Lake

Come to this deliberately cluttered mom-and-pop (located in the historic Tree Studio building) for all the benefits of antique shopping, without having to deep dive for the good stuff—here, piles of vintage hotel silver salvaged from European estate sales sit next to 1950s maps found at local flea markets. And while everything on display is good, it’s the tiny kids corner—packed with books, serving sets, and vintage toys—that’s arguably the main attraction. Fair warning: Serious collectors have to be quick on the draw as much of the offering is one-of-a-kind.

Stepping in here is the closest thing to time travel. Peter Merz opened this North Side institution in 1875 to resemble the European apothecaries his customers were missing, and other than moving to a bigger space in the 80s, it really hasn’t changed much: Holistic remedies and herbal tinctures (rounded out by a massive selection of vitamins and supplements) are displayed in their original antique jars, while natural skincare and beauty products from modern day favorites like Dr. Hauschka, Klorane, and Jao line the shelves.

Owner Claire Tibbs puts a lot of love into staging the beautiful range of vintage modern furniture, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry as a series of vignettes, making this sprawling space that much easier to navigate. It also means you get a pretty convincing preview of what, say, a retro brass bar cart or Hans Olsen leather chair might look like in your own home. On a smaller scale, the selection of local-designed jewelry, home goods, and apothecary items is as easy on the eyes as it is on the wallet.

Navigating this colossal salvaged furniture and décor warehouse is actually surprisingly easy, especially if mid-century modern is your design sweet spot. Inventory is updated pretty much daily so no two trips are alike. Conveniently, they also offer carpentry services at the on-site workshop, making this an excellent resource for decorators and designers. Plus, the lush courtyard is an easy sell as a popular special event and wedding venue.

In just a few years, owners Lance and Jim have made a name for themselves for their impeccable taste, and for bringing otherwise-unknown designers and brands to their shop on North Michigan. Their tastes run the gamut from post-pop ceramics by Seletti, to tongue-in-cheek stationery, to Building Block tassel bags, Rachel Comey trousers, and Markus Lupfer sweatshirts: In their words, “it’s a general store that’s anything but general.” In the beauty department, find everything from Binchotan charcoal masks, to a full range of clean skincare.

This fabled auction house’s claim to fame is organizing modern and contemporary design shows that have the power to bring seasoned collectors to their knees and inspire novices to start investing. In addition to a gallery and consignment department, the Chicago location is home to the Wright Now showroom, which houses globally-sourced décor, furniture, and fine art that can be viewed by appointment.

Housed in what used to be a 1930s apothecary (thankfully, the original wood paneling was left untouched), RR#1 Chicago is one of those stores that you’ll have a hard time leaving empty-handed. On offer: a dizzying array of candles, teas, and soaps, as well as kitschy prank gifts, tea towels, and novelty books. It’s pretty ideal for picking up a last minute something for the hostess, they'll even gift-wrap your selection right at the counter.

Chicago antique malls are the stuff of mid-century modern legend, and BAM is the crème de la crème. At 75-vendors strong (most with a focus on Art Deco, Mission, and Mid Century modern design), it’s got something for everyone. Furniture, clothing, accessories, costume jewelry—all of it blessedly organized so there’s little need to dig. And as locals will tell you (or more likely, not tell you) the semi-annual sales are epic.

Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo, the founders of this Wicker Park standby, are known for their trend-driven, yet somehow totally timeless sensibility, which is perfectly reflected in the boutique’s easy-to-navigate layout and eclectic buy (Judi Rosen denim, knits from Barcelona-based Yerse, and In God We Trust charm necklaces). And while the eponymous house line might skew a little young for some, for the right girl, the racks of retro-tinged dresses and printed separates are a sartorial goldmine. The apothecary, however, is a sure bet for just about everyone—think, D.S. & Durga fragrances and Qualitas candles.

This beloved vintage furniture/décor/botany mecca was a major contributor to making the Chicago goop Pop the experience it was. Even if you’re not in the market for say, a crushed velvet fainting sofa or crystal chandelier, perusing the bright space is an inspiring experience. Can’t do in-person? The online shop is the next best thing.

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.

This deeply under-the-radar shop, located on the second floor of a Chinatown office building, is more like a gallery than a boutique. You'll find an Opening Ceremony blouse, hung next to a vintage poster, a one-off book, and a Mended Veil necklace. They opened a second location downtown, known as Ooga Booga 2 or Ooga Twooga.

Though this design shop got its start in a space on Abbot Kinney, its relocation to DTLA is finally letting A + R stretch its legs a bit, and show larger pieces, like Bend Good's metal chairs and Scholten & Baijings' technicolored rugs. It's all arranged with smaller, more suitcase-appropriate picks, like Hay's Kaleido trays and Y'a Pas Le Feu Au Lac's vases.

Equal parts clothing boutique and toy store, this is the sort of place where you can pick up a gift for anyone under 10. It's very well-edited, meaning that there aren't a ton of options, but they're all good, from Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, to non-toxic crayons, to robot-printed pajamas.

Marble-topped Tom Dixon candles, cyan-hued wallets from PB 0110, and pretty sublime cashmere blankets are just a few of the offerings at this serene, grey-washed space. Bedding and linens, coffee table books, and Hella Jongerius plates round out the mix.

In addition to the delicious lattes, homemade sandwiches, and old-fashioned candies and trinkets, this general store stocks an equally excellent selection of homewares, including perfectly minimal white ceramic bowls, gardening tools, kitchen supplies, and more.

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.

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.

Now four locations strong, this general-style store offers a deeply curated range of clothing and accessories, along with really beautiful home goods. Expect to find Ulla Johnson jumpsuits (for her), Engineered Garment pants (for him), along with Want Les Essentials laptop sleeves, Cire Trudon candles, and Fort Standard trivets. There's also a location in Pasadena and Santa Monica.

Everything at this long-standing, architecturally-minded boutique—from Noguchi lamps, to Heath bud vases, to Alice Park wallets—would look just right inside, say, a Schindler or a Neutra home. The emphasis is on great gifts (almost everything comes pre-gift wrapped in basic brown butcher paper), whether it’s a framed beetle or Carl Aubock designed book-ends. There's also a location in Silver Lake.

A true mid-century American icon, Heath has been producing beautiful modern and minimal tableware (with a brief break) and tiles since 1948. In fact, it's part of the permanent collections in New York's MoMA—and graces many a table across the Los Angeles restaurant scape. The store, like the products, is modern and minimal, with wooden shelves, concrete floors and a lot of space to browse. Besides the Heath line, they've selected a handful of designers to showcase. There are multiple locations in the SF area, including an outpost in the Ferry Building. The factory store in Sausalito offers seconds (i.e., subtly imperfect plates and bowls) at big discounts.

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.

Owner Rachel Berks focuses exclusively on artist and designer-made clothing, jewelry, pottery, posters, and prints. This is one of those stores where you never know what you're going to find, whether it's a simple turquoise drop necklace or a Gravel & Gold toiletry case, emblazoned with line drawings of boobs.

Interior designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe put out their own own line of perfectly-textured home goods (solid cast brass hand sconces, tufted headboards, hassock ottomans), which they've mixed with an eclectic range of accessories at this subtly-industrial shop. You'll find Japanese bear bookends, pillows cut from vintage Hmong embroidery, black-bristled brooms, and Astier de Villate journals—and you'll want to buy it all.

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 L.A.'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.

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.

Shopping for dudes can be risky business, though in our experience, the house line of basic tees and pants at this handsomely turned out men’s shop has a pretty stellar success rate. The vibe here is all about California cool, and the walls of vintage photography and retro memorabilia express that aesthetic perfectly. And if the racks of essential from Filson, Red Wing, and Rogue Territory, plus the tables of subtle, well-designed accessories and home goods aren’t enough of a draw, there’s a classic barbershop in the back where barber, Chrissy Phelan, performs her famously precise cuts.

Near the popular junction of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, this favorite shop has a curiously curated array of goodies from handmade pottery to children's toys, graphic t-shirts, jewelry, handbags, and stationery. Nearly everything in the shop feels like a brilliant find, making this a particularly good place to shop for special gifts.

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

It's easy to overlook this home goods shop, which has been holding down the fort on Beverly for years. It's a little bit out-of-the-way, which makes it easy to miss, but it's absolutely worth seeking out. John Derian decoupage plates, hand-beaded scarfs from Megan Park, and slightly macabre (but gorgeous) objects, like bronze cast beetles mingle with Ige's own line of pillows and fabric calendars.

True to its name (M.I.A. stands for Made in America), every piece of merch stocked in this homey, lovingly curated shop is made in the U.S., as the goal for founders Micha Thomas and Jaime Lawson is to shine a light on local independent makers at a time when so much of production is done overseas. The mostly handmade and small-batch edit includes a little bit of something for everyone: soy wax candles by Venice-based Yoke, delicate linen dresses by Matteo, Minnesota-made handbags by heritage brand J.W. Hulme, and so much more.

Though the assortment at this Atwater Village favorite includes quite a bit of vintage (mostly of the denim and cotton tee variety), mixed in with home goods, apparel (plenty of stuff for guys to rifle through, too), and apothecary items from beloved international lines like Fredericks & Mae and Jao, plus one-of-a-kind pieces from the local community of makers, it all feels totally fresh.

As the West Coast's largest art and architecture-centric bookstore, this is the sort of place where you can put together a stack of beautiful coffee table books.

This great little record store features a tight edit—but that shouldn't dissuade you from asking them to help you track down something that's not out on the floor. During the week, they're open until 9pm.

Styled like an other-worldly trading post, RTH takes much of its inspiration from the Southwest. It makes sense, as he owner (and designer), René Holguin, hails from El Paso and did stints at Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, and Levi’s before setting out on his own. There’s a house line of perfectly aged leather bags, smocks, and Liberty print scarves, along with seed bead pins and bracelets.

While there are a few pieces scattered about for men, the focus here is really on women's accessories, home goods, and picks for kids...though there's a smattering of ready to wear, too. Pieces from Rachel Comey and Jesse Kamm share rack space here with eensy sweatshirts from Boy + Girl and Misha & Puff while the glass cabinets are lined with Gabriela Artigas earrings and Fort Standard bottle openers. There's another location in Dallas.

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.

Whether you're in the market for kids furniture from Scandinavia, or a Pantone-themed mug, this long-standing boutique sources home goods and gifts for kids from all over the world.

A testament to owners (and real-life couple) Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung’s creativity and taste, this color-happy shop in Little Tokyo somehow manages to look entirely different from visit to visit. While the core categories—home décor, stationery, accessories, and kids—stay the same, the assortment is constantly updated to keep up with the latest and greatest in design and still meet Poketo’s playful aesthetic. Expect to find Japanese stationery, tabletop pieces from Danish firm HAY, beautiful art books, and so much more. There's also a sister location in Culver City and in The Line Hotel.

Founded on the design principle that less is often more, Formerly Yes (which formerly used to just be online-only), now occupies an airy boutique Downtown—just a stone's throw from the Ace. Much likes its site, the offerings are extremely winnowed down and edited, i.e., you'll find only design classics, like Braun alarm clocks, Japanese platters, and Iittala tumblers.

Known for fun, colorful stationery and cards for every occasion, it's entirely possible to (happily) lose an afternoon at Shout and About browsing through every good on display. In addition to their stationery, the store has a selection of jewelry, plants, and other gifty items, making it an ideal one-stop shop for last minute birthday, housewarming, and just-because presents.

Set up in the center of the most walkable stretch of the Arts District, Alchemy Works is the brainchild of Lindsay and Raan Parton (their former Apolis store is now a pop-up within Alchemy) and aims to bring a bit of the coastal lifestyle to downtown. The industrial-style shop doubles as an events space, so there’s lots of room to roam around and admire the hand-picked apothecary pieces, letterpress prints, indy-designer accessories, and more. Also sharing the space is a Warby Parker shop-in-shop and a Blacktop coffee counter. It's Newport Beach location is equally stunning.

This kooky shop is filled with the types of gems, crystals, candles, incense, and other knickknacks that make perfect metaphysical souvenirs to bring back from LA. If you have time, opt for one of the amazing readings or a treatment with one of the healers on staff, who offer modalities like Reiki, crystal healing, and shamanic energy medicine.

Started by Paige Appel & Kelly Harris (founders of the much-loved event design business Bash, Please) opened their long-awaited shop on Washington boulevard in Culver City, within easy striking distance of nearby Platform, where there's also some excellent shopping to be had. The buy is a mix of one-off items like West African woven fans and Zuni stones along with pieces from up-and-coming designers, like Beatrice Valenzuela slides, Cinq jewelry, and Sara Barner bags. The apothecary has great body oils and some Shiva Rose creams, as well.

Flowers in antique glass jars, succulents large and small, steampunk kids clothes, pressed flowers, it all may sound a little Etsy-esque, and well, it is, but it's so well achieved and so aesthetically pleasing that it's hard not to fall for. Botanique, both a florist and a shop for artisan wares, opened up its sprawling, wood-lined space on Exmouth Market in October and already promises to be a fixture on the local craft scene with a series of seasonal workshops for those interested in picking up a few skills.

Affordable jewelry by lesser-known designers is nearly impossible to find in London, which makes Hall, a hole-in-the-wall shop tucked away behind Westbourne Grove, so special. Here, owner and designer Min Lee gathers her favorite designers and displays them along with her own designs. You'll find Annette Ferdinandsen's organic, insect-inspired pieces next to Ilana Ariel's more angular designs, along with Min's own collection of fashion jewelry—everything from simple bangles to gemstone earrings and cuffs, to signature wave rings, and more. Look for Min at the shop for inspiration on how to put it all together—she truly is the master of layering jewelry, high and low.

