Temescal Canyon

The turquoise Georgian Hotel has been a landmark on Ocean Avenue since 1933. Today, it’s been totally reinvented by the developers who did the Ace Hotel and SoHo Warehouse in downtown LA. It retains the property’s historical roots, but feels elevated and modern.

If your kids are on the older side and can entertain themselves, the cocoon-like spa at Casa del Mar is tough to beat, and the candlelit terrace is especially mesmerizing for evening drinks. Guest rooms have a similar vibe to Shutters in that they’re light-soaked and stay-forever comfortable with massive beds and bathrooms the size of bungalows. The hotel started as a palatial beach club back in the roaring ’20s, and there’s an old-world LA charm to the place that makes you want to drink champagne, dress for dinner, and pretend it’s 1929.

Ocean-facing terraces and a courtyard swimming pool make this 70-room boutique hotel—right across the street from the beachside bluffs at Palisades Park—feel like classic Santa Monica. What sets the Oceana apart, though, are its spacious suites, which include living rooms with queen-sized sofa beds, private balconies, workstations, and well-equipped kitchenettes. If you’re going to stay by the beach, Oceana is in a prime location: it’s both a short walk away from the shops on Montana and just removed enough from the chaos of the Promenade. Spa treatments, yoga classes, guided hikes of nearby Temescal Canyon, and surf lessons sweeten the deal.

The concept behind Palihouse (which has locations in West Hollywood and Santa Monica) is genius: Each of the rooms, which range from studios to two-bedrooms, is built for long stays, with a small kitchen and generous living space. So while, like any hotel, you can book them for a few days—the big rooms are especially great for people traveling with kids—they can also be reserved for up to three months. The decor is warm and comfortable, with dark walls, white linens, and mid-century furniture.

Granted, the location isn't the most convenient to the center of the city, but this five-star Ritz has its appeals: For one, it's on the Marina, which is a nice backdrop for sunset drinks; for two, it's close to Venice, and the only nice hotel option south of Santa Monica; and for three, you can generally get really great deals on rooms, despite all the luxe amenities (pool, gym, spa, et al). It's a great option for visiting grandparents, as there's plenty there and in the surrounding area to keep little ones busy.

We heard rumors of designer Kelly Wearstler’s lofty goals for the interiors of the Santa Monica Proper, the new hotel from her and Proper Hospitality, the hotel brand led by Wearstler's developer husband Brad Korzen and his founding partners. But nothing hinted at how stunning it would be. Wearstler has designed a breezy, maritime-inspired space that transports you to a seaside villa the moment you walk in. She outfitted the lobby with elements that speak to the coast (a carved front desk that echoes the shape of a seashell, art backed with sand, flooring that gives a bird’s-eye view of a beach umbrella) and married those with bold, eclectic accents (giant archways in Douglas fir and marble and gorgeous ’70s art) that only Wearstler could pull off. The greatest feat here is the synergy between the hotel's two buildings: One is brand-new and sculptural; the other dates back to the 1920s and boasts a vintage patina with gorgeous original iron-clad windows. The aesthetic of the guest rooms varies depending on the building but are all anchored by gorgeous elements—glossy tiles, giant tufted headboards that look like the sunset, bespoke botanical wallpaper—that make a stay here feel like a literal dream. The rooms are generously sized, and each comes outfitted with a Parachute robe. (And we must say: The rooftop here offers the best view in all of LA.) Best for last, Surya Spa have just opened their flagship inside.

Shutters may look like it was lifted straight out of Cape Cod, but a quick survey of the endless sand out front suggests otherwise. Excessively comfortable, elevated beds may make it harder to get up in the morning, but should you manage to get your running shoes on, an oceanside path stretches for miles in either direction. Bike-rental kiosks dot the beach and there’s obviously welcoming surf just a few steps away—it really don’t get much better. The view, the location, the vibe: It's all great, even if some décor elements, like the bamboo bedposts and the heavy mirrors, don't feel very modern.

WHY WE LOVE IT

Alfalfa turns out really good salads, plus breakfast burritos, bone broth, and gluten-free doughnuts. They serve Intelligentsia coffee and tea from Kilogram, too.

Horseshoe bar, check. Complexion-enhancing lighting, deep-emerald walls, and dark wood, check. House martinis made with bayleaf-infused vodka, plus aged Flannery steaks, and design by the cool kids at folklor? Next-level Venice dining, unlocked. American Beauty is the steakhouse Rose Avenue didn’t realize it needed: All the delicious, nostalgic, good stuff you expect from a meat-forward spot is on the menu, but there’s also a hamachi collar and the ubiquitous crispy Brussels sprouts dish (the restaurateurs responsible know their audience—American Beauty is the brainchild of a trio of Westside restaurateurs responsible for Superba Food + Bread and The Tasting Kitchen, with cochefs Elisha Ben-Haim and Anthony Goodwin). The design thoughtfully preserved elements of the original Venice Ranch Market building but opened up the front (for sipping strong drinks while people-watching) and added outdoor seating. Grab a generously poured $10 glass of wine, choose your sexy steakhouse setting—booth, barstool, bent wood chair, they’re all here—and combat iron deficiency in style (or order the grilled corn and maitake mushrooms instead). In the area before 5 p.m.? Swing by The Window, the restaurant’s takeout arm, which kicked off the hype months before American Beauty’s opening night by serving highly photogenic burgers from a window in the same building.

This Los Angeles classic is still staffed by many of the same people who worked the U-shaped counter when we were kids: It's a stand-by for great reason. The menu is edited, the paper-wrapped burgers are no-frills and excellent, and the pie always comes à la mode.

This big, splashy steakhouse smack in the middle of San Vicente delivers on all the American classics you'd expect (filets, lobster rolls, and the requisite sides, like creamed spinach and mashed potatoes). It's expensive, but fun for groups or cozy date nights.

Bardonna serves brunch all day—the healthy-ish kind, with kale smoothies, pesto poached eggs, and a whole menu of sourdough toasts. During the work week, it’s great for to-go orders; we especially like the chicken grain bowl. If you’d prefer to sit on their sunny patio, try and go before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m., otherwise it’s a zoo.

Say the name Jeremy Fox and we're there. This brilliant chef, author, and vegetable whisperer has been winning the hearts and palates of goop staffers, Angelenos, and tourists for more than a decade with his inventive, mostly-plant-based dishes at Rustic Canyon. Fox is known for hyperlocal and inventive food. But there's a bit of nostalgia to his cooking, which is what you get at his latest venture, Birdie G's. Named after his daughter (Birdie) and grandmother (Gladys), Birdie G's harks back to Fox's roots with a menu that nods to his heritage (comforting matzo ball soup, noodle kugel, artisan matzo with cultured butter) and to his home state (wood-grilled chicken from a local California ranch, Pacific sand dabs piccata). And because Birdie G's is expansive and light-filled with a stylish bar, it's a spot to come for drinks, dinner, or all of the above.

Owner Duc Pham, who was born in Vietnam but raised in Anaheim, obsesses over every detail in his restaurants, from the Scandinavian-inspired furniture to the wine list to the bread on his banh mi, which is baked fresh daily. At this Santa Monica location, the dining room is limited to one large communal table, which fills the entirety of the small, narrow space; when it’s warm out, there are a few small tables outside that you can snag, too. Anything on the menu with pork belly is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Taking up prime real estate on Abbot Kinney, this beloved NYC spot has finally made it out west. And it's not just East Coast transplants who have been lining up for a table in the beautifully turned-out dining room (there's also an indoor-outdoor terrace that's pretty perfect for people-watching) or a seat at one of two bars; everyone can appreciate the veggie-friendly menu (just brunch, breakfast, and lunch, for now), which includes standbys like avocado toast and breakfast burritos. The teeny but well-stocked retail space out front and the cold-pressed juice cooler are welcome little add-ons.

The pandemic completely upended the traditional restaurant industry, and yet there is something so optimistic and heartwarming about the entrepreneurial pivots we saw coming out of this period. Carla Cafe is one such example. Initially, former tech worker Avi Ahdoot assembled his now-famous chicken aioli sandwiches at home and took orders via Instagram DM. Then, suddenly, LA’s appetite for chicken aioli exploded. Ahdoot hired a small team that now operates Carla Cafe. In the early days, they operated out of the Bootsy Bellows kitchen in West Hollywood and made just one type of sandwich a day. Now, they have a handful of sandwich options and some good chopped salads, which you can grab from the Colony ghost kitchen in West LA.

Capo is a white-tablecloth spot, great for occasions that call for the supremely fancy: truffles, choice filets, and fine wine.

Cassia came on the scene in 2015 as the brainchild of two great culinary couples: Rustic Canyon’s Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb and Spice Table’s Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng. With a great cocktail program, a somm-selected run of Rieslings, an airy dining room, a legitimately good patio, and buckets of natural light, it’s still one of most pleasant spaces in Santa Monica, especially south of Lincoln. But it’s the warm service and excellent food—an 80/20 blend of Chinese-Singaporean and Vietnamese, with French inflections—that will have you booking a return reservation before you’re out the door. We ordered a generous pile of green papaya salad, chickpea curry with clay oven bread (or lettuce cups, if you’re gluten-free), ultra-tender Hainan chicken confit, and a mushroom satay we’ll be thinking about for a long, long time.

The best part about Chulita isn’t the charming rattan chairs or the vibrant greenery cascading down the walls. Although the color-happy Californian-meets-Oaxacan décor is very easy on the eyes. Nor is it the Mexico City–style tacos done on hand-pressed purple corn tortillas. Though those are pretty epic, too. It’s the fact that it’s one of the few places tucked away on Rose Avenue—and in the greater Venice area, for that matter—where you can walk in, grab a couple stools at the bar, and order from an extensive list of top-shelf, artisanal tequilas. It’s a taco spot that moonlights as a damn good mezcal bar. And in Venice—the land of beer and wine—those liquor licenses are essentially a luxury currency. Our best advice: Snag a seat on the patio, order the serrano-infused mezcal, and don’t skip the coliflor fundido.

At Cobi’s, the plates and chairs are mismatched, the music is joyously loud, and the food is unbelievably good. Fill your table with papaya salad, pork dumplings, yellow split pea dal, and inventive crudo dishes. Or let it be a surprise and leave the menu in the hands of the chef.

Crimson is a great option for takeout lunch or a healthy, family-friendly weeknight dinner. We love their crowd-pleasing kabob plates, the kale salad (add salmon to beef it up), or a cup of lentil soup with some babaganoush and pita.

