Beverly Hills deli, since 1945 · $$
The Beverly Hills deli, open since 1945 and still on North Beverly Drive. Order the pastrami sandwich at $27.50, with matzo ball soup at $12.95 a bowl or a potato knish; for breakfast the bagel 'n lox is $19.95. The same menu runs all day, from 8am to 9pm every day, and you walk in without a booking. The hotel's house car covers the trip.
Walk in414 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Wolfgang Puck's flagship · $$$$
Wolfgang Puck's flagship, with an open kitchen, a seasonal California menu, and a choice of à la carte or a full tasting menu. The smoked salmon pizza, Puck's since Spago opened in 1982, is the dish to ask about. It serves dinner only, from 5:30pm on Tuesday to Thursday and 5pm from Friday to Sunday, until 10pm (9:30pm on Sunday), and is closed on Monday. Reserve ahead; valet parking is available.
Reserve ahead176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Italian-American restaurant, since 1964 · $$$
A little yellow house with red leather booths on Santa Monica Boulevard, serving dinner since 1964. Order the chicken parmigiana at $49, the veal cutlet Milanese at $52 or the prime New York steak at $84, with fried ravioli to start. It opens at 5pm and takes bookings by phone and online; the bar is first come, first served, which is the way in when the dining room is full. Hours can vary, so confirm when you book.
Reserve ahead9071 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Breakfast café and marketplace · $$
A café and marketplace with communal tables, open every day from 8am to 8pm, with breakfast dishes at $12 to $17. Order the Bonne Femme omelette, served dine-in until 2pm, or the corned beef hash with two fried eggs, both $16.95, and a kouign amann at $5 from the bakery case. Come back at lunch for a sandwich or a plate from the deli case.
Walk in8350 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Hollywood bar and dining room in the Sunset Tower · $$$
An 80-seat room of walnut panelling, a fireplace and rose-lit niche booths on the ground floor of the Sunset Tower, where the hotel places Bugsy Siegel's old apartment. Have a martini at the bar, with jazz pianists playing in the evening. Dinner runs from 6pm to 10pm Monday to Wednesday and to 11pm Thursday to Saturday; Sunday dinner is for hotel guests only. Shorts, caps, sandals, tank tops and sweats are not allowed, nor are phone calls, laptops or photographs.
Reserve ahead8358 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Hickoryburger counter, since 1947 · $
A U-shaped counter with 26 stools, built round the Hickoryburger, on the menu since the day it opened. Order it at $10.25, with fries at $5, then a slice of banana cream or apple pie at $7.75, or $2.25 more with ice cream. It is open every day from 11am to 11pm, to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and takes no bookings, so you take a stool when one comes free.
Walk in10801 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Hot dog stand, since 1939 · $
The La Brea hot dog stand that began as a cart in 1939. Order the bacon chili cheese dog, a named special such as the Brando, or the 12-inch Jalapeño; the double pastrami Swiss cheeseburger is on the menu too. It opens at 9:30am every day and closes at midnight, or 2am on Friday and Saturday. There are no bookings.
Walk in709 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Taco truck with a fixed spot · $
A taco truck with a fixed spot at La Brea and Venice, open every day, with al pastor carved from the trompo. Order it in tacos, or have a sope or a huarache; the truck runs from 10am to 2am Sunday to Thursday and to 3:30am on Friday and Saturday. It is one of 14 Leo's trucks across Los Angeles, each with its own hours, and as a truck it takes no bookings.
Walk in1515 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Breakfast is served in three places. The Polo Lounge serves it from 7am to 11am, with a filtered coffee at $18, buttermilk pancakes at $30 and a lox and bagel at $44. The Fountain Coffee Room serves from 7am to 4pm every day at its curved counter, with silver dollar pancakes, fresh juices and smoothies, and eggs and pancakes at about $20. The Cabana Cafe by the pool serves breakfast from 10am to 11:30am. Breakfast is not in the standard room rate, so check what your rate includes. The best outside option is Joan's on Third, eight minutes by car, which opens at 8am and has a breakfast omelette or corned beef hash at $16.95; Nate 'n Al's, four minutes away, opens at 8am too, with a bagel 'n lox at $19.95.
