Los Angeles is a huge sprawling city and it can quickly become overwhelming to decide on what to do and where to stay when planning a girls trip. West Hollywood (referred to as WeHo by locals) tends to have all those bucket list things we love for traveling. In West Hollywood there’s an abundance of restaurants with great food and ambiance, fun daytime activities and poppin’ nightlife.

Whether it’s a bachelorette trip, a birthday celebration or just because you want to spend quality time with your gal pals, West Hollywood in Los Angeles is the perfect place to plan a getaway with your girlfriends. There’s plenty of places in West Hollywood that have those modern feminine vibes we love.

In this travel guide I breakdown all the highlights of West Hollywood to help you plan your itinerary. When I’m traveling I’m always on the hunt for restaurants with yummy food and a great ambiance, so all my foodie recommendations are picture pretty.

One thing worth mentioning is that WeHo is a nice central area of Los Angeles and you can take day trips to see other areas of the city. I also provide a list of other favorite places in Los Angeles to make your trip super memorable.

Where to Eat and Drink in West Hollywood

It’s not a true vacation unless you’re eating and drinking some amazingly delicious food and beverages. In the morning brunch spots rule supreme, then an afternoon lunch followed by dinner with cocktails. My restaurant recommendations cover all times of day with places that know how to do aesthetics right.

Norah

Norah is the trendy LA restaurant of the moment and is located right in the heart of West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. Their food is fresh and healthy eclectic American and they serve brunch, afternoon lunch, dinner and cocktails. They also have a many food options for vegans.

Rawberri

During our girls trip to West Hollywood we stopped for a quick morning breakfast at Rawberri before we headed out adventuring for the day. We had acai superfood bowls and adaptogen superfood lattes in rose and matcha. Scroll down to see the photos - they’re super colorful and Insta-worthy!

The Nice Guy

This restaurant suggestion is a bit different from my others because it’s not over the top feminine, but it’s definitely an LA favorite. The Nice Guy is a modern Italian restaurant with touches of old Hollywood and rat pack mafia vibes. Celebrities love this place, especially Justin Bieber. It’s located in West Hollywood West (yes, you read that correctly).

The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker

In this blog post you see photos of bright and colorful latte art, these are from The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker in West Hollywood. During my girls trip we had their famous Colorburst Hand Painted Latte along with some healthy appetizers. Their menu has modern California food with European influences and they serve all-day brunch and cocktails.

Pink Taco

The last group meal we had in Los Angeles was at the modern Mexican taqueria Pink Taco in West Hollywood. They have a spacious indoor patio with twinkle lights and modern ambiance. We enjoyed the happy hour eats with tacos, chips and guacamole. They also have a lengthy margarita menu with all kinds of fruity and spicy innovative flavors. Scroll down to see our photos from Pink Taco.

Gelato Festival Ice Cream Parlor

When those sweet tooth cravings start around 3pm, you can take a break from shopping on Melrose with an ice cream from Gelato Festival. They have really bright and airy interiors and a large selection of artisan flavors. There’s vegan ice cream too!

West 3rd Street x South Croft Avenue

Right before the pandemic my friends and I had a really nice dinner at the Kassi Club, a modern Mediterranean restaurant that sadly didn’t survive 2020. It was located on the corner of W 3rd St and S Croft Ave and there’s a whole block of trendy restaurants right in this area worth checking out. It’s was a very pleasant 15 minute walk from our hotel The Beverly Laurel in West Hollywood.

Magnolia Bakery

When I lived in New York City I used to go to Magnolia Bakery with my best for some cupcake treats. Fans of the show Sex and the City may also recognize the name because Carrie and Miranda have a scene eating Magnolia cupcakes on a bench. Walking down West 3rd Street in West Hollywood I stumbled across the LA Magnolia Bakery.

Alfred Coffee & Alfred Tea on Melrose Place

Alfred’s Coffee is one of the most trendy and Insta-famous coffee chains in Los Angeles. They have two storefronts at Melrose Place, one for coffee and one for tea. The interiors are cute with pink tile and modern aesthetics. There’s a lot to see and shop in this area, a fun place to hangout with the girl gang. Scroll down to see a couple photos below from our visit.

