626 South Spring Street, Downtown
213 612 0072
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Drinking at a normal bar is fun. You have no problem with that. But sometimes you could use a bit more cutting-edge. Like a bar that feels like a woodsy 1970s drinking
lodge... crossed with a Euro-glam swimming hole. Say hello to The Falls, a new place to drink cocktails and celebrate the majesty of a good stack of
lumber, now soft-open Downtown. The latest spot from cocktail-lounge expert Michelle Marini (Lava Lounge, The Woods), this is where to go when you’re in the mood to venture Downtown, and your date or drinking buddy wants a bit of the outdoorsy vibe... without actually being outdoors.
Mondrian, 8440 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
323 848 6000
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SPiN Hollywood at Mondrian marks one of SPiN’s first expansions outside of New York, bringing two signature ping pong tables to the ADCB lounge, just steps from the famed Sunset Strip. Hotel guests and visitors can enjoy tournaments, celebrity events and even cocktails and food over a casual game of table tennis.
7969 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood
310 255 1110
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Some people watch Eyes Wide Shut and decry the dark vision of depravity and alienation. But you always thought the parties looked like a good time. Welcome to Voyeur, a lavish new nightspot suggesting that highbrow elegance and a bit of S&M are not mutually exclusive. Gotta say, you couldn't agree more. Behind dank casement windows salvaged from the original New York Times building, there awaits a dark lounge filled with corset-backed chairs and antique sofas made from bounced-against headboards.
801 South Hill Street, Downtown
213 489 4342
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Last week, things got very, very Hollywood for you—both geographically and spiritually. You couldn't be blamed if you need a retreat from the hustle…to, say, a cavernous dance floor where
nobody knows your name. You'll find just that at 8Hill, now open Downtown. This is the kind of place where the music's loud, the drinks no-frill, the walls adorned with snapshots of anonymous flesh, and the bar…giant.
Mondrian, 8440 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
323 848 6025
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Unless you’re “somebody,” the best way to get past the velvet rope is to check into the hotel. Worth it? If you have a soft spot for a stunning setting, poolside beds, one of the best views in L.A., and plenty of stargazing, the answer is yes.
1 Descanso Avenue, Catalina Island
310 510 7410
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You'll go a long way for a burger on the beach. But you'll go even farther if, instead of fries, it comes with a massage in a private cabana. And maybe supersized with some free Wi-Fi and a kayak. So we thought you'd like to hear about the new incarnation of Descanso Beach Club, now open on Catalina Island. Basically, this is an island lunch spot that has been completely reimagined as an all-day beach retreat. You'll want to head straight for one of the new private cabanas (they fit six), your home for doing nothing, in a swimsuit, for the rest of the day.
930 Hilgard Avenue, Westwood
310 208 8765
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School taught you that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But in LA, where things have always been done a bit differently, we put it at the low 70s. Welcome to your new favorite booze-soaked ice-skating rink Chill, launching Sunday where you'd usually find the outdoor swimming pool at the W Hotel. You'll want to bundle up—or just leave on your T-shirt—to enter this not-so-blustery, sun-baked winter wonderland. Once you've made your way through the lobby and out onto the pool deck, you'll find the water covered with a synthetic hybrid ice. (They say it's better for the environment than the real stuff—though, sadly, this eliminates the need for a mini-Zamboni.)
9575 W Pico Boulevard, Beverly Hills
http://www.opentable.com/test-kitchen-reservations
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After dark, you’re always up for a little experimentation. Whips. Handcuffs. Lights on. Whatever. So you’re more than willing to submit yourself to an exciting new restaurant experiment called Test Kitchen—it’s got some of the city’s best chefs and mixologists dropping by, and it’s now taking reservations. Basically, this is a sort of open kitchen for any guest chef who wants to test out some crazy new ideas for the likes of you. (Lucky you.) First up, you’ll get a dozen plates like Saigon Tartine (with pork belly, pâté and carrot pickles) as part of a preview of Umami Burger king Adam Fleischman’s imminent Vietnam-gone-mad restaurant, Red Medicine.
7910 W Third Street, Restaurant Row
323 592 3035
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Picture it: you’re at the Grove, you’ve got your movie tickets, and you’re starving—but you can’t deal with the swarms of shopping bags and ankle-biters in the Farmers Market. It might be time for an on-foot sojourn further west, for a Buddha-approved den of mango vodka and curry. Welcome to Rama, a new Thai spot soft-opening Friday on Third Street, just steps from the Grove. Think of this as the new spot with a trifecta of fun, Thai-related features.
710 West First Street, Downtown
213 617 8555
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A night at the world-famous Disney Hall has always left you awe-inspired—but honestly, you couldn't help but wonder when some Moonshine Meatloaf would factor in. Ladies and gentlemen, that day is (almost) at hand—presenting your first look inside First & Hope, a swanky new booze-soaked supper club hosting a preview party in a few short days. Just steps away from that Gehry madness (translation: you're only parking once tonight) is this '50s hideaway, tucked into the apex of a strip mall, for all your pre- and post-show needs. (Also: two-martini lunches.)
2 California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue, Downtown
323 638 4885
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Bourbon, cigars, that tattooed wild one from last night...usually the good things in life aren't exactly good for you. But today we bring you a welcome exception to the rule: a resolution-friendly lunch spot that won't stink up your suit or steal your car. Behold the cleansing power of Mixt Greens, now open in Downtown. This is the kind of place you keep hearing about, where humans and androids will one day commingle over heaping bowls of organic, locally sourced vegetation, speaking only of peace and sustainability. In the meantime, Sirloin Sandwiches With Black Truffle Aioli and salad options like the Porky–with spice-rubbed pork tenderloin, bacon, apples and squash–make this all go down easy.
