The Perfect Entourage Suite: Pregaming in the Pool Suite at Downtown L.A. Proper. Photo by Jacq Harriet.

How, and where, to celebrate the good times like a local: hidden Cinema, intimate concerts, rooftop nightlife, secret shopping and beyond.

The entertainment capital of the world took a punch to the gut this year - but stands strong and more resilient than ever. Los Angeles, and all the cities and neighborhoods that make up this metropolis, weaves a diverse cultural fabric that's always exciting to explore. No matter how you define fun, we've got it covered. Just 80? Oh, who's counting? Yes, there'll be traffic, but don't stress it. There's no shortage of Escalades in this town, so get yourself a driver for the week. (Your travel advisor can easily arrange that.) We're highlighting what's hot and new, but also some classic good-times stuff that Angelenos will never take for granted.

Andys Speakeasy Interior

Speakeasies are suddenly everywhere. The recently opened Andys hides behind a magazine rack facade in West Hollywood, sandwiched between the hallowed ground of the Troubadour and Dan Tana's. It's a 1970s-themed, live-music-infused bottle service wonderland co-owned by rapper/songwriter/drummer/producer Anderson .Paak. The best part: It features a deeply Californian menu by chefs Brandon Kida and Chris Oh - think hamachi crudo with leche de tigre and prime New York strip slathered with Vietnamese herb butter, plus tiki-inspired cocktails, including some with punch-bowl vibes. Meanwhile, just a few miles south on Slauson in View Park-Windsor Hills (aka the Black Beverly Hills), actress/author/producer Issa Rae recently debuted the John Sofio-designed Somerville, which has quickly become the see-and-be-seen spot for live jazz with a side of caviar and fried-chicken sliders.

Elsewhere on trend: You'll find more dinner-and-a-show vibes in Beverly Hills at Cipriani, in Long Beach atop the Fairmont Breakers at Alter Ego, in Toluca Lake at the supper club Verse, in West Hollywood at the burlesque-themed Puzzle, in Hollywood at the dark and classic Catalina Bar & Grill, and in the hills of Bel Air at legendary musician Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, Etc.

Qué Bárbaro inside Level 8

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DTLA: HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOOD FOR DINING

For great dining of all genres, no area has been consistently hotter in recent years than the entire swath of downtown that stretches from historic Chinatown to the emerging Arts District. And the most exciting development in this urban jungle right now is the rooftop complex dubbed Level 8, a labyrinth of food and drinks from some of the city's most acclaimed chefs and mixologists, including South American barbecue spot Que Barbaro by Ray Garcia and teppanyaki bar Maison Kasai from Joshua Gil, plus Golden Hour, a poolside carousel bar with fire-breathers and underwater contortionists, and the cleverly hidden Mr. Wanderlust, a library-style piano bar with aerialists and a roving emcee.

Elsewhere in DTLA, world-famous humanitarian/chef Jose Andres serves his Spanish signatures at San Laurel inside The Conrad, and David Chang's Majordomo still beckons in Chinatown. Meanwhile, at the Downtown L.A. Proper, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne of A.O.C. fame operate Caldo Verde (downstairs) and Cara Cara (on the rooftop). At the sprawling, multi-block, mixed-use development known as the Row, rising-star chef Jon Yao's omakase-meets-Taiwanese tasting menu at Kato is one of the toughest reservations in the city. And in the adjacent Arts District and Little Tokyo, restaurants like Girl & the Goat, Damian, Bavel and Camphor have completely redefined what it means to live and dine in L.A, for both scene and cuisine.

Insider Insight:
"In case you're thinking of getting a tattoo while in L.A, the Everly has just launched a Tiny Zaps residency inside the hotel to connect guests with a network of local tattoo artists."

- Benjamin Palmer, GM, Kimpton Everly Hollywood

The Hammer Museum

Home to more than 50,000 artworks from classic to contemporary, the Hammer Museum in Westwood - under the new leadership of director Zo? Ryan - always champions emerging and under-recognized artists with diverse programming ranging from rare-film screenings to lectures and workshops. Plus: Alice Waters has a restaurant, Lulu, on-site.

