Abbot Kinney Boulevard in coastal Venice Beach is home to the cream of local nibbles, tipples and covetables. A rare treat in LA, this hip strip is also blessedly walkable, so you can burn calories as well as credit limits along the way.
Begin mid-morning with a breakfast bite at quintessential Cali counter Gjelina, where New American morsels are served to a sea of hungry, and often queuing humanity, With your quinoa, confit and comté concluded, it’s time to put your best face forward at Warby Parker, whose specs and sunglasses put the geek in chic and the fawn in California.
Suitably shaded, go west to tot trove Burro, stocking a candy-hued array of desirables for kiddies, plus books, stationery and baubles for you. Pushing on, and following the stampede, you’ll note ice cream dream Salt & Straw on the next corner. Unconventional flavours and Instagram star status have sent this sweetie stratospheric, but rest assured it’s worth the wait.
Keep licking and clicking up the sidewalk to Chariots on Fire, a hyper-curated, gallery-esque space that sells one-of-a-kind gifts and wares for home, life and self. Push on some more till you reach the triple whammy – Cuyana, with sumptuous, minimal leather pieces for her; scent-suous botanical wonderland Strange Invisible Perfumes; and, over the road, plant-based, hip-clique lunch flop The Butcher’s Daughter.
All that retailing has likely got you tied in knots, but lo and behold just a couple of blocks on you’ll espy sweet Spa Sophia, with face, body and Ayurvedic treats that’ll have you rested and rejuvenated for your night ahead. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s right next door to pasta paradise Felix Trattoria, where delectable carbs and cocktails await – just make sure you’ve pre-booked!
Originally produced by LUXE for PenCities.
Heading to LA for a vacay? Don’t forget to snag a copy of the LUXE Los Angeles guide…
