LA - Daniel's Favorites
Food Scene
Deus is a motorcycle lifestyle shop/cafe. You can grab coffee or fresh juices at the bar, sit at their long communal table, enjoy their patio, or check out the latest in hipster mens fashion. It's an excellent spot for people watching anytime of day, any day of the week. The yogurt with granola and berries is delicious!
185 locals recommend
Deus Ex Machina - Emporium Of Post Modern Activities
1001 Venice Blvd.Deus is a motorcycle lifestyle shop/cafe. You can grab coffee or fresh juices at the bar, sit at their long communal table, enjoy their patio, or check out the latest in hipster mens fashion. It's an excellent spot for people watching anytime of day, any day of the week. The yogurt with granola and berries is delicious!
What's not to like about a place that is famous for their exotic sausages and beers? A great spot for family dinners or groups, especially after a late movie - stay open until midnight. They have obscure combos like rattlesnake & rabbit for the adventurous, classics for kids, and several options for vegetarians and vegans too. Don't forget to get a large order of their Belgian fries, and try all of the dipping sauces!
243 locals recommend
Wurstküche Restaurant Venice Beach
625 Lincoln BlvdWhat's not to like about a place that is famous for their exotic sausages and beers? A great spot for family dinners or groups, especially after a late movie - stay open until midnight. They have obscure combos like rattlesnake & rabbit for the adventurous, classics for kids, and several options for vegetarians and vegans too. Don't forget to get a large order of their Belgian fries, and try all of the dipping sauces!
Mitsuwa is a Japanese food court, video, and bookstore. It's a fun place to take older kids and let them try different dishes, check out the Manga and toy selection, and find obscure candy for friends back home. The udon place is our favorite, but you can't go wrong with any of the food options.
130 locals recommend
Mitsuwa Marketplace - Santa Monica
3760 S Centinela AveMitsuwa is a Japanese food court, video, and bookstore. It's a fun place to take older kids and let them try different dishes, check out the Manga and toy selection, and find obscure candy for friends back home. The udon place is our favorite, but you can't go wrong with any of the food options.
La Playita is a Mexican stand with the best ceviche in east Venice. It's cash-only and there's no seating, but once you order from the window and get your food, wander around the corner and head west down Ozone St. to Ozone Park. Find a spot on the benches in the sun, and let the kids (or restless adults) go wild on the swing set while you get the ceviche all to yourself. The tacos are also excellent!
16 locals recommend
ADT
La Playita is a Mexican stand with the best ceviche in east Venice. It's cash-only and there's no seating, but once you order from the window and get your food, wander around the corner and head west down Ozone St. to Ozone Park. Find a spot on the benches in the sun, and let the kids (or restless adults) go wild on the swing set while you get the ceviche all to yourself. The tacos are also excellent!
Superba is a great brunch or lunch spot, they have a beautiful sunny patio, or you can sit inside and marvel at all of the exposed woodwork, when not distracted by the people watching. Superba is a bit of a local scene, but the food is top-notch and the amazing pastries and breads make it worth the visit.
320 locals recommend
Superba Food + Bread
1900 Lincoln BlvdSuperba is a great brunch or lunch spot, they have a beautiful sunny patio, or you can sit inside and marvel at all of the exposed woodwork, when not distracted by the people watching. Superba is a bit of a local scene, but the food is top-notch and the amazing pastries and breads make it worth the visit.
If you're famished, go here and get the all-you-can-eat chicken with some friends and family. Adults and kids enjoy choosing among their Korean wings, Beer-can chicken, and Mochiko chicken after it's dumped on the brown paper covering your table. A-Frame is about as informal as you can get and still enjoy terrific cocktails and creative side dishes (brussel beach!). The prices are very reasonable for what you get, and the staff is friendly and accommodating to groups and families. Also, you can take home whatever you don't have room for.
98 locals recommend
A-Frame
12565 W Washington BlvdIf you're famished, go here and get the all-you-can-eat chicken with some friends and family. Adults and kids enjoy choosing among their Korean wings, Beer-can chicken, and Mochiko chicken after it's dumped on the brown paper covering your table. A-Frame is about as informal as you can get and still enjoy terrific cocktails and creative side dishes (brussel beach!). The prices are very reasonable for what you get, and the staff is friendly and accommodating to groups and families. Also, you can take home whatever you don't have room for.
Shopping
Run by the husband and wife teams of Serena Mitnik-Miller & Mason St. Peter and Hannah Henderson & John Moore (Outerknown), you are guaranteed to find something one of a kind from a California craftsperson to take home with you. The store is beautifully curated with home goods, women's clothes, accessories, jewelry, and art books. If you ever dreamed of living in Topanga Canyon, you won't want to miss this place.
59 locals recommend
General Store
1801 Lincoln BlvdRun by the husband and wife teams of Serena Mitnik-Miller & Mason St. Peter and Hannah Henderson & John Moore (Outerknown), you are guaranteed to find something one of a kind from a California craftsperson to take home with you. The store is beautifully curated with home goods, women's clothes, accessories, jewelry, and art books. If you ever dreamed of living in Topanga Canyon, you won't want to miss this place.
The Mart doesn't look like much from the street, but you could easily spend hours inside the cavernous warehouse making your way through the stalls where local collectors and dealers sell antiques, vintage clothes, mid-century furniture & art,
home goods, books, jewelry from every era, and all sorts of things you never knew you needed. This being LA, they have a lot of movie posters and ephemera, which is fun for a trip down memory lane, even if you don't bring any of it home. There is parking around back, and it's just a couple blocks from Superba and General Store.