Crudo e Nudo is a tiny but exciting restaurant serving sustainable seafood and low-intervention wine. It’s almost entirely outdoor parklet seating, you open and close your tab at the counter, and the menu changes according to what the fisherman caught today. The teensy space also serves as a market and offers a monthly wine-and-tinned-fish membership.

There's something so comforting about a hot bowl of ramen on a cold day, and anytime there's even a hint of rain in Los Angeles, the lines at Little Tokyo's Daikokuya are out the door. What makes the ramen here stand out is the broth, which is cooked with pork bones for hours to achieve its thick, flavorful consistency. The portions are huge, so be prepared to take home leftovers. This location, on Sawtelle, has the same ramen with shorter lines.

Cozied up in an unassuming corner off the Venice Beach boardwalk within earshot of the surf lies the local hangout and unpretentious wine bar Dudley Market. On the menu: locally caught crudo, the freshest sashimi you’ve ever tasted, and shucked oysters so good, they actually do come with a disclaimer: Buy twelve rounds and the thirteenth’s free. The crowd spills onto the street; if you're here just for drinks and the waitlist is looking long, you can buy a bottle of wine inside, grab glasses, and linger at one of the high-tops outside.

This is as low-profile as it goes for strip mall sushi, which says a lot. It's always quiet (besides the elevator jazz in the background that lends a shred of ambiance) and there's never a wait to get a table. Whether you're ordering off the menu or opting for the set omakase at the bar, it's nicely affordable, too, which doesn't translate to lower grade fish. Photo: Benyeh2

Jeff Cerciello (former Thomas Keller culinary director) perfects the bakery-cum-larder-cum-restaurant concept in this sunny space with all-day dining at rustic communal tables, including a wonderful family-style dinner with a market-driven menu. Ingredients here are top-notch, and Cerciello knows what to do with them, keeping the food exciting and tasty without over-complicating. The Roast Jidori Chicken is a standout, along with any of the fresh seafood or excellent produce-based dishes. There's an attached mini-grocery store with an excellent cheese selection, pastries, and prepared salads and sandwiches.

Order the Office Burger, complete with bacon, caramelized onions, gruyere, and blue cheese (no substitutions allowed), with a side of sweet potato fries, and one of an encyclopedia's worth of craft beers. There's another location in Culver City.

Chef Evan Funke’s crispy-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-the-inside sfincione (Sicilian focaccia) is justifiably famous around town. And then there are the silky, saucy plates of pasta.

Giorgio's is like a culinary second home in Los Angeles, in no small part because this is still a family operation, and it shows. The service is warm and attentive, and the unfussy and fun vibe is the perfect backdrop for the incredible Northern Italian fare. Go for the octopus carpaccio with deep fried capers, penne langostine, sweet corn agnolotti with truffle butter, and sea bass—and stay for the white truffles, which are imported from Piedmont every fall. While it's not exactly casual, Giorgio's is never uptight, meaning children are always welcome at the table.

Sister bakery/deli/café to the much-adored restaurant Gjelina, Gjusta literally does a little bit of everything. They also smoke their own fish, which means the cured and smoked mackerel, salmon, and trout—served open-face on fresh-baked bread or bialy—taste amazing. At the other end of the spectrum is the chicken parm: light, cheesy, and addictive. Order at the counter for takeaway or to eat here; we love tucking into plates of fresher-than-fresh California bountry at the scattered outdoor tables.

The spot for late-night snacks like house-made flatbread and beetroot hummus, garlicky mushrooms and lamb kofta—Gran Blanco is the trendier (and aptly named) nighttime counterpart to owners Sam Trude and Sam Cooper’s Aussie-chic café Great White Australian for Gran Blanco) located directly across the street. Huddled under the Venice sign, the super vibe-y open-air space has a decidedly beach-lounge feel, with mood lighting, couches and wooden stumps for kicking back, an extensive vinyl collection curated by the owners, and the kind of stiff tiki-bar cocktails that’ll instantly tip you into vacation mode...if only for a night.

It’s been several years, but Gjelina—a restaurant that ushered in a new sort of veggie-centric California cuisine—is as mobbed as ever. The crowds make a lot of sense: Everything is always excellent, from the vegetable sides to the whisper-thin jalapeño and smoked mozzarella pizza. Come when it opens so you can snag a table on the patio out back. (If the lines are too long, grab something to go at GTA, its takeaway spot next door.)

Chilean chef Juan Ferreiro intuits exactly what we want to eat: California-style comfort food—healthy with a dash of indulgence.

Where East meets West. And by that we mean that its central location—right off the 405—makes it an excellent meeting point for friends from opposite sides of town. It’s also where sushi purists and California Roll enthusiasts can dine at the same table. There’s an extensive menu of cooked dishes, along with the whimsically-named rolls like Green Dragon.

At Jon & Vinny’s in Brentwood, the hysteria-level popularity is entirely justified, mainly because every dish is mind-blowingly wonderful. The pizza is chewy and blistered and cheesy. The handmade plates of pasta are luscious and hearty and addictive (the cavatelli with fennel sausage and the ricotta ravioli top our list). And those little cones of soft-serve are a dose of nostalgia impossible to pass up.

Le Great Outdoor’s story began with no kitchen, no supplies, and no investors. Which is what led them to grill everything—fish, chicken, seasonal veggies—over an open fire. (The charred branzino is unbelievable.) The menu changes according to what’s super-fresh right now; keep in mind that once a dish sells out for the day, it’s gone. Try for reservations earlier in the evening to get your first picks at dinner. Walk-ins are accepted for lunch, when the whole operation skews takeout-friendly.

Little Fatty is Taiwanese spot that shares space—and a drink menu—with Accomplice, the bar next door. Hard to beat: something with mezcal, followed by a dinner of cucumber salad, scallion pancakes, XO noodles, and shrimp and pork wontons. (We also love Little Fatty for takeout.)

The interior is light and airy, with an intimate outdoor porch and two big, long bars: one in front of the sky-high wine rack and the other in front of their blazing pizza oven. The American-style menu is filled with seasonal, California fare: Expect classic pizzas, straightforward pasta, and pared down meat dishes.

At Lunetta, the dining rooms are cozy, and the very Californian menu leans on seasonal ingredients. Settle in for brunch, lunch, or dinner—it’s a great place to hang a while with friends. There’s an option to order family-style, which we love.

It’s billed as a cross between France, Italy, and Morocco, which, granted, is hard to envision. Until you get there. It’s the only place we’ve ever seen bucatini amatriciana on a menu alongside ratatouille with Provençal roasted vegetables, which is next to baba ghanoush with pita and pomegranate. But somehow, impossibly, it all works. Exposed-brick walls, bistro tables, a lively atmosphere, and really flattering lighting obviously don’t hurt. But for the times that you just can’t stomach another avocado toast in this neighborhood, Massilia is just the place.

Luxe ingredients like lobster and caviar, made with a nod to traditional French technique, earned Melisse two Michelin stars. A tasting menu is basically mandatory at a place like this—if you're adventurous go for Chef Josiah Citrin's Carte Blanche menu. It's a great place for a white tablecloth-style event in one of their private rooms, too.

Many would argue that Milo + Olive has some of the best pizza on the West Side, if not all of LA. We have to agree. This is the third restaurant from culinary power couple Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, and much like Huckleberry and Rustic Canyon, the menu is completely ingredient driven. Breakfast and weekend brunch is devoted to classic egg dishes (a totally decadent creamy polenta with poached eggs wins) and baked treats. For dinner, a pizza-salad-pasta combo is the ideal order for two. They take reservations—or, come early to snag a spot at the bar, which offers uninterrupted views of the open kitchen.

Chef Kris Yenbamroong learned how to cook in Bangkok and in the kitchen of his parents’ long-standing Thai mainstay Talésai. The Venice location is Yenbamroong's third (“sahm” means three in Thai) in LA and is aesthetically very similar to the tropical explosion that is the Silver Lake restaurant (with the addition of a massive fish tank). The communal tables are low-slung and crowded with plastic tablecloths—the perfect, slightly trippy setting to dig into some spicy, flavor-packed Thai street food. We’re partial to pad thai, grilled fatty pork collar, and crab fried rice. The wine list is all organic and biodynamic labels and the beer options vast.

We first fell in love with the food at Parakeet Café last spring, when they catered lunch for goop staff at our wellness summit in Carlsbad. (We were late to discovering them: If you live in San Diego, you already know them for their colorful, vegetable-forward toasts and juices.) Soon after—much to our delight—they opened this space in Brentwood, where they do an incredible brunch, among other things. Everything on the menu is free of seed oils; they use avocado oil, coconut oil, and EVOO. And they have an impressive selection of gluten-free and refined-sugar-free baked goods.

Chef Dave Beran’s upscale French bistro serves classic French dishes— tartare, mille-feuille, filets—worth planning a night around. Especially if you’re getting the duck, which is roasted whole and pressed tableside; it’s an entire meal, and an event, for people who really love duck. Or populate your table with gruyere gougères, beets and goat cheese in citrusy dressing, and any main that comes with potato purée, which is worth going out of your way for. Chef Beran let us in on what makes it so decadent and silky: It’s one part potato to one part butter, with just enough cream to hold it together. Pasjoli is now serving a tasting menu for a dozen guests a night on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Our standing order here? Ding’s Crispy Fried Chicken sandwich, which is delicious and huge and therefore, comes pre-sliced into four only slightly more manageable pieces. The space itself can get packed at night, but totally doable for lunch any day of the week.

The first thing to know about Scopa is that it’s massive. In addition to a sea of cafe tables there are shared banquettes, communal tables, and a stretch bar which is home to an extensive spirit offering (there’s a healthy wine list as well). They even have a private room upstairs, with a peek-a-boo window overlooking the main dining room. We suggest starting with one of the expertly curated Italian cold cut and cheeses plates before diving into the more substantial pastas and mains. The menu is packed with classic Italian dishes (lasagne, whole branzino) which Chef Antonia Lofaso (of Top Chef fame) executes flawlessly. This is also one of the few non-Italian bakery spots in town where you can get a decent cannoli. Plus, unlike many L.A. eateries, this one serves food until midnight on most evenings.

Sunny Blue is a choice spot for handcrafted omusubi, and it’s perfect before hitting the beach. Our favorite onigiri are the hijiki (a mix of seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, green peas, and carrots), shiso ume, and mentaiko (spicy cod roe).

