WHERE TO EAT IN LA
Some of my favourite spots to eat in LA
I love that LA has such a variety of restaurants and cafes all within walking distance from where ever you may be staying. I've put together a list of 10 of my favourite places (which was really difficult as I'm big foodie and discover many more gems each time I return). But here are 10 that I couldn't live without!
1. LITTLE SISTER, DTLA
I don't actually spend that much time in DTLA but when I do I have to pop into Little Sister. It's opposite of Bottega Louie (another fave of mine that I will mention in a bit!). Whenever I get a little bit homesick I'm always on the hunt for some comfort asian food and you are definitely in for a treat when you visit! I would say that this is one of my favourite asian cuisine places to eat and I have eaten at many! The vibe is very relaxed, an east meets west style menu that will hit you in the right places. I would recommend you try the 'pork, shrimp and crab dumplings', 'imperial rolls', 'grilled baby octopus' and 'pan fried e-fu noodles'
523 W 7TH ST LOS ANGELES 90014
2. BOTTEGA LOUIE, DTLA
A place where I can not miss whenever I'm in LA is Bottega Louie. The decor, people, service and food is always 100% and I always leave with a big smile on my face. You can get anything from pastries, macaroons, salads and even pasta and sauces to take home with you! I love going there in the week to avoid queuing and going either for breakfast or brunch is my favourite. If you do make it there for brunch, I recommend the farmers market breakfast and almond chai latte with a side of toast and make sure its with the blueberry butter! Its the best thing in the world!
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
3. zinque, melrose
this spot is a go to of mine when i want a quick lunch with friends. a good place to spot some of the famous locals and its dog friendly too. it also turns into a tapas and wine place at night. they’re famous for their ‘le bowls’ which is their rice bowl with some protein and veggies. you could definitely make this at home too and save yourself some $$$ but since you’re already in la you might as well treat yourself.
8684 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA
4. The Nice guy, n la cienega blvD
This used to be a hot spot for young hollywood, ideal since theres a no photos inside policy. (there is a photo booth though). the food is classic italian, i love their beef ragu, pizzas and the brussels sprouts side dish is a must order when you go. They have a selection of yummy cocktails too, I normally go for the spicy sienna. i would recommend booking this place in advance as it gets busy on weekends.
401 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
5.NORAH, WEST HOLLYWOOD
i live for their corn bread. i rave about this all the time and my friends don’t get it until they visit and ask me why i haven’t recommended it to them first?! the chill atmosphere and decor are right up my street and all the dishes they do here. i recommend the broccoli dish, black truffle gnocchi, smoked chicken sausage and the roasted duck breast! But everything is so delicious here!
8279 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
6. Margot, Culver citY
a newly open rooftop restaurant thats sure to fill your belly with yummy food and good vibes. theres an indoor and outdoor section with a great view of west LA. i’ve pretty much tried most of the menu and everything is good but my favourites were the yellowfin tuna, cappelini, the sea bream and the broccoli. but to be honest, i could eat all the pasta dishes there.
8820 Washington Blvd #301, Culver City, CA 90232
7. SALAZAR, SILVER LAKE
this beauty is located in silver lake and does the most delicious mexican feast. from their margaritas to the street corn and tacos, this is my happy place for food. its all seated outside which is a perfect way to end the day in los angeles. there is no valet here and only street parking so bare that in mind when visiting. there is also no reservation so its first come first served!
2490 Fletcher Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90039, United States
8. Jon & Vinnys
one of my all time favourite spots in la. i have to eat here every time im in town at least once! i usually go for breakfast as its quieter. i always order the eggs and kale dish with a side of toast and tea or orange juice. for dinner i recommend the vodka pasta or any of the pizzas! you can even have their soft serve for after your breakfast if you wish!
412 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
9. urth cafe
basic la girl right here but urth is my usual spot to eat. breakfast, lunch and dinner is served here and pretty much everything is healthy. i can happily east here every day as theres a lot of variety on the menu. their boba teas are my go to here or the earl grey latte with almond milk.
8565 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
10.malibu farm cafe &,restaurant
My go to spot when in malibu. i just feel so calm and relax whenever i stop by and always leave with a food baby. the perfect spot for casual dining among the waves and great for people watching.i normally end up eating in the restaurant section rather than the cafe at the end of the pier. i don’t have a usual that i order here cause i love trying everything on the menu but their abc tacos, open faced omelettes and dirty chai lattes are the best.
23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
JAMAICA WITH SANDALS
IM NOW CURRENTLY BACK HOME IN THE COLD AND I’M REGRETTING IT ALREADY. Jamaica WAS ONE OF THE FUNNEST WEEKS I’VE HAD. We were invited to come along WITH SANDALS ON A PRESS TRIP. IT WAS A WORK TRIP BUT WHAT MADE IT MORE AMAZING WAS THAT I GOT TO TAKE OLI!