Other cultured stops to consider: the quirky, must-see Mr Brainwash Art Museum in Beverly Hills and the breathtaking Hauser & Wirth gallery in the downtown Arts District, along with the nearby warehouse known only by its address, 1700 S. Santa Fe, which houses a collection of independent galleries (Vielmetter, Nicodim, Patricia Sweetow, Wilding Cran, Gavlak and more) and, for an indoor/outdoor version on the Westside, the storied Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. Plus: the more obvious stops such as LACMA in the Miracle Mile (with the David Geffen Galleries set to debut next spring), The Broad downtown, the Getty Center in the hills above Bel Air (amazing views), The Huntington in Pasadena and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Beverly Hills (where you can accept your own Oscar, in case you didn't win the real one). Coming soon: The world's first AI arts museum, Dataland, will open later this year in DTLA, near MoCA.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hils.

Surprise: Not everything is made for the screen. Live theater here is superb but doesn't get much attention. Few venues can compare with the range of year-round programming at The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The Wallis' schedule this year varies from the LA Opera to modern dance, music and visual art. The theater itself is designed so that patrons spill out onto a leafy patio during intermission - it's so L.A.

Other stages not to miss: You'll always find engaging theatrical productions downtown at the Mark Taper Forum and at the REDCAT, tucked behind Walt Disney Concert Hall. On the city's Westside, there's the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood and the BroadStage in Santa Monica, while on the Eastside, the Pasadena Playhouse always impresses. Further south, at Hollywood Park (the new entertainment district near SoFi Stadium), CineVita brings a cinema-inspired musical/theatrical show to the world's largest circus tent. And, of course, in the heart of Hollywood, Broadway's biggest productions always come to the gorgeous Pantages Theatre.

Tei Shi at The Sun Rose music lounge

This city might be the best place in the world for small-crowd concerts by A-list artists. While we impatiently wait for the Blue Note Jazz club to debut in Hollywood (soon, they promise), our favorite spot for now to catch an intimate show is The Sun Rose, a music lounge inside the Pendry on Sunset, where Charlie Bereal has a residency and everyone from Bruno Mars to Mariah Carey has popped in to catch a friend's gig, if not also perform. For other intimate performances by the up-and-coming artists everyone will be talking about next year, head to Hollywood's divey-chic Hotel Cafe - which is neither a hotel nor a cafe but rather a hidden complex of small stages with an always-stellar lineup, often scheduled last-minute. Also watch the calendar for the cozy El Rey Theatre on the Miracle Mile, the art deco Wiltern in Mid-Wilshire, The Mint on Pico, The Roxy in WeHo and the iconic Palladium in Hollywood. Or, here's a twist: For classical music in a church - with an ensemble that reinterprets everyone from Coldplay to The Beatles - consider Candlelight Concerts, currently in residence in Koreatown through summer.

Insider Insight:
"I recommend taking our Rolls-Royce to the Burbank Airport to catch a helicopter tour over the downtown L.A. skyline and the Hollywood Sign. Then come back to the hotel and unwind with live piano music in our Living Room."

- Offer Nissenbaum, Managing Director, Peninsula Beverly Hills

ending soon studios

ending soon studios

#52-61
DIOR, HERMES, PRADA WITH A TWIST

Forget Rodeo Drive for one hot minute. Since this is the global epicenter of red-carpet premieres - and nobody wants to be caught by the paparazzi in the same designer duds twice - L.A. has a vintage and resale-couture scene like nowhere else in the world, often more expensive the second time around. The new It shop, ending soon studios, just opened in trendy Melrose Hill, an area filled with galleries and destination cafes. The shop's loft space, inspired by the early days of Barneys, holds the appointment-only Taste Studio, an ultra-private salon filled with curated finds and upcycled one of a kinds. Other tried-and-true spots for Gucci gowns and Birkin handbags include the iconic Decades, The RealReal, Resurrection Vintage and The Paper Bag Princess, all on Melrose, plus What Goes Around Comes Around in Beverly Hills, LILY et Cie in West Hollywood, The Way We Wore on Beverly Boulevard and, by appointment only (if they take your call), Aralda Vintage in Beachwood Canyon. Meanwhile, Capsule Parfumerie is a chic little shop in West Hollywood that takes the community's love affair with luxury vintage to new olfactory heights. Bring in a favorite old bottle of perfume, and they'll recreate a bespoke scent exclusive to you - and you get to be the nose in the process.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Photo by Chloe rice.