This L.A. outpost of a popular Japanese restaurant is somewhat of a mecca for noodle snobs: Made all the more elusive because Tsujita only serves their artisanal ramens at lunch (come dinner, it’s traditional Japanese fare). Fortunately, they just opened an Annex on the opposite side of Sawtelle, where you can get bowls of Tsukemen-style ramen all day long.

Tucked away on Rose, Wallflower specializes in Southeast Asian and Vietnamese cuisine. Take a seat on the outdoor patio (disclaimer, the seating isn’t exactly comfortable but the ambiance is worth it), and order one of the insanely good craft cocktails.

Accomplice shares a space—and a food menu—with Little Fatty, one of our favorite Taiwanese spots. The bar is pretty packed with diners during dinner hours; if you're coming in for a drink, expect that seats won't start to open up until 9 p.m.

This spot used to be a local dive, and when El Chucho took over, they kept the parts that make a dive bar so cool: a pool table, sports on TV, beer. And then added an impressive shelf of natural wines and DJs spinning vinyl all night. It feels legitimately cool in a way a lot of LA bars don’t achieve.

Esters has long been a good hangout for a glass or two and a cheese board after work. The wine list runs a staggering twenty-eight pages long and is broken down not by region but by taste, which makes landing on a bottle so much easier.

Gin Rummy is not quite a tiki bar, but you can expect to drink something slushy, made with rum, and topped with a pineapple slice. If you need something to soak up the booze, there’s a smallish food menu with coconut shrimp and burgers and fries.

The Little Friend is one of the few spots on the west side where you can hit a good dance floor (its big sister, the Friend, is in Silver Lake).

The pasta at Market Venice is great, and you should book a dinner reservation to dig into a bowl of cheesy, peppery bucatini. But the main event comes after the tables are cleared: The place stays open late as one of the best bars in this part of Venice. Make the last dinner reservation of the night and stay for espresso martinis and people-watching.

Offhand is a chill spot for a glass of wine with a friend—an easy space to relax with a good natural wine list. (By day, the space serves as a coffee house under the name Please Enjoy.)

The back of the Hatchet Hall houses a second, separate bar deemed Old Man Bar—it looks as brooding as you'd expect, but it's also beautiful, and it serves up noteworthy serious cocktails.

Back when Venice Beach Wines popped up on Rose in 2006, it was barely more than a bodega. Now, it’s a built-out wine bar with solid brunch and dinner menus, a great happy hour, and both indoor and sidewalk seating. They also do takeaway charcuterie boards—grab one of those and a bottle of vino, and take off to the beach to catch sunset.

Winston House is the best spot in Venice to catch live music. They showcase emerging artists on Thursday nights (and they have a reputation for booking talent that hits it big later). Their house band plays on Friday nights and their DJs go late. If you snag the last dinner reservation of the night (order duck tacos and fries), you’ll skip the line that forms outside around 10—that’s when the dancing starts.

You asked for healthy takeout; we delivered. Our take on takeout is a menu of hearty bowls, vibrant salads, delicious handhelds, pizza, pasta, rotisserie, and more—all gluten-free and often finished with goop Certified Clean sauces, dressings, and marinades.

Being that it’s a butcher shop first and foremost, ACA is very serious about their meat-centric menu. The hot sandwiches—BBQ pulled pork, roasted turkey club, lemongrass flank steak banh mi with fried egg, and house-smoked pastrami—can be eaten at one of the few tables on-site or taken to-go. The Italian salumi travels particularly well.

Alana’s is one of our favorite coffee shops on the west side. The coffee is really good, and the comfortable back patio is great for chatting with friends on weekends and knocking out some work during the week. It does tend to get crowded mid-morning, but if you don’t mind sharing a picnic table with other guests, it’s not a big deal.

Alfred quickly took over LA's coffee scene a few years back. We like the Melrose Place location best.

This is one of the main lunch go-tos in Santa Monica, which means there's almost always a line. The Godmother sub is the order of choice for everyone, us included, though we like to swap the pepper salad for pepperoncini for a little extra heat. Also on point: their tuna salad, and the turkey pesto and eggplant parm. While you wait for the deli to call your number, browse the market—it's stocked with authentic, imported Italian goods; the pasta and sauce selections are particularly impressive.

With the original '80s logo intact more than 20 years later (there are even old-school pleather chairs and a matching neon sign), walking into The Bigg Chill sort of feels like a time warp. The frozen yogurt stacks up, too, with a wide assortment of flavors and endless toppings. The location is admittedly random, but as anyone who grew up here will gladly tell you, this is the kind of place that's worthy of a drive.

No matter if you're visiting and don't have a fridge to stock: Beyond the fruit and veggie stands, this neighborhood farmers' market offers all sorts of organic prepared foods, like gluten- and dairy-free treats from Coco Bakes, hummus from Mom's, and amazing fresh tamales. There's also a petting zoo for the kids.

Café Bolívar is our favorite establishment on this stretch of Ocean Park. It's been part of the neighborhood since 2002, and we like to think it has the power to transport you back to Santa Monica's erstwhile, laid-back early aughts vibe. Come for the arepas, which never disappoint. Their coffee is great, too—and always organic and fair-trade.

This place serves some of the best coffee on the West Side, including real Northern Italian style espresso, and delicious lattes and cappuccinos with what they call "milk foam art." It can be difficult to find a seat during rush hours, but if you do grab one, it's a lovely place to linger.

We like coming here for a latte and one of their (unreal) gruyere and thyme croissants, plus a sourdough loaf to-go. The heartier, eggy breakfasts and sandwiches are great, too.

This is a distinctly Californian one-stop-shop for fresh and local produce, delicious ready-made food, and all the organic products you could ask for. Plus as the name suggests, members are also owners, making it local and sustainable in every way.

It's easy to miss Deus when driving down Lincoln Boulevard as it looks like a garage—albeit a pretty slick one—rather than a sweet coffee shop. This is fitting, since you can buy a custom-made motorcycle, a leather jacket, and a latte in one fell swoop. Seating is limited, but the outdoor communal table and indoor charmingly lived-in couch, coupled with an awesome soundtrack, get the job done.

If all you’re looking for from Gjusta is a loaf of bread and some pantry goods, skip the line and come here instead. The shop has aisles of fresh bakery goods, cheese and charcuterie, prepared salads and soups, and sandwiches to go, plus a nice selection of beer and wine.

This is a good spot to drop in for good coffee and a decent pastry, including a handful gluten-free and vegan options. While you’re here, grab a bag of beans—they have some great ones, including single-origin and rare varieties.

You can learn everything you need to know about this place from the menu displayed when you walk in: There’s a section devoted entirely to avocado appetizers, another to a fairly extensive offering of bone broth elixirs, kombucha on tap, and adaptogens sprinkled throughout. The comfort food is of the mushroom panini variety—which, at the Hive, means not just sautéed portobello, but also reishi, cordyceps, and maitake with goat cheese, green onion, and white truffle oil (kale chips side optional). Order at the counter and take a seat indoors or outside, or grab and go.

This now-global Japanese chain offers absolutely nothing in the ambiance department—but no bother, as they serve incredible ramen.

With lines out the door by 10am, this is one of those spots where parents with early risers win: We go for the quinoa, veggie, and egg bowls, while our kiddos are bigger fans of the homemade doughnuts, scrambled eggs, mini English muffins, and grilled cheese. You can eat in (the tables turn over quickly) or take your turkey meatballs to go.

Intelligentsia is really the quintessential LA coffee shop. Tables and bar seats are usually available at all the well-designed locations, and there's a smattering of great baked goods, as well as some home goods for sale.

LA has a stellar ice cream scene, and Jeni’s is among the best. If you’re opting dairy-free, go for the lemon bar ice cream. Dairy-full? It’s all about the brown butter almond brittle and the gooey butter cake.

Lady & Larder makes stunning cheese and charcuterie boards, if you happen to have an event coming up. But they also have a fantastic walk-in situation, with a well-curated shop of pantry staples, flowers, and natural wines plus a tight menu of picnic-ready sandwiches, available from noon to 3 p.m. daily. It’s a great place to stop on the way to a dinner party for a hostess gift.

This spot in Santa Monica is always washed with daylight, thanks to wide, floor-to-ceiling windows. Menu-wise, the espresso drinks are excellent, and it's worth trying the lemonade iced coffee (weird concept, but really good). It's a great spot for work if you've got a puppy in tow—the entire space is dog-friendly, and the backyard offers plenty of room for them to stretch out under your table.

The Mar Vista farmers market has excellent produce, great prepared foods, and an especially good energy about it.

In a storefront no larger than a walk-in closet, you'll find tonics for every desire or malady. (We love the turmeric cup, with cayenne pepper, black pepper oil, and oil of oregano, to help us through a cold.) All this cold-pressed goodness doesn't come cheap—the green shake will set you back $14—but it's all delicious and effective. There is a second shop in Silver Lake.

What’s cool about this spot is that it’s set within an auto enthusiast club, so you can peep some neat classic cars as you sip your coffee. It’s also a great spot to get work done.

In a city of great farmers markets, the one in Palisades Village is a standout. There are two big sections for great produce and prepared foods, and it’s never too crowded.

Hands down, Primo Passo makes the best cup of coffee on Montana Avenue.

This natural foods store is old-school and low key in a way we really appreciate, and they have a great deli and a juice bar.

This is nothing more than a simple food stand in the Brentwood Country Mart, but it's insanely good (and for us, steeped in nostalgia). The moist, perfectly-seasoned rotisserie chicken basket comes with plenty of barbecue dipping sauce, and fries that are absolutely worth the shot to the arteries. We've never heard a kid complain about the chicken tender basket, either. Don't be deterred by the lines: They move fast.

We first discovered Rori’s ice cream years ago while exploring Santa Barbara and were understandably pretty psyched when an outpost opened right on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Rori, the mastermind behind the ice cream, insists on using strictly organic, locally sourced ingredients from neighboring farmers and cream from the famed Strauss Family Creamery. The resulting ice cream is rich and flavorful and comes in seasonal options that range from chocolate coconut to wild-berry chocolate crisp to honey-lavender. Their three-bite mini cones are a brilliant choice if you’re looking to sample multiple flavors without going all out.

