If you’d like a little background on this trip or you are interested in the Eastside of Los Angeles itinerary, head here first! Together, the posts are a Complete Guide to show an out of town guest around LA or could inspire a staycation for a local!
Complete Guide to LA, where to stay on the Westside
When I was searching for the perfect Airbnb in Venice Beach, I knew I wanted us to be walking distance from the beach and the canals. I found a place with a perfect location, bright boho cozy interior, and an outside area. We were less than a minute walk from the canals and about a 5 –
Note: The 2 photos from the Airbnb are from their listing because I surprisingly didn’t snap any!
We decided to cook the majority of our dinners at the place we were staying and enjoy the beautiful Summer nights. There were great grocery store options within walking distance or a short car ride: Erewhon, Bristol Farms, Whole Foods
Complete Guide to LA, what to do and eat on the Westside
Gjusta
Gjusta is a Westside staple and was a short bike ride away!
Our order: Huevos Rancheros, Mediterranean Breakfast, Apricot Crumble, Baklava Croissant
Venice Canals
The Venice Canals are obviously a must. We wandered through them daily, pointing out our favorites and
Santa Monica Pier
We took the bikes out for a ride towards Santa Monica on the path along the beach, locked them up and walked around SM for a bit. It happened to be one of the days they have their Farmer’s Market, so we got some cherries and apricots to take to the beach later. We rode our bikes back, changed, then headed to Venice Beach the rest of the afternoon for some vitamin sea! 😉
The Rooster
We started out this day with a hearty meal (since we had a hike planned), my favorite breakfast burrito of all-time – the Rico Suave from The Rooster at their truck that pops up near Blue Bottle on Abbot Kinney! I don’t think the truck pops up anymore in Venice, but it’s worth the drive to their brick and mortar location on Pico!
Drive to Malibu
We drove up towards Malibu for the day. First up, hike! The one I chose was SUPER overgrown. I’ve since found out that’s probably because they’re still dealing with the aftermath of the huge fire. We made the best of the situation and made it to the end – taking in the gorgeous views along the way.
Parking pro tip: Bring CASH!
Neptune’s Net
One of Walter’s requests was that we go to Neptune’s Net, I agreed because it’s a classic, so we headed there for a well-deserved reward.
Our order: Fish and Chips, Dr. Pepper, Golden Road Wolf Pup
El Matador Beach
We spent the rest of the afternoon at El Matador Beach. This is definitely my favorite in the area — pretty secluded, beautiful rocks, protection from too much wind. The weather was literal perfection this day!
Parking pro tip: There is free parking on the highway, but please be careful crossing to the beach side. If you want to park in the lot bring CASH!
Makani (permanently closed)
Our only night out on the Westside was at Makani. Their patio is perfect for a summer night, but I also loved their moody yet
Our order: Salmon Belly Crudo, Eggplant, Squash Gratin, Prime Rib, Housemade Strawberry Ice Cream, Housemade Chocolate Lava Cake (I repeat, MUST ORDER)
Groundwork Coffee
We grabbed coffee and pastries from the Groundwork Coffee down by Venice Beach, then headed to the Skate Park to watch a bit before heading down to the sand.
Venice Skate Park & Boardwalk
I posted a story on Instagram along with that photo of me on the left next to Walter’s phone, captioned “The only thing I’ve found wrong with him so far is that he uses a Samsung” and a lot of you got a kick out of it, so it’s definitely necessary to share that here too. 2023 Update: Walter finally has been converted to an iPhone user! 😛 Boy was it hard to pack up and leave that perfect beach day.
The Window at American Beauty
We walked over to Rose Ave. for a mid-day grub sesh from The Window at American Beauty. This spot is stupid affordable and delicious. Also, check out American Beauty for dinner! They’re a fantastic innovation steakhouse.
Our order: Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken Sandwich = our total was $10 (told you, stupid affordable)
Salt and Straw
I couldn’t let Walter go back to Italy without trying my favorite ice cream shop in LA. We walked over to Abbot Kinney and stopped by Salt and Straw (which btw had no line, meant-to-be? I think so!) and were lucky that they started scooping their July Berry series a couple of days early!
My order: (split scoop) in a waffle cone of Mr. Holmes’ Cornflake Cookies w/ Boysenberry Jam & Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
His Order: (split scoop) in a waffle cone of Dandelion Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies & Cream (and I think the same berry one as me)
Pro tip: split scoop is great if you want to have 2 flavors but still be able to eat it all! They’re basically just half scoops!
Go for a sunset walk
We spent our last night together watching the sunset at the beach, cooking another meal in, sipping on wine, playing card games and reminiscing about the 2 weeks that had just flown by.
Don’t worry, I’ll be visiting him in Italy in a few months! 🙂 I hope you enjoyed this complete guide to LA!
I hope you found this complete guide to LA Westside helpful. Check out the rest of the trip below!
California Central Coast, a guide to the best – SLO, Cambria & Big Sur
This trip up to the California Central Coast was the middle of a 2-week long trip that started and ended in Los Angeles….
Complete Guide to LA Eastside Staycations and Out Of Town Guest Itinerary
This trip needs a little explanation! When I went to Italy for almost 2 months earlier this year, I decided to hop on…
Happy Travels,
Corey
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