933 South Brand Boulevard, Glendale
818 662 9463
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Casual California-Mediterranean bistro and wine bar. Small menu of fresh dishes focused on California's great bounty of local ingredients. A relaxed space with the dining room sprawling into a cocktail lounge and a wine bar. They also have laboratories for curing meats and aging cheeses, which are well used, and a wine shop stocked mostly with small-production bottles from Burgundy and the Rhône.
235 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica
310 395 3200
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They've captured the vibe and high energy feel of a French brasserie. Serving classic French food infused with fresh ingredients from the farmer's market.
6600 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood
not availble
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You always try to be a good neighbor. Very considerate. But every now and then, a wild, boozy blowout is in order—neighbors be damned. Which is just what Mercantile's new next-door neighbor did on New Year's Eve. Introducing District, a new spot for fine dining and cocktails that's hosted a sneak-peek preview party to properly introduce itself (and 2010). The place looks like 1880s New York, if you'd been around then and hung out drinking in ominous monasteries.
Mondrian, 8440 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
323 848 6000
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Unlikely but delish culinary fusions: fried-calamari salad, tamarind-barbecued-shrimp satay … You get the idea. All served in a glorious, white-on-white restaurant. Service is family style, so come prepared to share. (No fingers!) Outdoor seating is a must at lunchtime.
8226 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
323 656 0336
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At the end of a long day, sometimes you don't want fuss. You don't want finery. You want your chair. A cold one. And maybe even a TV dinner. But, you know, a classy TV dinner. And now you can find all that at The Den of Hollywood, a new bar and restaurant opening later this week on the Sunset Strip. The former home of an unfortunate naughty-sushi den (the rolls had awkwardly sexual names), this revamped stone-covered getaway—peaked ceilings, a fireplace, totally casual—now feels like your den, if you lived on the Sunset Strip…and if the Sunset Strip were in Aspen. You almost want to take off your shoes. Almost.
1102 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale
818 507 0592
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From the classroom to the boardroom, life moves fast. Really fast. And that's okay. You can keep up. But there's one thing in your workday you've been missing lately. Recess. After your morning meeting, and before your afternoon conference call, you should still get recess. And now you can. For your low-key-getaway needs at any time of day, a low-key bistro-y hideaway called, yes, Recess is now open. Based on the idea that everybody needs a no-fuss escape, Recess upstages your old cafeteria pretty quickly—yes, you'll want to get a glimpse of what's behind the counter, but you should expect to see some pristine orzo salad instead of gray mystery meat.
8764 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood
310 432 2000
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Troubled pasts can be tough to surmount, but so can legendary pasts.
In the former home of Morton's, where deals were made and Pitt-attended Oscar parties were thrown, a new stunner is here to give it a shot. Cecconi's opens tonight. Joining the empire that includes NYC's famed SoHo House and the original Cecconi's in London, this is the kind of Italian spot that aims to balance an airy, open-all-day ease with some elegance…even at 7am, when sometimes you can't yet spell "elegance."
673 East Walnut Street
541 946 3329
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Ah, rare wine... So tasty. So impressive to other people. So hard to obtain. Wait—scratch that last one. That’s because today—to the dismay of goateed sommeliers all across Southern California—we bring you word of a place that is going to make impossible-to-find wine bottles a lot less impossible to find. Miles from Sideways, this is your moment to get excited... Say hello to Vinissimo, a secret wine shop that, after years of supplying wines to some of our city’s top restaurants, is now opening itself up to the public.
332 North Rodeo Drive
310 888 8686
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Not to boast, but–you're ready. Shopping is done. The gifts...they're good. Flight is confirmed. You're all set. All you need now is–oh, wait. Something to pack everything in. (Details, details.) Luckily, you are saved once again by some sleek German engineering–introducing Rimowa, now open on Rodeo Drive. The German legend's first California shop stocks serious suitcases for your serious holiday trips–think lightweight design wrapped up in a gleaming hard case that'll protect the wine bottles, vodka bottles and whiskey bottles inside. Also: gifts.
8625 Melrose Avenue
310 855 0775
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In agency contracts and health-care reform—to say nothing of your Friday night getup—the devil is in the details. And it's rare when your plans couldn't be helped by a little old-fashioned-with-a-twist panache, maybe in the form of a reversible bow tie. Step inside Social Primer at Alpha, a gentlemanly new pop-up shop in West Hollywood. Alpha's already your go-to when you need a pair of good jeans, some futuristic gadgets or a bit of highbrow smut. But they've gone ahead and carved out space for the regal K. Cooper Ray, aka the Social Primer, an Internet guru who dispenses advice on all aspects of stylish living, like what to eat at a business lunch (avoid the ribs—too messy) and whether social climbing is a bad thing. (It's not.)
Mondrian, 8440 Sunset Boulevard
323 650 8999
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An urban sanctuary smack dab in the center of town. Calm. Resplendent. Oh-so-Zen. The best place to restore the mind, body, and soul.
11973 San Vicente Boulevard
310 472 1086
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Buy and sell tons of designer clothing, jewelry, and accessories at the newly opened Curate Couture Designer and Vintage Consignment Shop. Buy for cheap ($35-$1500 for Prada, Tibi, Louis Vuitton, and others) and make bank (half the sticker price) when you sell your own pieces. This market won't crash any time soon!