This beautiful farmers market practically overlooks the Pacific, offering the best of the area's fruits, veggies, and herbs in the process. The Wednesday market has more vendors than the weekend market, and the crowds are less overwhelming.

Santa Monica Seafood is our go-to fishmonger in LA. There's also a cute little café and bar where you can pull up a chair, have a glass a wine, and dig into some freshly shucked oysters.

The small-batch ice cream business, which cousins Kim and Tyler Malek launched out of a single neighborhood ice cream parlor in Portland, has grown into a family of shops, including several in L.A.—the original is in Larchmont. The focus at Salt & Straw is on inventive flavors: honey lavender, olive oil, pear and blue cheese. But the single-origin vanilla is the best we’ve ever had.

Prettily decorated cakes and baked goods are mainstays here, though we hear the best thing on the menu is actually the tuna fish sandwich. They make their own mayo, and serve it on freshly baked rosemary bread.

It used to be that you had to make a special day trip to Costa Mesa to get your hands on a Sidecar, but now that the new Santa Monica outpost is finally here, dropping by for one of their fried-fresh-on-the-hour doughnuts and a cup of famously smooth coffee has gotten almost dangerously easy. The flavors are broken up into classics (the huckleberry and vanilla twist are goop HQ favorites) and monthly specials like coconut cream pie, peanut butter & banana, and chocolate & rye. And keep an eye out for the gluten-free options, the butter & salt is worth trying even if gluten isn’t an issue.

Burrowed in a cozy nook of the Brentwood Country Mart, the 1,300-square-foot space was designed by the brilliant Roman and Williams who created our dream Brentwood bungalow. In this bungalow, you can shop everything: a gorgeous mudroom-meets-greenhouse; an enviable kitchen decked out with pretty pink mixing bowls, Staub French ovens, and glossy cookbooks; and the clean beauty apothecary, where you can nourish your face in oils and creams, spritz on fragrances, and try all the things on display in the towering vanity mirrors. There’s even a living room, with a dreamy daybed and plush pillows, a stocked bar cart, and a constantly rotating edit of pieces from goop-shop favorites like G. Label by goop, Staud, Victoria Beckham, Janessa Leone, Nancy Newberg, Eriness, and more. But the real MVPs? The staff—a team so warm and welcoming they will soon know you by name.

Though its just two-blocks from the Third Street Promenade, which sucks up a lot of the area's oxygen, this is inarguably one of the most special toy shops in the country. Everything here is made of wood, from the pint-sized grocery store stands (complete with farmers market fruits and veggies) to the rainbow-hued teethers.

This indie glasses designer makes sculptural-looking shades influenced as much by organic shapes as geometry and architecture. If you’re in the market for sunglasses or eyeglasses, AHLEM’s are among the coolest.

Great used bookstores are a rare breed these days, and this one is our favorite in LA. It doubles as a record shop, and it’s a good place to grab gifts, too.

In addition to being one of the longest-standing shops on Abbot Kinney, Bazar is also one of the most special. Owner Tina Wakino keeps the smallish space packed with antique furniture, textiles, and racks of hard-to-find international brands and vintage pieces for both men and women, then she rounds out the assortment with imported apothecary favorites from Santa Maria Novella and Astier de Villatte. Though small, the children’s section holds incredibly adorable options for giftables and accessories that are unlike anything you might find at a traditional toy store.

This 1950s old-time country mart got a renovation and restoration about a decade ago. Besides being home to goop Brentwood, there are a spate of other great boutiques (Jenni Kayne, Turpan, Broken English, adorable kids store Poppy). It also wins huge points with little ones for its interior food court, where you'll find the world's best chicken (Reddi Chick), burgers (Barney's), and tacos (Frida). There's also an old-school candy shop (Edelweiss), an ice cream parlor (Sweet Rose Ice Cream), a bookstore (Diesel), a toy store (Toy Crazy), and a mini carousel. We, however are addicted to the delicious salads and seared salmon at Farmshop. Always buzzing at lunch, the space grows quiet in the early afternoon and is a hidden gem for for a relaxed glass of wine and, in the absence of a friend, your computer for company as you blast through a stuffed inbox.

This is one of those spots that will make you believe that having kids doesn't always require a cacophony of brightly-colored plastic toys: Airy, and sparely stocked, Caro Bambino offers everything you'd want for a clean-lined, modern nursery—and nothing more. There are well-designed cribs, a smattering of wooden toys, and neutral-hued onesies.

Ideally located in the Brentwood Country Mart, this bookstore is the perfect size. Manageable in scope, but packed with classics and must-reads, it's rare to leave with only one book in tow.

At 2,000 square feet, this mini department store is expansive but manageable, and the racks are filled with everyone from Rag & Bone to Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. Don’t miss the shoe and bag selection, which includes the greatest hits from Louboutin and Lanvin.

This airy spot on Lincoln is the perfect trifecta: Part café (with donuts!), part home goods shop, and part florist. The taste level here is spot-on, as it's the sort of place where you might swing by for a latte and emerge with five hostess gifts and a stunning bouquet.

While its unlikely location on a grungy strip of Lincoln Boulevard keep this spot slightly under-the-radar, The General Store always justifies the trip. While it’s set in a big lofty space that could theoretically hold hundreds of items, the impeccably-curated store is an exercise in restraint: You’ll find hand-done ceramics, brass trivets, thread wrapped bows and arrows, and rare, vintage books. The original is actually in San Francisco.

The Gjelina family of restaurants has grown in all directions, now encompassing a grocery store, home goods store, rentable apartment, and flower shop down the street from Gjusta. It’s a beautiful space to pick up arrangements for events, for hostess gifts, or for your kitchen counter.

While many stores on Abbot Kinney quickly come and go, Heist has become a long-standing staple, evolving and expanding with the ever-changing Venice. The large, modern boutique brims with labels both well-loved and still-unknown: You’ll find a huge range of Isabel Marant and Raquel Allegra, along with Newbark, Golden Goose, and Crippen.

This sliver of space on Abbot Kinney has a really healthy selection of all the Scandinavian home goods lines we've all come to love: Iittala glassware, Arne Jacobsen for Stelton water jugs, and Marimekko trays. There's also a small range of clothing, and some cute stuff for kids.

Jacques Marie Mage makes supremely cool sunglasses and eyeglasses, which are handmade in Japan.

Since 1995, Jill Roberts's mini-chainlet of boutiques have been holding strong, offering that specifically LA-buy: Plenty of denim and t-shirts, plus a few stand-out pieces from designers like Ulla Johnson, Agua by Agua Bendita, and Nili Lotan. There are two other LA locations: Beverly Hills and Studio City.

Based in Mar Vista's Mitsuwa Marketplace, the Japanese-based Kinokuniya offers great notebooks, stationery, pens, and gifts. Kids, in particular, go nuts here.

Lost & Found in Hollywood occupies a stretch of adjacent buildings on Yucca Street, which is tucked away above Hollywood Boulevard. It’s there that you'll find one of LA's best shopping destinations. While there are spaces for women and homes, we particularly love the kids' edit, which revolves around feathered headbands, papier-mâché masks, and T-shirts emblazoned with everything from motorcycles to birds. The new outposts in Santa Monica are huge, offering more floor space to men's and women's clothing, along with even more delights for little ones. (Plus, a great edit of home.)

We were pretty thrilled when Love Adorned finally landed on the West Coast last year—after all, its flagship in Nolita (the jewelry companion to the legendary New York City tattoo parlor NY Adorned) is stunningly cool. It's also one of the few stores around that can embody an entire aesthetic, one that is subtly bohemian, gothic, and yet gloriously feminine, too. You'll find stunning, slightly asymmetrical diamond rings from Polly Wales, cool, Natural Park–themed bandannas for kids, and the resin champagne buckets by Tina Frey. The location in Santa Monica is fittingly airy and light and lined with all the jewelry treasures you’d expect along with a smattering of kitchen goods, throw pillows, and beautifully scented candles. There is also a location in Amagansett.

Rick Caruso, the real estate mogul behind the Grove and the Americana, has built, in his signature classic California style, 2019’s answer to the mini mall. It’s contemporary, mostly outdoors (this is LA, after all), and frankly, too beautiful to be called a mall at all. Veronica Beard, Jennifer Meyer Jewelry, and Vince are just a sampling of the thirty-three stores on the property that manages to feel more like a quaint little village than a retail experience. The restaurants deliver, with Porta Via, Sweet Laurel Bakery, and the more casual Edo Little Bites leading the charge.

Situated in the Brentwood Country Mart, the racks at Poppy are exquisitely tasteful, from the mini striped shirts from Petit Bateau to t-shirts stamped with zebras. The pricetags match the taste level, which makes this better for gifts than wardrobe basics.

This brand-new, self-named "tiny toy shoppe" from the owners of nearby Thyme Café and Local Kitchen + Wine Bar is an undeniably adorable addition to Ocean Park. While it's not large, the selection is spot-on, with good birthday options for kids of all ages.

Since 1985, this place has been offering every conceivable genre of vinyl to loyal West LA music lovers. Merchandise is restocked daily, there are stations where you can sample music, and you can trade in or sell your records here, too.

sun moon rain is here to help wash away your single-use plastic guilt, one refillable amber jug of lavender laundry soap at a time. Step into this zero-waste shop, lined with shelves of household goods and beauty products in gleaming glass jugs, and you wonder how you ever let a plastic spray bottle live under your sink. Visit for refills of everything from all-purpose kitchen cleaner to pet shampoo (bring your own containers or choose from a gorgeous selection), plus everyday tools to help reduce your daily consumption: reusable beauty pads and beeswax wraps, bamboo straws, cleaning brushes, reusable vessels galore. Plus, there’s an aromatherapy bar for adding essential oils to your product refills. With everything from vintage jewelry to handblown, one-of-a-kind glass bowls, this is also the place to go for a gift that won’t clutter the earth (or anyone’s home). The female founders behind the company—a pair of fashion industry vets—are continuously improving, making it easier and easier to transition to a low-waste lifestyle with products that smell and look fantastic. The shop also hosts in-store events for the eco-conscious, from candle refilling to Japanese denim mending.

Former lawyer Jeannie Lee opened Satine on Third Street when it was just getting established as a shopping destination—and her forward-thinking sensibility and buy was probably what ultimately pushed it over the edge to become one of the city's busiest drags. Not long after, she opened a smaller outpost on Abbot Kinney, with an edit that matches the neighborhood's clientele. You'll still find classics (Preen, Rochas) and progressives (Prism, The Odells) artfully mixed together.

