From the Sunset Strip to the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny, West Hollywood is the aorta of Los Angeles’ pulsing heart. This infamous neighborhood is home to renowned shopping, music venues, restaurants, nightlife and more. Read on to find out how to tackle it all.
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Website / 8565 Melrose Ave. 90069
Famous for its kind staff and a menu made up of farm-to-table locally and sustainably sourced dishes, The Berkmans began Urth Cafe to promote health-conscious, heirloom coffee. Menu highlights include the acai sorbet or vanilla ice cream waffle, an assortment of pastries and the Urth bread pudding breakfast. We recommend trying out the Spanish latte.
Website / 8279 Santa Monica Blvd. 90046
With vegan food options and non-alcoholic beverages, Norah has something for everyone. Reserve a table for dinner to try its hand-made pasta and creme fraiche panna cotta for dessert or for brunch, try its American wagyu steak & eggs alongside a signature Norah mimosa.
Website / 9010 Melrose Ave. 90069
Taking inspiration from European countries like Italy, Greece, France and Spain to craft menu items using locally sourced ingredients, chef Hudson works alongside award-winning mixologist Melina Meza to create a unique and elegant eating experience for guests.
8539 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Tucked away in a strip mall, Sushi Park is an omakase sushi spot loved by celebrities and locals alike. Serving only traditional sushi like nigiri and sashimi, you won’t find the usual rolls, tempura or teriyaki here. This dining experience is for the purest of sushi lovers.
Website / 9043 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Created by chef Kris Yenbamroong, Night + Market celebrates friends coming together over good food and drinks. A favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow and Leonardo Dicaprio, stop by for authentic Thai food and delicious wines and cocktails.
Website / 8764 Melrose Ave. 90069
If you’re craving Italian food in West Hollywood, Cecconi’s is the perfect place to visit. Serving everything from hand-made pasta to wood-oven pizza and seafood all made with the best ingredients, enjoy your dining experience with authentic Italian food and fine wine.
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Website / 627 N La Peer Dr. 90069
Stay in one of 105 guestrooms and suites at the La Peer, a boutique hotel complete with amenities like an outdoor pool and courtyard bar, fitness center, bikes to ride around West Hollywood, in-room dining and coffee and tea service as well as concierge service. What’s more, you’ll be within walking distance of WeHo nightlife.
Website / 8420 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Located in the heart of the Sunset Strip, enjoy all that West Hollywood has to offer just a few steps away from your stay at the luxurious Pendry. With two on-site restaurants from renowned chef Wolfgang Puck, a music and social club, private bowling alley and the Spa Pendry, The Pendry has everything from food to entertainment and relaxation on-site.
Website / 9040 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Placed where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills, this hotel is fit with an exclusive luxury spa, 24-hour fitness facilities and a signature restaurant. Enjoy cocktails at The Roof beside the rooftop-pool or at the lobby bar and stay in one of 190 guestrooms, 48 suites or a penthouse— each with stunning views of the city.
Website / 8822 Cynthia St. 90069
If you’re looking for a warm, inviting stay with endless unique amenities, visit the Petit Ermitage. Enjoy private rooftop dining, a European heated saltwater pool, delicious global-inspired meals at the outdoor restaurant. The Gardens, practice yoga or watch a film at The Firedeck, sip cocktails at The Wiggle Room or the Butterfly Bar or enjoy privacy in one of its poolside cabanas.
Website / 8490 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Enjoy views of Los Angeles right from your room with floor-to-ceiling windows in each of the guestrooms, suites and penthouses; a farm-to-table restaurant, 1 Kitchen West Hollywood; a cocktail lounge, Harriet’s Rooftop; a pool lounge; daily local market stand and in-room dining. You can additionally relax at one of its many wellness amenities from its 24-hour gym to its wellness spa.
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Website / 7611 Beverly Blvd. 90036
With a variety of table massages like Swedish, sports and energy-balancing inspired styles to enhancements for deep tissue, calm balms, herbal heat therapy, scalp renewal, Gua Sha, eye masks and prenatal glow massages, The Now is a highly customizable massage boutique for every relaxation need.
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8472 Melrose Pl. 90069
Find everything designer like Balmain, The Row, Rachel Comey and more. Melrose Place is a favorite shopping destination for everyone from celebrities to locals. After a day of shopping, relax with an iced vanilla latte at Alfred.
Melrose Ave. 90048
Spend the day on Melrose Avenue shopping second hand designers at the Real Real, the newest pieces from Ganni and the exclusive department store Maxfield, carrying everything from Comme des Garcons to Maison Margiela.
Website / 8500 Sunset Blvd. 90069
A favorite store of classic curated brands, enter Fred Segal on Sunset to shop the hottest brands from Ganni to BY FAR, as well as experience the Jean Bar. Carrying pieces for men, women and kids alike, Fred Segal is sure to have something for everyone from home decor to beauty.
