Made up of three distinct neighborhoods—the Sunset Strip, Santa Monica Boulevard, and the Design District—West Hollywood is the culmination of cool, boasting hip restaurants, world-class shopping, and historic haunts among its many draws. You don't need to take our word for it: Pull up a seat at three of the buzziest bars in town in the video above to get a real sense of what makes West Hollywood truly special.
At the effortlessly cool Bar Next Door, Brynn Smith's cocktail menu is a love letter to the Sunset Strip's storied history. "It was really important to make this bar here," she says. "I created a menu based on the allure of Hollywood: the glitz and glamour, and the rock 'n' roll." She also names her drinks—such as the Olive Drive Martini and the Beverly Hills Hotel—after some of the side streets and locations people might not know to visit on their own. "My goal was to create an L.A. staple that would be just as iconic as the places I feature," she says.
Befitting a city this diverse, Holy Water has a decidedly different vibe. The sun-drenched escape off West Hollywood's Santa Monica Boulevard can be described in three words, according to head bartender Cameron-Dodge White: community, vibes, and discovery. "West Hollywood is built on welcoming people from all over the place," he says. "And Holy Water is the ultimate hidden gem."
Should you find yourself in West Hollywood's Design District (and you should), you can't miss the liveliness of Gracias Madre, a celeb- and movie-biz-beloved plant-based Mexican restaurant that's centrally located in the neighborhood. "There's a lot of beautiful energy that comes through the Design District," says beverage director Sean Stewart. "If I were visiting West Hollywood, I would definitely make it a priority to come sit on our patio, have a bite to eat, and have one of our margs."