13 locals recommend
The Mart Collective
1600 Lincoln BlvdThe Mart doesn't look like much from the street, but you could easily spend hours inside the cavernous warehouse making your way through the stalls where local collectors and dealers sell antiques, vintage clothes, mid-century furniture & art,
home goods, books, jewelry from every era, and all sorts of things you never knew you needed. This being LA, they have a lot of movie posters and ephemera, which is fun for a trip down memory lane, even if you don't bring any of it home. There is parking around back, and it's just a couple blocks from Superba and General Store.
Essentials
Have you seen the "Whole Foods Parking Lot" video? It was proudly filmed right here. This store is a hotspot for lunch and grabbing dinner on the way home from work because it has every prepared food counter that Whole Food offers (burritos, sushi, deli, salad bar, soup bar, hot food bar, bakery, pizza, coffee bar, smoothies, and more). Parking turns into a sport at peak hours, and watch out when pulling into a spot in an SUV, the spaces are mysteriously small.
1701 locals recommend
Whole Foods Market
225 Lincoln BlvdHave you seen the "Whole Foods Parking Lot" video? It was proudly filmed right here. This store is a hotspot for lunch and grabbing dinner on the way home from work because it has every prepared food counter that Whole Food offers (burritos, sushi, deli, salad bar, soup bar, hot food bar, bakery, pizza, coffee bar, smoothies, and more). Parking turns into a sport at peak hours, and watch out when pulling into a spot in an SUV, the spaces are mysteriously small.
This is our local go-to grocery store. It's located next to a Rite-Aid and has plenty of parking. We always pick up some of their carne asada from the butcher counter to grill in the backyard for tacos. If they don't have what you are looking for, Whole Foods is just a few minutes further down Lincoln Blvd.
583 locals recommend
Ralphs
910 Lincoln BlvdThis is our local go-to grocery store. It's located next to a Rite-Aid and has plenty of parking. We always pick up some of their carne asada from the butcher counter to grill in the backyard for tacos. If they don't have what you are looking for, Whole Foods is just a few minutes further down Lincoln Blvd.
Arts & Culture
Probably the most bizarre museum you will ever visit, this place is a must-see for teenagers and adults. Try to time your visit so that you get to the rooftop garden and tea lounge around sunset. You can check the hours on their delightfully 1998 website, which I can assure you is entirely intentional.
191 locals recommend
Museum of Jurassic Technology
9341 Venice Blvd.Probably the most bizarre museum you will ever visit, this place is a must-see for teenagers and adults. Try to time your visit so that you get to the rooftop garden and tea lounge around sunset. You can check the hours on their delightfully 1998 website, which I can assure you is entirely intentional.
The LA Conservancy puts on the best architectural and historical walking tours of downtown. It's a volunteer-run organization so most of the tours are run on Saturdays. I tell everyone (locals and guests) to go on the Art Deco Tour, which will take you in and around iconic gems of downtown. There are also tours of The Broadway Historic Theatre and Commercial District, Angelino Heights, Historic Downtown, and Union Station. Each tour is about 2.5 hours and they keep the groups to a reasonable size. Register in advance, tours often book up a few weeks ahead of time. https://www.laconservancy.org/tours
15 locals recommend
Los Angeles Conservancy
523 W 6th StThe LA Conservancy puts on the best architectural and historical walking tours of downtown. It's a volunteer-run organization so most of the tours are run on Saturdays. I tell everyone (locals and guests) to go on the Art Deco Tour, which will take you in and around iconic gems of downtown. There are also tours of The Broadway Historic Theatre and Commercial District, Angelino Heights, Historic Downtown, and Union Station. Each tour is about 2.5 hours and they keep the groups to a reasonable size. Register in advance, tours often book up a few weeks ahead of time. https://www.laconservancy.org/tours
LACMA is the LA art zeitgeist, but it needs at least half a day of your time, ideally a full day, to take it all in. They have great programs for children and families. Check their website for their upcoming art classes for adults, kids, families and teens to make the most out or your visit.
3162 locals recommend
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire BlvdLACMA is the LA art zeitgeist, but it needs at least half a day of your time, ideally a full day, to take it all in. They have great programs for children and families. Check their website for their upcoming art classes for adults, kids, families and teens to make the most out or your visit.
LACMA conveniently located itself next to the tar pits, and the two can easily be done in a day. The tar pits are a hit with kids and curious adults alike. You can see, smell, and hear them bubbling and oozing without purchasing a ticket, but who doesn't want to see the saber-toothed cat skeletons and 400 dire wolf skulls mounted on a wall? John Snow would go.
890 locals recommend
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
5801 Wilshire BlvdLACMA conveniently located itself next to the tar pits, and the two can easily be done in a day. The tar pits are a hit with kids and curious adults alike. You can see, smell, and hear them bubbling and oozing without purchasing a ticket, but who doesn't want to see the saber-toothed cat skeletons and 400 dire wolf skulls mounted on a wall? John Snow would go.
Sightseeing
Abbot Kinney's plan was for Venice to be a west-coast version of its Italian namesake. In 1929 most of the canals were filled in as the car became the dominant mode of transportation in LA. It's the lack of car traffic that make the canals so special today. Walk, bike, or rent a canoe or SUP to explore the canals. They are most beautiful at dawn and dusk.
947 locals recommend
Venice Canals
Abbot Kinney's plan was for Venice to be a west-coast version of its Italian namesake. In 1929 most of the canals were filled in as the car became the dominant mode of transportation in LA. It's the lack of car traffic that make the canals so special today. Walk, bike, or rent a canoe or SUP to explore the canals. They are most beautiful at dawn and dusk.