Because we had a studio in Venice for a few years, one of our good friends, and a fellow photographer in Austin reached out to us to get our recommendations for places to visit while he’s in Los Angeles for a few days. While we love our native Richmond, VA we definitely miss living in Los Angeles. So we had fun making a list of some of our favorite spots in and around Los Angeles.   

Music first: If you’re into vinyl go to Amoeba Music in Hollywood - we could spend hours and tons of $$ there. They have some really cool in-store performances too. The Raconteurs played there recently. 

Over that way (Miracle Mile/Wilshire Boulevard) one of our favorite museums to visit is LACMA. They always have interesting exhibitions. Chris Burden's Urban Light (lamp posts) is out front and Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass is out back - the Stark Bar is sleek/modern, outdoors and not a bad place to have a drink. They have jazz every Friday from April through November.

Gracias Madre is nearby in West Hollywood. Vegetarian and Mexican but fancy-ish, great outdoor patio with ridiculous drinks (well maybe ridiculously expensive ...) It’s the sister to Cafe Gratitude in Venice (and Larchmont Village) - a hippy, vegan favorite. We love it!

But really if we are talking westside, and particularly Venice, we need to talk about Gjelina - make a reservation now. But there is also Gjelina Take Away next door which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have yummy salads, pizza, sandwiches, etc. and for breakfast, little toasts and a green smoothie are our go-to (look for George!) And even better is Gjusta which started as the commissary kitchen for the Gjelina group of restaurants. It’s just amazing. It’s a beautifully rustic California deli, bakery, café, and market influenced by traditional east coast delis, European markets, and Parisian bakeries and open from 7 am until 10 pm everyday. They also opened an Izakaya on Abbot Kinney that is so awesome called MTN. If you only ate at these places during your entire trip you would be so happy.

But there is also Tasting Kitchen on Abbott Kinney that is one of our most favorites - amazing food (homemade pastas and other Italian deliciousness) - and if nothing else the drinks are the best ever. It gets crowded at the bar so it's nice to arrive when they first open around 6. We like to sit at the community table better than making a reservation, but both are nice and if you have a reservation, your own table is more private and romantic, perhaps.

There is definitely a trend toward the Australian restaurant model which emphasizes breakfast and lunch and closes at 5 or so. Little Ruby is a tasty one in Santa Monica. They actually close at 9:30. One of our other favorite restaurants in Santa Monica is Blue Plate Oysterette. They have a big selection of oysters from the east and west coast, good menu overall, outdoor seating, and a nice vibe right on Ocean Ave. And quality people watching….

The other Australian place we like is Great White in Venice. It is right by the colonnade and the iconic VENICE sign and couple doors down from Mollusk, a pretty rad surf shop that’s worth checking out. Also near the Venice sign is the Erwin Hotel that has a rooftop bar overlooking the Venice boardwalk. The vibe is, for sure,  touristy but you can't beat the view at sunset!

And speaking of rooftop bars, there is a pretty cool one in Santa Monica on top of the Shangri-La Hotel. Awesome decor and good indoor and outdoor space.

Now we have to talk Malibu. Driving up the PCH is something you need to time with traffic so you don't waste precious time. In Malibu our favorite things to do are eating on the Malibu Pier, going to First Point right next to the pier, which is the iconic surf spot that the tv show Gidget was based on, and shopping at the Malibu Country Mart. Although that last part was especially hard on the wallet . . If you are up for a much longer drive we liked going for a beach day at Zuma the best. But for a short visit, if you have beach weather while you are there and want to "lay out" then go to the beach in Marina del Rey. It's clean, quiet and lovely.

Nobu Malibu is also beautiful and has ocean views, but we have places we like better for sushi. (See below) So maybe just go for a drink at Nobu and enjoy the patio!

If you want to squeeze in a nice hike with awesome views and a limited time frame, go to Temescal Canyon Park (go north on PCH and turn right on Temescal Canyon Road, drive to the intersection with Sunset Blvd and you will be looking at the park.  Park on Sunset because it's free.) The Temescal Ridge Trail is a loop that takes between 1 - 1/2 to 2 hours. It's a great workout and it takes about 20 minutes to get there from Santa Monica. We passed George Clooney there once. Our aspiring actor friends used to like it for the celeb sightings!

Finally, another of our go-to spots is Tsujita Ramen (on the eastern edge of Santa Monica) - the ramen is tsukemen style which means you dip the noodles in a rich broth. The noodles and broth come separate. Tsujita Annex is across the street and gets the serious accolades but the broth there is way more garlicky so we prefer the other. 

Our other go-to is Tacos Por Favor on Olympic Blvd at 14th Street in Santa Monica. It’s pretty authentic and simple Mexican. We always get tacos and load them up with the fresh salsas on the salsa bar. You order at the counter and they call your number.

Well we could go on, but we’ve got to get back to work….Signing off from our photography studio in Richmond, Virginia. We promise to post about our favorite spots in Richmond soon…..

Have fun!

Sarah and Jack

Alston Thompson Photography

P.S.- And if you like the images you see in our portfolio, keep us mind for your real estate photography, interiors photography or hospitality photography needs.