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AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE CLASSICS

Experiencing a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl - with a picnic and bottle of wine at sunset beneath the palm trees - is not just a rite of passage in L.A. but an annual must-do, be it to see the LA Philharmonic with fireworks (July) or the likes of Cyndi Lauper (August) or John Legend (September). Dig a little deeper still, and you'll find the city's under-the-radar gems like the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, named for the late puppeteer who worked on E.T. and other blockbusters, going strong since 1963 and now in a new location in Highland Park (Eastside) that holds only about 100 people - and more than 3,000 handcrafted puppets. For cinephiles, Greystone In the Movies is a monthly series inside the famous Greystone mansion's private theater that showcases films connected to the mansion, with titles ranging from The Day Mars Invaded Earth to Ghostbusters II.

Other L.A. requisites include the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Comedy Store and - for old-fashioned, star-studded dining - the Georgian Room in Santa Monica, Musso & Frank in Hollywood or the Polo Lounge and La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills. But, please, no flash; we're trying to eat! Wink, wink.

Insider Insight:

"Stay for the weekend, and do not miss our brunch at Casa Madera, followed by Skybar's Swim Club Saturdays pool party with live DJ sets."

- Carl Hubbard, GM, Mondrian Los Angeles

The Presidential Suite at Hotel Bel-Air

WHERE TO STAY: SUITE EDITION (#70-80)

Whichever hotel fits your vibe, plan on bringing the fun to your suite, because Los Angeles has some truly over-the-top penthouses, signature suites and private villas - too many to mention them all. Here are 10 of our favorites, from downtown to the beach: some with pools, others with ocean views - all fabulous.

Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel

The Veranda Suite of the iconic Beverly Wilshire redefines star sightings. The suite's 750-square-foot rooftop terrace is outfitted with a large canvas tent and firepit for the ultimate in urban glamping. 395 rooms, $$$

Conrad Los Angeles

With its sprawling patio and floor-to-ceiling windows, the 1,633-square-foot Conrad Penthouse Suite brings downtown Los Angeles - including the shimmering, Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall - into focus like never before. 305 rooms, $$

Downtown L.A. Proper

The 2,777-square-foot, Kelly Wearstler-designed Pool Suite (our choice for this issue's cover shoot) perched atop a beautifully restored vintage tower, is always fully booked during awards season. It's got an indoor pool and private bar. It's totally ballin'. 147 rooms, $

Hotel Bel-Air

The 2,265-square-foot Presidential Suite compound at the Bel-Air remains ultra-private and, of course, ultra-luxurious. Guests bypass the hotel entrance, using their own secret driveway instead. The villa has multiple pools in the backyard and a grand piano in the living room. 103 rooms, $$$

Hotel Casa del Mar

The region's OG beach resort (since 1929) offers glittering ocean views from its two-story, one-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot Penthouse. Located on the seventh and eighth floors, it's like a beach house in the sky. 129 rooms, $$$

The Maybourne Beverly Hills

With panoramic views of the city, The Maybourne's one-bedroom, 2,025-square-foot, pastel-hued, Bryan O'Sullivan-designed Presidential Suite exudes contemporary elegance. Put your piano lessons to the test on the beautiful baby grand. And the huge closets should accommodate all that shopping you'll do nearby. 204 rooms, $$$

Palihouse Santa Monica

While this preppy-styled Pali outpost in SaMo offers two gorgeous penthouses, we prefer Penthouse One, a 1,200-square-foot apartment with two bedrooms, large living and dining areas and (here's the kicker) two separate outdoor spaces, with ocean breezes. Easily bike to the beach. 38 rooms, $

Regent Santa Monica Beach

This contemporary redux is the region's most talked-about new hotel in recent memory. One reason for that might be its 2,180-square-foot, two-story, two-bedroom Atrium Grand Villa suite - an impeccable beach pad with vast ocean views. 167 rooms, $$$

Sandbourne Santa Monica

At only 660 square feet, the one-bedroom Ocean Suite might be less rock-star-inclined than the others on this list. But those views of the Pacific and the fab indoor/outdoor vibe make this one of the best bargains on the shore. 175 rooms, $

Sunset Tower Hotel

This 1929 art deco landmark on Sunset Boulevard will always be a celebrity favorite. The hotel features a residence-like, 2,000-square-foot, one-bedroom Penthouse with wraparound terrace and the ultimate views of the Hollywood Hills. 81 rooms, $$

Your travel advisor can secure extra perks, including resort credits and complimentary breakfast for two, at these and other Internova SELECT and CURATED hotels.

This article originally appeared in OLTRE Volume 10, Summer 2025.