Downtown Los Angeles has grown up. The scrappy, up-and-coming DTLA of a decade ago is now home to some of the city’s most serious tables, a cluster of Michelin-starred tasting menus in the Arts District, landmark architecture and a handful of genuinely beautiful hotels. It’s also one of the few corners of LA where you can leave the car behind and walk from a Frank Gehry concert hall to a 1920s bank-turned-hotel to dinner in a converted warehouse.
This is our guide to Downtown LA done well: where to stay, where to book a table, where to drink with a view and what’s worth your time between meals.
Where to stay in Downtown Los Angeles
Conrad Los Angeles
Location: Bunker Hill | Price: $$$$ | Best for: Culture-led city breaks
Why we love it: Set within Frank Gehry’s The Grand LA, directly across from Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Conrad puts The Broad, MOCA and the Music Center on your doorstep. Dining is by José Andrés, with San Laurel and Agua Viva, plus Airlight on the rooftop.
Good to know: The rooftop pool deck is one of the best in DTLA.
Insider detail: Book a pre-concert dinner at San Laurel and walk across the street to the Philharmonic.
100 S Grand Ave
Hotel Per La
Location: Historic Core | Price: $$$ | Best for: Architecture lovers
Why we love it: Housed in the 1922 Giannini Building, the former headquarters of the Bank of Italy, Per La has kept the Doric columns and gilded, painted ceiling of the original banking hall. Per L’Ora serves Italian with a California accent, and Café Ora does coffee, pastries and gelato downstairs.
Good to know: Bar Clara, the rooftop pool bar, is a lovely spot for a sundowner with skyline views.
649 S Olive St
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles
Location: South Park (L.A. LIVE) | Price: $$$$ | Best for: Polished, full-service luxury
Why we love it: The Ritz-Carlton sits high in the L.A. LIVE tower with a 26th-floor rooftop pool and bar, and an impressive line-up of restaurants including WP24 by Wolfgang Puck.
Good to know: It’s directly across from Crypto.com Arena and the Peacock Theater, so it’s ideal if you’re in town for a game or a concert.
900 W Olympic Blvd
Downtown LA Proper
Location: South Broadway | Price: $$$ | Best for: Design lovers
Why we love it: Kelly Wearstler’s rich, layered interiors make every corner of this 1920s building worth photographing. Cara Cara on the rooftop is one of downtown’s prettiest places for a long lunch or an evening drink.
1100 S Broadway
Kodō Hotel
Location: Arts District | Price: $$$ | Best for: A quiet, intimate stay
Why we love it: A century-old fire station reimagined with Japanese restraint: ash-wood furniture, futon-style beds and open showers with gravel floors. Kodō Restaurant serves Japanese American bistro dishes, and there’s a tea garden café on site.
Insider detail: You’re a short walk from the Sixth Street Viaduct and the best restaurants in the Arts District.
710 S Santa Fe Ave
Hotel Figueroa
Location: South Park | Price: $$$ | Best for: Old Hollywood character
Why we love it: Built in 1926, the Figueroa blends Spanish Colonial bones with a moody, art-filled interior, and its coffin-shaped pool is one of downtown’s most recognisable.
939 S Figueroa St
What to see & do
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry’s sweeping stainless-steel concert hall has been an LA icon since it opened in 2003. Home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, it’s as remarkable inside as it is out. Catch a performance if you can; otherwise, wander the rooftop garden.
111 S Grand Ave
The Broad
Eli and Edythe Broad’s contemporary art museum is free to enter and home to works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The star attraction is Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. Reserve free tickets in advance; extra tickets are released each evening for the following day. Closed Mondays.
221 S Grand Ave
The Music Center
Just across Grand Avenue, the Ahmanson Theatre and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage Broadway tours, opera and dance. Check the season calendar before you travel and pair a show with dinner on Bunker Hill.
135 N Grand Ave
Bradbury Building
The oldest commercial building in central Los Angeles (1893) is famous for its Victorian light-filled atrium, wrought-iron railings, marble stairs and open-cage elevators. You’ll recognise it from Blade Runner and (500) Days of Summer. Visitors can step into the ground-floor atrium, but the upper floors are private offices.