Known for modern and beautiful letterpress stationery, Sugar Paper also does great holiday cards, wedding invitations, and monogramming. The tiny shop (in the Brentwood Country Mart) also offers cards and paper goods from Rifle Paper Co., Kate Spade, and more—and they can wrap any gift (just bring a box) while you wander the mart.

Taku and Keiko Shinomoto, the owners and curators of this much-loved shop, urge customers to slow down (like the animal the store is named for) and enjoy life’s small pleasures. The focus here is on everyday items, made beautiful, whether it’s gardening shears, beautiful Tenugui cloth napkins, coffee grinders, or sake pitchers.

Everything at this pristine home store in the Brentwood Country Mart is a design classic—past or future. While it's the sort of spot where you duck in for a hostess gift, it's invariably the sort of store where you end up re-thinking your china and splurging on some steak knives too. They also have impeccable stationery, beautiful blankets, and every conceivable size and color of Comme des Garçons pouch. There's also a location in East Hampton.

The limited edition sneaker world is a strange one (long, break of dawn lines, huge markups on eBay), but while Undefeated gets plenty of notable exclusives from brands like Nike, you don't feel like you've stepped into another world when you shop here. Most of the shoes are for men though there's a healthy selection of women's options and the kid collection is pretty adorable, too.

Florist Spencer Falls puts together gorgeous, unexpected arrangements—often leafy and prickly-looking, with uncommon varieties of flowers.

If you're one of those people who believes that the card should be as well-conceived and personal as the gift, this is your mothership. They have all the best lines, along with sweet notepads, journals, and a good selection of pens.

The Westside is proof positive that retailing duo Haro and Sari Sloane Keledjian know a thing or two about creating a store that women want to shop in. After selling the Intermix brand to the Gap back in 2013, they’ve dreamt up a new shopping concept that speaks to busy moms on the go. They’ve opened a series of boutiques, the Westside (for stylish moms) and Everafter (a children’s boutique) side byside in Tribeca, on the Upper East Side, and in Manhasset on Long Island. Their arrival in Brentwood should come as no surprise, located just across the street from the highly-trafficked Brentwood Country Mart. The mix for women is solid—denim by Re/Done, cashmere by Lingua Franca, and easy dresses by LoveShackFancy. Next door, there’s tons for your mini-me: Aviator Nation sweats, Zimmerman separates, and lots of great gifts like pool floats from Sunnylife and furry friends from Jellycat. Photos courtesy of Katie Gibbs.

Just off the Santa Monica pier, Boardwalk Bike Rentals offers rentals on cruisers and mountain bikes by the hour or for under $20 a day, providing a healthy way to see the coast and catch some rays at your own pace. They also rent out tandems and roller blades. Bring ID for your security deposit.

While it will cost you (a lot) to take a tour of the inside of Charles and Ray Eames’ house/studio, it’s pretty incredible to see how warmly this husband and wife team lived, as well as their iconic, modern furniture in situ. While indoor tours range from $275-$400 (depending on group size), it’s only $10 to walk the grounds and see its iconic, Mondrian-esque exterior. Reservations for both are required.

Offering some of the city’s best views, you can spend a good half-day picnicking on the lawn above the central gardens, or wandering around the Richard Meier-designed exterior (construction employed about 1,200,000 square feet of travertine) before you even head inside. The exhibitions are always varied and interesting, the permanent collection is important, and there are excellent hands-on activities for kids. You only pay for parking at the bottom; admittance is otherwise free.

Modeled after a first-century Roman country house, J. Paul Getty originally built the Getty Villa to house an art collection that was quickly outgrowing his house. Now, beyond touring the exquisite home and gardens, you can see his collection of 44,000 antiquities, with treasures that range from 6,500 B.C. to A.D. 400.

There’s always something excellent on display at this UCLA museum—it’s also nicely manageable, making it the perfect way to spend a few idle hours. The adjacent museum store is one of the best in the city: The bookstore is gigantic, and they have some great gifts from L.A.-based designers, but they win the biggest points for their kids room in the back, where you’ll find art and design-specific tomes for little ones, along with a handful of well-conceived toys.

If you’ve got little ones in tow or only an hour or so to stretch your legs, this hike is your ticket: It’s under two and a half miles, and it starts and ends in the stunning Will Rogers State Park (which is also perfect for a picnic).

This beautiful hike is between Santa Monica and Malibu, offering panoramic views of both ocean and city. The first part of the hike is the Los Liones Trail, which is lush, green and not too difficult. If you do the whole hike, which is about 7.3 miles, you'll end up in Topanga State Park. No dogs allowed. Photos: Hikespeak

Set on a cliff overlooking the water, this park spans from just north of San Vicente Boulevard to Colorado Avenue. It's a wonderful place for a light hike or a long walk or bike ride. When you get tired, the lush green grass is there for you to take a rest, underneath the swaying palm trees.

This five-mile round-trip hike offers epic views of the ocean—the trailhead is at Paseo Miramar just off Sunset, making it easy to get to, as well (just park on the street). Then end your trip with gluten-free pancakes at Café Vida.

The Skirball Cultural Center, a Jewish cultural institution that offers everything from exhibits to readings to recitals, is also home to architect Moshe Safdie's Arc, an incredible installation that occupies an 8,000 square foot gallery. Kids can climb aboard the wooden ship and interact with the animals, crafted with everything from rope, to recycled newspaper, to keyboards, and vegetable steamers. Make reservations well in advance.

In the early 1900s, Abbot Kinney resolved to make a “Venice of America” and decided to turn modern-day Venice into a system of canals. While many of the waterways have been filled in during the intervening years, a small patch remains—though they had fallen into disrepair, they were restored in the ’90s and are now lined with some of Venice’s fanciest homes. It’s a totally random yet awesome enclave, and worth a stroll on a nice day.

Afternoons at the skate park are a thing, and no half-pipes are more iconic than the ones on Venice beach, the birthplace of LA skater culture. Kids are welcomed by the older, experienced crowd and the combination of the cooling breeze and the mesmerizingly good skating makes it appealing to every member of the family.

Nestled at the base of the Santa Monica mountains, this 186-acre state park boasts horse stables, a polo field, and a riding ring, along with a host of trails that feed into other state park systems. Whether you come for a riding lesson or a trail ride, or just want to throw down a blanket and have a picnic while a polo game unfolds, it’s a pretty idyllic place to spend the day. Tours of Will Rogers’ homestead are also available.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Wagner, who also moonlights as a painter, is chill and wonderful, meaning that an hour spent with her skilled hands is kind of like hanging with a friend. A recovering tanning junkie herself, Wagner is nothing short of a magician when it comes to banishing sun spots and UV damage. Product-wise, the focus here is on holistic and organic ingredients–she uses her own skincare line made with a white turmeric and tiger grass stem cell complex.

Taryn Toomey and her definition-evading "class" have finally made it to Los Angeles. The experience is a self-titled cathartic experience, where you spend 75 minutes engaging in intense movement to “break open and activate ‘stagnant’ layers in the body.” In short you move, and scream, and shake, and yell as you release emotional energy–and get a pretty incredible workout in the process, care of burpees, planks, leg lifts, and squats. There's a fair bit of yoga worked in for good measure. It requires an open mind and a willing spirit.

Dayle Breault (aka The Goddess of Skin) has an obsession with natural skincare that was born out of her own struggles with acne. That said, acne is just one of many skin concerns she tackles: She (apparently) singlehandedly solved Cara Delevingne's issues with psoriasis and her three-part Epicuren mask visibly diminishes sun damage after a single session. Plus, her namesake product line offers the perfect balance between good-for-you ingredients and potency (the Bonafide scrub is a fan favorite). Call or email for an appointment, she sees clients in both NYC and LA.

This Abbot Kinney hideaway offers massages, cupping, muscle testing, ritual baths, and an especially great facial. You can grab a functional latte and light lunch here, too. But perhaps our favorite part is the private hot-cold circuit, where you and a partner can cycle between a cedar sauna and icy plunge pool.

Chiropractor Kevin So is talented at finding the root cause of what's going on with your body—strains, sprains, chronic aches, whatever—and guiding you through a complete treatment path, which usually involves hands-on soft tissue treatment in the office and physical therapy exercises you complete at home. We walk out of his office feeling so much better. And if you commit to the at-home stuff, his treatment plans really work. So is also a delight to chat with—an hour-long appointment flies by. (If you're interested in acupuncture, So's partner, acupuncturist Claudia Baettig, works out of the same space.)

Yoga terminology (Iyengar or hatha, yin or flow) rolls as easily off our tongues as the ABC’s these days, but the trauma-sensitive kind taught by Laura Mckellin was entirely new to us. Mckellin developed her style while working with patients at the Veterans Association in Denver after obtaining a master’s in somatic counseling psychology. Nowadays, in Los Angeles, Mckellin is available for one-on-one somatic healing sessions in the comfort of your own home, or you can join her class at Light on Lotus in Mar Vista.

We're big fans of this Montauk studio, so we were thrilled when it opened a second beach-town location—on the West Coast. Yoga directors Kyle Miller and Sian Gordon have converted their Lincoln Boulevard space into an airy paradise that smells more like white sage and Diptyque candles than a sweaty yoga studio. The aesthetic matches the beachy interiors of the Montauk space, with white walls, teal floors, and geometric neon wall murals by local artist Carly Margolis. While the studio interior has obvious appeal, the teaching is what really shines. The overall vibe is laid-back—no heat, no mirrors, and definitely no weights—with a meditation and healthy Savasana built into every class. And while clear direction and game-changing adjustments will make seventy-five minutes go by extraordinarily fast, there’s nothing about this that’s easy: Expect to sweat (a lot) and to feel it the next day.

Natasa Bose's philosophy is the same as ours: Overall health and beautiful skin go hand-in-hand. This means that her famous custom-blended facials—pH-balancing and toning massage, followed by an oatmeal-cranberry, carrot-ginger, or egg-honey mask—don't just nourish the skin, but aids in full-body well-being. As far as more inventive treatments go, there's lymphatic drainage, ultrasound, and microcurrent therapies that are immensely effective.

Open is best known for their digital mindfulness platform and roster of all-star teachers. But a visit to their Venice studio inspires a bit of real-life magic: Flow through a yoga class, sink into a sound bath, or blast off with breathwork.

