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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Los Angeles
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Despite the sunshine and palm trees, America's second-largest city can be intimidating. Even fearless urban explorers may hesitate, faced with the network of endless freeways and sprawling suburbs. L.A.'s charms are sometimes not immediately apparent: Visitors must scratch the surface—or better yet take the next exit—to discover that this is the proverbial city of neighborhoods, all under the blue California sky.
Attractions & Activities A trio of beach communities, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice provide three very different introductions to the city. The farthest north, Malibu is famous for the celebrity mansions that perch along the Pacific Coast Highway here. And while Hollywood stars might prefer that this information not be shared, Malibu's beaches—like all the strands in California—are open to the public, with five accessways along the highway. Malibu is also home to the Getty Villa, which reopened in 2006 following an eight-year renovation. Modeled after an ancient Roman country house, it is filled with Greek, Etruscan, and Roman artifacts (310-440-7300; getty.edu). In Santa Monica, the main attractions are the pedestrians-only Third Street Promenade, lined with familiar national brands (Abercrombie & Fitch, A/X, Banana Republic) as well as local alternatives, and the historic Santa Monica Pier. The pier itself opened in 1909, while the carousel (which made a silver-screen appearance in The Sting) was built in 1916 (310-458-8900; santamonicapier.org). The third must-see beachfront community is Venice, known for Muscle Beach and for the street musicians and artists selling their crafts along Ocean Front Walk. Nearby Abbot Kinney Boulevard, where surf culture meets high design, offers shopping opportunities, with highlights including Brick Lane, a yellow bungalow filled with goods from British designers (1132 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-392-2525), and the mid-century modern home furnishings at A. K. Eleven 14 (1114 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310-399-1453). While the neighborhoods along the Pacific Ocean may evoke the California of the Beach Boys and surfing films, downtown is the bustling commercial heart of the city, and it is currently undergoing a cultural renaissance. The centerpiece is the Frank Gehry–designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, whose stainless-steel curving exterior encloses the acoustically perfect home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (323-850-2000; wdch.laphil.com). Another architectural masterpiece is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Designed by Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo and completed in 2002, it comprises an intriguing series of plazas, colonnades, and smaller chapels (213-680-5200; olacathedral.org). The Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring European and American works created since 1940, is also downtown (213-621-1741; moca.org). Northwest of the oceanfront communities and downtown, Beverly Hills requires little introduction. Not only does it have some of Los Angeles's swankiest lodging options, but its Rodeo Drive is arguably America's most famous shopping street. Farther west, Hollywood Boulevard is a little worn around the edges, but it's still fun to stroll the Walk of Fame, searching for the names of your favorite silver-screen legends. Nearby, the Hollywood & Highland Center houses the Kodak Theatre, which has hosted the Academy Award ceremonies since 2001, and at the adjacent Mann Chinese 6 Theatres, you can tour the original Grauman's Chinese Theatre and then catch a film in a state-of-the-art cinema with a VIP lounge (323-463-3576; manntheatres.com). No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without a visit to the West Coast's most famous and photogenic museum, the Getty Center. Located in the northwest corner of L.A., the complex is a series of white travertine buildings designed by architect Richard Meier, with views that extend to the ocean and an eclectic collection with a particularly strong section on the decorative arts (310-440-7300; getty.edu). Lodging The hotels in Greater Los Angeles that are on Condé Nast Traveler's annual Gold List can be divided into three geographic areas. The most elegant old-school lodgings are in or near Beverly Hills: The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows, the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, the Hotel Bel-Air, the Peninsula Beverly Hills, Raffles L'Ermit-age, and the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Santa Monica's Shutters on the Beach is a waterfront option. Farther west, in Pasadena, the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel is a sprawling resortlike property in a quiet residential community. