West Hollywood, an incorporated city within Los Angeles bordering Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Hills, and Hollywood proper, is a picturesque, glamorous spot, featuring jacaranda-lined streets and the mythic Sunset Strip. A queer enclave since the 1960s, WeHo has a long history of being an epicenter for dancing (just listen to “Pink Pony Club” for a preview), shopping, and design.
Check out some of Vogue’s favorite places—including where to stay, eat, and shop—in the neighborhood below.
Where to Stay
Another hotel rife with Old Hollywood history, the Sunset Tower is an Art Deco monument standing sentinel over the Sunset Strip. The Tower, a.k.a. Hollywood’s grande dame hotel, is one of the most romantic spots in L.A., or possibly the Earth; lighting is low, rooms are painted a dusky pink flattering to all, and the views (seen from the pool or peeking through each room’s lovely organza curtains) are glittering. Its famous restaurant and bar, The Tower Bar, works as a date spot, a locale for a high-powered Hollywood lunch, or even a high-end place to take your parents. The martinis are ice cold, the sundae legendary, and the pigs in a blanket are a real highlight. You can even get the tower recreated in chocolate during your stay. The Tower—which stars the likes of John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor, and Frank Sinatra have all called home—also produces excellent merch.
Edition hotels always smell so good. The hotel’s signature scent, a black tea, bergamot, and cedarwood mix, is almost as sexy as all the low-slung furniture. And this outpost, in particular—with its massively high ceilings, slinky lounge, and sky-high pool—is a luxury worth experiencing. There’s a five-star spa, a hotel restaurant bursting with fecund plants, and soft, warm lighting. (In fact, there’s no better lighting than that at an Ian Schraeger property—take a selfie in the bathroom, and you are guaranteed to look extremely youthful.) The legendary hotelier is also gearing up to open a West Hollywood outpost of Public, an equally seductive hotel brand with a lower price point, later this year.
An oasis tucked away behind the façade of a 1918 bungalow on San Vicente Boulevard, Hotel 850 SVB lets guests relax and escape while still located in a busy, central portion of WeHo. Owned by Jeff Klein, the impresario behind Tower Bar and the ultra-exclusive San Vicente Bungalows clubs, the boutique hotel is designed to feel residential, complete with a community living room, a roof deck, and lobby lounge. It features bright, charming rooms designed by A-list interior designer Rita Konig—some even have fireplaces, and the marble bathrooms are hard to leave.
Where to Eat
The acronym JAR humbly stands for “Just A Restaurant,” and the restaurant (described on its website as a “modern American chophouse”) provides everything you could want from a classic dining experience. Chef Suzanne Tracht specializes in making the best versions possible of the classics—deviled eggs topped with crab, the critically acclaimed char siu pork chop, a top-notch burger, and homey, perfectly executed sides (try the creamed corn). The chocolate chip cookies really hit.
Chef Kris Yenbamroong’s first Night + Market restaurant opened in 2011, and rapidly became an L.A. institution. Yenbamroong initially took over a family business, transforming it into a hip, brightly decorated spot with a natural wine list and fiery, delicious spins on Northern Thai cuisine. Don’t miss the khao soi or the crispy rice salad.
Dan Tana’s has been a Hollywood favorite since its opening in 1964. You’ll definitely see A-listers dining, and every visit feels like a celebration. The restaurant, serving up Italian-American red sauce fare, is famous for its decor, with red leather booths, string lights, gingham tablecloths, and chianti bottles dangling from the ceiling. The service is warm, the room is small and lively, and you’ll never want to leave.
While technically just outside the border of WeHo proper, Lucia is the kind of opulent restaurant you’d come to the neighborhood for. Known for its interiors, with a jaw-dropping bar shaped like fans or clam shells and booths reminiscent of the amphitheater at the Hollywood Bowl, Lucia is where you take someone you’d like to impress. Owner Sam Jordan has created a fine dining establishment serving up modern versions of Caribbean classics, like plantains, coconut rice, and a green fig and saltfish salad.
West Hollywood is home to L.A.’s Russian and Ukrainian communities, and for a taste of borscht, horseradish-infused vodka, and delicate pelmeni dumplings, you could do no better than a visit to Traktir. It’s a warm, friendly place serving warm, friendly food, with big portions and lots of sour cream.
Jones is a perennial favorite, a restaurant that’s open late in a city that tends to turn in early. It’s crowded (in a happy way, not a “come back in four hours” way), serves great drinks, and the signature flatbread goes down way too easily. It’s a major crowdpleaser.
TikTok discovered the pleasures of Sushi Fumi, and there is usually a wait. But that wait is worth it. The restaurant consists of a low-key dining room on La Cienega Boulevard, where chefs behind a sushi bar turn out fantastic, fresh sushi, nigiri, and chirashi bowls. Unlike most sushi restaurants in the area, it’s relatively affordable, and the chefs are friendly and happy to share their thoughts on the best fish of the day.
The Formosa Cafe, an iconic Chinese restaurant in a train car, first opened in 1939, catering to stars like Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. The place got a facelift in 2019 that preserves its Old Hollywood character, and it’s beautiful, with dangling red lanterns and black and white headshots on the walls. Gangster Bugsy Siegel’s floor safe remains underneath a booth.
Sal’s, normally based in Provincetown, touches down in West Hollywood for the winter months, serving wonderful renderings of Italian classics like linguini alla vongole, orecchiette with sausage and greens, and a chopped Caesar. They’re cash only, take reservations only by phone, and it’s loads of fun to wait at the bar. Everyone who works at Sal’s is friendly and excited that you’re there, making it feel like a party—even when untouchable celebrities are in the building.