Alex Eagle's eponymous concept store has moved from its Knightsbridge townhouse local to an expansive loft space in Soho. The owner stocks hard-to-find brands like Isa Arfen, Lemaire, and Protagonist mixed in with homewares by hip design studios like Makers & Brothers. With the odd Jean Prouvé stool or Alex Eagle collaboration—many are her takes on classic heritage brands like Swaine-Adeney—dotted here and there, this shop is always packed with discoveries.

Born out of a friendship between June Summerill and the late Bernadette Bishop, their store is one of Holland Park's hidden gems, worth venturing a few minutes out of Notting Hill to visit. With an eye for hand-crafted home goods - June & Bernadette forged relationships with many international ceramicists, textile artists and glassblowers - and merchandise their goods in their own style. The best hand painted tablecloths, in an array of patterns all designed in their in house studio, handblown glassware, plus essential kitchenware round out the offerings. This is a dreamy, beautiful store that is over 25 years strong. They sell internationally through their website.

Tom Dixon is undoubtedly the British designer of the moment, having just completed the Mondrian at Sea Containers. His shop, located underneath the delightful Dock Kitchen, features picture windows looking out onto Regent's Canal and stocks Mr. Dixon's pared-down furniture, lighting, and accessories. You've probably seen his brass and copper light fixtures around town and if you haven't you'll be sure to fall for them here. The shop is also packed with delightful knick-knacks scoured from all around the world.

Blush pink walls and a warm grey ceiling complement the beautiful furniture and accessories sold at this relatively new Marylebone shop and design studio. Handcrafted wooden furniture, jacquard throws, simple terracotta ceramics, and beautifully turned-out desk accessories are just a few of the things you'll want to schlep home. While the shop is off the main street it's worth the detour to see. They also take custom orders.

This place is frequented by serious photo aficionados, from librarians to collectors to students, looking for rare and out-of-print books and magazines.

Run by husband-and-wife team Ian Paley and Emily Dyson, this multilevel space is stocked with independent designers from all over the globe. While the women's section is home to plenty of international names that are hard to find elsewhere (along with a strong NYC contingent like Rachel Comey and Steven Alan), it's the meticulously edited kids’ selection—Morley tees, Oeuf toys—that's earned the shop praise from locals and visitors alike.

This brand originally caught our eye with its wry animal print textiles and wallpapers for the home, all made traditionally in sumptuous fabrics, but with a slightly subversive edge. They've now taken their prints and turned them out in clothes, wrapping paper, and more which actually totally works.

Here, you'll find around 25,000 books piled on every imaginable surface, from tabletops to the staircase. The shop has a literary slant but stocks all sorts of titles, from architecture tomes to cookbooks to thrillers.

Even the wooden brooms are carefully selected to fit in with the artfully stark aesthetic at Labour and Wait. Come for striped sailing shirts, Japanese enamelware, hand-forged gardening tools, leather satchels, and polka-dot primary-color handkerchiefs. In sum, a slightly random selection of household goods that come together beautifully.

Run by a collective of designers and craftsmen, Luna & Curious brings together a pretty outstanding (and affordable) assortment of home wares, clothing, toys, and curios made by young, predominantly British makers. Every few weeks, they turn a section of the shop over to a new designer to arrange and display their wares however they'd like; it's always pretty inspiring.

Located in a tiny Victorian shopfront, Pentreath & Hall sells carefully chosen homewares and an ever-changing variety of unusual delights. Many of the objects, like co-owner, Birdie Hall’s decoupage plates, and Eric Ravilious for Wedgewood ceramics, satisfy the "look well under a glass cloche" category requirements.

At this Philippe Starck–designed (and gilded) shop, you'll find all Taschen's trademark tomes on art, photography, fashion, architecture, film, erotica, and more. Conveniently placed right across the street from the Saatchi Gallery, this is a shop for the well-heeled art lover. The gallery space downstairs shows off certain titles in more detail.

This legendary store opened in 1875 on Regent Street, and to this day maintains its beautiful wood-paneled interiors and grand Tudor revival exterior. While the Liberty brand is alive and well, still selling their trademark flower print fabrics, so is their buying team with small capsules from all our favorite brands including Frame, Acne, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, and Kenzo. Treat yourself to a scarf here as they always have the widest and most wonderful selection, and the staff in the Scarf Hall on the first floor are famously good at advising you on how to tie them.

SCP works with a closely curated group of designers to manufacture their furniture and home accessories in workshops around the world. Donna Wilson's playful knits get a lot of airtime here, as do designers like Lucy Kurrein, Michael Anastassiades and more. Owner Sheridan Coakley does a lot of travel and always brings back great finds with him. Aside from the high concept furniture, lighting and accessories, this shop is one of the best in town for gifts.

With more than 11 stores in London, this English staple is a great place to pick up kitchen and picnic materials (though their mens and womens collections are also worth a look). Their streamlined and affordably priced homewares include utilitarian blankets, rustic terracotta bowls, enamel-dipped cutlery, and more. If you're hoping to impress friends from home with seemingly simple basics they can't get at home, this is your spot.

This shop provides a tiny sneak preview into architect John Pawson's vision for the museum. Colorful design objects, gadgets, toys, and gizmos are carefully arranged on a Vitsoe shelving system on dark grey walls, creating a beautiful and contrasting display. It's a great selection of small, affordable gifts and more high-concept pieces for the real design lover like John Pawson designed ceramic bowls, a Barber & Osgerby teapot, Artek's Alvar Aalto stools and the like.

Geo-fleur specializes in houseplants—and while this is a great place to come for plants themselves (they've got a gorgeous selection of bonsais, cacti, and succulents), we also love coming here for accessories like copper-bottomed planters and macrame hangers. Their plant subscription, which mails a new plant and its associated trappings every month, makes a great gift for gardeners—or, alternatively, friends with black thumbs.

Long-time Islington resident Lizzie Evans set up shop in her hometown below an upstairs space where she offers workshops in weaving, terrarium making, calligraphy, and more. The shop itself, which locals know from her iconic guinea pig logo, carries design-minded home accessories, prints, and stationery. Her display of wrapping paper and ribbons makes it a great spot for holiday and birthday shopping.

This sweet shop in Shoreditch was founded by Portuguese owners Olga Cruchinho and Dina Martins in an effort to bring their favorite staples from their home country to London. There's a range of products, from foodstuffs (tinned fish, jams, honey, olive oil) to beauty products (creams, soaps, even specialty toothpastes) to Portuguese wine, notebooks, and stationery. It's a great spot for hostess gifts, in particular.

Started by two graphic designers who use the store to present their own designs as well as favorites from others, Present & Correct stocks everything required for old-school correspondence, including stamps, shelves and shelves of stationery, and boxes of specialty pens and pencils. There's also star-shaped erasers, vintage calligraphy sets, brass paperclips, and wooden tape dispensers. It's perfect for grown-up back-to-school.

The name Seeds has several meanings. For starters, it's a nod to the store's physical space, which occupies what used to be a flower shop in Kensington. It's also a reference to what the owners describe as the store's duality as a place to see (they host exhibitions and special projects with artists and designers) as well as a design store (hence the DS). The entire space is completely shoppable, so you can find everything here from hand-thrown clay pots, to art-inspired jewelry, to works of contemporary art.

Primary colors, geometry, and the Bauhaus prevail here. This is a full-on lifestyle store for the geometrically obsessed. There are handcrafted leather goods, hand-bound notebooks, colorful pillows and throws, all within the very tasteful bounds of the owner's aesthetic. Expect to find many a British brand you haven't heard of yet.

If you have a stationery or sticker addict on your hands, they’re going to freak. This Japanese mega-store facing Bryant Park is one of our favorite midtown oases, and a solid option for a quick sushi cafeteria-style lunch. There’s an entire floor dedicated to Japanese manga comic books, a solid selection of design books and international fashion magazines, but the basement is the main draw. There, aisle after aisle is stuffed with an incredible array of Japanese stationery goods—adorable pens, pencils, notebooks, and erasers to last a lifetime.

From clothing to ceramics and beauty goods, this store's main focus is on hand-crafted items, many of them locally made. We've found lines like Caron Callahan, Chimala, Ace & Jig, and Cosmic Wonder on our forays here.

Phoebe Cates's boutique is pretty great: You’ll find really beautiful jewelry and a great assortment of toys, including hand-painted Russian dolls and Keith Haring dominoes. You'll also find clothes from little known designers, especially for the neighborhood, like Ally Capellino handbags and Yoshi Kondo dresses. It's not surprising it's a hit on the Upper East Side, as it brings uniqueness and discovery back to a neighborhood that’s generally dominated by big brands.

For years, this teeny tiny shop on Williamsburg's main drag has been one of the best resources in Brooklyn for jewelry. Stackable rings, sweet little pendants, and more precious offerings from designers like Elisa Solomon fill the cases. Weirdly, because space is tight, we actually like shopping their website more.

Because it started as the jewelry extension of the East Village tattoo parlor, New York Adorned, you might expect that the jewelry here would be of the skull and crossbones variety. But it's actually gorgeous, and for the most part, dainty. They also have an excellent—and unexpected—range of home goods and gifts.

You'll only find Caitlin Mociun's eponymous jewelry collection on her site—but should you go to her new, Williamsburg store, you'll see the work of her friends, too, including hexagonal brass necklaces by Iacoli & Macallister, and Chen Chen and Kai William's marble bangles. You'll also get to shop Mociun's full line, from her signature eensy, triangular turquoise pendants to her custom rings, which feature a mismatched—and stunning—combination of stones.

The first thing to catch our eye upon entering this striking black interior is an antique black carriage full of books and hand-made cushions: It's just one of many visual statements throughout the space. Look around and there are shelves lined with design objets of diverse provenance, and of course there are no labels, as those would fetter the very calculated, striking displays. While the main room features a mix of furniture and objects, the annex features a deeper look at the work of their stable of craftsmen, from Malian textile designer Aboubakar Fofana to Oyuna, the Mongolian cashmere designer.

This sweetly curated home goods shop in Brooklyn Heights stocks artisan-made goods with a slightly nordic bent, from Mid-century style furnishings to ceramics, lighting, throws, and more. The art on the walls changes frequently, as does the stock—while it's named for the fire fighter's term for a hopelessly cluttered home (after the Collyer Brothers who collected north of 140 tons of stuff), the stores are anything but.

Jamie Creel and Christopher Gow are serious collectors who spend much of their time traveling the world sourcing far-flung objects for their townhouse shop. We go just to see the wacky and elegant displays that mix coral and taxidermy, Suzani textiles and kitschy South African ceramics. It’s a real mix with prices to match, and if you’re looking for a truly offbeat gift—like say, a hand-blown glass hammer and nails—chances are you’ll find it here.

Occupying a sliver of space in a quiet stretch of Soho, Global Table is one of those places that's packed from floor to ceiling. Sourcing items from all over the world, the prevailing aesthetic is bright, colorful, and modern, though they also have a great selection of wooden serving pieces, like salad bowls and cutting boards. It’s rare to walk out empty-handed.

Beyond being the best resource in New York for Astier de Villatte’s stunningly hand-turned plates, bowls, and glasses, John Derian's instantly recognizable decoupaged glass plates and paperweights have a unique old world appeal that also applies to the small objects, furniture, and curiosities he stocks in his iconic East Village shop. It's a small microcosm packed with antique objects and hand-made works by artisans with a similarly whimsical aesthetic, from Leanne Shapton's painted wooden "books" to Hugo Guinness' drawings and prints. Derian also designs his own line of furniture which mixes right in with the flea market finds and printed fabrics at his dry goods shop next door.

Along with her own line of printed wallpapers and textiles, Michele Varian sells a mix of flea market finds, jewelry, and general curiosities. It's always worth a stop for an unusual gift or home accent.

Helmed by fashion stylist Lauren Snyder (she’s worked for Bergdorf Goodman and Glamour), The Primary Essentials revolves around goods that feel hand-worked—but never crafty. Gorgeous indigo-dyed textiles and simple quilts mingle with Earth Tu Face body washes, simple canvas carryalls from Joshu + Vela, and blue ceramic studs from Jujumade.

Housed in Andrew Carnegie's former Georgian mansion, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum still conserves the original dark wood-lined interiors and imposing staircase, even after closing for a few years for a major upgrade in the hands of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, among others. The shop on the second floor is part of the revamp, too, with the architectural firm's custom modular shelving framing the tailor-made space. The wonderful mix of beautifully designed objects and utilitarian goods remains the same, however, from Fredericks & Mae birthday candles to Michael Graves kettles and much more.

Recently relocated to a brand-new, much larger space, Sprout Home offers a wonderful variety of plants, planting accessories, flowers, floral arrangements, and adorable home goods, for the city's urban gardener. They also offer classes from Wreath Making to caring for container plants in colder months. With its airy but elegant aesthetic, this store is truly inspiring. There’s also a location in Chicago.

We head to Steven Alan for the perfectly tailored yet lived-in men's and women's shirting that comes in an endless variety of plaids and stripes. Beyond that, it's the relaxed mix of pieces from designers like A.P.C, Isabel Marant, Rachel Comey, that keeps us coming back. The outpost in Tribeca is the flagship and the original, though there are now locations scattered around the city. They've recently opened a home goods shop, too.

While you won't walk out of Swallow with big case goods, you are likely to find something small and unusual, like a tiny brass bird or an opalescent vase. They also have really beautiful tabletop, from rough-hewn stone plates, to little salt cellars.

Across from the museum, the MoMA Design Store is incredibly well-done, making it one of those rare spots that's a one-stop resource for everyone on your list come the holidays. Here you can purchase everything from Issey Miyake's architectural Lucent tote, to an Eames chair, to a Yoshitomo Nara doggy radio, to obscure titles you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

This Japanese export has been quietly opening outposts all over NYC, though Muji goods have been shoppable at MoMA for years. The stores are simple in both concept and aesthetic: After all the brand is predicated on the idea that the best design is the least design. Minimalist fixtures and neutral color palettes are used to display the most well-designed utilitarian goods—housewares, t-shirts, stationery, and more—that are as functional as they are generic, which allows them to fit in every home regardless of sensibility.

