Descanso Japanese Garden
Spring is a time of abundance in Los Angeles. From revamped menus and refreshed cocktails to nature strolls, red carpet-inspired afternoon tea, decadent brunches and wellness experiences, discover what to do around the city in the spirit of the season.
The Beverly Hills Hotel x Ackerman Studios
The transformative nature of spring offers plenty of inspiration. Tap into your creative side by visiting various art exhibitions around town. At The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air, pore over its new art series in partnership with art curator Lily Ackerman (founder of London-based Ackerman studios) and in collaboration with CURA Art. Now and through June 22, Spotlight LA at The Beverly Hills Hotel presents “Where Memory Forgets,” an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Virginia Broersma, whose art focuses on the concept of leisure with a nod to Southern California. Meanwhile, Hotel Bel-Air showcases Spatial Elegance—Timeless Horizons, a sculpture presentation in the hotel’s famed gardens and grounds. The first exhibition, Shana Mabari’s “Spectral Radiance,” features seven sculptures illuminated by mirrored, spectral-colored cylinders. It is on view until June 15. To take part in the art making, sign up for a Soolip workshop at the Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village. April 26 will feature ink play, while May 10 will bring stationary and card making.
The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood
Award season fans don’t have to say goodbye to the excitement of the Oscars, Grammys and more starry ceremonies just yet. The Maybourne Beverly Hills has an afternoon tea inspired by red carpet fashion. Prêt-à-Portea brings haute couture standards to tea service, serving hand-crafted pâtisserie that honor iconic fashion moments like Björk’s Oscar swan dress by Marjan Pejoski, Jennifer Lopez’s iconic green Versace gown at the Grammys and Zendaya’s Valentino gown from the 2023 SAG Awards. The delicate confections are paired with scones, tea sandwiches, savory bites and teas by Rare Tea Company, London. Consider adding on Champagne to really get in the Hollywood spirit. At the other end of the neighborhood, The Peninsula Beverly Hills service marries classic tradition with springtime flair. House-smoked salmon, English cucumber and Meyer lemon creme fraiche and pesto chicken salad add vibrancy to the savory lineup, while a strawberry and matcha layered dessert and Myrtille lemon mousse keep in time with seasonal flavors. The warmth of Dahlia at the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel is matched by its afternoon tea service, which includes a vegan menu option. Commit to the season with the tea experience, plus a Mocha Cocoa Cloud, a Pantone color of the year-inspired mocktail made using Tealeaves Mocha Mousse. For a service during the week, The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood has an afternoon tea Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. featuring organic teas, artisan coffee and seasonal treats like scones with clotted cream, chocolate dipped strawberries and the choice to add handcraft cocktails. Over at Marina del Rey Hotel, Salt presents High Tea & Highballs from Wednesday to Friday, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Fig Restaurant
The incoming peak patio season has brought an influx of prime brunch moments. At Fitoor Santa Monica, weekend brunch takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features modern Indian dishes like Paneer Makhani Tostada, the Masala Omelette and the lamb Kemma Pao Sliders. In West Hollywood, Merois makes Sundays special with Korean Fried Chicken Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The $95 per person experience includes farmer’s market banchan, kim chee bao dumplings, grilled marinated short ribs vegetable stone rice, warm dark chocolate cake and, of course, Korean-style fried chicken. Wes Avila’s MXO has also joined the Sunday brunch game with Desalmuerzo, a modern multicultural California take on daytime favorites. Paired with an espresso martini or bloody maria, enjoy the likes of churro French toast, yellow corn pancakes, chilaquiles and puerto nuevo lobster (soft scramble with potatoes and lobster sauce). For a New England seafood-driven brunch, Connie & Ted’s has plenty of satisfying eats like the crab and lobster omelet and Maine Lobster Croque Connie on Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’re in need of brunch on the weekend or during the week, Florence Osteria & Piano Bar pairs Italian-flaired dishes like the bread pudding French toast with an expansive patio anchored by an olive tree. Angelenos interested in Mediterranean-inflected Californian cuisine can book a reservation at Hotel Bel-Air where culinary director Joe Garcia invigorates The Restaurant with a decadent Sunday brunch. Menu highlights include caviar service, buttermilks blueberry pancakes, egg-white frittata, huevos rancheros and French toast. At Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalow, Fig Restaurant serves an inventive farm-to-table weekend brunch featuring plates like brunch ramen with crispy pork and Brunch Fest Pizza with bacon, sausage, creme fraiche, baked egg and smoked mozzarella. Also in Santa Monica, Orla by Michael Mina has an adults-only brunch colored by spritzes, rosé, fire-grilled seafood, golden pastries, elevated egg dishes and more.