Website / 8440 Melrose Ave. 90069
Los Angeles-based brand Cult Gaia carries the most unique pieces perfectly suited for Southern California weather. Stop by the brand’s first flagship store to shop the newest and trendiest picks of the season and enjoy the ambience in the stunningly designed store.
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Website/ 8358 Sunset blvd 90069
In the Sunset Tower Hotel, The Tower Bar lives up to its self-described reputation as the chicest and most welcoming room in town (No photos or phone calls allowed!). Here you can escape the chaos of Hollywood without losing the pulse of the city while sipping on an expertly crafted cocktail.
Website/ 8490 Sunset Blvd. 90069
If your West Hollywood night out is along the Sunset Strip, begin here. The H.Wood Group’s rooftop bar atop the 1 Hotel provides stunning city views and craft cocktails and is enlivened by an A-list crowd.
Website/ 603 N La Cienega Blvd. 90069
Alternatively, if your West Hollywood night out is headed near Melrose Avenue or Santa Monica Boulevard, you can’t go wrong at the L.P. rooftop. Surrounded by the twinkling city and rolling Hollywood Hills, you’ll have just as much fun here sipping frozé as you will people watching dressed-out Angelenos.
Website/ 7984 Santa Monica Blvd. 90046
Once a hardware store, this new American restaurant is packed most weekends. It’s the kind of place that leaves you thinking about its craft cocktails weeks later (Try the Gangster!). What’s more, the lush patio makes for the perfect happy hour spot.
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Website/ 8226 W Sunset Blvd. 90046
Following its massive renovation, The Den has become a place for all-night revelry. Owner Brett Latteri assures the space has maintained its electric energy, but now it features an upgraded DJ booth, more space for dancing, an elegant bar and an excellent cocktail menu.
Website/ 8900 Santa Monica Blvd. 90069
When the aim is to dance, head to Rocco’s. The popular WeHo bar also has food, but after a few cocktails and watching one of the regular drag shows, you’ll be inspired to groove under the disco ball all night long.
Website/ 7953 Santa Monica Blvd. 90046
Its NYC forefather is one of the world’s 50 best bars, meaning the L.A. Employee’s Only has no choice but to be great. The Prohibition-style bar is a solid choice for dinner, but this place is especially buzzy as midnight approaches. Come here for inventive drinks, DJs and occasional live music.
Website/ 7969 Santa Monica Blvd. 90046
Just next door to Employee’s Only, the line is always out the door for Delilah. Illuminated by a roaring ‘20s theme, a night at Delilah gives you a peek into Los Angeles’ chic nightlife crowd. With a history of guests like Drake, Post Malone and Kylie Jenner, you’ll often catch paparazzi flashes just outside the door.
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Website/ 8430 Sunset Blvd. 90069
In the summer of 2022, the Sunset Strip got one more great reason why it's the heart of the L.A. music scene. A 150-capacity venue, The Sun Rose is tucked away in the Pendry Hotel West Hollywood as part of The Britely Social Club. But all Angelenos and visitors are welcome. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience akin to a jazz club, but offers more with its focus on storytelling and various kinds of performance. So far, it has seen the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Jack Harlow, Nicole Scherzinger and Mike Garson (David Bowie’s longtime pianist) on its stage.
Website/ 9081 N Santa Monica Blvd. 90069
Few venues can boast a music history as impressive as the Troubadour. The pint-size wood paneled venue is most famous for launching the career of Elton John, but has also welcomed Buffalo Springfield and Harry Styles and numerous varied acts in between. Most nights of the week, you’ll find here good music, an electric crowd and a good time.
Website/ 8901 Sunset Blvd. 90069
The Whisky A Go Go is another fighting contender as L.A.’s most storied venue with a history of bands like Van Halen, Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin. Even in 2023, it continues the Strip’s tradition as a rock music hotspot and presents live music most nights of the week.
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Website/ 370 La Cienega Blvd 90048
Sans a proper sign, the Roger Room feels more like a speakeasy than most speakeasy-themed bars. If you go past the Largo at the Coronet, you’ve missed it. But just pace back a few steps to the black door and you’ll be set to enter into the narrow, eclectic bar serving up drinks you won’t find anywhere else in town.
Website/ 8818 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Since 1975, Book Soup has cultivated its function as “bookseller to the great and infamous.” But “the great” must include non-celebrities too because any and all patrons receive A-list service. The people at Book Soup know just what book to recommend and if you just feel like browsing, you’ll be happy as clam perusing through the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, vinyl records and other fun merch. Also be sure to check out the calendar lineup for events featuring lit’s biggest authors.
9009 Sunset Blvd. 90069
Once a secret haven for rockstars, the space above The Roxy still imbues an air of mystery. On The Rox is a hidden bar home to secret performances and after parties, but to get in, you’ll have to find the right set of stairs.
For exploring other parts of Los Angeles, check out our guides to Pasadena, Silver Lake, downtown, Venice, Malibu, Hollywood, Mid-City and West Adams, the Eastside, Santa Monica and the Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills.
See also: How The Sun Rose Elevates Los Angeles' Live Music Scene
Photography by: Courtesy of The Sun Rose