304 S Broadway
Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
This sprawling Arts District gallery, set in a former flour mill, hosts museum-calibre exhibitions with free entry. There’s a courtyard garden and an excellent bookshop on site.
901 E 3rd St
Sixth Street Viaduct
Downtown’s newest landmark is a ribbon of illuminated arches linking the Arts District with Boyle Heights. Walk it at golden hour for the best views back to the skyline.
Olvera Street
The oldest part of Los Angeles, this Mexican marketplace is lined with vendors, cafés and historic buildings including the Avila Adobe. Go for handmade crafts and taquitos, and a glimpse of the city’s beginnings.
845 N Alameda St
Where to eat
Hayato
Chef Brandon Hayato Go’s Michelin-starred kaiseki counter is one of the most sought-after reservations in Los Angeles. Intimate, precise and unforgettable. Bookings open in advance and go quickly.
1320 E 7th St #126 (ROW DTLA)
Kato
A Michelin-starred tasting menu with Taiwanese influences, and one of the best non-alcoholic pairings in the city.
777 S Alameda St, Building 1, Suite 114
Camphor
A new-school French bistro with Asian touches, Michelin-starred and effortlessly chic. Ideal for a celebratory dinner.
923 E 3rd St, Suite 109
Orsa & Winston
Chef Josef Centeno’s Japanese-Italian tasting menus change daily at this Michelin-starred Historic Core favourite.
122 W 4th St
Bestia
Still one of the hottest tables downtown, a decade on. Come for the house-cured salumi and bone marrow gnocchetti, and book well ahead.
2121 E 7th Pl
Bavel
From the team behind Bestia, Bavel serves Levantine small plates, fire-roasted meats and arguably the best hummus in LA in a light-filled, plant-draped room.
500 Mateo St #102
Damian
Enrique Olvera’s refined Mexican restaurant in the Arts District. For something more casual, head to Ditroit, his taquería in the alley out back.
2132 E 7th Pl
Camélia
A Japanese-inflected French bistro with a seasonal menu, a serious sake list and a burger worth the trip alone.
1850 Industrial St
Sushi Kaneyoshi
A hidden basement omakase in Little Tokyo, run by chef Yoshiyuki Inoue. Reservations are hard won, and absolutely worth it.
111 S San Pedro St, Suite B1
Bottega Louie
This grand, white-marble restaurant and patisserie has been a DTLA institution for years. Stop in for a box of macarons or an afternoon pastry, and you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into Paris.
700 S Grand Ave
Grand Central Market
A downtown landmark since 1917, this lively food hall at the foot of Bunker Hill brings together dozens of vendors under one roof. Arrive hungry, and go before the noon rush.
317 S Broadway
Where to drink
Airlight at Conrad Los Angeles
The Conrad’s rooftop bar looks straight out over Walt Disney Concert Hall. Book a table for sunset.
100 S Grand Ave
Perch
A French-inspired rooftop bar with art deco styling and views over Pershing Square. It’s best at apéritif hour.
448 S Hill St
Death & Co
The LA outpost of New York’s legendary cocktail bar is a dark, sultry den in the Arts District with a cocktail list to match.
818 E 3rd St
Seven Grand
A clubby whiskey bar with hundreds of bottles, live music and plenty of old-world atmosphere.
515 W 7th St, 2nd Floor
Where to shop
The Last Bookstore
Set inside a former bank, California’s largest new and used bookstore is a labyrinth of rare finds, art installations and its famous book tunnel. Give yourself at least an hour.
453 S Spring St
Los Angeles Flower Market
Arrive early in the morning for the best selection of fresh flowers, plants and succulents. Closed Sundays.
754 Wall St
Good to know
- Getting around: Bunker Hill, the Historic Core and Little Tokyo are walkable. The Arts District is a short rideshare ride away.
- Book ahead: Reserve tables at Hayato, Kato, Sushi Kaneyoshi and Bestia as early as you can, and book your timed tickets for The Broad’s Infinity Room.
- Timing: DTLA is at its best from Thursday to Saturday, when the restaurants and rooftops are in full swing.
More tips for Los Angeles
Hey! I’m Sophie, a kiwi fashion & lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles. When I’m not on the East Side of Los Angeles, you will likely find me navigating my way through an airport, New York City, or a new city living my best Euro life.
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