Off the beaten path on a Manhattan side street called Extra Place, Stevenson Aung and Angelique Chmielewski, opened a brick and mortar showcase for their shop, full of off-the-beaten-path extras. In their careers as industrial and fashion designers, respectively, they’ve spent years amassing quite the collection of Japanese design, and finally have the perfect glass-fronted location to showcase it all, from Azmaya tea accessories to Sunao cutlery, to Fog Linen baskets.

What started as a coffee and tea shop with flowers and small succulents for sale has quickly become much more of lifestyle shop, carrying a mix of mostly local-made ceramics, books, magazines, and small design goods. Stop in for a Blue Bottle coffee, or a Bellocq tea—their studio is next door—and walk out with a couple of small indoor plants, a Postalco notebook, and a Grain Edit beeswax totem candle.

As far as specialty shops go, CW Pencil Enterprise is downright granular. It’s shoe-box sized and therefore really easy to miss, so keep an eye out for the pencil drawing, which the owner, Caroline Weaver, put up in lieu of traditional signage. Inside, the floors are black-and-white checkered, and the shelves are lined with neatly labeled jars of pencils and on-theme art. Make good use of the pencil-testing station, which is set up on a Mid-Century desk and topped with vintage-looking sharpeners and old-school notebooks, while the staff (it’s usually Weaver herself manning the store) drop knowledge about each pencil’s provenance, history, color, and optimal use. CW carries amazing stationery brands like Craft Design Technology, Tombow, and Field Notes; and then there’s the Pencil of the Month club and custom pencil services, which the owner fulfills herself by hand with an antique hot foil press.

While they're best known for their gorgeous (artist-inspired) packaging, Mast Brothers places great emphasis on the art of chocolate-making—as evidenced by the fact that they offer tours of the process itself at each of their stores. The Brooklyn location is one of the three flagship stores and factories for the brand, which brothers Rick and Michael Mast founded in 2007 (the other two are located in Los Angeles and London). A package of bars makes for a practically perfect—and blessedly TSA-friendly—hostess gift.

Nina Allen's shop, Tophat, first grew out of her online store, Sweet Bella, where she sells specialty items like fruit and vegetable-shaped ceramics, unique pins and patches, and Stalogy office supplies. Her nondescript shop on Broome Street doesn't look like much from the street (even for Broome Street), but it's well worth stopping by, as she stocks the shelves with the same things from her online store, plus one-of-a-kind finds and antiques that she doesn't post. In the winter they have toboggans for rent.

Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria's concept shop on Orchard Street is part of the cadre of businesses blurring the boundaries between the Lower East Side and Chinatown. Barque and Faria originally met working at galleries, and their store is reflective of their art-inspired aesthetic, with reupholstered midcentury furniture, sculptural home accessories, and neon-tinged coffee table books. There's also a great selection of candles and quirky accessories, so it's a home-run for gifting.

In 1634, grocer and wax merchant Claude Trudon opened a store on Rue St. Honoré—and Trudon has been lighting the city’s palaces and homes ever since. Thanks to their superlative wax and rigorous candle-making process, the scented pillars burn for hours—without ever sputtering or smoking. They’re not cheap—after all, as company lore would have it, Napoleon’s only gift to his newborn son was a Trudon candle encrusted with three pieces of gold—but they are exquisite. The Paris boutique, complete with a rainbow wall of tapers, busts cast in wax, and the full expression of fragrances, shouldn’t be missed.

Though it's often (mistakenly) credited as being the first department store, there's no doubt that Le Bon Marché's founders, Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut, were pioneers, particularly in a culture that so adamantly prizes specialty stores. Launched in 1838 as an extension of the Boucicaut's single market stall, it became a fixed-price department store in 1850 (before that, you would barter), moving into its sweeping, Art Deco home in 1867. While it's been expanded several times since (and now belongs to LVMH), it's still inarguably one of the most beautiful, large-scale shops in existence. Whether you're looking for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Maje, or Iro, it's likely here: Along with lingerie, kids clothing, furniture, household essentials, and shoes and bags. The food hall, La Grande Épicerie, is pretty insane, offering a rich array of specialty products, from Fauchon macarons to Baltic smoked fish. Many visitors concentrate their buying power here in order to hit the spending level required for VAT.

Though it’s well located on Rue Saint-Honoré, this is the sort of spot that’s easy to walk right by. Inside it’s dimly lit, cloister-like, and achingly cool, complete with rickety, slightly off-kilter shelves that sag under the weight of Astier de Villatte’s ceramic tableware. Made from black terra-cotta clay and then finished in the brand’s signature milky white, these perfectly imperfect dishes are the hallmark of some of the best-dressed tables we know. You’ll also find the house line of geometric-print, gold-rimmed notebooks (made by the last master printer in Paris) and the gorgeously old-fashioned candle and incense collections, along with a handful of oddities, like glassware cast in the shape of skulls and stout little teapots.

Since 1820, E. Dehillerin has been outfitting the kitchens of Paris with copper pots, paring knives, whisks—and a million other ingenious gadgets nobody ever knew they needed. It is a huge store and an incredible resource, though come with full pockets (and plenty of room in your suitcase). They also sell online and ship globally.

A devastating fire nearly destroyed Deyrolle in 2008, sending nearly 90 percent of its rarefied inventory up in smoke. Everyone rallied: Customers donated animals purchased in years past back; Christie's held an auction; Hermes reissued their "Plume" scarf to raise funds; and ultimately Deyrolle reopened its doors to a collective sigh of relief. Founded in 1831, it's one of the most special stores in the world, after all, since it's essentially a shoppable natural history museum. As you move past the gardening boutique that occupies the ground floor and climb the stairs, you'll come face to face with lions, tiger, bears, and thousands of exotic birds, butterflies, and beetles—all carefully preserved, and even more meticulously displayed. We love the reissues of the 19th century pedagogical prints (horse breeds, the anatomy of the eye, the trees of France), which are more affordable—and packable—than a giraffe.

It's rare to find a store that's so much bigger than its collective parts, but Merci is one of those spots that opened to an endless stream of breathless acclaim—and just as many inches of coverage in the press. This is easy to understand: For one, profits go to charities in Madagascar; for two, it's gorgeous and artful while still feeling accessible to all. Located in an airy, sprawling nineteenth-century fabric factory, this superstore sells the best of pretty much everything. Labels like Isabel Marant, Vanessa Bruno, and Stella McCartney mingle on the clothing racks; natural shampoos and Comme des Garçons perfumes line the shelves in the comprehensive beauty apothecary; and there are loads of amazing homewares, too. Fresh flowers and gardening tools? Check. Don't leave without visiting the Used Book Café in the basement, as you can flip through any one of the 10,000 preloved books that line the walls while you wait for your brunch.

Large and loftlike, this industrial-feeling store has an ambitious mandate: fair-trade clothing and accessories from little-known and established artisan brands, mixed in with a smattering of vintage furniture, art books, records, and indie zines. If you've got little ones, don't miss the outpost devoted to kids.

There are very few boutiques that fully embody an aesthetic, but L’Eclaireur does this perfectly—no small feat, considering there are seven very distinct shops scattered around the city, as well as a bar/restaurant that doubles as a shrine to Piero Fornasetti. Armand and Martine Hadida’s original outpost in 1980 was incredibly important for a number of reasons, most notably because L’Eclaireur was the first to break brands like Prada, Helmut Lang, Dries van Noten, and Martin Margiela in France. While the Hadidas have had every opportunity to rest on their laurels, the pace has been relentless ever since as they’ve continued to ferret out the world’s best new talent, in fashion, in jewelry, and in home goods. While the mix at every spot varies, we like the moodily gothic Place des Victoires location best. Under the light cast by a strange and fantastic bird chandelier, you’ll find Fornasetti umbrella stands, chunky chain link bracelets from Mawi, cashmere travel wraps by Denis Colombe, and coated Saint Laurent skinny jeans. If time allows, their most recent project shouldn’t be missed, either: They’ve taken a space in Habitat 1964’s vintage village at Les Puces, where they’re selling a smattering of archival fashion pieces along with furniture. The first U.S. outpost recently opened in Los Angeles.

With few exceptions, almost everything that lines the Crayola-colored shelves here rings in at under a hundred euros, whether it's backpacks, patterned wallets, or unique candles.

Home to a happy jumble of melamine plates, bedside lamps, chairs, and vases, Tsé Tsé Associées is run by two Parisian designers, Catherine Lévy and Sigolène Prébois, who met in school. Though business is booming, they still insist on designing every piece themselves. We love their porcelain cornet lamps, folded paper vases, and intricately patterned silk scarves.

A bookshop and antiquarian for over a century, Librairie Alain Brieux specializes in rare scientific and sometimes esoteric titles, though the real allure is its cabinet-of-curiosities vibe. The windows and interior displays are continually refreshed with weird and wonderful assortments of vintage anatomical models, glass eyes, unusual toys, and the like.

The husband-and-wife team behind revamped cosmetics line Buly added a couple degrees of fantasy when furnishing their flagship shop—modeled after a nineteenth-century apothecary—with Tuscan tiled floors, Italian marble counters, intricately carved wooden cupboards, and prettily painted beams. And then there are the products: alcohol-free scents and modern, paraben-free formulations, beautifully packaged in old-fashioned vials and glass jars. Whether you’re in the market or not, this shop is a treat just to look at.

While this chainlet’s busy, color-soaked printed dresses and quirky shoes might be a little over-the-top for our tastes, the global furniture and home accessory finds are a Parisian go-to for injecting a dose of color into a home. At the shop in the 10th, stock up on printed Nathalie Leté dishware, Mexican oilcloths, woven plastic chairs, and more, which are pleasingly crammed into every last nook in the shop.

Both the shop in the 9th and the Tea Room in the 1st are the kinds of Parisian pastry shops you might dream of with pretty, tiled floors, powder-blue walls, old world display cases, and dainty packaging. Both spots are great for stocking up on everything from molded chocolates to macarons, traditional sweets, jams, and marmalades to take home as gifts, though you’ll also want to grab a crème-filled pastry for the ride.

As its name suggests, this long-reigning home goods store in Portland prizes simple lines and useful shapes, like a simply but beautiful Brasilia coffee mill, or a set of Alexander Girard playing blocks. There's an emphasis here on pieces made in the Pacific Northwest, though it has global pull, too: You'll find candles and colored pencils from Japan, and vases from Scandinavia.

At once flower stand—they work with local florist Hilary Horvath—knick-knack shop, stationer, and clothing boutique, this general store kind of has something for everyone. While they reach as far as Europe for some of their finds, including Mariage Freres teas, along with American-made table linens and napkins, Doug Johnston baskets, cookbooks, magazines, and more, they also proudly carry a tasteful selection of Oregon’s best handmade goods.

While working in Amsterdam as a color designer for Nike, owner Kristin Van Buskirk developed a deep admiration for the quirky yet practical design brands that surrounded her. And so, upon moving back to Portland, she brought a couple of her favorites back with her and opened a shop, Woonwinkel—that’s home in Dutch. Here you'll find Hella Jongerius’ ceramics and Studio NL dinnerware along with some local, American brands with a similar design ethos, like Iacoli & McAllister, Von Tundra, and Studio Makelike.

This eclectic Downtown Portland shop is like a shrine to time-honored American craftsmanship: their selection of new and vintage clothing, home goods, tools, and other necessities are all hand-picked for those with a hands-on, active lifestyle (plus, rugged gear fit for braving the great outdoors, catered specifically to the inclement climate and woodlands-mountains-ocean trifecta of the Pacific Northwest). The storefront itself, outfitted with salvaged wood flooring and reclaimed barn wood walls that nod to Oregon’s rich heritage of manufacturing and agriculture, captures the city’s rustic-meets-contemporary style. There's a shoe-centric outpost in Boise that's worth checking out.

This cozy indoor-gardening boutique nestled in Northeast Portland has everything you need to create your own miniature ecosystem: healthy, happy plants, and plenty of decorative touches–there’s even special sand for planting your succulents in, which is a bonus because, 1) it’s quick-drying, unlike soil (succulents don’t require much water), and 2) you can layer colored sands–the red garnet sand, sourced from India, is especially pretty. The mini-gardening experts at Artemisia host workshops that teach customers all they need to know to make their own terrarium, all the while encouraging creativity. For a less hands-on experience, you can always buy one of the pre-made terrariums.

Husband-and-wife team Jocelyn and Robert Rahm (a painter and furniture reclaimer, respectively) restored this 7,000-square-foot warehouse into a workspace-slash-retail space in 2011, and it’s since become a major go-to for Portland’s designers and makers. Here you’ll find that everything has its own story, from vintage home goods and refurbished furniture to handmade ceramic pottery, sunglasses, and earrings, even organic fragrances—some of which is produced in the studio upstairs. This impressive, warm-yet-industrial environment is all for promoting homegrown talent; their second-floor studio is open to inquiries for any independent designers who’d like to share the workspace.

This Old Town Portland work-supply-meets-lifestyle shop is a hotspot for the city’s creative craftspeople and DIY enthusiasts. Locally-made and ethically-sourced goods are their specialty: you’ll find everything from work aprons to selvedge denim jeans, gardening tools to axes for chopping firewood, even a selection of stationery and decor for your studio. In keeping with the founders’ DIY spirit, its airy, modern interior, modular storage, and interactive displays were custom-built by their own team.

When childhood friends-turned-married couple Matt and Carrie Eddmenson brought their warm, inviting Nashville shop to Portland, everything we loved about the original came along with it: from their top-notch selection of jeans, including their own in-house line of American-made Japanese selvedge denim (his and hers), down to the friendly, knowledgeable service and community-centric events. Adding to the Americana ambiance is the wooded interior design, featuring a cedar-lined pine dressing ‘hut’ they blowtorched, sealed, and treated with a Japanese wood-preserving technique.

