucks excluded) Don Antonio’s is a family run joint and their super burritos with carne asada are top notch. Their skinny margs are equally as epic as is the chips + salsa situation!
Farmshop - we hunker down at the Brentwood country mart on the weekends all the time. While it’s loaded with fun places to grab a bite to eat, Farmshop is one of my favorite places to grab brunch. They have a perfectly cooked omelette and their larder is gorgeous! It's tough to walk out without grabbing a few fun cheeses!
Milo and Olive - currently the best pizza within walking distance of our apartment!! And with their recent renovation, it’s way easier to grab a table. Their ricotta toast is one for the record books, and their garlic knot is bananas. Basically anything involving carbs is delish at Milo and Olive!
Giorgio Baldi - for date night this is our new go-to. Well it’s actually not new, just new to us! It’s a small rustic Italian restaurant right off the pacific coast highway and the service is lovely. Wine, pasta, and more wine. Pretty much the perfect evening.
Father's Office - Burgers. The best in LA. I have nothing else to say about Father’s Office because it speaks for itself. GO!
Art's Table - my favorite place to grab a healthy salad on the weekends.
Rustic Canyon - a fun seasonal restaurant that sources everything from the farmers market and then turns it into gorgeous dishes. My favorite way to do it is with a group of friends so you can literally order everything on the menu and nibble your way through the entire thing.
Huckleberry - The perfect place to grab breakfast. All the pastries are made in house and the ragu with fried eggs is wonderful. Make sure to get the salted caramel bar for a breakfast dessert - you’ll thank me later.
Sugarfish - trust me about sugarfish and when you go order the trust me. It’s a pre-fixe chef menu that won’t disappoint!!
Blue Plate Oysterette - lobster rolls, oysters, tacos and champagne. It’s the perfect place for a sunny afternoon meal!
Mercado - the carnitas at Mercado are off the hook. As are the margaritas. And it’s a pretty epic scene. Perfect for a friday night dinner before hitting the town.
Blue Bottle Coffee - my husband has become a coffee snob, and he swears by Blue Bottle. So clearly I do too!
Intelligentsia - his other go-to coffee place is Intelligentsia (and I’m partial to this one because the pastry selection is always on point!)
Gjelina - the BEST pizza on the westside that’s not within walking distance of my house. It’s insane. Everything is a game changer. The pizza, the broccolini, the carrots, the cocktails. I COULD GO ON. Just make sure you go - and make a reservation cause it’s been a hot ticket for years!
Tasting Kitchen - pasta. It’s the end all, be all of pasta and it’s epic!
Scopa - brunch with cocktails. This is the place. The gorgeous setting is enough to get anyone to walk in the door, but the food is equally as fab. The meatballs are perfectly moist (and I don’t use that word lightly because ewwww) and the cocktail game is on point.
Gjusta - it’s the new hot bakery in Venice and it’s quite the scene. The coffee game is on point and their breakfast Bialy sandwiches are beyond.
We are visiting the Broad Museum and are looking for a fun lunch spot nearby. Do you have any suggestions?
Love your site!
sure do!! all my downtown places are here: https://whatsgabycooking.com/gabys-guide-downtown-la/ xo
how do you create these cool maps/guides???
Thank you for this list! I'm pinning it for next time we're heading up to LA!
Next time in LA this is my reference!!!
This is so awesome Gaby! Can't wait to put this to good use next week!
Hi, i grew up on the Westside of LA, yet have lived in Europe (Belgium) for the past 25 years. I come back a couple times a year and am very grateful to get some suggestions for some new places to try! Especially suggestions from a fellow foodie. Thanks!
I can't wait to get back to LA to check these places out!
My goodness. Is there time to do anything besides eat? They all sound wonderful!
I love this! Can't wait to try some of these places. I love going with a tried and true recommendation.
Love this!! One of my closest friends just moved to Santa Monica so I can't wait to try all these places out with her! Quick q: I noticed Bay Cities (I keep hearing rave reviews from my boyfriend who does the occasional work lunch pickup there) -- did I miss it in your post?
Any go-to's in Laguna Beach/Dana Point?? Going in a few weeks and I need some good eats! Thanks!!
when are you going? I'm going last week of May and will do a guide shortly after that!
That's perfect!! We go in June. Thanks so much!
I grew up in LA and graduated from UCLA, but it's been many years since I have lived there. I loved Father's Office and also Louise's that is down the street from the Montana Avenue location. Delicious Italian food! Thank you for the list - I look forward to trying some places on my visit.