The Henry West Hollywood

The Henry is a very bright and modern restaurant that serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. They also have a happy hour with small bites and drinks. The food is seafood, salads, sandwiches and meat dishes. This place is definitely pricey so come prepared to spend serious cash on a meal.

Fun Things to Do in West Hollywood

Sunset Strip

Surely you’ve heard of the legendary Sunset Strip. It’s mostly known as the hub for all the action in West Hollywood with bars, clubs and restaurants. There’s many good hotel options located on the Sunset Strip which makes it really convenient to walk to dinners or to a club.

Shopping on Melrose Avenue

Along with Rodeo Drive, Melrose Avenue and Melrose Place are very famous fashion shopping districts in Los Angeles. You can expect to find designer brands alongside new up and coming trendy labels. My current favorite Melrose stores are LoveShackFancy, Frame and Rothy’s.

Take Colorful Mural Souvenir Photos in West Hollywood

Because I travel with a pack of Instagram-loving gals, we like to take souvenir photos in front of colorful murals. I have two Los Angeles mural guides on the blog. One is a specific Instagram mural guide to West Hollywood and the second is a more broad mural guide to all of Los Angeles. And yes, the famous Paul Smith Pink Wall is on there.

Best Los Angeles Daytime Hangout Spots for a Girls Weekend

Although you might be staying at a hotel in West Hollywood, you still may be planning on exploring the city with your friends during the daytime. Below I have some of my favorite Los Angeles neighborhoods and hot spots worth visiting.

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is a famous California landmark and really captures those quintessential forever summer vibes. Things to do at the pier include amusement park rides, carnival food, souvenir shops and an aquarium. The Santa Monica State Beach is right below the pier and a good place to set up a beach picnic.

Venice Beach Boardwalk & Abbot Kinney

About a mile and a half down the coast from the Santa Monica Pier you’ll hit Venice Beach. Another very famous SoCal spot and a must-see for first time Los Angeles visitors. The Venice Beach Boardwalk runs all the way to Santa Monica and beyond with plenty of shops, food and sightseeing along the way. We rented colorful cruiser bikes and rode up and down the paved boardwalk trail.

If you head half a mile inland from Venice Beach you’ll find Abbot Kinney Boulevard. This is a very popular area of Venice with restaurants, shopping and murals. It’s basically where the cool kids of LA hangout.

Rooftop Bars where you can see The Hollywood Sign

There’s multiple ways to see that famous Hollywood sign. You can get a workout while hiking the canyons surrounding the sign, or you can take a more leisurely approach by finding a lunch spot with Hollywood Sign views.

The Highlight Room is the enormous rooftop pool and restaurant on the roof of the Dream Hollywood Hotel. It has panoramic views of Los Angeles including vantage points looking out at the Hollywood Sign, the Hollywood Hills and downtown.

Mama Shelter is another LA hotel and restaurant that has an incredible rooftop bar with views of the Hollywood Sign. They have cocktails and food more meat lovers and vegans alike.

Finally, the last epic rooftop bar I have to share with you is the Broken Shaker on top of the Freehand Los Angeles Hotel. They have a bright and colorful modern tiki vibe with LA skyline views.

Grand central Market

The Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles is a popular foodie hub for adventurous eaters who enjoy all kinds of international cuisine. You’ll find Mexican, Japanese, Thai, American, German, Chinese, Italian, Filipino and more. There’s also lots of desserts, shopping and a photo booth.

Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive

For those who want to their “Pretty Woman” moment, drop some big dough on designer goods on Rodeo Drive. Or just walk around and window shop. There are some memorable photo spots along the streets which are totally free!

Universal Studios Hollywood

Los Angeles has the most world-famous amusement parks and Universal Studios Hollywood is definitely at the top of the list. Their most famous rides include Harry Potter, the Simpsons, Jurassic Park, the movie set studio tour, Fast and the Furious and more. Universal Studios is about a 20 minute drive from West Hollywood.

Disneyland

Disneyland clearly needs no introduction and if you’re planning an extended stay in Los Angeles then you might want to brave the drive to Anaheim. Considering the Los Angeles traffic, you can expect the drive from West Hollywood to Disneyland about an hour and a half.

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Travel Tips

Los Angeles is obviously a popular destination in California, especially for Pacific Coast Highway road trips. My husband and I are pros at driving around the golden state because we have both lived in Northern and Southern California.