3 days in LA - what to do?

Going there with my wife and her friend to support Georgia in the rose bowl. Never been to LA before. Would love some recommendations for things to do on New Year’s Eve (a Sunday) and the Tuesday morning before we fly back to London. Where would people recommend eating if we have a couple of lunches/dinners to cover, bearing in mind it’s presumably very difficult to get reservations for NYE?

Where in LA will you be staying?

Disneyland!!!

  1. Eat at hipster restaurants

  2. Stroll the canal area in Venice, shop on Abbot Kinney, eat at Gjelina (hipster), grab coffee at Intelligentsia, and then ice cream at Salt and Straw

  3. Hike up to the Hollywood sign

  4. Eat lunch or dinner at Petit Trois

  5. Ride bikes along the beach

  6. Eat tacos (at a hipster place)

  7. Grab breakfast at Squirl (the ultimate hipster place)

  8. Shop for sneakers at Undefeated

  9. Although Charlie Fu will disagree (he’s wrong), eat egg sandwiches at Egg Slut

As Elliot asked some of the suggestions depend on where you will be staying. LA is a spreadopolis type city. If you are staying near Pasadena for the Rose Bowl do see the Rose Parade and go and check out the Huntington Library Museum … http://www.huntington.org . They have great botanical grounds and art museum buildings. If over near west LA I would consider taking in a visit to the Getty museum or the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades … Visit the Getty Villa Museum . Disneyland on NYE might be too crazy.

Drive to Santa Barbara. Fun places to taste and eat and its not LA.

Yes…the Getty and the Broad Museum are both excellent. The Broad may involve long waits so check out tickets now.

Get some beer at Monkish in Torrance.

Where are you staying, the most important part.

What types of things do you like and not like to do? It’s LA so just about everything from snow in the mountains to the beach is within an hour and a half drive (with no traffic that is, lol). So kinda need to narrow things down a bit.

Staying at the new Waldorf in Beverley Hills (on Wilshire). Suspect a day strolling on the beach and relaxing with somewhere fun for brunch would be good on the Sunday, New Year’s Eve. Then it’s a question of a nice, fun restaurant for dinner, ideally wine focused that will be ok with me bringing something. Also need somewhere for the Saturday night and after the game on New Year’s Day. We’ll also have some time n the Tuesday before flying back.

La Brea tar pits is the most fascinating place in LA. And the most unique.

A lot of great rec’s on food but I would be driving too far afield in only three days. Great places in almost every neighborhood.

If you’re doing the beach for one of the days the suggestion above of doing Venice is unbeatable. You’ve got the beach and boardwalk, the canals (must do btw. Really cool/eclectic homes), and Abbot Kinney where you can do Felix or Gjelina for dinner.

The other beach day option is to drive down Sunset Blvd all the way to the ocean and go to the Getty Villa (you must make an appointment online and print out the tickets) in the Palisades, go hang out at the beach after, then for dinner either head to Mastro’s or back down to Santa Monica where there are a ton of board-favorite restaurants.

Saturday night I’d say AOC or Republique for dinner. Go to LACMA during the day

After the game on New Year’s Day in Pasadena I’d say Union. If you’ll be in the area for breakfast or lunch I’d recommend Julienne.

If you have any time at all I’d highly recommend downtown LA for one of the days you’re here. So much to go and see there and very walkable unlike the rest of LA. If that’s an option for you I will gladly elaborate.

Elliott,

Please do elaborate re walking round downtown LA.

Any recommendations for New Year’s Eve restaurant?

Dan

+1 on the Huntington Library if you are into Gardens and Art, and in particular British art. Their collection of British masterpieces is as good as or better than anything you’ll find in England, including Gainsborough’s “Blue Boy” and Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie”.

The cactus garden at Huntington is mind blowing

What kind of dining are you looking for on New Year’s Eve?

Somewhere lively and fun, not stuffy. Wine friendly ie sensible corkage. Pretty relaxed re what type of food as long as it’s good!

Bump. Still looking for recommendations for nye dinner…

Spago?

For Tuesday, take a tour of Beverley Hills and see where the stars live, go to Venice Beach, do the touristy things.