MONTEGO BAY
OUR FIRST STOP WAS SANDALS MONTEGO BAY. SITUATED ONLY 5 MINUTES FROM THE AIRPORT. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A SANDALS TRIP BUT WE CHECKED INTO OUR ROOMS AND THEN HEADED STRAIGHT FOR DINNER AS WE ARRIVED IN THE EVENING. DINNER ENDED UP BEING AT ‘SOY’ THEIR SUSHI RESTAURANT ON THE PROPERTY AND THIS HAD TO BE MY FAVOURITE ONE FOR SURE. SINCE EVERYTHING AT SANDALS IN INCLUDED IN YOUR BOOKING - YES THAT MEANS FOOD AND BEVERAGES ALSO! WE DIDN’T WASTE ANY TIME AND ORDERED SO MUCH OFF THE MENU. FOOD WAS SO DELICIOUS AND THAT WAS THE NIGHT WE ALL GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER. The next day we just chilled out on the beach and saw what sandals had to offer. as well as the all inclusive food and beverages, theres water sports including scuba diving and snorkeling on the property which is perfect if your adventurous. If you’re not into activities like me, the bar is open from 10am so grab a pina colada and enjoy the sun.
negril
I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE HAD THE MOST FUN AND WERE MOST SETTLED. WE STAYED IN NEGRIL FOR 3 NIGHTS AND WERE TREATED TO THESE SWIM UP ROOMS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RESORT SO IT FELT LIKE THE WHOLE AREA WAS OURS. WE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO THE BEACH, IT WAS PRETTY QUIET AND WE HAD A FEW RESTAURANTS BY US TOO WHICH MEANT WE DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO LEAVE OUR SIDE. OUR ROOMS HERE CAME WITH BUTLERS SO WE JUST ENDED UP ORDERING ROOM SERVICE WHEN WE ARRIVED AND CHILLED BY THE POOL WHILST OUR FOOD WAS BOUGHT OVER. (WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THIS?) WE WERE MEANT WITH A SMALL EARTHQUAKE UPON ARRIVAL SO EVERYONE WAS A BIT SHAKEN UP SO TO DIFUSE THE TENSION WE ALL HAD A LITTLE RUM TO CALM OUR NERVES. we didn’t have any dinner plans that night so just opted for barefoot on the beach just outside our rooms. we had fresh seafood and i had the most delicious watermelon margarita! the day after we had a more chilled day, shot some content, explored the resort a bit more, went on the catamaran cruise and chilled out in the hot tub in the evening. by this point it felt like we had known everyone forever so it was such a fun evening to hang out with everyone and share some very funny stories! the next morning we got to experience the spa a bit with a couples massage using hot salt stones and oil. i may have discovered my new favourite form of massage and it was so delightful. ended the night at their tepanyaki restaurant and we all left with a belly full of gorgeous food. thats been a huge favourite part of mine, the food on offer at sandals as theres so much choice. (and all included in your stay!)
South Coast
our last stop with sandals was to south coast! this resort to me was way more chilled and bigger than the other ones and felt more quiet and relaxing! our first night we had a candle lit dinner planned and it was such a treat for us as it took us back to when me and oli got engaged in bali. it was super romantic and we were situated at the end of the resort so it felt like it was just the two of us! the dinner also came with a photographer to capture this romantic moment but i ended up just using our friends on the trip as i knew what i wanted to capture. each resort has a photography team that you can hire or bump into whilst walking around the resort. they will take a picture of you and ask for your room number so you can head to the photo store and get your pictures! such a nice little touch!
we had a little tour to the appleton rum estate the next morning and learnt about the rum process and had a tasting session! if you’re a rum love this is up your street for sure. then we headed back to chill on the beach before getting ready for our last dinner together. we were surprised with our own private dinner by the beach and a whole ray of different dishes on offer. from sushi to stir fry to fresh seafood and desserts! we were truly spoilt with hospitality from the staff at south coast.
still can’t believe how lucky we were to have experience this! just want to say another huge thank you to sandals for whisking us away on this beautiful unforgettable trip. it was truly surreal!
disclaimer: this was part of a press trip with sandals. i was not contracted to write a post but wanted to share you guys my experience!
LFW PHOTO DIARY
I got my films developed from lfw and i thought i would share with you guys what i got up to. i didn’t take my camera to a few things as i was carrying around a small bag and my camera broke after we took the last image on this post which was a bummer.
stayed at kettner’s in soho. one of my favourite places to crash whilst in london.
arrived at the apt x starbucks pop up and we were greeted with unlimited pumpkin spice lattes!
there was also sweet treats by dee’s basement and of course i had to have some
like this vanilla and lemon cake. i could of happily eatten the whole table if we didn’t have to leave for dinner.
trying to show off my new nails i got done at house of lady muck.
me with my cake. very h a p p y here.
more of my nails.
these two talking about music as usual.
how cute is kitty’s bag? i was obsessed!
we had dinner at temper. it was a mexican restaurant hence the tacos and margs but there was also a roast. i wanted both so we ordered both.
the next morning i had paul costello to attend.
it was a lot of florals, 60’s to 80’s vibes. brihgt colours and girly prints.
this was a bit too house wife for me but he did have this beautiful dress with a tie dye kind of print which was insane.
met up with kaylum and shot some outfit pics.
early morning rise the next day and started off with an acai bowl and matcha latte.
