Best Of L.A. 2017 — The Neighborhood Edition – West
We’re happy to bring you part of LA Weekly’s annual Best of L.A. List! This year, for the first time, they’ve created a “Best of L.A. Neighborhoods” edition, so we recapped their choices for everything Westside! LA Weekly is known for highlighting local spots in their own unique categories such as “Best Instagrammable Restaurant“ and “Best Museum of the Mundane”. We couldn’t be more proud of our neighbors for receiving such high honors! Culver City/Palms/Mar Vista, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice/Marina del Rey and West L.A./Sawtelle/Brentwood are all included.
Culver City + Palms + Mar Vista
BEST RESTAURANT
n/naka
3455 S. Overland Ave., Palms, 90034
310-836-6252
n-naka.com
BEST NEW WINE SHOP
Stanley’s Wet Goods
9620 Venice Blvd, Culver City, 90232
424-341-2870
stanleys.la
BEST FAST-CASUAL RESTAURANT
BäcoShop
9552 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
424-258-6301
baco-shop.com
BEST INSTAGRAMMABLE RESTAURANT
Destroyer
3578 Hayden Ave., Culver City, 90232
destroyer.la
“Destroyer’s stark background, heavy, earthy ceramics and meticulously artful platings might make it the most Instagrammable restaurant in the known universe. Chicken confit comes in a wide bowl under a blanket of charred cabbage leaves and a flurry of cheese. Beef tartare, bound by smoked egg cream, comes under a plated armor of perfectly arranged radishes, with sprigs of dill at the edge for frondy visual appeal. This is cerebral food, but it also speaks to your more emotional needs.”
BEST PLACE TO SAFELY INTRODUCE YOUR KID TO WILD ANIMALS
STAR Eco Station
10101 W. Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, 90232
310-842-8060
ecostation.org
BEST MUSEUM OF THE MUNDANE
Center for Land Use Interpretation
9331 Venice Blvd., Culver City, 90232
310-839-5722
clui.org
BEST SALON
The Compound Salon
6136 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232
310-913-0022
thecompoundsalon.com
BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT
TIE: Crossroads and Sage
Crossroads
8284 Melrose Ave., Beverly Grove, 90046
323-782-9245
crossroadskitchen.com
Sage
4114 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, 90230
424-228-5835
sageveganbistro.com
BEST WINE SHOP
Stanley’s Wet Goods
9620 Venice Blvd, Culver City, 90232
424-341-2870
stanleys.la
BEST YOGA STUDIO
SoulPlay Yoga
9711 Washington Blvd, Culver City, 90232
310-287-1255
Santa Monica
BEST UP-AND-COMING CHEF
Miles Thompson, Michael’s
1147 Third St., Santa Monica, 90403
310-451-0843
michaelssantamonica.com
BEST GALLERY FOR POP SURREALISM/NEW CONTEMPORARY
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave., T5, Santa Monica, 90404
310-829-2156
copronason.com
BEST WINE SHOP
Esters Wine
1314 7th St., Santa Monica
310-899-6900
BEST SKATEBOARD SHOP
Rip City Skates
2709 Santa Monica Blvd # A, Santa Monica, 90404
310-828-0388
ripcity.net
BEST TRIVIA NIGHT FOR PLAYING ALONGSIDE JEOPARDY! CONTESTANTS
O’Brien’s
2226 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 90403
310-829-5303
obriensla.com
BEST PSYCHIC SCHOOL
Southern California Psychic Institute
1741 21st St., Santa Monica, 90404
310-587-3536
socalpi.org
“Trust your instinct. Pay attention to your gut feelings. Listen to that little voice inside. Let your conscience be your guide. You may be asking yourself, “How?” and the answer is simple: Trust your intuition. If only it were that easy to do. Luckily, the Southern California Psychic Institute can help. No, this academy won’t teach you how to become a storefront fortune teller. Yes, you’ll learn to do palm, tarot, aura, spirit guide and/or past-life readings, but who you’re really learning to contact is yourself, beyond all your day-to-day, terrestrial baggage.”