It feels like a Venice Beach bungalow inside this Venice Beach bungalow: intimate, calm, airy, and cozy. And the treatments are on another level. They’re experts at gua sha (a sculpting, lifting, toning therapy in which an aesthetician smooths a stone tool over the face to stimulate tissue and ease tension); it feels cooling, relaxing, fantastic. You can always customize your facial, but there’s no improving upon the Deep Sea Age Defying treatment, an ultrapampering mash-up of LED light therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, and cranial therapy to support circulation and promote skin (and overall) balance. Whatever your skin needs, they have it here, and the glow you saunter out with is stunning.

Pause is where you go for a bit of physical and mental relief—they offer float tanks, hot-cold experiences, LED light therapy, lymphatic compression, and IV drips, including NAD+. Their infrared sauna setup is the best in town.

Allison Oswald wants to help women feel better. As a physical therapist, a board-certified women’s clinical specialist, and certified Pilates instructor, she’s uniquely equipped to take on that task. Many of her clients find their way to her bright, whitewashed studio with pelvic health issues, often during the postpartum period. She works with clients one-on-one and for as long as it takes to get them feeling confident and pain-free. Once they feel up to it, she—or one of Plumb Line’s excellent instructors—may suggest clients keep up their work with a Pilates regimen.

Whatever you go to acupuncturist Claudia Baettig for—maybe it’s everyday stress, something about your cycle, or a bigger health issue—she’ll lay out a bespoke treatment plan that’ll guide you toward your wellness goals. In addition to acupuncture, sessions might involve fire cupping (which feels so good), tuina, LED light therapy, and herbalism consultation. Baettig also offers cosmetic acupuncture and gua sha. But what keeps us coming back is Baettig herself: She explains every treatment so clearly. And she can even assuage fears of needles. (If you're interested in chiropractice, Baettig's partner, chiropractor Kevin So, works out of the same space.)

This spot is famous for its custom-made infrared saunas. In the personal pods, which look super futuristic, you lie on a bed of jade stones while your body is bathed in red infrared light. Your head is outside of the pod during the entire the forty-minute session, and the surrounding air is diffused with a custom blend of aromatherapeutic oils. The lymphatic compression massage and unique Magnesphere machine, which aims to improve your balance and sleep by way of deep relaxation, are so very worth exploring.

It’s been five years since Shin An relocated her thriving business from NYC to LA, and her famously precise dry-cuts are as in-demand as ever. Shin and her crew of incredibly skilled stylists and colorists work out of a discreet little bungalow on Montana Avenue and offer a range of services that goes beyond the expected cut-and-color. The purifying scalp treatment, for example, simultaneously soothes dryness and smoothes frizz. Don't worry if you can’t get in with Shin herself; her staff are all exceptional.

Sugaring, which at this studio is performed by trained specialists in a welcoming, light-filled space, calls on a paste made from organic sugar, lemon, and water to pull hair out in the natural direction of its growth. It's a process that translates to less pain, irritation, and ingrown hairs, especially when you do it routinely. SugaringLA does the best sugaring in town.

Surya Spa is no joke—in fact, it's one of only a handful of Panchakarma spots in the States (now, up and running at the beautiful Proper Hotel in Santa Monica). That said, it takes a pretty intense level of commitment that's a bit out of reach unless you have the vacation time and budget: It requires three to four hours a day, for three, five, or seven days (we recommend the full week, though it's tough, as you have to abide by the very ascetic menu that they prescribe). The house-made organic food and authentic Panchakarma treatments reach far beyond what you'll find in a traditional wellness spa (people come here for help with parasites, for instance). The results—which can range from better skin to weight loss—speak for themselves. Beyond being a wonderful detox resource, mothers, babies, and mothers-to-be are in for a treat with Surya Spa's special approach to pregnancy and babies' first six weeks.

This studio is made for that in-the-zone feeling: The instructors teach a few guided flows over the course of class and build in time for students to do their own thing. It’s dark, with loud music and no mirrors. And it’s hot as hell. (Relief comes in the form of a cold towel, dropped at your mat before savasana, and it feels like you’ve been blessed by God.) It’s great for athletic yogis with a regular practice. True beginners, however, may get lost or find it too intense.

Sadie Adams’s unique therapeutic approach is designed to help clients tease out energy and vitality from within. Her technique stems from her studies in anatomy at the School for Body-Mind Centering, and in Ayurveda and yoga therapy at the Ayurvedic Institute. After founding Take Care Face & Body in New York City, she has opened a second location, Take Care Center for Body Mind Regeneration, in Venice. Adams combines science, ancient wisdom, and intuitive awareness to support physical and spiritual healing. Her therapies include microcurrent facials, a restorative therapy that stimulates marma points in your face, promoting deep relaxation and healing throughout your entire body.

Tikkun is the next level when it comes to Korean spas, combining high-tech far-infrared heat with traditional Korean sauna therapies. So if you want to lie down in a Himalayan-salt-brick-tiled sauna or sit in a Hwangto clay room, you get the added benefit of far-infrared heat. And in addition to the sauna rooms, there's a long menu of massages and kick-ass body scrubs to complement the sauna time. We're burying the lede though, because the real golden ticket here is the Mugworth V-Steam: You sit on what is essentially a mini throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam treats you to an energetic release. If you're in LA, you just might have to try it...

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare have made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA. The treatments range from customized facials and microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy and vitamin infusions, and are all fantastic.

If you're looking for a romantic getaway that's close to Los Angeles but feels entire worlds away, you won't find anything more fitting than the Calamigos Guest Ranch. Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, the private bungalows and cottages, set within 200 oak-filled acres, offer guests a place to decompress and reconnect with nature. Built in 1947 and family operated ever since, this rustic gem features a vineyard and organic garden that grows strawberries and herbs. Beyond exploring their three pools and five restaurants, you can make a quick trip (twelve-minute shuttle to be exact) to their five-acre beach club for all manner of beach activities.

Hotel June Malibu has a collection of minimal, bungalow-style suites. It’s on Point Dume, just a couple minutes’ drive to the beach, and it’s dog-friendly, has a pool, and offers bikes and surfboards you can take out for the day. They don’t have a full restaurant, so it’s a good fit if you’re planning on going out more than staying in.

Occupying an especially picturesque stretch of Carbon Beach (directly on the shore, to be exact), the Inn was the first luxury hotel in Malibu. And while others have joined the club since, its recently revamped guestrooms (all soothing earth tones and perfectly placed references to the water), and ocean-facing balconies—every single room comes with one—are still a big hit with both out-of-towners and staycationing locals. The Carbon Beach Club restaurant, which blessedly welcomes non-guests as well, is a good way to get in on the action without booking an overnight stay—and enjoying a top notch seafood meal in the process.

While Malibu has long had a shortage of places to stay, that’s all changing now and a prime stretch of PCH is getting a modern update with the arrival of the Nobu Ryokan (a new hotel concept for the brand), just a few yards up the street from its namesake restaurant on Carbon Beach. Here, the intimate 16-room hotel is done up in a minimalist Ryokan-style. This translates to wraparound terraces, floor-to-ceiling windows meant to maximize ocean views, and teak, bronze and limestone detailing. The generously-sized rooms are a nod to both California and Japanese design with clean lines, tatami mats, and outdoor teak soaking tub. Guests naturally have priority booking at the restaurant next door, but there’s also a special in-room dining menu for those who don’t want to leave the comfort of their kimono robe, either.

This 20-room hotel is luxurious, airy, and light-filled. The rooms are thoughtfully laid out and beautifully appointed, each with its own ocean-facing balcony and hammocks, plus Grown Alchemist toiletries in the bathroom and Parachute waffle robes. (For a real treat, book the Surfrider Suite, which at 500 square feet feels like a serious home away from home thanks to a generously sized balcony, separate sitting area, and kitchenette.) There’s a guests-only roof deck bar and restaurant, which has uninterrupted views of Surfrider Beach across the street and a killer fire pit.

Broad Street Oyster Co. began as a seafood pop-up and became a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Now, with their permanent home tucked away in Malibu Village, you can order caviar and Santa Barbara uni within fifteen minutes of rolling off the beach. Come for the oysters, stay for the seafood tower, and come back next weekend for a loaded lobster roll.

While it may not look like much more than a roadside shack to the untrained eye, locals know that inside is where you’ll find the best Thai food this side of the 405. The interior is decidedly no frills—same goes for the backyard area—but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the lengthy menu of curries, noodles, and soups is delicious. Get the pineapple-fried rice and a few orders of “golden bags” for the table (funny name, seriously good) and wash it all down with some Thai coffee (some of the best in all of LA).

Sharing a driveway with another highly-trafficked Malibu spot, Nobu, Little Beach House Malibu caused quite a buzz when it first opened in May 2016. (A bit of backstory: Even those who were already a part of Soho House have to apply specifically to this location for access.) Much of the activity centers around the wrap-around terrace, which juts right up First Point Break and a stretch of sandy shoreline. (There are heat lamps and blankets, too.) The space itself—impeccably designed by Montalba Architects—is quintessential California, with a minimalist palette, teak wood, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a large and impressive gallery wall featuring a mix of contemporary artwork. There’s often a DJ playing a set, or live music, and on the weekends, many gather for their weekend “Feast”—a prix-fixe brunch served from 10am-4:30pm that has everything from an omelet and carving stations to Belgian waffles and some pretty-hard-to-resist red velvet cake. (Littles are welcome, too.) An all-day menu utilizes local produce and includes standouts like the shareable cauliflower in a black garlic vinaigrette and the avocado dip, which is served with taro chips and crudité.

Malibu Farm is our go-to restaurant for impressing out-of-towners, thanks to its sweeping views of the ocean in both directions (and even of Catalina Island on a clear day). Enjoying a zucchini pizza and white sangria on the porch while you watch surfers and stand-up paddleboarders on iconic Surfrider Beach? That's as California as it gets.

Every item on the modest menu at this beloved local spot is a sure thing, whether it’s the chowder (both Manhattan or New England are available), steamed mussels, tuna burger, or fish-and-chips (the fish is gently battered, never heavy). You place your order at the counter then carry your tray up to the semi-open-air patio to take in the views of the Pacific right across the PCH. Best part: BYOB. The teeny fish market is always well stocked with the best local catch with extra attention paid to freshness, which makes sense since the owner was a commercial fisherman for years. For working off a big meal, the entrance to the Corral Canyon hiking path—quick, relatively easy, and really beautiful—is right at the adjoining parking lot, just keep in mind that the rangers are not shy about writing tickets if you park and don’t pay the fee.

