Things to do in Los Angeles, splurging
Beverly Hills to the coast: the restaurants, bars and shops worth every dollar.
This is three days for the traveller who wants to eat well every single night, shop with intention, and end up at the right bar without having to think too hard about it. The plan moves from the manicured streets of Beverly Hills through Santa Monica's quieter Ocean Park pocket and into Culver City, covering a lot of LA's best without feeling scattered. You will spend real money and not regret it.
Day 1: Beverly Hills and the Strip after dark
A slow morning through Beverly Gardens, lunch at the Honor Bar counter, an afternoon at Beverly Center, then dinner at Funke and a late drink on the Sunset Strip.
- 9:30 AM
La La Land (Reserve)
The brand's Reserve café on Canon Drive: pour-over coffee and ceremonial matcha in a calm, sage-green room.
Map - 10:30 AM
Beverly Gardens Park
Stroll the famous Electric Fountain strip of Beverly Gardens Park, the rose garden and signs are quintessential BH.
Map - 12:30 PM
Honor Bar
A small, clubby bar room on Beverly Drive; sit at the counter for the cheeseburger and a cold martini.
Map - 2:30 PM
Beverly Center
Beverly Center houses a strong mix of designer boutiques and flagships, good for an unhurried afternoon browse.
Map - 7:30 PM
Funke
Evan Funke's Beverly Hills Italian: pasta rolled by hand in a glass-walled lab, then wood-fired mains.
Map - 9:30 PM
Sunset at EDITION
A late cocktail at The West Hollywood EDITION, right on the Sunset Strip, to close the night.
Map
Day 2: Santa Monica from the water inward
Coffee on Montana Avenue, the beach path down to Venice, a raw bar lunch on Main Street, boutiques at Brentwood Country Mart, then dinner at Rustic Canyon.
- 9:30 AM
Caffe Luxxe - Santa Monica
The original Caffe Luxxe on Montana Avenue: a proper cappuccino and a pastry before heading to the beach.
Map - 10:30 AM
Venice Beach Boardwalk
Bike or walk the beach path from Santa Monica Pier down to Venice, the classic SoCal morning stretch friends swear by.
Map - 12:30 PM
Crudo e Nudo
Raw fish, oysters and bright crudo on Main Street; order a few plates and a cold glass of white.
Map - 2:30 PM
Brentwood Country Mart
A red barn of small boutiques: Jenni Kayne, Clare V. and James Perse, plus Sweet Rose ice cream after.
Map - 7:30 PM
Rustic Canyon
Seasonal Californian plates in a warm room on Wilshire; order the clam pozole verde if it's on.
Map - 9:30 PM
Not No Bar
Cocktail bar with a wood-fired pizza oven on Main Street; get a margherita with your drink. Closed Tue and Wed.
Map
Day 3: Culver City, art, and a long table
The Wende Museum kicks off a day that moves through Destroyer's precise lunch and Baldwin Hills' views before landing at dinner and a natural-wine nightcap in the city's most quietly confident neighbourhood.
- 9:30 AM
CULVER & MAIN
Counter-service café on Culver City's Main Street; order a vanilla latte and the potato-stuffed breakfast burrito.
Map - 10:30 AM
Wende Museum of the Cold War
Free Cold War museum in an old armory: Soviet design, propaganda art and a slab of the Berlin Wall. Fri to Sun only.
Map - 12:30 PM
Destroyer
Jordan Kahn's daytime spot in the Hayden Tract: precise, seasonal plates in a stark concrete room.
Map - 2:30 PM
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Hike up Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook for sweeping 360° views of LA, a perfect afternoon reset before a big dinner.
Map - 7:30 PM
Zaytinya
José Andrés's mezze house in The Shay hotel; share hummus, brussels afelia and lamb from the wood oven.
Map - 9:30 PM
Stanley's Wet Goods
Stanley's Wet Goods is a natural-wine bar steps from dinner, low-key but well-curated, ideal for a nightcap before midnight.
Map
Where to stay
Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel)
Four Seasons service, Rodeo Drive on the doorstep, and the right address for a splurge-first trip anchored in Beverly Hills.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Detail-obsessed service a short walk from Beverly Gardens Park and the Day 1 shops, with a rooftop pool for downtime.
Make Los Angeles your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- The Getty Center: a few days ahead
- The Broad: a few days ahead
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: weeks ahead
- Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery: weeks ahead
- Dodger Stadium: weeks ahead
- Rancho Park Golf Course: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Santa Monica Pier is for a walk and a photo; the food is carnival-grade, and the South Bay beaches are better for a beach day.
- The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a 20 minute stop, not an afternoon. Skip it unless you are nearby for something else.
- Rodeo Drive: 15-minute window-shop, poor dinner venue
- Read every restaurant bill before tipping: many places add a service charge, so ask whether it goes to staff as the tip.
The full Los Angeles travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around