The Bunny Bungalows at The Americana at Brand.
Los Angeles has plenty of opportunities to mix the best of art, food and nature. In Manhattan Beach, Bloom is taking place in Manhattan Village, presenting a variety of workshop, eco-friendly activities and exhibitions through April 22. Programming highlights include Bloom! A Spring Event on April 5 with live music and pop-up vendors and Earth Day on April 22 where visitors will receive wildflowers to plant, enjoy free treats from Jolly Sheep and listen to live music. At The Grove and The Americana at Brand, Bunny Bungalows return from March 26 through April 20, alongside an extra special petting zoo at The Grove from April 17 to 19.
Uchi West Hollywood's Hama Chili
Spring harvest vibrance ushers in a number of seasonal menus boasting fresh SoCal produce and ingredients. At Union at Compound in Long Beach, its new spring dinner menu calls for orders of shrimp toast and chicken embutindo while set against the newly unveiled artist exhibition titled "Puerperal" by Mexican-American artist Fay Ray. On Thursdays, LouLou Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge presents La Belle Vie every Thursday starting at 6 p.m. The romantic evening pairs its French-California menu with a live performance by French singer-songwriter Tiphanie Doucet. Cinephiles can get excited about Fanny’s Korean Sunday Supper Series. Inspired by the Academy Museum’s recently opened Director's Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho exhibition, the restaurant will have a rotating selection of Korean specials on Sundays like ssam junsik, bibimbap and galbi jjim. At Melrose Avenue newcomer Koast, Mondays are made fun with no corkage fee on wine and an elevated take on fish and chips (6 to 9 p.m.). For sushi, consider Uchi West Hollywood’s new signature tasting menu. Made for two, the nine-course experience includes sake temaki, kabocha tempura, Hama Chili and pork belly.
Downtown, Settecento serves a number of new dishes like seafood risotto, a pizza with sauteed eggplant and meatballs in ragu (Della Nonna) and vegan portobello “wings with house-made chips. At Level 8’s Sinners y Santos, Salsa Sundays will begin on April 6 at 8:30 p.m. The weekly, hour-long event is hosted by dance instructor Miguel Maganda and features live music and a DJ. At Asterid, you can find a relaunched happy hour from Monday through Saturday, 5 to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, 3 to 6 p.m. The menu includes a selection of wine and cocktails, shareable plates and bar-only dishes like the Asterid Burger, duck wings and grilled lamb ribs. From April 22 to 30, Enrique Olvera will bring his Mexico City restaurant, Pujol, to Damian. The limited-time residency will showcase a six-course tasting menu, from which a portion of proceeds will benefit No Us Without You. There will also be a more casual counterpart, Olvera’s CDMX tortilleria (Molino El Pujol), popping up at the same time at Ditroit in Damian’s back alley.
In Hollywood, multi-Michelin-starred Providence will celebrate its 20th anniversary in June. Ahead of the milestone, the seafood establishment from James Beard Award-winning chef-owner Michael Cimarusti will commemorate with a series of guest chef dinners and exclusive one-off events. It will kick off on April 3 when two-time James Beard Award winner Andy Ricker and locally celebrated chef-owner Kris Yenbamroong of Night + Market bring a Thai-inspired menu to Providence, followed by Zaiyu Haegawa of Den on May 8. Reservations are on OpenTable, and a portion of proceeds will benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Mírate has a new dinner menu with dishes like kampachi aguachile negro, roasted rainbow carrots and braised pork shank over mayocobba refried beans. A few miles up the road, Osteria Mamma welcomed a new chef and refreshed menu, timed to its 15-year anniversary. The Godfrey Hoel Hollywood’s About Last Knife (ALK) has a tiger prawn cocktail, ahi tuna crudo, Nicoise tartine, parpadelle frutti di mare and organic chicken chasseur at lunch, while dinner brings oysters, grilled Spanish octopus, braised lamb shank, roasted Scottish salmon, and more. Head upstairs ot the I|O Rooftop Lounge for city views accompanied by small plates like calamari, cauliflower beignets and a caprese pizza.