This roadside spot has remained a Malibu classic since the 1950’s, offering the best grilled seafood and beer-battered fish-and-chips, chowder, and all the expected sides (cole slaw, fries, onion rings) in a setting that’s more biker bar than restaurant: If you don't recognize the sign from its many film cameos, just look for the line of gleaming motorcycles out front. It’s downright blasphemous not to stop in for a quick meal on your way up the PCH—leathers not required.

There are now 32 outposts of Nobu—and they draw a devoted touristy crowd—but the Malibu location, positioned on a bluff overlooking the ocean, is worth braving the hordes. The backdrop offers sweeping views that deliver the drama people love for big, festive moments like a rehearsal dinner, plus the food is reliably good.

The chefs here cook with ingredients from local farms (One Gun Ranch, for one), resulting in a menu that covers all the bases (expertly prepped proteins, veggie-driven plates, and more). The space is open with natural light flooding in from every direction—trees covered in string lights rise directly out of the floor in the middle of the indoor dining area, and there's a lush outdoor patio surrounded by vines and greenery. Make sure to order a pizza.

Tucked into a particularly idyllic nook off the PCH, Paradise Cove lives up to its name. While it bills itself as a café—and it’s definitely worth making the drive for a lunch of live Maine lobster or their famous fish tacos—it’s really more of a beach club. Everything from beach beds to umbrellas to full-on beach terraces is available for rent, meaning you can post up for the day. Expect a fun, lively vibe—perfect for kids. (Note that the beach can get packed during the summer months.)

Another PCH standby, the beauty of The Reel Inn lies not only in its massive seafood offering—everything from fresh lobster, mahi mahi, ahi tuna, and shrimp tacos, grilled or fried at your request and arranged into refreshingly generous portions—but also in its brilliant layout: The restaurant is split into two sprawling seating areas, one indoor, one outdoor, with rows upon rows of booths and picnic tables, meaning that finding a spot for the whole crew is doable even during peak season. There’s no waiter service, just a walk-up window with an easy-to-navigate chalkboard menu.

Disclaimer: The big-game meat-centric menu at this historic Malibu Canyon hunting-lodge-turned-restaurant (the drive up is really pretty at sunset) is not for the faint of heart. And with its scattered mounted deer busts and other such hunting regalia, neither is the décor. All that said, dining at this institution is a deeply LA-experience and not near as kitschy as it may sound—the outside tables in particular are perfect for romantic evenings. It’s not just for carnivores either—fish options, salads, and veggie sides are readily available. There’s also a $145 tasting menu for the adventurous.

What’s great about Taverna is that while it’s definitely one of the more scene-y restaurants in town, it’s also one of the best food-wise. The menu has all the traditional Greek specialties covered (dolmathes, spanakopita, and more) with an emphasis on fresh seafood—get the bass, it’s grilled and served whole with just the right amount of seasoning—and vegetarian dishes which range from elaborate savory pastries to basic grilled veggie plates. The restaurant is deceptively large, with an outdoor patio, indoor balcony, and massive main dining room, which on weekends also hosts live music and belly dancers. For a car snack, get some humus and pita to-go—trust us.

This traditional Italian food spot is situated right in the center of the Malibu Country Mart, making one of the outside tables prime people watching real estate. The fact that the menu of house-made pastas, risottos, and fish dishes is undoubtedly the best in town is icing on the cake. Pro tip: if you can’t get a table, order pizza and salad (try the Tuscan kale) at the little take-out window and stake out a shaded benches or patch of grass for an impromptu picnic.

You would think that Malibu would be overflowing with ice cream. But quality scoops are few and far between once Santa Monica is in your rearview mirror. Enter Le Café de la Plage. The owners swapped the perfumed fields of Provence for the Point Dume bluffs and their dairy (and nondairy) scoops are out of this world. Lychee, rose, fresh fig, pineapple and basil...you name it. Creamy delights aside, if you stop in for breakfast (they’re open from 7 a.m.) the bread and pastries are fresh out of the Gjusta oven—all the tastiness minus the insane line.

Childhood friends Mark Wain and Gary Chau wanted to bring a Northern Italian coffee shop sensibility to LA, and created a spot where you could hang for hours and people watch. (They currently have two other locations—in Santa Monica and in Brentwood at the Country Mart.) The newest location, right by Carbon beach, serves up their signature hand-crafted espresso coffee and pastries making it easy to get your caffeine fix as you zip up the PCH.

As a restaurant, this waterfront staple is more about location than cuisine (Taco Tuesday is the day to visit if you’re looking to hunker down for a meal, though); it’s the tiki-themed Barefoot Bar that’s the biggest hit. The drinks are fun—Mai Tai, mojitos, margaritas—especially during pau hana (that’s happy hour in Hawaiian) as is the food: sliders, wings, and naturally, fish in every shape and form. On Friday nights, much to the delight of its littlest patrons, they have hula dancers and music.

John's Garden has occupied the same spot in the Malibu Country Mart since long before it was known as the Malibu Country Mart. It's changed a few hands in its 40 years of business, but the sandwich menu has kept to the same standards of freshness and goodness the whole time. Every regular has their favorite, and ours is the Surfer Princess—a perfect turkey-on-wheat piled high with sprouts, avocado salad, and Vegenaise. It pairs well with the coconut-macadamia-chocolate-chip cookie. You can grab a seat by the swings so the kids can play through lunch.

The Malibu Farmers Market is a low-key operation—so low-key, that it hasn’t yet made it on the radar of LA’s Sunday farmers market crowd. Actually, its compact size is what makes the experience so enjoyable. Set up in the local library parking lot, within walking distance of the Country Mart, this is where you’ll find the freshest seasonal produce, driven in from local organic farmers that morning, pastry and snacks by small family owned businesses, and the prettiest just-picked flowers. Best of all, there’s usually plenty of parking.

One look at the menu—chicken tenders, chili cheese fries, hot dogs, burgers—and it’s clear Mutt’s really knows its customer: The little take-out stand is located just steps from the Malibu Country Mart’s adorable playground. It’s kid food at its best, and for mom and dad there are veggie burgers and a solid falafel wrap (also comes in salad form). There’s no designated seating area, so grab your order and find a shady bench or picnic table; there are plenty throughout the mart.

This location used to be home a different steakhouse, called the Chart House, before Mastro’s fairly seamlessly replaced it a few years back. After all, the real draw here isn’t the food, but the view: Perched on the beach, with very little distance between you and the water, expansive glass windows showcase a truly magnificent panorama of the Pacific. Warm, luxe interiors and great seafood round out the experience; angle to come here for a drink (and an appetizer) around sunset.

A relaxed tasting room on the east side of the PCH (marked by giant blue beach chairs that you won't miss), Rosenthal has a small interior that opens onto a mountainside, hidden backyard space outfitted with picnic tables, umbrellas, and patio lounge furniture. They serve two labels: The Malibu Estate wines (mostly reds) are made from the twenty-acre Malibu vineyard that's four miles in and up from the ocean, and their Surfrider label (more variety) sources grapes from around California. Rosenthal offers tasting flights but the move is to post up with a bottle of wine and some friends on the back patio—if you can, plan to bring snacks/a picnic spread and games with you, although you can buy a cheese spread there, and there's a food truck, plus live music on the weekends. (Rosenthal is also next door to Reel Inn, which is always an option if you're in the mood for seafood. And it's directly across from beach access, at Topanga, if you want to squeeze in some time by the water, too.)

Much more than just a juice bar, owner Khalil Rafati opened SunLife Organics in Malibu in 2011 to share what he’d learned through his own journey to wellness—which unsurprisingly involves lots of fruits, veggies, and some superfoods—in a community-oriented space. Amazing cold-pressed juices and acai bowls abound; their “Billion Dollar Smoothie” ingredient list includes reishi, cordyceps, hemp milk, and chlorophyll, just to name a few. If that’s not your thing, there are also sandwiches (think: grilled cheese, pesto panini) and sundaes made with their organic frozen yogurt. Along with several other Southern California outposts, they have a second Malibu location, too.

This famed whitewashed bungalow has gone through many incarnations over the years, but the unobstructed views of Zuma Beach and good OG-Malibu vibes have stayed consistent. As the name suggests, the sunsets here are epic, so it makes sense that weeknight happy hour stretches till 9pm. Food-wise we suggest sticking to the bar menu in the lounge (ceviche, fish tacos, ribs, and three types of fries) rather than committing to a sit-down in the main dining room. Keep in mind that parking can be a pain on weekends.

The giant rocks coming up from the sand (not to mention the exquisite sunset views) at El Matador make it a favorite for photographers, and many people stage engagement or family photoshoots here. That said, it's usually not too crowded, in part because those same rocks make it difficult to swim and surf—it's really best for picnicking, reading, and enjoying the view. Be sure to pack a blanket and wear tennis shoes, as the parking lot is on a bluff far above the beach, and the walk down can get a bit hairy.

This semi-hidden beach sprawls over the stretch of coastline where PCH meets Escondido Road. Not quite as crowded as the more spacious beaches in the area, Escondido is the perfect size and vibe for mellow sunbathing or strolling with the family. Parking can get tricky, so its best to park along PCH, and access the beach through a public stairway west of Geoffrey’s. Keep in mind, no dogs allowed.

Starting at the end of Los Leones Drive in the Palisades, the best version of this hike ends at the Parker Mesa Overlook in Malibu, which is the perfect perch to have a snack or a meal after a roughly three-mile ascent. (About a mile in, make sure you take a hard left at the Paseo Miramar Trail junction.) There’s not a lot of shade—and because of the unsurprisingly gorgeous view of the Santa Monica Bay and surrounding area at the top, it’s fairly well-traveled—so it’s best to go in the early morning. You’ll see “Los Leones” and “Los Liones” used interchangeably; don’t worry, they’re the same thing. There are a couple small parking lots at the bottom, and ample (free) street parking. Note: No dogs allowed.

Rockier than other local beaches and fortified by picturesque cliffs, Point Dume is ideal for exploring, not just laying out. There’s a hiking trail for taking in the scenery, plus it goes up the bluffs to an overlook spot at the very top of Point Dume for panoramic views of the Santa Monica Bay and a good chunk of the Malibu coast. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of the migrating grey whales in winter. There's also plenty of swimming, scuba diving, and surfing here if watersports are your thing.

