For their Hollywood Issue, Fantasy Dress Up Magazine commissioned Per Diem to curate a list of the buzziest spots in Los Angeles. The following ten locations are the ultimate spots to see and be seen. You may end up in a paparazzi picture or in the background of an Instagram feed. You might even be a celebrity, reading this now. In that case, DM us.
1. Sunset Tower & Tower Bar
Opened in 1931, this frieze-adorned 15-story hotel—one of the finest examples of Art Deco in L.A—rises majestically over the thumping Sunset Strip, it’s old Hollywood charm untarnished by the grit below. The Sunset Tower was originally an apartment building that housed the likes of Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra, but following a historic purchase and pinkish-beige redecoration in 2004, it’s served as an 81-room hotel for today’s A-listers and their overzealous fans. If you book a room here on the night of the Daily Front Row’s Fashion Los Angeles Awards, which Sunset Tower usually hosts every year, you’ll probably ride the elevator with Paris Jackson or Nicki Minaj, then get that much closer to Nick Jonas over drinks at the ground-level Tower Bar.
2. Erewhon Natural Foods
A mecca for well-heeled vegans, raw foodists, and ethically minded carnivores. Erewhon Natural Foods Market has some of the strictest buying standards in the health-and-wellness industry—standards that make whole Whole Foods look like Ralphs. All the produce is organic and sustainably produced; the shelves are packed with superfoods, alternative remedies, and safe cosmetics from the most esoteric suppliers.
3. Gjelina & Gjusta
Gjelina & Gjusta is the Italian-meets-New American hotspot that brought the idea of the impossible reservation to Venice. In the woody-rustic dining room (which wouldn’t look out of place in Aspen), mononymous Hollywood icons (Leo, Natalie, Julia) dive into colorful vegetable plates, oyster platters, wood-fired pizzas, and California-sourced meats ( try the rack of lamb with red chermoula). Lady Gaga—who, thanks to her restaurant-owner parents, knows a thing or two about Italian fare—rented out Gjelina in 2017 for her 31st-birthday bash, attended by Johnny Depp and her mentor Elton John. Two blocks away is Gjusta, an affiliated bread-and-pastry bakery that serves standout egg sandwiches, smoked fish, and build-your-own pizzas.
4. Runyon Canyon
This steep and craggy parkland space in West Hollywood offers 2.4 miles of ocean-view hiking trails, popular not only with exercisers on a budget, but also with pop stars and Oscar-caliber celebrities. The easiest trail, which is thronged with dog walkers, has been newly paved, while the most difficult one (the gravelly “spine trail”) could still sprain a knee. If you choose one of the novice footpaths, keep your eyes peeled for a sweaty Justin Bieber looking even more dressed down than usual.
5. Joan’s on Third
Launched in 1995 as a humble catering business, Joan’s on Third has expanded three-fold to become a jam-packed restaurant/marketplace (and an essential spot for snap-happy tourists). Something of a West Coast response to New York’s Zabar’s, Joan’s on Third serves artisanal cheeses, simple-ingredient prepared foods, fresh-daily baked goods (the cupcakes are stuff of legend), and made-to-order sandwiches and salads ( the Chinese-chicken variety is a must-taste).
6. Chateau Marmont
Boasting a French-Gothic facade as recognizable as the Hollywood sign, Chateau Marmont is the quintessential hideaway for stars who wish to keep their hijinks secret (usually with little success). The 1929 landmark was at first an apartment complex for the city’s elite, but since the 1940s, it’s been a full-fledged luxury hotel with 63 rooms, nine Spanish-style cottages and four bungalows (Lindsay Lohan lived in one of them from 2005 to 2005, racking up a $46,00 in room-service charges). Even if you can’t afford to spend a night at Chateau Marmont, take a peek online at its see-it-believe-it list of perks, from secretarial services to Frette baby linens to packing assistance.
07. A.O.C
Launched in 2002 by chef Suzanne Goin (a three-time James Beard Award winner) and beverage manager Caroline Styne, A.O.C. is the California-Mediterranean restaurant that turned bacon-wrapped dates, Spanish fried chicken, and organic wines by the glass into staples of the LA-power-lunching diet. A.O.C. is equally buzzed-about for its Mykonos-white block of real estate; the ivy-and-oak lined courtyard patio has hosted W magazine’s It Girl Luncheon in recent years.
08. Matsuhisa
The Beverly Hills sushi emporium that spawned countless rip-offs, Matsuhisa is where chef Nobu Matsuhisa put his Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to the Stateside test. Though his empire now includes around 30 restaurants across five continents, well-travelled foodies swear that his signature creations—yellowtail with jalapeno, black cod with miso, peppery sashimi salad—are best experiences at the Cienega flagship. Owing to its prime 90211 address, Matsuhisa is a failsafe option for thirsty stargazers, especially those who wish to spot an established player. This is, after all, the restaurant where Robert De Niro hatched the idea for Nobu.
09. Arclight
Located across the iconic Cinerama Dome, on Sunset Boulevard, ArcLight Hollywood is the flagship multiplex of the ArcLight chain. Each of the 15 screens is THX-certified for optimal sound and visual quality, and assigned stadium seating is the norm. Hands-on ushers are a constant presence here, not only to ensure that the digital projectors are glitch-free, but also to reprimand obnoxious patrons (yes, alcohol is served). Book a seat on the right night and you rub elbows with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold, or even a bodyguard-flanked Selena Gomez.
10. Giorgio Baldi
This family-run restaurant in Pacific Palisades serves hearty but refined Northern Italian fare with seasonal California tweaks. While the vibe is easy-breezy and the waitstaff unpretentious, expect to pay non-Olive Garden prices for shrimp scampi ($51), housemade pasta and gnocchi ($25), and Milanese veal chop ($45). Giorgio Baldi’s discrete seaside location has naturally made it a celebrity hideaway, though by now the secret’s out: paparazzi shots reveal that Rihanna east here every day of the week when she’s in town.
Special thanks to Fantasy Dress Up Magazine, Lucas Lefler and Richie Talboy. Photographs by Marius Hansen, Fashion by Kendal Boyle, Set Design by Annette Masterman, Post Production by Studio RM, Studio Ko Productions.
Check out Fantasy Dress Up Magazine’s Hollywood issue: fantasydressupmagazine.com and follow on instagram @fantasydressup.