So happy to be back in the swing of writing for the blog! I recently was in LA over a long weekend, and came twice earlier this summer. I have been taking road trips to LA with my family since I was little (usually for Disneyland or the American Girl Place lol), and we all love the consistent weather and laid-back break from reality. Newport and Laguna Beach are also some of my favorite places to visit, but today’s post will focus specifically on the city of LA. During previous trips to LA, I have stayed in Santa Monica, for a much more relaxed and beachy vibe, and also love staying in Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area. Although my time there is often short, we like to cram in as much as possible. Also, whenever in LA, I like to pretend I live here;)). In this post I finally put together my favorite spots to hit when in LA, as well as more recommendations I have found elsewhere and wanted to share! Enjoy <3

Activities

Exploring Melrose Area- Melrose Trading Post (only on Sundays), Glossier showroom, Bandier, Reformation, MadHappy, Cotton Citizen, Chrome Hearts, etc.

Malibu- Pier and Malibu Farm Cafe, Malibu Country Mart for cute shops and lots of photo ops.

Abbot Kinney- love walking around through sooo many boutiques and cool stores including Aviator Nation, Aust, FreeCity, Waraku (small shop carrying various shoes from brands like Converse but imported from Japan in unique colors!), and Cha Cha Matcha of course! Also Venice has lots of trendy restaurants!

Hikes- LA has so many beautiful areas to hike! Some of the most popular are the one to the Hollywood sign and Runyon Canyon (hello celeb sightings)

Drinks/Coffee/Matcha

Cha Cha Matcha- obviously. Both locations (Venice/WeHo) are perfection and you will always walk out feeling so so happy :)!

Alfred Coffee & Alfred Tea Room- classic LA spot, get the matcha americano or the iced vanilla oat milk latte. Sooo good my mouth is watering writing this.

Blue Bottle Coffee- delish and a fan-favorite for yummy coffee/tea/etc.

Bluestone Lane- cutest Australian-inspired spot!

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch

Zinqué- one of my favorite French-inspired spots! Great salads, bowls, tartines!

Butcher’s Daughter- very photogenic all vegetarian/vegan spot and great any time of day.

Erewhon Market- HEAVEN for all healthy food lovers. Go to the hot food bar and order the buffalo cauliflower. Insane.

Kreation- great for getting juices or bowls to go, and some locations have more seating and serve food.

Urth Caffe- classic LA spot for any meal of the day, and known for great coffees and tea lattes. I usually order the avo toast or they have an amazing hummus tabbouli salad!

Blue Bowl- in OC but delicious if you’re in the area! Unlimited layers and toppings for an unbeatable price.

Dinner

Catch- not only is Catch very popular and photogenic, but the food is amaze. Some of my favorite dishes here are the catch roll which is blowtorched tableside, crispy shrimp, miso cod lettuce cups, and the famous “hit me” chocolate cake.

Gracias Madre- fully plant-based Mexican restaurant with a great ambiance and creative menu! The chips are so good here, they have a fun drink menu, and I loved the jackfruit tacos!

Malibu Farm- I have always wanted to see what all they hype was about Malibu Farm. We went to the location in Newport and loooved the ambiance here as the sun was setting over the marina. The food isn’t the best but come for drinks and the appetizers! (nachos were the fam favorite!)

Water Grill- nicer seafood restaurant in Santa Monica with an amazing view during sunset.