After nearly a year of living in LA’s Silver Lake, I’ve really grown to love my east side neighbourhood. The restaurants are diverse and delicious, the shops are unique, and (unlike 90% of the city), the whole area is entirely walkable.
Click through the captioned pins below to discover my favourite eating, drinking and shopping spots in this part of town.
1. Mohawk General Store / Mohawk Man
www.mohawkgeneralstore.com
A seriously stylish boutique of women’s clothing and accessories, plus a few elegant homeware items and cool magazines thrown in for good measure. Pick up anything from a pair of Acne jeans to a pot of lapsang souchong by Mariage Frères. Next door, Mohawk Man offers just as sleek an edit of men’s clothing, shoes,and miscellaneous, desirable items. From Dries van Noten sunglasses to A.P.C.shoes, they’ve got you covered.
2. Broome St. General Store
www.broomestgeneral.com
This small boutique-slash-deli is crowded with things you’ll want to wear, smell, eat, drink and smear on your face at every turn. Penhaligon’s perfume, Rodin face oil, and fried chicken on Fridays. Delicious.
3. Naturewell
This health food supply store is home to the famous kale and coconut smoothie, plus the most extensive selection of energy bars you could ever hope to find. A good place to go when you’re in need of internal R&R.
4. Flore Vegan Cuisine
florevegan.com
L.A. does vegan food so well, and Flore is a prime example. Vast salads, burritos, and burgers are served up in a low-key, friendly café environment.
5. Forage
www.foragela.com
All the food at this laidback neighbourhood restaurant is locally-sourced, seasonal, and delicious. The menu is regularly changing, but you can’t go wrong with stalwart roasted salmon bowl, which comes served with brown rice and garlic kale.
6. Lamill Coffee Boutique
lamillcoffee.com
There are no shortage of excellent coffee shops on the east side of town, but LA Mill is particularly good – maybe even the best in LA. The orange-infused cappuccino is an extravagant (but worthwhile) indulgence.
7. Cafe Stella
cafestella.com
The in-house bar at chic French restaurant Café Stella is a nice place to enjoy a gourmet cocktail in an elegant environment. On Saturday nights, the outside patio fills up with jubilant locals.
8. Casa Victoria Furniture
casavictoriala.com
I always find something covetablein this dusty vintage furniture store. Browse a compact selection of tables,chairs, lamps and globes, all of which are offered at reasonable prices.
9. Blossom
www.blossomrestaurant.com
Fresh, super-affordable Vietnamese fare with a few options beyond the traditional pho, bun and summer roll offering – the roasted Cornish hen with fried egg is a particular winner. Downstairs, the dimly-lit booths for two are worth waiting for; prop yourself up at the bar and enjoy a drink from the expansive wine list in the meantime.
10. Tiki Ti
www.tiki-ti.com
This tiny tiki bar is probably no bigger than your living room, but the intimate layout creates a convivial, house party atmosphere. The bar itself dates back to the 1960s and the traditional rum-based tiki drinks will blow your head off. Enjoy in moderation.
11. L & E Oyster Bar
www.leoysterbar.com
Undoubtedly one of my favourite restaurants in LA. A stylish little seafood spot, which serves seasonal salads,delicious whole roasted fish, and (of course) a plethora of fresh oysters. Ifyou just want a quick bite, take a seat at the airy bar upstairs and choose from a delectable menu of snacks, including ancoïade and albacore tuna rilette.
12. Intelligentsia Coffee
www.intelligentsiacoffee.com
Silver Lake’s iconic coffee house is a bit too busy (and pricey) for my tastes, but there’s no denying that the coffee is excellent. Try an Angeleno; four pulled shots of BlackCat espresso shaken with ice, agave nectar and creamy Straus milk. The ambrosia nectar of coffee drinks.
13. Bar Keeper
www.barkeepersilverlake.com
If you pride yourself on keeping a well-stocked home bar then you’ll lose your mind at Bar Keeper. This cute little store has everything from vintage cocktail shakers to rare bitters blends. Great for picking up a Silver Lake souvenir.
14. Spice Station
spicestationsilverlake.com
This aromatic cove houses hundreds of spices and spice blends, which are dispensed by an extremely knowledgeable staff. Perfect for sourcing a rare ingredient or discovering an entirely new way of adding flavor to your food.
15. Silver Lake Meadow
This little stretch of grassland beside the reservoir is a great place for a picnic with friends, or simply soaking up the sunshine on yet another glorious California day.
16. Vista Theatre
www.vintagecinemas.com/vista
Quite possibly my favourite cinema in the world (and certainly my favourite in LA), the vintage Vista Theatre has been standing since 1923. They only screen a single film at a time, but thankfully it’s nearly always a good one. Even when it’s not, go for the incredible décor, ample leg room and vintage trailers.
17. El Siete Mares
This outdoor seafood spot is a great (if shabby) place to watch the sun go down over a plateful of fish tacos and a cup of fresh ceviche.
18. Pazzo Gelato
www.pazzogelato.net
I never used to be much of an ice-cream person, but Pazzo Gelato has turned me into a believer. Homemade, super-creamy scoops of flavours from sea-salt caramel to Santa Rosa plum. They’re generous with the samples, too.
19. Undefeated
undefeated.com
The Silver Lake outpost of this popular LA sneaker boutique carries a small but well-edited range of Nike, Adidas and Converse. There’s also a decent selection of kids’ shoes for sale.
20. Speranza
Some L.A. restaurants can be a little lacking in atmosphere, but not so Speranza. Sit outside on the gorgeous, fairy-lit patio and enjoy delicious, fairly-priced Italian fare and wine. There’s even a gluten-free pasta option for the intolerants among you.