Powell’s hardly needs an introduction at this point—the Portland flagship is world’s largest new and used bookstore, with more than one million books inside its walls. The interior is always full of people, but with countless bookshelves to peruse, it's easy to find a quiet reading corner. Definitely take the time to look through the incredible selection of obscure titles and ancient editions in the rare book room.

Home to thousands of pieces of fine vintage, antique, and estate jewelry, Gem Set Love (formerly known as Gilt) has been a destination for collectors and casual shoppers alike throughout its 20-plus years in Northwest Portland. Brides-to-be flock here from around the country for the impressive collection of estate engagement and wedding rings with stunning, well-preserved diamonds and precious stones, as well as bracelets, brooches, necklaces, and earrings, each in hard-to-find, if not totally individual designs. With prices ranging in the low hundreds to the several thousands, there really is something here for every budget. This is a reliable place to bring in your own well-loved jewelry for repairs, too.

Every bit the neighborhood toy store, Kids at Heart has been in business for almost thirty years. They carry a great mix of the classic, nostalgic toys parents typically pick out as well as of-the-moment trends that the littles seek out for themselves. Probably the best part of the store is the books section, which carries everything from beautifully illustrated picture books to young adult novels.

Polliwog is run by a husband-wife pair who moved to Portland from Brooklyn—they were seeking a more flexible, laid-back lifestyle after having their first child. Polliwog specializes in products from small, hard-to-find brands, offering tiny knit hats, design-focused onesies, and battery-free toys.

Taking the concept of a local museum shop one step further, not only does the Frye seek out cool design goods and jewelry, but their focus is on local, Northwestern artisans and makers. Should you buy one of their ceramic fortune cookies with fortunes told by a local psychic, say, or an Alice Noon bucket bag, or even an Iacoli & McAllister light fixture, you know you’re leaving Seattle with a real Seattle souvenir.

Founded by the late Martha E. Harris, this flower/gift shop has been a Seattle fixture for 30-plus years. It's a great one-stop shop pre-housewarming or birthday party. They also design the loveliest bouquets and décor for weddings and events, and offer same-day delivery (if you're ordering online, do it before 10am).

It goes without saying that a bookstore devoted entirely to the culinary arts is a bookstore after our own hearts. This is where you want to go to find every cookbook imaginable (both current and out of print) and it’s worth checking the calendar of events beforehand, too, as the cozy space often plays host to chef demos, signings, and cooking classes.

Much like sister store Les Amis, Essenza takes a decidedly editorial approach to its selection of home décor, bedding, fragrances, skincare, and jewelry: The plush bedding, Diptyque candles, Megan Thorne jewelry, Santa Maria Novella lotions and potions, and more are all thoughtfully handpicked (oftentimes from overseas) and merchandised in a way that feels both approachable and special. It’s the kind of place husbands, boyfriends, brothers, and friends can turn to for gifts when striking out isn’t an option.

Lucca is packed from floor to chandelier-filled ceiling with an undeniably reliable assortment of giftables for any and all occasions: Astier de Villatte candles, piles of stationery both vintage-looking and modern, clean beauty favorites from Herbivore Essentials, and the kind of out-there, one-of-a-kind curios that make perfect presents for tough-to-shop-for friends.

Other than the simple, feminine-but-not-prissy interior and robust but not-too-cluttered displays, Moorea Seal (its namesake owner/buyer has been running the place since 2013) has another major thing going for it: A good portion, 7% to be exact, of the offering—tons of dainty jewelry, accessories, home goods, stationery, and giftables—is backed by some sort of philanthropic mission. A gold-plated opal ring, for example, supports Best Friends Animal Society, while the purchase of a hand-forged brass serving set contributes to the Washington Trails Association.

Seattle is home to a healthy roster of excellent bookshops, of which design-focused Peter Miller is arguably the most notable. In addition to a library of tomes that span all manner of topics from architecture to landscape design to interior decorating, the shop carries a tight selection of design-y home décor, drafting supplies, and other related goods.

This artfully cluttered home-goods shop and its stacks of fabrics (both current and vintage), piles of throw pillows, and rows of furniture and tabletop accessories are an interior decorators dream, whether professional or amateur. The mastermind behind the edit is Pam Robinson, who puts her fashion background to good use by sourcing the wares directly from Europe—particularly useful to anyone interested in vintage but not willing to do the legwork to find the good stuff themselves.

Like so many Seattle mainstays, this little-bit-of-everything shop marches to the beat of its own drum. There’s clothing from obscure international labels, beautiful—and a little bit quirky—home goods, jewelry, gifts, and a generous assortment from Seattle-made fragrance line, Blackbird. It’s also the kind of shop where there’s plenty for dudes to rifle through (skater tees, hats, records, and Pendleton everything).

Paper Hammer's amusing graphic cards are designed and handprinted in their warehouse studio in Tieton, Washington, a few hours outside of Seattle. You can find the cards in select stationery stores around the country but if you're in Seattle, go to their lovely shop downtown, which also carries gift-y items like coasters and letterpress tags with clever sayings.

Part gallery, part shop, KOBO carries rare finds from the art and design world, i.e. vintage Japanese tableware, handmade birdhouses, landscape paintings, and special textiles. Their exhibits, which happen six times each year, highlight Japanese artists, as well as artists from the Northwest. The original KOBO location is in Capitol Hill. The second location downtown is located in the former space of the historic Higo Variety Store—and KOBO has kept many of the vintage furnishings in homage to the almost-century-old, family-run business.

Specializing in gorgeous clothing and gifts for babies as well as beautiful accessories, toys, furniture, and make-believe items for kids, Mudpie makes every present feel special. It's bright space is classic and magical feeling, and they also do gorgeous gift-wrapping.

This jewel box of a shop is loosely split into two sections: one dedicated to modern fine jewelry (Kathleen Whitaker, Gabriella Kiss, Arielle de Pinto, and much more) and the other houses a substantial estate selection. The focus here is on unusual, handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces you wouldn't find anywhere else—specifically, the edit of non-traditional engagement rings and wedding bands is unlike anything we've ever seen. The store itself, though teeny, is so beautifully appointed and so well stocked that you'll need more time here than you might think to really take it all in.

San Francisco's francophiles flock to this jam-packed yet tastefully merchandised home shop for everything from antique furniture, to hand-made quilts and silk bathrobes, to colorful Chinese lanterns, glassware, and kitchen accessories. Because of the range in price points, the complaint about this place seems to be that you can't walk out empty-handed.

There are three locations of this beloved shop, and the original is here. 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-made ceramics, brass trivets, thread-wrapped bows and arrows, and rare, vintage books. The second location is in Venice.

A true mid-century American icon, Heath has been producing beautiful modern and minimal tableware (with a brief break) and tiles since 1948. In fact, it's part of the permanent collections in New York's MoMA—and graces many a table across the Los Angeles restaurant scape. The store, like the products, is modern and minimal, with wooden shelves, concrete floors and a lot of space to browse. Besides the Heath line, they've selected a handful of designers to showcase. There are multiple locations in the SF area, including an outpost in the Ferry Building—the factory store in Sausalito offers seconds (i.e., subtly imperfect plates and bowls) at big discounts.

A little bit fishing lodge, a little bit mountain ranger, this shop’s aesthetic is a modern take on cozy cabin décor. Carrying everything from Turkish towels to Ace & Jig quilts, to dreamcatchers, it’s fun for anyone with nostalgia for that summer cabin by the lake, whether real or fictional.

MARCH may just be the best kitchen and tabletop store in the country. (In fact, we love it so much, we collaborated with them and Alice Waters on a dinner to raise funds for The Edible Schoolyard.) No, this is not the place to buy a Kitchen Aid, or a Silpat, but instead to discover a beautiful, hand-made mortar and pestle, Michael Verheyden candlesticks, or Billy Cotton glass and dinnerware. We were overjoyed when they finally went online last year.

Hands down one of our favorite shops to hit up when in San Francisco, Mill Mercantile is essentially Unionmade for chicks, meaning the vibe is timeless with a whiff of tomboy. It's set up like a mini department store with sections dedicated to shoes (Dieppa Restrepo brogues, classic New Balance), clothing (Apiece Apart, Gitman Brothers), plus home stuff and an impressive wellness corner (lots of Aesop, Arquiste fragrances). If you don't have a Bay Area trip planned in the near future, the online shop is the next best thing as it stocks the best of what's in store.

This goldmine of a shop is the work of former Old Navy designer, Leah Bershad. The space is dimly lit much like a museum, which makes sense since the Southwestern-tinged biker rings, folksy wall hangings, and embroidered dresses from Mexico are essentially pieces of art. And it's not all vintage either, as Leah stocks contemporary items from Ace & Jig, Raleigh Denim, and Cinq Workshop, too.

It's about time San Francisco got a proper high-end, design-centric furniture and décor store of its very own—granted, this one's an offshoot of a Brooklyn-born, NYC-based showroom, but still. The stuff here speaks to a clean, modern aesthetic, think: Roll & Hill's geometric lighting fixtures and gemstone-hued Arflex seating. Shopping here is not cheap (a box sofa we fell in love with rang in at a cool 8k), but thankfully you can set up gift and wedding registries.

This cute, artfully cluttered shop is one of those places where you go to buy one gift, and walk out with all sorts of treasures, whether it's a tiny baking set for kids, a silk-screened linen throw pillow, or beautiful brass hairpins.

There's something of a down-the-rabbit-hole effect when you walk into this magical antiques store. Everywhere you look you'll see collectible curiosities that owners Rod Hipsund and Kelly Ishikawa plucked from antique sales and vintage markets. Particularly impressive are the old-school typewriters and stacks of pre-owned books. Even the contemporary stuff, like the Bonny Doon hand balms and pottery, has a turn-of-the-century vibe.

Packed to the rafters with books, gifts, stationery, and things for the home from all over the world, Rare Device is a time suck, in the best possible way. There's also a gallery space in the back, home to monthly art shows, workshops, and kid-friendly events. There's also an outpost in Hayes Valley.

Torryne Choate is a truly talented designer. While she can take on any floral challenge you throw her way, she's especially skilled at handling those way-harder-than-they-look homogenous sculptural arrangements—not to mention crafting flower crowns that put your Pinterest to shame. For our San Francisco pop-up shop, we asked her to put together arrangements to complement the architectural space; needless to say, she didn't disappoint.

As the name suggests, the heart of this sprawling, two-story bookshop is architecture, with a vast selection of fine art, design, and décor titles thrown in for good measure. William Stout, who’s an architect by trade, began his vast collection 30 years ago and has since grown it to include close to 20,000 titles. In fact, we tapped him to curate a collection of books for our San Francisco goop MRKT, fittingly set up in the Frank Lloyd Wright building.

The fashion crowd in SF was more than a little excited to find out that Emily Holt, formerly the long-time fashion news editor for Vogue, was bringing her exquisite taste back to her home city in the form of this adorable boutique in the Marin Country Mart. In addition to a great assortment of our favorite fashion brands (Khaite, La Double J, and Sophie Buhai, to start), her shop also carries a stellar selection of books and greeting cards, plus ceramics and other artisan products from local makers.

Topo Designs is a Colorado-based company, and this shop is their first store outside the state. The outdoor brand is best known for their brightly colored packs for hiking, backpacking, bike commuting, or just bopping around town (they also make the best, most durable laptop sleeves), and for the fact that all of their products are made in the United States. In the shop, you'll find a full selection of their offerings, plus favorites from aligned brands like Zeal and Smith Optics, Ursa Major, Wigwam, and Hestra.

This shop in Cow Hollow stocks all manner of Japanese specialty goods from slippers and brightly colored pens to bento boxes and washi tape. Prices are reasonable so it's great when you're picking up gifts for a big group.

Grange Hall, with its gothic, cabinet-of-curiosities vibe, is the yin to Dallas’s glitzier yang. There’s a pretty gorgeous range of home goods—Ted Muehling candlesticks, Astier de Villate ceramics, Cire Trudon candles—along with really stunning jewelry. They just opened an on-site café, too, that serves artfully arranged food and an encyclopedia's worth of teas. This is inarguably one of Dallas’s very best stores.

This store was once literally housed in a cabana on owner Merry Vose's property. However, when her covert, by-appointment operation was shut down by the city, she took her fan base to Lovers Lane. It's equally easy to miss there, which only adds to the allure and sense of discovery upon spotting the unmarked lavender door. The same mix of pretty, affordable labels—MiH, Monrow, Steven Alan, Nili Lotan—abounds.

In a state known for its antique fairs, you’re bound to stumble across great vintage troves, this one being one of the very best. As its name suggests, it’s an antique mall, not a shop, and you should expect to spend some time. You’ll find everything from Murano glass chandeliers to Art Deco dining tables to Chinese lacquered everything. Bonus: They ship everywhere.

Religious paraphernalia, old scientific posters, cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry, Mexican striped blankets, horseshoes, and a good amount of taxidermy, give this antique curiosity shop a particularly Southwestern feel. The seemingly endless, happenstance groupings and displays that line every nook and cranny of this quirky old shop mean you'll likely feel a bit lost.

Like, Friends & Neighbors, Las Cruxes is an experiential concept shop. They have clothing and jewelry, interior decor, books, and beauty, too. What makes Las Cruxes different is that it's also part gallery, and has a somewhat eclectic mix of art objects, drawings, and paintings. Before or after you wander the space, grab a coffee at Flat Truck next door.

A bungalow-turned-shop, with an attached cafe serving coffee, wine, beer, and snacks; and a teepee, wrought iron tables, and board games out back, Friends & Neighbors is as Austin (and adorable) as it sounds. Every room of Friends & Neighbors, which is still designed like a home, is a bit different. The living room has home decor, vintage clothes, and accessories; the bathroom: beauty products (including goop-approved clean brands like Olio e Osso), towels, and linens; while loungewear hangs from an armoire in the bedroom.