BEST SURF SHOP
ZJ Boarding House
2619 Main St., Santa Monica, 90405
310-392-5646
zjboardinghouse.com
Venice + Marina del Rey
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Felix
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 90291
424-387-8622
felixla.com
BEST $20 RAMEN
MTN
1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 90291
424-465-3313
mtnvenice.com
BEST MULTIPURPOSE RESTAURANT
The Rose Cafe
220 Rose Ave., Venice, 90291
310-399-0711
rosecafevenice.com
“The Rose is a great place to stop in for a cocktail before or after dinner, it’s a great place to grab a coffee and a pastry in the morning, it provides lots of opportunities for lingering over brunch or lunch meetings with friends or business associates. And here’s the thing that really shouldn’t be overlooked: Jason Neroni is a very good chef. Whether you’re looking for a butcher block full of charcuterie, or a beautiful, creative bowl of handmade pasta, or a giant steak or whole grilled lobster, Neroni has you covered with a dinner menu that can be made to suit almost any taste or occasion. Breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, drinks, coffee … no other place in Venice offers quite this much while doing it all so well.”
BEST DINNER WITHOUT A RESERVATION OR A WAIT
Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave., Venice, 90291
310-314-0320
gjusta.com
BEST BOUTIQUE THAT EMBODIES ALL THINGS VENICE
Flowerboy Project
824 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, 90403
310-452-3900
flowerboyproject.com
BEST WAY TO PRETEND YOU’RE RICH
Old Plank Sailing Adventures
14003 Palawan Way, Marina del Rey, 90292
818-644-0081
captainmancini.com
“In Marina del Rey, sunset sailing tours abound, but there’s something special about the tours led by Captain Matthew Mancini at Old Plank Sailing Adventures. For a two- or three-hour sail, you and a group of friends get Mancini as your easygoing, all-knowledgeable, personal guide to the water. Mancini wows his guests by answering any and every question you may have about the sea and by sharing his own fascinating stories of life as a sailor, but if you’re there for the privacy, just head to the front of the boat. He’s happy as a clam simply steering the ship for you. You can bring your own wine and food, and he’ll also provide some rosé and tasty hors d’oeuvres.”
BEST BARTENDER
John Henry Binder, James Beach/Venice Duck Brewery
Venice Duck Brewery
4238 Coolidge Ave., Los Angeles, 90055
310–383-4927
veniceduckbrewery.com
James Beach
60 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, 90291
310-823-5396
jamesbeach.com
BEST BEACH
Venice Beach
Venice Blvd., 90291, Venice, 90291
310-666-2766
BEST BIKE SHOP
TIE: Coco’s Variety and The Bicycle Whisperer
Coco’s Variety
2427 Riverside Dr., Los Angeles, 90039
323-664-7400
cocosvariety.com
The Bicycle Whisperer
724 Vernon Court Venice, Venice, 90291
310-612-1409
BEST SHOE STORE
DSW Shoes
13450 Maxella Ave., Marina Del Rey, 90292
310-823-0600
dswshoes.com
West L.A. + Sawtelle + Brentwood
BEST SABER RATTLING
Avant Garde Fencers Club
2209 Barry Ave, Los Angeles, 90064
310-473-8890
BEST NURSERY
Hashimoto Nursery
1935 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, 90025
310-473-6232
hashimotonursery.com
BEST PERSIAN RESTAURANT ALTERNATIVE
LaZiz Grill
1922 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles
310-474-2436
laziz-grill.com
“While an array of respectable Persian restaurants can be found in Little Tehran on Westwood Boulevard, the area’s best-kept secret is LaZiz Grill, where many of the same Iranian entrees can be enjoyed at almost half the price.”
BEST SCHOOL OF ROCK
UCLA Meteorite Gallery
595 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, 90095
310-825-2015
meteorites.ucla.edu
BEST BIKE PATH
Ballona Creek
Jefferson and Lincoln blvds., Los Angeles, 90094
310-306-5994
Read the full list with all L.A. Neighborhoods included at laweekly.com
Source: laweekly.com