Anyone who's done a lot of hiking in the LA area will tell you that Sandstone Peak is one of, if not the, most beautiful hikes within driving distance of the city. It's a bit of a schlep to get there, as it's on the very edge of Malibu—the turnoff is the just after Neptune's Net, and you'll drive 15 minutes up Yerba Buena Road until you get to the trailhead—but more than worth it. The hike itself is about six miles round-trip, and the entire way is filled with sweeping views of Westlake Lake and Sherwood Lake on one side and the ocean on the other, plus a section where you can see rock climbers scrambling up the Echo Cliffs. This is a really good place to come the day after a rainstorm, when the smog clears and you can see the snow on the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains across the valley.

The Solstice Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Los Angeles. There's a route for every level of intensity, from mellow walking to more difficult treks. As you work your way up, you’ll bump into the Keller House, the remnants of a 100-plus-year-old stone cabin which was damaged in the 2007 fires. The true pièce de résistance, however, is the Solstice waterfall, where you’ll also find the Paul Revere Williams-designed Roberts Ranch house. The trails are well-suited for picnicking, mountain biking, and observing local wildlife, an especially thrilling experience for pint-sized hikers. Dogs are allowed, as long as they’re on leash.

Odds are if you’ve seen a Malibu postcard or any surfing movie, you’ve seen Surfrider Beach. Home to the iconic first point surf break, this is one of the more crowded beaches along PCH, though it’s well situated if you’re looking to take in a bit of sun and some surfer-watching after lunch on the pier. Don’t waste time searching for roadside parking; it's easier to splurge for the lot or valet on the pier instead—unless it’s peak season, in which case, it’s every man for himself.

Situated in the mountains between Malibu and Topanga, Tuna Canyon Park is less well-known than other parks in the area—which just makes it less crowded and more appealing. There are several trails, but the best destination is the Big Rock Lateral fire road, where you’ll reach stunning views of the surrounding mountains (and the Pacific, of course). The three-mile hike is mostly downhill on the way there—you’ll get a workout on the way back to your car, along with views of Saddle Peak. Getting to Tuna Canyon can be a little tricky; if you’re coming from PCH you’ll be spending a bit of time in the car winding through Topanga roads. Dogs are welcome and parking is free.

One of our go-to beaches, Zuma is also one of the most impressive in scope, stretching close to three miles along the coast. It’s usually pleasantly un-crowded, too, leaving plenty of room to spread out. It’s also home to a great break for beginner surfers as well as a meeting spot for paddle boarding classes. For kids, there’s a junior lifeguard program during the summer.

At Zuma, you have several (equally great) trail options, depending on what you’re looking to get out of your hike. If you want a good, efficient workout, you can take the Ocean View Trail, which is an aptly-named three-mile loop boasting ocean views at the top. If you’ve got plenty of time and want to enjoy the scenery, consider the Zuma Ridge Trail, which is considerably longer workout at about six miles and also has an ocean view payoff. There's a section of the Backbone Trail that's considerably easier and shorter than the other two, but if you’re lucky—try going after winter rains—you’ll see water flowing through Upper Zuma Falls. All trails are dog-friendly, and there's plenty of parking.

This immaculately preserved 1930’s Moorish-Spanish-style villa serves an important purpose in the community: to educate visitors about the history of Malibu, going all the way back to the 18th century when the land was home to the Chumash Indians. You can see the entire house, with its elaborate tile work and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean during a one-hour guided tour, and if you visit on a Friday, save some time for a tour of the gardens as well. (Its' history and idyllic setting also make the property a coveted wedding venue.) Also on site is the Malibu Lagoon Museum, offering an even deeper dive into Malibu’s past.

While surf lessons for kids are a dime a dozen around these parts, skateboarding lessons are more complicated to arrange. As its name suggests, Drill Surf & Skate does both, and does them really, really well, so you should feel good knowing the kiddos are in good hands. Also on offer, rentals for every type of board-centric sport (surf, body, SUP), plus all the supporting accessories. And for board-owning pros, they’ll arrange to send your board out for minor repairs and have it looking like new in less than a week.

Nestled into the Santa Monica mountains high above PCH, Malibu Creek attracts rock climbers year-round. If rock climbing isn’t your thing, the park offers a long list of activities: biking, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, camping, and even painting. It's also home to some great wildlife-watching. On any given day, you can almost always find lizards, rattlesnakes, raccoons, foxes, bluebirds, and more up here. Fun fact: The park was formerly owned by 20th Century Fox Studios, and has starred in Pleasantville, The Seven Year Itch, and Love Me Tender, among many other films.

Technically outside Malibu city limits in Calabasas, this gleaming, otherworldly, South Indian-style temple is a straight shot up Las Virgenes Canyon from PCH. The temple was built in 1981 for the god Venkateswara, with shrines for various deities scattered throughout the property along with ample space for quiet reflection and meditation. Other than the breathtaking architecture, what’s special is that participating in ceremonies or prayer isn’t a requirement—visitors are welcome to simply take it all in from the sidelines—just make sure to reference the rules of conduct. On weekends, the temple kitchen serves surprisingly delicious vegetarian snacks for a small charge.

Tucked away in the hills of Malibu, One Gun, a dreamy ranch owned by Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring is breathtakingly beautiful, sure, but it also serves as a kind of ground zero for sustainable agriculture. Every nook and cranny reveals another Instagram-ready moment: There’s a mountainside guesthouse with its own potbellied stove, a suped-up vintage Airstream, a dressage arena, as well as alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, and a loving donkey named Waffles who strolls the grounds, willingly accompanying Alice and Ann on foraging hikes. While the property is no longer open to visitors, the pair hosts a series of school tours for children to learn about composting and gardening at home while exploring One Gun’s own garden where they grow corn, beans, squash, and even pumpkins. For a closer look, it’s worth picking up a copy of One Gun Ranch, Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living for tips on healthy living, easy-to-follow recipes, and a closer look at environmental stewardship on the ranch.

This ranch, built in 1941 by famous horseman Egon Merz, is where Elizabeth Taylor trained for her role in National Velvet. Classes specializing in hunting, jumping, and dressage are available alongside general riding lessons. To enroll your child or book a session, the quickest way to get up-to-date programming is by contacting the ranch on WhatsApp at 310.503.6789.

The only advice we have to those seeking to push themselves through the original back-to-basics boot camp? Stick it out. The seven days of crazy-long hikes, intense workouts, and a cleansing, vegetarian diet will be hard work, but it will also whip you into shape. Not for the faint of heart (or the fussy), this no-frills, no-excuses program is no less grueling (or cushy) than it is in Mallorca—but the OG Calabasas location is just far enough removed from city life to feel like a quiet respite, too.

This is where you head for all your crystal, sage, incense, singing bowl, and general metaphysical/mystical needs. Going strong since the ‘80s and family owned, this artfully crammed shop is exactly what you’d expect to find in Malibu. With a packed roster of talented psychics and tarot-card reader friends (get a 30-minute reading from Cathy Crystal—trust) there’s usually availability for a last-minute session. There’s also an impressive library and a tarot card section that rivals anything we’ve ever seen (more on what to do with your deck, here).

When you find yourself reaching for your iPhone to check emails in the middle of the night, it's time for The Ranch. This weeklong boot camp in Malibu encourages you to power down, let go of stress, and break less-than-healthy habits. Every day starts with several hours of hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, and guests clock up to 60 miles a week. That has benefits for the body, yes. And if you’d like, the practitioners here will do a cholesterol check and body scan at the beginning of your program and again at the end. But all that physical exertion is mentally and emotionally cathartic, too.

It doesn’t really get more Malibu than this: a guided meditation experience, performed on paddle boards, out in the Pacific. Creator Jobi Manson—who also owns the shop Sēfari nearby—designs each session to encourage self-discovery and spiritual transformation, working in astrological birth chart readings and journaling to the ritual. Sessions last two to three hours; you can book private or group sessions every morning but Sunday. (You don’t need paddleboard experience or own a wetsuit to participate.)

The first thing you'll notice upon entering this gleaming two-story boutique-slash-gallery are the shoes, a nod to the shop's past as a sneakerhead mecca—it's a tight edit, but every pair is a slam dunk. The space has since evolved to house, among others, Nili Lotan basics, LSCO quilted jackets, and On runners for women and Engineered Garments, Maison Kitsune, Salomon, and the house line of Japanese cotton shirting and basics for dudes. Seamlessly merchandising the apparel and shoes with art from both local and international artists is the doing of owners Arlington and Jac Forbes—both entertainment industry veterans—who do an incredible job of scouting fresh talent.

Only half a block from the PCH in the heart of Malibu, and a 20-minute drive from LA, the Malibu Country Mart has something for everyone: a great blend of boutiques, both big-name and indie, including Oliver Peoples, Ron Herman, and a small but incredibly well-stocked Madison outpost. Plus, there are several galleries and a pleasantly manageable amount of restaurant options—Taverna Tony is a local treasure. To keep the kiddos busy, there's a spacious outdoor playground with swings, sandboxes, and a jungle gym. A few steps up Cross Creek Road is the Lumber Yard, a newer, shinier shopping center.

Owner Lucy Jolis has the uncanny ability to pull together a shop full of brands you love (like Rachel Comey, Lee Mathews, Natalie Martin, and Matteau), plus smaller, lesser-known labels. The space, tucked into a well-trafficked corner of the Malibu Country Mart, is just as inviting to shop in. It's not overly packed with items to browse; instead it's thoughtfully broken up into swimwear, party dresses, and wear-anywhere pieces. Don't miss the jewelry display, which includes a nice selection of small gold-and-turquoise pieces from Larisa Laivins, plus pendants by CVC Stones. The original location is in Austin.

This easy toy shop (which has a second location at the Brentwood Country Mart) is on speed dial for kids birthday parties, since they do great gift wrapping and local deliveries. The shelves are lined with everything a kid could ever want, and we appreciate the emphasis on IRL, low-tech toys like the Etch A Sketch, blocks, trains, puzzles, kites, and stuffed animals.

Even if you’re not in the market for orchids (though odds are, you’ll go home with one or two new buds) this sprawling greenhouse and the surrounding grounds are worth a visit. In addition to à la carte flowers, the staff will gladly put together a beautiful arrangement right on the spot, arrange a local delivery, or even shipping. This is a sweet mom-and-pop operation, so expect hands-on service but none of the big-box nursery frills.