When Austin native Currie Person returned home to settle down, she realized that she missed the thoughtfully curated small art object stores she’d visited in Paris and New York. So, in a space she shares with JM Dry Goods, she opened Spartan, a minimalist but beautiful textile/apothecary/home store with everything from cerulean pottery from Victoria Morris and Kati Von Lehmam porcelain tumblers to sycamore cutting boards and stone-washed Turkish towels. Last year, they launched a fragrance collaboration with Olo called Spartan, inspired by—what else?—the Texas landscape. The boutique is just the tip of the iceberg for Person, though, as she also lends her eye to two other shops: Beam & Anchor in Portland and Voyager in San Francisco.

Along with Tex-Mex and live music, there's a big vintage scene in Austin. Aficionados will want to comb all of South Congress and South First Street, but if you're looking for a really great edit, go to Feathers. The shop, which has been open since 2005, is neatly organized, beautiful, and well-run (by two women, one of whom is a Texas native). It's worth a stop for vintage-virgins, too—the clothing and jewelry selection is very accessible, and there are always pieces here that are conveniently easy to work into an everyday, modern wardrobe.

ByGeorge opened in Austin 1979 but in 2014 the clothing and home store came under new ownership—it's now helmed by Austin restaurateur Larry McGuire (of Josephine House, among others). There are two locations in Austin: The Clarksville ByGeorge actually combines two shops next door to one another—a women's store and a men's store. On the women's side, you'll find designers like Chloé, Marni, Saint Laurent, and a good selection of bags and shoes; and on the men's, Brunello Cucinelli, Common Projects, and Levi's Vintage. The South Congress store carries clothing as well (A.P.C., FRAME, Outdoor Voices, Jenni Kayne, and more), but it's also known for its home goods and decor, furniture, ceramics, books, and great gift-y items.

We love a store with a range of price points, and with options ranging from Jerome Dreyfuss purses to Venessa Arizaga friendship bracelets, Saint Cloud certainly qualifies. While it's primarily an apparel store, the accessories (A Peace Treaty scarves, Erin Considine fringed earrings, Lizzie Fortunato gems) can be relied on for consistently good gifts. The fact that they have a great clean beauty selection (Ilia, Grown Alchemist, Olio e Osso) and the sweetest, most creative kids' buy is a major bonus, too.

Started by sisters Chau and Trang Nguyen, this sweet little store near Rice University has a tight edit of apparel, home goods, jewelry, and paper goods. They've also got a great clothing edit, with mid-priced lines like Ace & Jig, DUSEN DUSEN, and Rachel Comey. The badass woven dressing room dividers? The sisters made them by hand.

Biscuit is primarily known for designer Bailey McCarthy's quirky, colorful bedding collection, which incorporates everything from cactuses to arrows to astrology into sweet, soft-as-butter sheets and duvets. The Houston shop also has the best hostess gifts—the store's vignettes are scattered with cool coffee table books, candles, trays, and bar accessories. There are always great little knickknacks, too, like pineapple-shaped golden shot glasses, tin recipe boxes, and embroidered cocktail napkins.

The guy behind Manready Mercantile, Travis Weaver, is as Texas as they come—he grew up in a tiny town in West Texas, and his store drips of that aesthetic, with an enormous American flag hanging in the back, vintage saws, fishing signs, taxidermy on every wall, and an old-school canoe suspended from the ceiling. His brand began with a line of candles he made on the stove top in his apartment—the success of which inspired him to keep making products traditionally marketed to women (bath salts, bubble bath, and more) and making and packaging them for men. Now, he's expanded into clothing, and the brick-and-mortar showcases his own products as well as giftables from like-minded brands like Freenote Cloth, Mollusk Surf, Helm, and Taylor Stitch. During the holidays, it's pretty much a one-stop shop for brothers, dads, and SOs.

Formerly known as L’Arco Baleno, here you'll find globe-trotting, design guru Ambra Medda’s high and low finds. It might be the perfect wood slat bench or an ombré dip-dyed vase from Copenhagen.

All the best-made goods for the grown up boy (or girl) scout. And by that we mean that you'll find the perfect pen knife, Caran D'Ache pen, or Sell Marchell canvas and leather backpack.

Here you'll find well-designed, well-priced, and utilitarian goods for the modernist, whether it's the perfect French candlestick, or notebooks to organize your thoughts.

This mini-shop from the very well-loved independent record label, Ghostly, is definitely geared toward guys—specifically guys who love both music and design. There are backpacks for minimalists, prints from artists who often do album artwork, and plenty of stationery.

As its name suggests, the focus here is on brain games, from backgammon to chess, to marbles.

Here you'll find unusual and affordable home goods with just the right amount of quirk and character—it all has a slightly gothic, but gorgeous, sensibility. There is a by-appointment showroom, should you want to see some of the bigger pieces in person.

We were bummed when Brook Farm General Store—a long-standing Williamsburg go-to full of deeply American home goods—shuttered. But thrilled when we discovered it was to move a bit out of the city and focus on their online shop. The array is better than ever, from cutting boards to checkered aprons, to the perfect teapot.

Jewelry designer Caitlin Mociun is best known for her jewelry—signature clusters often in unexpectedly asymmetrical or haphazard arrangements—in the coolest possible way. Her shop, of course, makes her full line of jewelry available, but Caitlin also curates a selection of great gifts and accessories—she's got an excellent eye for geometric, Bauhaus-inspired ceramics—including a slew of clean beauty brands like S.W. Basics, Earth Tu Face, and Mermaid hair oil. She also has a shop in Brooklyn.

Alder & Co., which has its brick-and-mortar in downtown Portland, Oregon, is known for artisan products with various provenances—the owners are big travelers, and constantly bring back unique items from abroad, but they also have great relationships with local Portland designers, who are prominently featured both in-store and online. There's always a great selection of home décor pieces, like glass bud vases and wooden baskets for storing fresh (or dried) flowers and blankets. They also have a tight edit of apparel from far-flung designers, like Japanese Ichi Antiquités (they specialize in flowy, patterned dresses) or Me & Arrow (for block prints and cropped tops).

It was probably only a matter of time before there was a digital location for high-end smoking accessories, and Tetra delivers with an astonishing array of product. (Seriously, who knew there were so many designers making gorgeous pipes?) What you'll find: gold and silver Zippo lighters, sleek vapes, gorgeously packaged incense, and way-nicer-than-a-medicine-bottle containers for storing the good stuff.

Founded in Melbourne by Danish transplant Christina Fedders, Designstuff has an intense focus on Scandinavian goods, in the form of kids toys, art, furniture, and home accessories. Fedders has a great eye and is fastidious about curating, so it's hard to find anything on her site that's not worthy of a corner in your home. Her collection makes for great gifting for anyone who's just moved into a home or office—our picks include ceramic serving bowls, gilded Skultuna bookends, paint-speckled spoons, and a dustpan that's beautiful enough to display.

Founded by best friends Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, Of a Kind sells limited editions by up-and-coming designers, whose stories are meticulously told on the site in an endlessly witty and likable voice (built by Cerulo, who is a former editor). Offerings range from alpaca-lined slippers in an art deco print, to a delicate, golden plant mobile, to brightly patterned dresses. The limited-edition program means that you won't find these pieces elsewhere, so they make great gifts.

The Cooper Hewitt Museum is New York's longstanding design museum, so it's no surprise that their corresponding store has an excellent selection of design-focused products. The brand selection is a great mix of high-end and low-brow, with a buy that includes Hay and Muji, plus a slew of books and one-off design items. Best of all, the museum itself is still a nonprofit, so all proceeds go back into the institution.

Contemporary art museums always have the coolest stores, and some of the best have come online in recent years, making shopping them a bit easier—especially in the case of the Minneapolis-based Walker Art Center. The buyers here have a great eye for quirky, hard-to-find design items, not to mention more commercially accessible pieces from the artists that show at the museum. Currently in our cart: Delfonics stationery, dog balloon wall decals, and Louise Gray quilts, which are designed in Minneapolis.

With so many publications struggling to make the jump from print magazine to online content provider, it's hard not to applaud Wallpaper's decision to jump headfirst into building an e-commerce destination. The shop, which launched in 2015, is everything you'd expect from the design-focused brand, sourcing furniture, home goods, beauty products, and other miscellaneous items, all with a sleek, Scandinavian-esque clean-ness. The vases, candy dishes, and tea sets all make great gifts for nesters.

Think of Stacy Anne Longenecker's online store, which is based out of Brooklyn, as the home accessories shop for the modern (and a tiny bit hipster) home. Her home and kitchen wares include bright, colorful ceramics, woven decorative baskets, and cooking utensils made by skilled artisans, and the selection is rounded out with colorful mid-priced jewelry, journals, stationery, and a robust kids shop. The art section is perfect for outfitting a new home on a reasonable budget, and the holiday section has exactly the kinds of items that make homes look festive without being over-the-top—starting with the cleverest ornaments we've seen.

Photography is a big part of the appeal of New Zealand-based designer and interior stylist Katie Lockhart's online showroom—each piece is beautifully photographed on a tonal dark and light green backdrop. Come here for great home accessories, like vintage linens, architectural iron bottle openers, and cutting boards made from salvaged wood. Lockhart has a brick-and-mortar in Auckland, as well.

When it comes to the east side of LA (DTLA aside), hotel options are pretty thin. Cara Hotel is everything a low-key East Hollywood hotel should be—elegantly earthy, minimalist yet warm, functional (the restaurant is fantastic), and comfortable. Located just below Griffith Park, Cara Hotel feels like a friend’s airy home, which is on point given “cara” is Gaelic for friend and the owners are Irish. Rooms come with elevated amenities like Harry Josh hairdryers, silky Frette sheets and robes, plus minibars filled with locally made snacks. The hotel bar is by the small courtyard (reflective) pool, shaded by pretty olive trees with a wine list heavy on French bottles from Chateau La Coste. Meanwhile, the on-site restaurant is a hit. Tuck into charcoal smoked roast chicken, heirloom carrots, and buttery colcannon (a mix of mashed potato, kale, and cabbage every Irish kid grew up eating).

Hotel Covell, which is named for author George Covell, is more like nine cool apartments—SMEG refrigerators, Chemex coffee makers, vintage record players, and hardwood floors. And the whole places oozes coolness. The coffee is fantastic and the crowd appreciates ironic eyewear. All the rooms are comfortable and inviting, but we have it on good authority that the Parisian atelier, with its views of the Griffith Observatory, will not disappoint.

Instead of rushing madly through every zip code of a sprawling city, why not cozy up into one especially pretty corner, live like one of those locals, and actually relax? The Silver Lake Pool & Inn hits all the right style notes when it comes to an intimate hotel oasis far from Hollywood’s tourist trail. Palisociety has renovated all fifty-four former motel rooms and communal spaces to reflect the mid-century modern (with bright accents) vibe of the neighborhood. The al fresco bar and restaurant sit adjacent to the rooftop pool (afternoon Aperol spritzes are encouraged), and the menu is all burrata, peppery pasta, and perfectly grilled steaks. Silver Lake’s little secret is its walkability: Go for a cocktail at Bar Stella, the best Thai outside Thailand at Night + Market Song, stellar shopping at Mohawk, and of course, a lap around the reservoir.

LA local Zach Pollack split his culinary education between Italy—he fell in love with Italian food while studying (architecture) abroad—and the west coast, eventually teaming up with Chef Steve Samson to open the Italian restaurant Sotto in LA. And then in 2014, Pollack opened his own: Alimento in Silver Lake, which serves outstanding pastas (including a most notable tortellini), good wine, and a chopped salad that GP loves. It is small—and busy—so make a reservation or go early/late to avoid a long wait.

The wood-fired pizza at this Atwater Village spot is on par with Pizzeria Mozza, Milo & Olive, and Bestia—which says a lot. It also has a late-night menu, which is kind of key if you're looking for a good option after a Dodgers game.

If there’s anything you must get when you come to Los Feliz, it’s the focaccia at All Time. Let’s put it this way: It’s loaded with burrata, roasted cherry tomatoes, and olive oil. It’s too good to miss, as is nearly everything you could order off the handwritten dinner menu (it changes frequently). But they know a great thing when they have it at All Time: You’ll always find the focaccia on the menu.

For a (garlicky, lemony) taste of Lisbon summer, go to Barra Santos and order tuna crudo, sardine toasties, and the house vinho. They don’t take reservations—you can order a glass of wine to the sidewalk while you wait.

=You’ve probably driven past this nondescript, redbrick building on a residential corner of Silver Lake a hundred times. The only thing that gives it away is a flashing arrow sign. Blair’s is the kind of neighborhood spot where the chef’s wife takes your order and the tables are taken up by locals. The menu is Italian-inspired, but you’d do well to scan it quickly and then just order the gnocchi. Also every meal here should end with the tiramisu. No need to reserve on weeknights—stroll in and take a seat at the dimly lit bar.

Botanica sits on a stretch of Silver Lake that feels like a real neighborhood (a rarity in LA). It’s both a restaurant and a market—pop in to re-up on local eggs, fruit, vegetables, and house-made specials like the Aleppo-Urfa butter and thick labneh. There are few prettier spots for a healthy breakfast of Mediterranean-inspired dishes, the freshest orange juice, and really good espresso. We go for the soft scramble (creamy soft-scrambled eggs with a side of lemony greens); the crunchy, garlicky bread; and the entire pastry case. (Bear in mind that portions are on the light side, so order with abandon.) Whether you're alone, with a friend, or coming with kids, the space is comfortable and inviting, with high ceilings and airy décor. Sit on the terrace out back and work your way through the biodynamic wine list (we’ve moved on to lunch now), and snack on one of the epic seasonal vegetable boards. The selection of wine and cookbooks is a godsend for last-minute gifts.

Everyone’s here for the duck carnitas. Order a few tacos to go or settle in with a cocktail.

