LAGuide
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5 Places Where You Can See A Celebrity
photo credit: Tower Bar
You just landed at LAX. You’re hoping to see the Hollywood sign and Rodeo Drive, and maybe hit the Malibu beaches. But deep down, what you want most from your LA trip is a celebrity sighting. There’s no shame in that game. The city is full of them. You just need to know the restaurants and bars where they hang out—something you’ll find out in this guide, not on one of those celebrity home bus tours.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Tower Bar
Here’s the thing about this historic spot inside the Sunset Tower Hotel: even if you don’t see a celebrity, you’re still in for a great time. The menu has crisp martinis and a build-your-own sundae situation, and there’s often a stringed quartet playing in the corner of the restaurant. Chances are pretty high that you’ll recognize someone, though. On the poolside patio, A-listers sign contracts and young celebutantes pretend to eat tuna tartare. Bring your best pair of sunglasses and sharpen up that side-eye.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Sure, at Giorgio Baldi, you might see Rihanna in a see-through kaftan or paparazzi hiding in the bushes. But the most surprising part of this classic Italian restaurant in the Palisades is the highly edible food. Get some burrata and their famous sweet corn agnolotti—both are the sorts of things you’ll wake up in the middle of the night thinking about. That and Rihanna’s kaftan.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
The flagship restaurant of the Nobu empire is a household name here in LA. And despite the exorbitant prices, tough reservations, and Deux Moi enthusiasts loitering out front, eating here is always worth the hassle. After all these years, classics like sashimi tacos, yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, and black cod miso are still good. And the only thing that beats the view of your favorite Oscar winner is seeing the unobstructed Malibu coast.
photo credit: Matt Gendal
There are celebrity restaurants and then there’s Dan Tana’s, the iconic Italian spot in West Hollywood. Come any night of the week and you might do a shot of premium tequila with the maître d’ and an original cast member of M*A*S*H* could spill their martini on your chicken parm. A night at Dan Tana’s is an essential LA dining experience—one where the celebrities aren’t just distant entities you stare at, they’re people you party with.
You could spend your entire vacation sitting in restaurants from Malibu to Beverly Hills, but your best shot at seeing a famous person in LA is going to this grocery store in Franklin Village. It’s totally normal to lock eyes with Aubrey Plaza at the deli counter or reach for almond milk at the same time as Jon Hamm. Even if both of those scenarios sound like outtakes from your dreams.