Famed Nashville-based chef Sean Brock has expanded his empire to California with Darling, a restaurant slash listening bar with a custom hi-fi system and an extensive collection of vinyl. The seasonal menu fuses cuisine from the Low Country, Japan, Mexico, and California.
Jinpachi is a low-key looking sushi bar that serves one of the best omakase meals in Los Angeles. Like most sushi restaurants in the city, there is spicy tuna and crispy rice on the menu, but this one is really good.
Where to Shop
One of the largest bookstores in Los Angeles, Book Soup opened on the Sunset Strip in 1975. You can find just about anything on the floor-to-ceiling shelves, and the store has hosted everyone from Norman Mailer to Paris Hilton. A neon sign above the entrance reads “Bookseller to the Great and Infamous.”
Scout is one of the best vintage stores in LA, a minimalist boutique offering a curated selection of pieces from designers like Comme des Garçons and Ann Demeulemeester alongside antique treasures. Beloved by It Girls like Kirsten Dunst and Alexa Chung, Scout is high-end, but they also have some shockingly reasonable bargains.
There is no better members’ club in LA than Trashy Lingerie, which requires joining up to shop for the high price of one dollar. A hot pink showstopper, open since 1974, Trashy Lingerie offers up made-in-L.A. lingerie, costumes, and sexy accessories. Going at Halloween is a must for obvious reasons, but it’s especially worth the trip to see the Grim Reaper installed on the awning.
Architecture sells archival books dedicated to architecture and design. The space is suitably stunning, with wood-paneled walls and aluminum shelving. The shop was founded by the owners of Community Goods, West Hollywood’s most popular and perpetually crowded (the line can stretch for multiple blocks) coffee shop and café.
Thanks For The Memories, or TFTM, showcases art and design from the 1920s through the 1970s, curated with passion and humor. It is impossible to go in or browse the website without wanting to buy a million things—consider this 1940s $100-bill patterned cigarette case and matching lighter, or this 1936 Napier penguin-shaped cocktail shaker.
Dries Van Noten chose Los Angeles to host his first U.S. flagship. To enter the store, one must walk through a soothing, palm and banana tree-lined path (Van Noten is, of course, known for gardening). And then you’re in a wonderland—there’s the archive room, featuring designs from past collections, the perfume and makeup room, and a maze of rooms showcasing the current clothing, jewelry, and shoe offerings. Walls feature imagery of foliage and flowers, and the whole place is as calming as a walk through a well-maintained Belgian garden.
H. Lorenzo is a multi-brand retail experience that more closely resembles a gallery than a standard boutique. Beloved by well-dressed celebrities and the generally fashion-obsessed, H. Lorenzo stocks clothing and accessories from the likes of Balenciaga, Haider Ackermann, and Bottega Veneta, to younger brands like Ashley Williams, D’Hygere, and Claire Barrow. The store is a family business, founded by impresario Lorenzo Hadar and now run by his son Mac.
Melrose Place (yes, like the show) is lined with a selection of major boutiques, including the likes of Khaite, Chloé, The Row, Santa Maria Novella, Maison Margiela, Isabel Marant, and wedding dress designer Danielle Frankel. And in a picturesque little building in the middle of the block, you’ll find Violet Grey, an extremely luxurious, Hollywood Regency-esque shop dedicated to beauty products, featuring brands like Westman Atelier, Sofie Pavitt, Koh Gen Do, and Fara Homidi. Further down on Melrose Avenue, you can find numerous excellent single-brand shops, from the likes of Acne Studios, Re/Done, and Cire Trudon.
What to Do
Gemini G.E.L., founded in 1966 and celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, is a gallery space, artists’ workshop, and publisher of limited edition prints, lithographs, and sculptures. It seems like every household name artist has worked with Gemini G.E.L., which stands for Graphics Editions Limited—there is a current exhibition dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg, and other collaborators include Sophie Calle, Frank Gehry, Ross Bleckner, Man Ray, Ellsworth Kelly, David Hockney, Philip Guston, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, and Willem de Kooning, among many, many more.
Within the West Hollywood Park, you can find the gorgeous Johnson Favaro-designed West Hollywood Library, which combines mid-century modernism with a hint of the Spanish baroque; the popular West Hollywood Park Tennis and Pickleball courts; and the West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center, which boasts a public rooftop pool with views of the Hollywood Hills.
West Hollywood offers a lot, but it might be best known for its many gay bars (and establishments owned by reality star Lisa Vanderpump). According to lifelong Angeleno and journalist Daniel Spielberger, “if you want top 40 pop, solid beer, and an amazing ahi tuna burger, start the night at Hi Tops. It’s also great if you like sports for some reason. Their trivia night is quite popular (the Heated Rivalry boys may even make a steamy cameo!).”
He adds, “Beaches has a fantastic slushy and good hip hop music. Boys Town isn’t for everyone, so if you’re in the area and want a glamorous retro queer vibe with a decadent martini, go to Or Bar. Across the street is Circus of Books, which has some unique gadgets and interesting literary selections. West Hollywood is a lot more than Vanderpump.”
The MAK Center for Art and Architecture is housed within buildings by legendary Austrian-American architect Rudolph Schindler, whose radical early 20th-century buildings changed the face of L.A. The Schindler House, as it’s casually known, is a Japanese-inspired structure consisting of concrete panels, redwood, and glass. Built in 1922 as a home and studio for Schindler, his wife Pauline, and friends, the house alone is worth a visit, but there are also rotating exhibitions by other artists that regularly take place there.
The Pacific Design Center, also known as the Blue Whale, is an enormous building featuring over 80 design showrooms, open both to design professionals and the public. Check out its website for the latest listings, as well as its schedule of events and film screenings.