How does a lawyer decide to open a raw fish bar? Well, you can ask Octavio Olivas himself if you get a seat inside his super tiny (no reservations) restaurant. The Ceviche Project was Olivas’s long-running pop-up—one of the best in the city—that he often took on the road to his native Mexico City, NYC, and other places. In 2019, he decided to make it permanent, but not much bigger. The sleek, intimate space on Hyperion Avenue is ideal to catch Olivas artfully arranging uni and shrimp ceviche every night of the week (except Monday and Tuesday).

Every neighborhood needs a good local pizza joint, and the latest offering from chef Zach Pollock of nearby Alimento is exactly that, Italian-American comfort food done really well. Cosa Buona occupies the space that was Pizza Buona since 1959, but with a significant upgrade. Chef Pollock and his team have modernized the space with a marble bar and plenty of dark tile. The booze list—heavy with French and Italian natural wines—is concise, and the mozzarella sticks are without question, the best in the city.

Scott Zwiezen, who was the chef at vegetarian LA restaurant Elf, opened Dune in early 2015, and it quickly became known for its excellent falafel. Dune is a casual joint—you order at the counter and then, if you can, grab a counter seat or a patio table outside. It serves hummus plates, salads, and sourdough toasts, as well as a pickled beets sandwich and a lamb one for carnivores. But again, the falafel sandwich is the real star of the show here.

Chef Brian Dunsmoor’s successor to Hatchet Hall stakes itself as a new classic for smoky, cast-iron Americana. Opt for a hearty lamb shoulder or heritage Kentucky ham. They also have an astounding wine list.

Local, sustainable, and fresh ingredients are the focus at this rustic-meets-modern spot. The roasted salmon is particularly excellent, though there are very few misses on Forage's constantly changing chalkboard menu.

From two Gjusta/Gjelina alums comes a neighborhood pizza joint that does exceptional pizzas, like—sausage and smoked mozzarella with rosemary—that you can watch being tossed in the open kitchen before they slide into the oven. Order at the counter, grab your plates and utensils, and don’t miss trying out the funkier pies that chef David Wilcox often throws on chalkboard menu (it changes often), like the feta, potato, and artichoke one.

Hippo, with its flowery murals decorated with cartoonish animals, is playfully unserious; it’s just as much about a good time as it is about good food. The house-made noodles are the real deal. Go with a group and catch up over crudo and something grill-fired, or take the kids after practice for spaghetti on the patio.

On the border of Los Feliz and Hollywood, this all-day, full-service restaurant comes from chefs Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, who ran the kitchen at Glasserie in NYC before stealing Angelenos’ hearts with their vegetable-centric falafel joint, Madcapra, in Grand Central Market. Teaming up with Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (of Animal, Jon & Vinny’s, and Son of a Gun fame), they’ve successfully brought their Middle Eastern/Californian cuisine to the East Side. Be sure to order the flaky bread with labneh, preserved lemon, and honey; za’atar squash tart; Persian cucumber salad with labneh and rose water; and squid with saffron, pine nuts, and cilantro, to name a few goop favorites.

You enter Lingua Franca through the bike path next to the LA river, which contributes to its relaxing neighborhood vibe. They serve a solid burger and fries, and they have a good selection of natural wine. But the real standout is dessert—try the walnut tart and cherry-misu. It’s a great spot to meet up with a few friends for a lively dinner and a round of drinks.

Housed in a Craftsman bungalow, Little Beast is a charming neighborhood restaurant opened in 2012 by wife and husband team Deborah Schwartz-Lowenthal and Chef Sean Lowenthal (Sean was previously the sous chef at Chateau Marmont). Little Beast's menu is a mix of small and large plates designed for sharing—seasonal, California-style fare like burrata and beet salad, steelhead trout crudo, roasted organic chicken breast, and charred flat iron steak. In addition to their homey dining room inside, they also have an outdoor patio decorated in strings of white lights. And it's known to be kid friendly—the restaurant is named after their son (affectionately, of course).

From the same people who started LA Cha Cha Chá in the Arts District, Loreto is a high-end seafood spot inspired by the bold, zingy flavors of the Baja peninsula. The space feels expansive, with a wide bar, several dining rooms, and a sandy patio. By day, they serve a separate lunch menu under the name Za Za Zá—still seafood-heavy, with agua frescas and micheladas to boot.

The mild pandemonium around David Chang’s first West Coast restaurant is entirely warranted. The food is difficult to describe, not definable by any one region or culture. It’s a mishmash of foreign flavors that many will find unexpected and familiar at the same time. Definitely not a repeat of Chang’s greatest hits—there’s no ramen here. Instead, this is an entirely new menu of shareable dishes that are often prepared tableside. The grilled bings (a type of Chinese flatbread), topped with everything from cultured butter to uni, are something we’ve never seen before. Sausage-stuffed peppers with buttermilk and the short ribs with all their many fixings are reason enough to book a table. Call a few weeks ahead for a table, or if you’re just two, go early and try for a walk-in (then get a cocktail at nearby Apoteke while you wait).

Chef Kris Yenbamroong may not have any formal culinary training, but no matter. He learned how to cook in Bangkok and in the kitchen of his parents' long-standing Thai mainstay in West Hollywood, Talésai, which is now the home of Night + Market's first iteration. The Silver Lake location mimics the feel of devouring an out-of-this-world Pad Thai down an alley in Bangkok. The tables are low-slung and always crowded (this place is loud), the food is exquisite and (very) spicy, like grilled fatty pig collar and fried chicken wings bathed in rooster sauce. While the fried chicken sandwich is among LA's best, it's the thoughtful, all-natural wine list that draws us in over and over.

Like its sister restaurant Tsubaki, Ototo serves an iteration of Japanese pub grub. These are the snacks and bites you devour with beer and sake (if you’re looking for sushi and sashimi, look elsewhere). Once you start ordering and eating and ordering more, you just get it. Kara-age (Japanese sweet and sour fried chicken), potato salad with pickled carrots and ponzu, and miso-grilled eggplant is food made to be paired with cold, fizzy beer. Panko-crusted fried oysters and smoky daikon need the silkiness of unfiltered sake. Come on a Saturday night with a pack of friends as an excuse to order the whole menu.

In Silver Lake, locals line up well before first pitch to catch a table at Avish Naran’s James Beard Award-winning Indian sports bar. Naran and chef Miles Shorey have done away with the less desirable qualities of a sports bar situation—sticky floors and ranch dressing, begone—in favor of blonde wood and Indian twists on classic bar fare, like dosa onion rings and paneer pizzas. To skip the line, it’s well worth the small hassle of booking reservations, which release at midnight a week in advance.

What’s really special about this Taiwanese-Chinese food spot is that for the most part, the ingredients come from Chef Vivian Ku family’s Asian produce farm. The pared-down menu is pretty heavy on the noodles (the wanton noodle soup is hearty and delicious) as well as traditional small plates like potstickers and dumplings. They also make a mean three-cup chicken and serve it in an individual pot with lots of garlic and ginger. The space is small and cheerful, with cement walls, two-tops, and communal tables—these tend to fill up fast, but it’s a quick turnaround, so stick it out. The tea menu is really impressive, too, with several kinds of oolong and milk teas (boba optional).

Tsubaki co-owner Courtney Kaplan knows her sake. She'll come to your table and tell the story behind a variety's founder or the acidity of the soil in the region where it's from. Kaplan has spent a great deal of time in Japan (she's fluent in Japanese) and built her career as a sommelier of wine and sake in some of the top restaurants in NYC and LA (i.e., Bestia). Her love for craft sakes and shochu (a traditional distilled spirit of Japan) makes coming here an education in the first ten minutes. And then you start to order, and the food adds a layer of fun. Chef and co-owner Charles Namba pulls from his Japanese roots creating authentic dishes and adding a Californian flair. A few (of many) goop favorites: tofu salad with garlic soy vinaigrette, tomatoes with whipped tofu, sake-steamed Alaskan king crab with French seaweed butter.

Woon serves homestyle Chinese—the recipes are the founders’ mom’s—and has a solid sidewalk dining situation. Go on a Friday or Saturday, when they serve their pan-fried pork and veggie dumplings. Also notable: the wok-charred beef noodles and five spice chicken wings (which are crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and juicy on the inside).

Yang’s Kitchen is known for its brunch; prepare to wait at least fifteen minutes for a table on weekend mornings. But it’s well worth it for just about anything on their menu. Their breakfast plate may sound simple, but the hash browns are the best we’ve ever had. We also love their gluten-free cornmeal mochi pancake, which is worth sharing if you want to bump your meal into more decadent territory.

Judging by the droves of locals who come out to newly opened Bar Bandini on a nightly basis, the dimly lit, refreshingly underdesigned spot met a very obvious need for a chill—but just romantic enough—neighborhood watering hole. The owners earned their stripes working in the food industry in both NYC and LA and wanted to focus on all-natural and organic wines, which they source almost exclusively in-state and serve on tap (the craft beer selection is also worth exploring). It's all supported by a menu of bar snacks (the Sicilian olives are bomb) and small plates of cured meats and local cheeses.

There are many reasons to live on the Eastside, and easy access to Bar Stella is at the top of that list. This is (arguably) the best bar in the city. Sitting outside on a slow summer afternoon, sheltered by a canopy of bougainvillea, an Aperol spritz (easy on the Aperol, heavy on the spritz) on the table, is quickly becoming a quintessential LA activity. Inside, the scent of just-peeled citrus hits you hard, the white-jacketed mixologists are pros, almost-nonexistent lighting sets a seductive tone, and the walls are painted a pretty, mottled blush. Lounge on the low leather sofas drinking cocktails all afternoon. When evening hits, the volume turns up and the lights go even further down. The terrace outside—all wicker furniture and terra-cotta cushions—is straight off the French Riviera.

With walls lined in vintage cameras, keys, and other antiques, the old-fashioned vibe here is complemented by the service, which aims to guide you to your wine soul-mate.

Capri Club’s drinks are great, but it’s the frozen negroni machine we’re particularly fond of. Order one while you hover for a table, grab a snack of olives and almonds, and spend your night people watching—it’s a scene.

This place attracts a local crowd of stylish Echo Parkers with its woodsy/design-y interior, great music, and well-curated selection of beer and wine. It's a bit small, but we actually like that it's snug, while the location makes it ideal for a pre- or post-Echoplex drink.

Nestled on a hill on the Eastern fringes of Los Angeles, Good Housekeeping is the kind of local bar (hidden behind the excellent Café Birdie) down the main Figueroa drag you always wish you lived closer to. It’s impossibly cool. The tiny Pueblo-style outdoor sun-trap—all smooth terra-cotta walls, red tile, and cushioned seats to curl up in with that umpteenth glass of cold Chenin Blanc—is dreamy in the evening. The booze list is short and confident. The Nature Baby—a muddle of tequila, sage, orange bitters, ginger, and tonic—erases all memory of the traffic it may have taken to get here.

Our favorite new but not-so-new Eastside bar. Lowboy is actually one half of the former LA institution the Lost Knight. If you're familiar with the location, you'll likely have some nostalgia for its former occupant. But once you enter, you'll be happy to see the space's new life. Lowboy is everything you crave in a bar: It's moody and softly lit, it has cozy booths and a generous beer list, and the bartenders can whip up a perfectly tart Paloma or a breezy and sweet mai tai in less time than it will take you to decide on your bar snack. (The popcorn sprinkled with Old Bay is a real crowd-pleaser.)

LA's first new lesbian bar in a decade is a natural wine bar that spills into the parking lot when they hit capacity, which is most nights. By day, they serve a full lunch. It’s mostly diner food: loaded cheese fries, grilled chicken sandwiches, tuna melts. At night, you’ll see a lot of hot dogs and spritzes.

This camped-out tiki bar is a total LA classic that's been around for about 50 years. With only 12 stools and over 90 varieties of tropical drinks, it gets cozy in here pretty quickly. The location's a little random, but if you ever find yourself passing by it's totally worth a visit for some throwback fun.

The wine list here is great, and they make great finger food without reinventing the wheel—think cheese, charcuterie, olives, and chips with really good dip.

Zebulon was really having a moment a few years ago, and we still like it: They have a big patio, an upbeat vibe, and a separate space for their ticketed concerts.

This South Pasadena spot makes incredible French pastries—shiny globes of mousse, tiny tarts, and picture-perfect croissants.

This coffee place sits right where Franklin Village and Los Feliz collide, serving pour-over from single origin beans in a part of town that's slim on decent coffee bars. The staff are super knowledgeable, thanks to weekly in-house tastings and direct trade relationships with the coffee farmers. The space—all bare walls and exposed pipes—isn’t exactly cozy, but the excellent coffee and freshly baked sweet treats more than make up for it.

Clark Street started with a stall in Grand Central Market, and we’re glad they expanded to standalone bakeries. We like to stop in for a latte and a pastry, but don’t limit yourself: The heartier, eggy breakfasts and sandwiches are great, too.

Dinosaur distinguishes itself from a bounty of good coffee in the neighborhood with its design-minded space. Designed by MASS Architects, everything about it is well-considered, from the Scandinavian stools to the fin-shaped sculpture above the counter, which also displays the menu. The attention to detail also spills over into the coffee, which is fully up to Silver Lake hipster standards.

We love our almond milk lattes as much as the next person, but when we’re looking for a break—and not for coffee—Hey Hey is where we go for milk teas and boba. And the experience is more like one you’d have at a cocktail bar: The drinks are handcrafted by a barista who layers chewy tapioca balls with loose-leaf tea and other ingredients that are all made in-house, like almond pudding and sea salt cream. The space, which is meant to be like a modern tea room, is more like a lounge for locals, often serving drinks late into the evening.

Intelligentsia is really the quintessential hipster LA coffee shop—and we get why. 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. At both the Venice and Silver Lake locations, the outlets are as abundant as the man buns. There's also an outpost in Pasadena.