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, in a landmark building in the heart of Hollywood, just finished an extensive makeover and has already made the gossip pages as the scene of scandal. Even if you're not privy to any indiscretions, the rooms with chrome and leather details make a good base for an L.A. getaway. A 1970s apartment building near the corner of the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, the Chamberlain is now a hotel in muted greens and grays. The rooftop terrace has a pool and cabanas overlooking the lights of Hollywood. The portion of Sunset Boulevard known as Sunset Strip is home to several hipster lodging options. The latest entrant is the Sunset Tower Hotel, which preserves the famous Art Deco exterior of the former Argyle Hotel, although the rooms have been given a contemporary makeover, with limestone bathrooms and iPod stations. The Mondrian Hotel, with dramatic and playful interiors by Philippe Starck, was the first to bring high-end design to the Strip. The guardians of the velvet rope at its Skybar are more welcoming these days than when the hotel was enjoying its 15 minutes of fame, making this an even more appealing place to stop for a drink at dusk. Nearby, The Standard, an André Balazs effort, has guest rooms overlooking a pool surrounded by blue Astroturf, with vistas of Hollywood below. The grande dame of the lot, though—even if her style is not quite close-up ready—is the Chateau Marmont, whose hallways and bungalows are haunted by Hollywood legends. Built in the 1920s, the hotel has been undergoing a restoration since the 1990s by André Balazs. The Standard Downtown is contributing in its own way to the revitalization of L.A.'s city center. Its pool and bar sit amid the tops of downtown's skyscrapers, and the deck is decorated with cherry, tangerine, and lemon furniture. For a drink before or after a performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, it's hard to beat. Dining Housed in the recently reopened Sunset Tower Hotel is the Tower Bar, where Piero Morovich is one of the city's star chefs of the moment. His grilled pizza comes with a cracker-thin crust, while the market-fresh salads show off Golden State produce. The risotto with forest mushrooms and the gnocchi in Reggiano sauce are two of Morovich's best dishes (8358 Sunset Blvd.; 323-654-7100; entrées, $18–$39). After closing his original Melrose location, chef Joachim Splichal set up Patina in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The menu globe-trots from sashimi to Hudson Valley foie gras. A standout is the Quartet of the Sea starter: marinated scallops, salmon, and hamachi and ahi tunas (141 S. Grand Ave.; 213-972-3331; entrées, $33–$40). Meson G is all about tapas: garlic soup, stuffed piquillo peppers, crispy pork belly with a green apple and saffron puree. While waiters may encourage as many as three or four plates per person, take it slow—you can always order more (6703 Melrose Ave.; 323-525-1415; small plates, $10–$18). At A.O.C. , in Crescent Heights, another small plates favorite, chef Suzanne Goin serves dishes ranging from classic to eccentric in an animated yet elegantly contemporary room. Among the mainstream offerings are the chicken liver crostini with pancetta and the braised duck, but you should also try some of the more unusual alternatives, such as the fried oysters with celery root remoulade or the grilled quail with foie gras and porcini sauce (8022 W. Third St.; 323-653-6359; small plates, $8–$18). Lucques is the restaurant that started Suzanne Goin on her path to becoming one of the city's most popular chefs, and while she can now be found more often at A.O.C., she still keeps an eye on her original outpost and the innovative American dishes that it turns out (8474 Melrose Ave.; 323-655-6277; entrées, $22–$38). At Hollywood's Geisha House, the emphasis is as much on the design (video screens and backlit photos of Tokyo) and the celebrity clientele (Ashton Kutcher and Sean Astin are backers) as it is on the food. The sushi is excellent, and the more innovative dishes include Alaska king crab in a yuzu butter sauce and ponzu-drizzled halibut with baby radishes (6633 Hollywood Blvd.; 323-460-6300; entrées, $9–$42). Angelenos have collectively rediscovered their fondness for steak houses. And Beverly Hills's The Lodge, with its Arts and Crafts meets ski lodge decor and its impressive wine list of more than 200 bottles from around the globe, is a standout. And yes, the beef is excellent (14 N. La Cienega Blvd.; 310-854-0024; entrées, $26–$55). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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