didn’t take my camera to the pushbutton show but came back to hotel and took it with me to lunch with vanessa. she took me to her friend’s poke place and it was delicious!
it was called polu poke and you can find them here
next i had to rush to my shoot with ysl. we filmed something really fun and i can’t wait for you guys to see it. i’ll keep you guys updated on when it will be live.
worked with Marcio again for this campaign and he does my make up so well. i asked for the jlo glow and he delivered.
then i had to come back and get ready before the big launch event that night. i had sherrie and ashley come over to the room to hang out. we had take out and caught up with each other. a much needed girl time.
i hadn’t seen ashley in a while and thats what i love about lfw. everyone is in town so you can catch up with your friends.
these girls <3
we had to use up the rest of the film on the roll…
my camera broke after this which was a pain as i wanted to shoot around the party. the bright side was i got to enjoy the night without over thinking too much about capturing pictures! i hope you guys enjoyed this round up! i can’t wait to share my next trip with you guys.
NOVEMBER ON FILM
A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE PICS ON FILM
I was itching to get my photos developed from my birthday trip the moment I landed (I felt like Monica after her wedding!) and I’m so happy to have them! I wanted to share with you guys a few of them - I ended up taking over 200 pictures and here are some of my favourites. I shoot these on my 35mm point and shoot, I use the minolta riva zoom I got off etsy for £30 and it works like a gem.
STREETS OF PRAGUE
A COMFY FIT FOR THE FIRST DAY OF PRAGUE
These set of pictures were taken a few months ago in Prague with We Are Komodo. I fell in love with the architecture of Prague - especially these colourful houses and streets. It was never somewhere I saw myself travelling to but we had so much fun exploring the city and eating our way around it. This outfit was for our first day in the city, super chilled as we weren’t doing any work that day. I wanted to dress comfortably as I knew we were walking around a lot and went for this crop top from Brandy Melville, cargo trousers from Missguided and Balenciaga Trainers.
You can see what we got up to in Prague from my vlog, which you can watch here
ALFRED X THE LINE
When your two loves come together
When your two loves of LA come together as one! I was recently in LA late September and had heard that Alfred was opening up at the LINE in Korean town. I was filled with excitement! I spent the last few days of my trip there and I’m just so in love with the fact I didn’t have to leave my hotel to go and grab coffee from my favourite spot. Currently, the Line is going through a bit of a revamp with the lobby area, their restaurant on the 2nd floor and a new coffee shop in place. Even though theres a lot of change happening, one things for sure the service and vibe of the hotel is still impeccable. I can’t wait to stop by again next week when I’m back!
GUIDE: 1 DAY IN SANTA MONICA
What to do if you only have a day to spend in Santa Monica
MY GUIDE TO SPENDING THE PERFECT DAY
IN SANTA MONICA
I often get asked if you need to spend a few days in Santa Monica area to make the best of it. The truth is, you can just spend the day there and still fit everything in. Here is how I would spend my full day!
Head down to the Santa Monica pier.
I love the fair, the games and the atmosphere of the arcade. I normally spend hours in here but head there in the morning to avoid the crowd. Cut the lines on the rides and catch a scenic view from the pier. Grab a burger at Pier Burger if you like ( a classic from back in the day) or some dipping dots for a sweet treat! Oh, don't forget to grab your fortune from Zoltar!
Ride along the beach to Venice!
A typical touristy thing to do but its super fun and you get to see more of the area. You can choose from roller skates, skate boards, the bird, a bike or an electric chopper! Theres a lot of deals along the boardwalk but I normally go to the one near the pier as its only $7 an hour. Make sure they give you the lock if you are planning on grabbing lunch after your ride & you can even ask for a basket!
Photo op with the Venice sign
No matter what time of day, you will see someone with a camera snapping each other at this famous crossing. Head there for sunset for the perfect photo op but be warned - it gets pretty crowed.
Grab a bite to eat at Great White
This cool neighbourhood cafe serves coastal california dishes & everything is delicious! A perfect spot to go for breakfast as well. Bare in mind that it does get a bit busy but the wait usually isn't that long!
1604 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Drive down to Abbot Kinney
This is favourite area west side. Abbot Kinney is pretty hippy, happy & full of little boutiques and amazing restaurants. Try out the Butchers Daughter, Felix, GTA, Blue Bottle coffee and Neighbour to name a few! If you do have a car with you theres plenty of public valets which is normally about $12 flat fee so you can wonder up and down the boulevard.
Grab some ice cream from Salt & Straw.
Probably the best ice cream in Abbot Kinney. They have such incredible flavours that I wanted to try everything! I ended up going for the honey lavender with was a dream. Topped off with fairy sprinkles!
1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Visit Burro
My favourite store along the Abbot Kinney Boulevard. This has everything from books, homeware, beauty products, clothing to gifts! I spent way too much in there but picked up some candles, spicy margarita mix and a few gifts for my family.
1409 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
To finish off your day head back to the beach & watch the sunset! You can grab some fruit bags or snacks from the pier and enjoy the view & people watching. Or if you fancy some dinner along the beach, head to the Ivy which is just at the top of the Pier!