LA has plenty of places that can keep caffeine cravings in check, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t psyched when Philly staple La Colombe finally made it west. It occupies what used to be Café Casbah at Sunset Junction, but the space has been completely reimagined. The café is bookended by two open-air areas: The back is sheltered and quiet for those looking to settle in for the long haul; the front overlooks the main drag and is filled with tree-trunk-like stools and tables perfect for people-watching. Breaking the LA trend of serving everything in some kind of ceramic, the coffee is served in porcelain cups and saucers. If you’re in a rush, the East Coast transplant has you covered: The fridge inside is packed with cold-press.

Berry shortcake, chocolate mocha, and of course, red velvet cake all beckon from the case here. The specialty is birthday cakes, though the cupcakes are pretty irresistible (and portable, too). They also offer vegan options. There's also a location in Pasadena.

Laveta is minimalist and meditatively austere. And it’s a great spot to grab a coffee and gab with a friend. (If you’re posting up with a laptop, you’ll be most comfortable outside on the patio.) And for such a small coffee shop, their food menu is impressive: The kimchi fried rice, mushroom porridge, and an assortment of toasts are some of our favorites, though the menu varies by season.

Magpies soft serve is made in house, and their flavors play on childhood favorites from around the world. There’s Fudgesicle and brownie batter, for example, but also corn almond, thai tea, and baklava. Wander in after dinner at Barbrix, or swing by en-route to a party; they make softserve pies great for gatherings.

Any given morning, you can expect the line for Maru to dribble down the block. The crowd skews creative, and the craft of coffee is taken seriously. They also make delicious tea drinks, including one of our favorite matcha lattes in the city. There's another location in the Arts District.

Situated in a storefront and marketplace on Silver Lake's bustling Sunset Blvd., Moon Juice kind of feels like a new-age pharmacy. There, you'll find tonics for every malady or desire (we swear the turmeric cup, with cayenne pepper, black pepper oil, and oil of oregano will kick any 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. The original shop is in Venice.

There are times when Proof feels like it belongs in a small town more than a big city, as the space it occupies has actually been a bakery for more than 60 years. Baker and owner Na Young Ma is in the kitchen every morning baking pastries, cakes, quiche, bread, and more in an oven that's been on site since the bakery's first iterations. While it's hard to go wrong with anything on her daily-changing menu, the croissants (served alongside Culver City-roasted Cognoscenti coffee) are an automatic favorite. At noon, pick up one of their sandwiches—served, of course, on bread baked fresh that very morning.

As much as we miss Saturday strolls around the incredibly serene, beautifully merchandised Psychic Wines, we’re over-the-moon that it delivers. Owner Quinn Kimsey-White applies a deeply personal approach to his store’s offering, sourcing each bottle from tiny vineyards helmed by creative, low-intervention winemakers. An order from Psychic Wines is the perfect opportunity to go rogue and try something completely new.

By day, this Echo Park hangout is a café where patrons curl up on leather sofas with books and laptops, sipping coffee and ordering salads packed with veggies and grains or comforting bowls of tomato soup with toasted sourdough. Once early evening hits, though, it transforms into a jam-packed bar and restaurant, where locals stop in for the popular happy hour and huge cocktail list.

Some of what's for sale here is so locally grown that it actually comes from people's backyards. Depending on the season, there are great gift stalls, including home-grown herbs and vintage jewelry. On Saturday mornings, go for the artisan coffee and a delicious crêpe

With its poured-concrete floors and rustic shelving, Glendale Boulevard’s Silver Lake Wine looks like a wine temple. And in many ways, it is. Bottles, stacked from floor to ceiling, cover every square foot with no real organizing principle (or at least not one that we could figure out), and that’s half the fun. That weird, random bottle you had at a friend’s wedding in Corsica last summer? They probably have it. Call ahead and ask for their top choices or have the knowledgeable staffers point you in the right direction. Order four or more bottles and delivery to several zip codes (check the site) is free.

Not everyone likes drip coffee, and a good espresso-based brew is not something to be taken for granted. Standing Egg, one of the new cafés in Silver Lake, gets it. The space is sparse—polished stone walls and floors with a few plants in the corners. The baristas are enthusiastic, always keen to make your coffee just as you like it (and like it we do). The gluten-free doughnuts are excellent, the complimentary water is always ice-cold, and the old-school record player in the corner plays the Rolling Stones at 7 a.m. daily.

Stories is Echo Park’s much-loved local bookstore, but what most people don’t realize is that behind all the books is a tiny café (and a good one, at that). We love escaping here for the quiet—the stacks and stacks of haphazardly arranged tomes soak up all the street noise. The tables are filled with other studious folks tapping away on computers or reading through screenplays, so there’s not much chatter. You can sit here for hours munching through the pastry selection without being disturbed.

So this is pretty great: Chef Peter Lemos and Lauren Lemos (they're married) named all their sandwiches after NPR correspondents. The Ira Glass, for example, is a veggie combo of avocado, sprouts, picked and raw onions, cucumber, and garlic aioli with cheddar cheese, served on wheat bread from LA bakery Bub and Grandma's. The Audie Cornish is ham and cheese with honey butter and cornichon vinaigrette served on a baguette, and the Kai Ryssdal is tuna on a sesame roll. They also serve a few salads and sides, as well as a special every Thursday.

Wine and Eggs is a favorite neighborhood shop for natural and organic wine, but within its lapis-tiled storefront you will find so much more. Pick out organic farmer’s market produce and fresh flowers and scope out their selection of pantry provisions, which tends to fall ahead of the curve. (This was one of the first places in LA to stock Fishwife’s famous tinned fish.)

Bar Keeper stocks only small batch liquors in a beautifully appointed storefront in Silver Lake. In addition to finding everything you might need to set up a top-notch bar (they're so good that they do drink set consulting for HBO's Mad Men and supply many of LA's finer cocktail bars like The Varnish), they have a staff mixologist that can come to your home and mix for you and your friends. The experience is meant to be hands-on, getting everyone involved in the process.

You’ll always find something cool here: original art, sculpted metal pitchers, funky ceramic vessels, and a curated selection of men’s clothing.

For the past eight years, Ling Chan has made this store a go-to for the coolest contemporary kids' fashion. But it doesn't stop at clothes. La La Ling also stock bedding, furnishings, hand-picked artwork for the nursery, and personalized gifts. With the help of their personal shopping service, they can help you put together a perfect baby shower gift.

This nursery specializes in California native plants, plus well-curated sculptures, chimes, and sun catchers for your garden.

We come here for great little gifts. They have twisty candles, nice soaps, fun hair clips, pretty stationary—the works.

The now classic Rose Bowl Flea attracts visitors from all over the world, so expect to compete with some serious shoppers. There’s a sprawling setup of antiques, housewares, and piles and piles of clothes to rummage through. Haggling is part of the deal. (And wear comfortable shoes.)

Skylight is the kind of independent bookstore that makes you wish Amazon never happened. They have a particularly deep selection of graphic novels, zines, hard-to-find quarterly's and journals, literary fiction, and art books. We love attending their author events.

Susanne Hollis specializes in fine antiques from Asia, Europe and South America, in addition to more contemporary pieces from her own collection. From an 18th century Chinese desk from the Qing Dynasty to a 1930's Art Deco table, there's always an interesting piece for the home in here.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens—The Arboretum for short—is one of those magical LA gems that feels worlds away from the craziness of the city, but takes under an hour to get to (unless you get caught in a freak traffic jam, so planning off-hours trips is best). Before you even step inside to explore the 127 acres-worth of lush, immaculately manicured grounds, you're likely to be greeted by a member of the resident peacock family, who much to the delight of visitors young and old, roam the property freely. It may seem like a lot of ground to cover at first, but the main sites—a tropical greenhouse, the famed rose garden (the fragrant, romantic Edward Huntsmen Trout-designed landscape makes for the perfect wedding ceremony site), herb garden, the allegedly haunted Queen Anne Cottage, and '50s-era library—are situated within strolling distance of each other. There's also a duck-filled lake, a packed events calendar, and several cafes on-site, meaning you can easily stay opening to closing.

Overlooking the Hollywood Hills and crowned by Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, built in the early ‘20s for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, this park draws locals and tourists alike for art classes, outdoor movies, and Friday afternoon wine tastings.

Echo Park isn't as celebrated as LA's larger parks, like Griffith Park or Runyon Canyon, but with excellent views of Downtown's skyline and a well-tended walking trail, it's a local favorite (you'll recognize it from the park's tall fountains, which are visible as you leave Downtown on the 101). For a kid-friendly afternoon adventure, rent a four-person pedal boat for the afternoon.

While there are a handful of Frank Lloyd Wrights in L.A., all but Hollyhock House are closed to the public. That shouldn’t deter you, though, as there are several “Textile Block” homes on the list, including Ennis House, which you’ll likely recognize from Bladerunner. The house is composed of ornately stamped blocks inspired by Mayan temples that are so stunning, you won’t care that you don’t get to go inside. Use the Barnsdall Foundation's convenient google map to track them all down.

An architectural survey of Los Angeles isn't complete without seeing the work of brothers Charles and Henry Greene who pioneered the Arts & Crafts movement in California. The Gamble House in Pasadena is a particularly outstanding specimen of their endemic architectural style, as Greene & Greene custom-designed every single joint and beam in this 1908 bungalow, from the remarkably crafted staircase to the stained glass doors in the entryway, to the furniture and even the textiles—all full of references to the local natural surroundings. There's a standard hour-long tour, though architecture buffs and carpentry aficionados will appreciate the longer, more intensive options, one of which is led by a woodworker.

Griffith Park is one of those spots where you think you’ll spend an hour and end up staying for the day. Complete with an observatory, a planetarium (there’s a live show every sixty to ninety minutes), loads of displays, and even more hiking (it sits on more than 3,000 acres, and offers fifty-three miles of trails), this draws a crowd from across the city. On weekends, it’s packed.

At 120 acres, almost every iteration of plant life is represented at this San Marino resource: Fortunately, it's broken out by themes. There's a Rose Garden, a Palm Garden, a Chinese Garden, a Japanese Garden, and so forth—but what really stands out is The Desert Garden, where you can see some 5,000 species of cacti and other succulents.

Richard Neutra built the “VDL Research House I” in the '30s as a live/work space where he proved, with sweeping windows, that spatial limitations need not constrict one’s lifestyle or budget. It’s a premier example of modern architecture in California and is under continual renovation by researchers at Cal Poly Pomona; these same architecture students give excellent tours on Saturdays from 11 to 3.

The Norton Simon Museum has the most impressive permanent collection in LA, including a great wing of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. They also have a lovely sculpture garden with a couple of pieces by Rodin contemporary Aristide Maillol—it’s a nice place for a glass of wine between galleries.

This is the east side's most awesome yoga studio. They offer a variety of tailored classes based on nearly everything you could be looking for in a yoga session: "chill," "restore," "sculpt," "sweat," "baby & me," etc. They also offer even more customized, one-on-one private sessions, as well as on-site classes at businesses and universities around Los Angeles. One Down Dog's class packages can be used at both their Eagle Rock and Silver Lake location.

These aptly-named salons are pleasantly airy, modern and minimal, and give awesome Brazilian waxes. Their high-quality blue and cream wax, imported from France, is great for sensitive skin. They also offer eyebrow shaping and any wax you can imagine, from nostrils to stomach, for women and men alike.

As the name suggests, you'll find peace at Still, which offers great yoga classes at reasonable prices in Echo Park. The vibe is positive and calm, and classes are taught for all different levels.

It’s hot and dark, and it can get crowded—but honestly, the more the merrier. Thanks to a booming soundtrack of Drake and 2 Chainz and the only light coming from candles, you can neither hear or see other yogis. It sounds a bit corny, but we’re saying it anyway: Y7 makes exercise fun. The beats, the upbeat teachers hollering encouragement, the lack of forced-upon-you Zen mean that an hour flies by. Prepare for a serious sweat and stretch, with a side of convenience. Mats and towels are available for rent at the desk, the lockers are the combination kind, meaning you don’t need to come prepared with a lock, and there are several showers (as well as deodorant, face wipes, and hair ties to freshen up) on the premises.

This floral studio, helmed by creative consultant Alice Lam, puts together fabulous arrangements for private clients and local businesses.

Jennifer Pelletier is the creative mind behind the Meadow.LA, a floral design studio where arrangements and installations feel modern and gorgeously balanced, with elements that conjure up a bit of whimsy: Stems curl towards the sky, blooms poof outwards, and blossoms appear to drip down the side of the vase. Pelletier mostly works with businesses and brands, but she accepts private clients and does events, too.

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

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.

Only in LA would the bar inside a vegan restaurant be a major scene (it's kind of the best place to sit for a full meal, too). While vegan food rarely seems to get the upscale touch, it certainly does at Tal Ronnen’s dimly lit, luxurious bistro. There’s no mention on the menu of the fact that every dish is plant-based: Hearts of palm masquerade as crab cakes and calamari, and almonds pretend they’re cheese. Without the clever naming conventions, the food would still stand on its own. In short: You won’t miss dairy or meat. There are also lots of workarounds for the gluten-intolerant as well.

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.)

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.

A new-ish kid on Echo Park’s Sunset Strip block, Honey Hi is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. Owned and operated by two best friends (one of whom is a nutritionist), Honey Hi offers a menu full of the type of food you wish you ate more often: gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, GMO-free, and seriously satisfying. A small, pleasantly bright, but no-frills space, this little café is the perfect place to grab a late breakfast, lunch with a friend, or a smoothie to go. While everything we’ve tried has been excellent, the miso bowl is a highlight. Oh, and the chocolate chip cookies made with cassava flour, grass-fed butter, and Maldon salt are no joke, either.

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.

