SLEEP IN Beachfront hotels are fine in summer, but the action right now is inland, on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. The minimalist Mondrian (8440 Sunset Boulevard; 323-650-8999) is still happening, and there’s the Chateau Marmont (8221 Sunset Boulevard; 323-656-1010) for those who like it retro and Chandleresque. Or try the born-again L’Ermitage, in Beverly Hills, just remodeled from toe to topknot (9291 Burton Way; 310-278-3344)… .
DINE OUT Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Beverly Hills (176 North Cañon Drive; 310-385-0880) remains one of the toughest reservations in town, but
Lavande at the Loews Santa Monica (1700 Ocean Avenue; 310-576-3180) and Vincenti in Brentwood (11930 San Vicente Boulevard; 310-207-0127) are this year’s best new additions to the still-exploding dining scene… .
SECOND HELPINGS At breakfast, hit Home (1760 Hillhurst Avenue; 323-669-0211) in Los Feliz, the hot foothill neighborhood of the moment. Or head downtown to the Pacific Dining Car (1310 West Sixth Street; 213-483-6000) for steak ‘n’ eggs with pols and power brokers from City Hall… .
BOOGIE NIGHTS There’s late-night caviar and ice-cold vodka at © Bar in Beverly Hills (8442 Wilshire Boulevard; 213-782-8157), Cosmopolitans at Lucky Seven in the heart of Hollywood (1610 Vine Street; 323-463-7777), or tequila and mezcal at El Carmen (8138 West Third Street; 213-852-1556)… .
MUST-SEE David Hockney’s latest work at L.A. Louver in Venice (45 North Venice Boulevard; 310-822-4955). And across the basin, close by the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, the single greatest work of art in L.A.: the unique Gamble House, a 1908 Arts and Crafts masterpiece that’s open to the public (4 Westmoreland Place; 626-793-3334)… .
GETTING TO THE GETTY Richard Meier’s mountaintop Getty Center and Robert Irwin’s glorious garden are both free, but the parking isn’t. Reservations are a must, and if they’re booked, just park in Brentwood or Westwood and grab the shuttle (parking and shuttle info: 310-440-7300).