Beverly Hills is a can’t-miss for lunch where two establishments now have pre-fixe menus for $39. At The Maybourne Beverly Hills, savor the three-course experience happens at The Terrace, where Beverly Cañon Garden views are accompanied by dishes like sweet shrimp crudo, grilled branzino, hazelnut tiramisu and other luxe choices. Also offering a three-course menu, Wally’s Beverly Hills prix fixe lunch offers options like wagyu tartare, carrot hummus, an endive salad, a Parisian ham sandwich, spaghetti cacio e pepe and a warm double chocolate chip cookie.
You can also make dining in West Hollywood a charitable experience. In light of the effects of January’s wildfires, the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce launched WeHo Gives Back, and its first initiative is the inclusion of QR codes on napkins at small businesses throughout the city. Additionally, the WeHappy Wednesdays program encourages dining out at WeHo restaurants on Wednesdays when all parking meters, city-owned surface lots and city-owned parking structures are free (4 p.m. to midnight throughout April).
The Roger Room's L.C. G & T
The Roger Room has five new cocktails fitting for spring: a mint spritz, Paradise Express with Planetary Pineapple Rum, L.C. G & T, Smoke and Sand with Tanteo Tequila and Beso de Angelica Mezcal and Spring Street with Crazy Vodka. At Santa Monica Proper Hotel’s chic rooftop, Calabra, enjoy spring cocktails like a tamarind margarita and the Aviation Gin-based In Blossom with cucumber, basil, lemon and St. Germain. Nearby on Monatana Avenue, Divine Vintage proves shopping is best capped with a glass of wine. The curated wine, vintage clothing and jewelry shop has a patio fit for rounds of naturally produced vino.
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
As winter melts away, spring presents an opportune moment for rejuvenation. One way to lean into this spirit of revival is to dedicate a day to health and wellness. In the South Bay, Love.Life melds Eastern and Western modalities through its offerings of functional medical care, precision wellness therapies, cutting-edge fitness and nourishing food. For a quick day trip, head to Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point where its refreshed spa menu features enhanced body and facial treatments like the Vitality Treatment, a two-hour experience combining respiratory, textural and sensory elements. You can also make it a full weekend with an easy trip to Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, which offers hot springs soaks, vitality cold plunges, a detoxifying mud bath, a purifying sauna session, an aqua sound bath, yoga and dining. Angelenos in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Studio City or Silver Lake can keep relaxation local at The Now, which is now offering a crystal hot stones enhancement that boosts circulation, eases muscle tension and promotes deeper relaxation.
Descanso Gardens
With wildlife blooming, now is the prime moment for a visit to your favorite parks and gardens. Descanso Gardens has extended its hours until 7 p.m. through Aug. 31. It also has a variety of exhibitions, workshops and experiences lined up, including guided walking tours, live music, an Earth Week celebration and Wearable Nature Art Workshop. Over at The Huntington Botanical Gardens, wisteria, puyas and more are in bloom. There is also regular live music in the Chinese garden in March and April. At the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Butterfly Pavillion has returned for visitors to walk among hundreds of butterflies in an open-air netted enclosure. To get out of town for the day, head south to experience a once-a-year phenomenon. The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are in full bloom through early May, showcasing a stunning 55 acres of giant tecolote ranunculus flowers. Visitors can stroll the fields or sign up for special activities like yoga, tea and crafting.
See also: 12 Elevated Eats & Drinks Near Dodger Stadium
Photography by: Courtesy Descanso Gardens; Beverly Hills Hotel/Dorchester Collection/Ackerman Studios; The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood; Shelby Moore; The Americana at Brand/ Caruso Properties; Uchi West Hollywood; Marcus Meisler; Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