You’d never guess it with its beautifully light and airy atmosphere, but Superba Food + Bread was once an auto body shop. It’s now one of Venice’s most popular spots for healthy-ish breakfasts and brunches, with five varieties of toasts that go way beyond the ubiquitous avocado version. We love the kale toast—a slab of the house made grilled bread topped with sunny side eggs, avocado, braised kale and chili oil—and pair it with a side of heirloom tomato gazpacho with cucumber and garlic croutons. Superba is also rightly famous for its crispy brussels sprouts in dashi broth, and no visit is complete without a bowl of them.

While The Trails Café in Griffith Park is a bit out of the way, it's the perfect pit stop before a hike up to the Art Deco observatory (and its sweeping views of LA). The avocado sandwich is epic, particularly when enjoyed at a picnic table among the trees and string lights.

Walk up to Awan’s takeout window—if you have trouble finding it, it’s tucked behind Dayglow—and walk away with an Indonesian-style scoop made from rich coconut cream. (It’s all dairy-free.) Maybe the vibe today is saffron ice cream with pistachios and dates. Or maybe it’s fresh Valencia orange. The menu changes regularly, and it’s always special.

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.

Cookbook Market, founded six years ago by two longtime Echo Park residents (who also happen to be married), is the serious home cook's culinary playground. The tiny, tightly edited space stocks plenty of daily provisions (farm-fresh dairy, organic meat and vegetables, homemade pasta, pickles, and salsas), alongside harder-to-find artisanal items (Anson Mills grains, obscure oils and vinegars, special spice blends). Aside from fresh produce and pantry items, you'll also find a host of flavorful prepared salads, sandwiches, and tempting baked treats by the counter. Order a cup of the espresso-based coffee and sip it surrounded by buckets of wildflowers on the benches outside. For those living farther east, a second Cookbook Market location has just opened in Highland Park.

From organic produce to the juice bar, prepared foods, wheat, gluten and dairy-free treats, a salad bar, sushi and so much more, this market is a wonderful place for groceries or to have a healthy lunch or dinner. Seating consists of tables outside, so go on a nice day if you’re eating in. There’s another location just off Abbot Kinney in Venice, plus outposts in West Hollywood and Calabasas.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

See and taste the best of organic California produce here. There are coffee carts and tamales, in addition to great people-watching.

Lifehouse makes custom tonics that are specialized to your specific ailment (fatigue, pain, congestion, etc.); there is even one for pregnancy. There are excellent meal-replacement smoothies that are perfect for breakfast, but it’s also nice to stop by on a Sunday afternoon and stock up for the week ahead.

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

Methodology, a food delivery plan that ships nationwide, is made for busy professionals (or generally fast-paced New Yorkers) looking for nourishing meals at minimal effort. Their plans range from vegan to keto, and they taste amazing. The menu, which changes weekly, is full of cleaned-up comfort foods like Spanish chickpea paella and vegan eggplant caponata made with basil pesto, broccolini, and pistachio parmesan. Their desserts are amazing, too: think matcha chocolate collagen balls and paleo dark chocolate brownies with avocado frosting. You can mix and match your proteins and sides, and arrange for portions to be big enough for two servings. Meals arrive in glass jars, which travel well, and they'll pick up for easy reuse. Delivery is available nationwide (except Alaska and Hawaii).

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.

It’s easy to miss Naturewell on this busy stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake (you’ll probably need to plug it into the GPS if you’re unfamiliar with the neighborhood) but this blink-and-you’ll-miss it juice bar is worth finding for its phenomenal smoothies and acai bowls (the coconut-kale smoothie is legendary). It also doubles as a health-food market, with an entire wall of legumes, and it carries snacks like nutritional yeast, organic nuts, and kale chips.

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).

As one of six siblings, Laurel Gallucci spent a fair share of her childhood in the kitchen baking. Brownies, cookies, you name it. But years later, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and suddenly sugar, dairy, and gluten—the foundations of baking—were out. She went back into the kitchen to experiment. Could a dairy-free almond-flour cake taste good and look beautiful? Very much yes. Today, her cakes—towering layers of coconut-lemon, vanilla, or chocolate sponge iced to perfection and decorated with fresh-cut flowers and fruit—are not only great to look at, but virtually every guest can eat them.

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.

A one-time Olympic hopeful for the Ukranian gymnastics team, Nonna Gleyzer has an innate understand of how to stretch the human body to the limits of its potential. She’s also part of a long lineage of Kabbalistic Rabbis, so she understands some of the more nebulous stuff, too. While she can certainly work you out on a Cadillac (and does so with many of Hollywood’s leading ladies and men), you really go to Nonna for her capacity to immediately identify areas that are unbalanced and out-of-harmony, whether it’s postural or emotional (or both), and then set them right. She is a rare talent. While she has an unassuming studio in West Hollywood, she also occasionally does house calls.

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.

The idea and execution here are brilliant: Face Haus is a facial bar with treatment chairs spaced evenly apart in one huge, airy room. The therapies are excellent and varied, ranging from peels and eye-area pampering add-ons to more intense sessions that include LED light and microdermabrasion. Renowned Beverly Hills–based dermatologist Harold Lancer is the consulting physician, so you can rest assured your face is in great hands. Bonus: You can rent out the whole place for private bridal and baby shower facial parties. (The OG location is in West Hollywood.)

Don’t expect soft music and gentle massage protocols here. Face Place, whose minimalist aesthetic fits its no-nonsense treatment approach, takes a more clinical approach to skin care. The iDerm facial combines a round of extractions with oxygen therapy and pore-tightening galvanic current. Our other favorites: The vitamin C peel is excellent for softening hyperpigmentation, and the enzyme peel is superbly brightening.

We’re stoked that this Canadian facial studio has finally landed stateside. Their first US location is on Sycamore, where you can book a facial or injectables and be out in under 30 minutes. You can also get vitamin shots here, if you’re so inclined, and they have an on-site shop with some of our favorite clean skin-care brands.

For thirty-odd years, this Santa Monica institution has been focused almost singularly on colon hydrotherapy (to the extent that they train and certify practitioners). There is also an on-site infrared sauna.

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.)

By way of a serene neutral interior—complete with cactus plants and lots of driftwood—this massage spa aims to re-create a little piece of Tulum in the center of Los Angeles. It's also open until 10 p.m., catering to a crowd that can’t always break away during the day for some spa time. The best part, however, is the pricing. While you can book an appointment through the site or app, the spa also allow walk-ins. he original location is in West Hollywood; five others are in Pasadena, Santa Monica, South Bay, Woodland Hills, and Westlake Village.

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.

Falling somewhere between spa and social club, Remedy Place is where you go to get a vitamin drip with a friend or show a date the magic of a cold plunge. They have a clinical practice, too—see a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or functional medicine practitioner in-house.

Shani is a name you hear whispered around Los Angeles—usually by those friends who have particular glowy skin. The aesthetician opened a beautiful, neutral-toned studio in Beverly Hills to perform those dewifying facials as well as microcurrent and LED treatments.

It can take years of trial and error to find a go-to spot for cuts, facials, brows, and makeup, so finding a salon that offers all four is kind of like hitting the beauty jackpot. Striiike in Beverly Hills is owned by a trio of sisters—Kristie, Ashley, and Jenn Streicher. Each has a specific beauty talent: Kristie (aka The Eyebrow Whisperer) has a cult following thanks to her famous feathered-brow technique, Ashley is a hairstyling genius, and Jenn is an incredible makeup artist. Striiike is also one of the best under-the-radar spots for facials, thanks to resident aesthetician Melanie Simon. Her two-hour Physics Facial tones and repairs skin with low-frequency electric current and sleight of hand that leaves you unfathomably radiant for days afterward. In a rush? The fifteen-minute Lightning Striiike brings all three sisters together for a quickie mini makeover.

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.

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...

Tomoko in Beverly Hills is a transformative experience from the moment you walk through the door, where it’s likely Tomoko herself who will hand you a pair of slippers before leading you into the traditionally minimalist, Japanese-style pretreatment relaxation area for tea, the first of many pots they’ll brew for you. There’s no communal changing area or locker rooms, as each of the four treatment rooms is set up with all the amenities of a luxury hotel room (shower, closet, bath, vanity, etc.). A single treatment can take up to four hours with all the trimmings—starting with a foot soak and reflexology massage and ending with post-massage herbal tea and mochi ice cream. Photo credits: Tessa Neustadt; @beverlyhoodrich, @kylewaldrop

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare has made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA—so much so that she’s added five other expert aestheticians to her studio. The treatments range from microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy to vitamin infusions to customized facials.

Veda's approach centers around the ancient healing modalities of Ayurveda and Panchakarma in space that evokes a modern and organic aesthetic. Appointments start with an in-depth consultation for Veda’s experienced practitioners to assess what treatment will best serve you. We loved experiencing Shirodhara—streams of warm oil pour onto the portion of the forehead known as the “third eye”, which is said to help stimulate an overall sense of calm. Conveniently there are post-treatment showers in the back, but, we like to keep the oil on for an added nourishing dose of calming aromatherapy.

You can see acupuncturist Mona Dan for a single acupuncture session or buy a pack of five or ten sessions. Clients also come to Vie Healing for bodywork—massage, cupping, Reiki—and the rejuvenating variations of peels and facials.

Sofie Lyddon is an intuitive and empath who primarily works with Tarot. During her “Wild Wisdoms” sessions, she’ll immediately make you feel safe, connected, and seen. A standard Tarot healing session is 30 to 45 minutes and followed up with a recap of the reading. Lyddon also offers a quicker three-card spread, which she can guide you through in person or over email. We like the way Lyddon helps us reconnect to ourselves—and just reminds us that we’re okay, we’re normal. She’s also great at explaining Tarot—and making it fun—in groups. (If you want to host a workshop for friends, email sofie@wildwisdoms.com.)

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.

There’s no doubt that the familiar forms of yoga, like Ashtanga and Jivamukti, can be incredibly rigorous, but typically we associate yoga with feelings of calm. CorePower combines the stretchy, lengthening magic of yoga with the strength-building power of weights. The studios are kept warm to help loosen up stiff joints, and the upbeat teachers make keeping up easy (or at least easier). Wear fitted, sweat-wicking workout gear if you have it—the combination of free weights and downward dog will have you breaking a sweat.

Heated Room’s signature class is high-intensity hot Pilates, and it’s challenging for even serious athletes. What keeps you in it: an encouraging instructor, bumping music, and a studio so sleek you feel cooler by association. They also have a (non-heated) reformer room, where you can book privates or a class for you and a couple friends.

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.

This is the east side's most awesome yoga studio. They offer a variety of tailored classes based on nearly everything you could be looking for in a yoga session: "chill," "restore," "sculpt," "sweat," "baby & me," etc. They also offer even more customized, one-on-one private sessions, as well as on-site classes at businesses and universities around LA. One Down Dog's class packages can be used at both their Silver Lake and Eagle Rock location.

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.

With only nine Reformer beds, classes at this beloved Pilates studio are small—which means plenty of attention from instructors despite the fact that classes are almost always fully booked. The space is sun-soaked and tranquil; the only wall not filled with mirrors or windows displays a white neon sign that aptly reads “sweat + good vibes.” Andrea Speir teaches many of the classes herself; they vary in purpose and intensity but all share the same challenging but gentle ethos (and heart-rate-upping playlists). Every instructor here is great, but we love Kit’s early morning cardio class prework, and Dane’s evening barre class if you require some extra motivation to push yourself after a long day.

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.

We're long-time fans of the Tracy Anderson Method for a million reasons: It's a lifestyle approach to fitness, meaning that you never peak; it's fun (and hard); and it works. Membership is more expensive than your average gym but includes unlimited classes, and depending on the tier, semi-private training sessions. The trainers are kind, but tough—you will sweat.

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 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.

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.

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.

We've been fans of this impeccably curated natural-beauty boutique since its original opening in San Francisco in 2015. It stocks a wide range of nontoxic brands from around the globe (more than a hundred), including top skin-care and makeup products from Ilia, Kjaer Weis, Kypris, RMS, and our very own goop Beauty. Each of its locations (which also include Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Chicago) boasts a friendly and knowledgeable staff who will help you find healthy beauty essentials that fit your lifestyle and needs. Extra bonus: LA is one of the locations that has an exclusive Tata Harper spa in its space.

Situated next to the Beverly Hills Juice Club, this simple and well-organized shop is a veritable mecca for safe cosmetics and skin care. Founded to combat the fact that some of the most toxic elements in a woman's life come straight from her beauty products, the Detox Market sells lines like RMS, Ila, Rahua, and Odacité.

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.

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.)

Inspired by the Italian linens she encountered on a trip to Amalfi several years ago, Parachute founder Ariel Kaye wanted to bring the same luxurious bedding experience to the American market, without compromising on quality. While the line started with bedding (the linen sheets are the only thing you'll want to sleep in—trust), Parachute has rounded out its offerings to include waffle bathrobes, Turkish towels, table linens, and throws. Recent collaborations have included bedding with Jenni Kayne, decorative throw pillows with Caroline Cecil, and, most recently, ceramics with Kat & Roger. The storefront boutique is chock-full of design inspiration, too (a rose gold-colored mirror, potted cacti, and leather-and-copper chairs from Eric Trine).

Plush Spanish colonial décor blends well with high-tech features and five-star splendor to make this a slick but overwhelmingly comfortable stay. The elegant Terrace space (perfect for an afternoon tipple and currently open), Cigar Bar, and Maybourne Bar add a pop of London pizzazz to Beverly Hills. For this much luxury, expect a luxury room rate—and it’s worth every cent.

From the branded BMWs to the impeccably attentive service, the Peninsula's Beverly Hills outpost is every bit as grand and luxurious as you'd expect. You'll find marble bathrooms; soft, cozy beds; and patios in each room. Only a few blocks from Rodeo Drive and easy walking distance from Century City, it's within striking distance of all the major agencies and many of the big studios, making it an easy pick for a business hotel. If you're in town for leisure, plan to spend some time dining poolside on the rooftop (which, since this is LA, is open year-round).

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.

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.