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Hollywood—the iconic, beating heart of Los Angeles, home to Capitol Records Tower and the Oscars—is undergoing a major transformation. For decades, the epicenter of Tinseltown had lost its mid-century sheen, with many unfortunate urban realities converging around the intersection of Hollywood and Highland and its surrounding streets. Many a tourist heading to Hollywood to walk the Walk of Fame or Grauman’s Chinese Theater since the 1980s may have been surprised by the seediness of the famed neighborhood.
But over the past few years, there's been a Cinderella story afoot: New Hollywood headquarters for Netflix and Buzzfeed have been followed by the openings of sleek hotels and innovative restaurants, with rooftop pools and chic cocktail bars becoming par for the course. And all of the new arrivals are writing an exciting second act for this long misunderstood neighborhood. Hollywood is once again ready for its closeup. Here’s where to eat, stay, and play the next time you visit.
All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What to do in Hollywood—beyond the Walk of Fame
New art spaces in the art include gallery Lighthouse ArtSpace Los Angeles, which hosts a rotating calendar of immersive art experiences—now offering guests a chance to step into their favorite paintings with Immersive Frida Kahlo and Van Gogh exhibits currently on offer. Gaybors, a creative agency committed to telling the stories of LGBTQ+ Los Angeles, has a newly-opened studio space in Hollywood offering workspace, community events, and support for the gay community. (They also throw a rad party.) Rockers of all shapes and stripes love the rooftop at Mama Shelter, where 360-degree city views are paired with cocktails and live music. Desert 5 Spot brings a country-western vibe to its rooftop parties at the colorful Tommie Hollywood hotel; if your style is more French Riviera than frontier, head over to the equally stunning rooftop at Bar Lis at the new Thompson Hollywood.
This summer, the team from West Hollywood's famed Chateau Marmont will cut the ribbon on The Aster, a private member’s club and hotel set to shake up the neighborhood even further. At the Bourbon Room, located smack on the Walk of Fame, there’s live music, nightlife and comedy; Citizen News, a 30,000-square-foot event venue, hosts private events on the same campus as Mother Wolf, Evan Funke’s decadent temple to Roman cuisine.
Where to eat in Hollywood
At Mother Wolf, it’s all rococo: deep-red leather banquettes, plaster reliefs, low lights, humming crowds. But decor, shmecor. What really matters here are the wafer-thin pizzas, the fried artichokes and squash blossoms, and the pasta that transports diners immediately to the trattorias of the Eternal City.
At the famed and newly renovated Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, California cuisine icon Nancy Silverton taps into the glamour of Old Hollywood with The Barish, a steakhouse where the star of the menu, the bistecca, is complemented by standouts including pizza fritta (think a pillow of fried dough with a cloud of ricotta); a steak tartare with mustard seed and kohlrabi; and an olive oil gelato that solves the age-old dessert riddle of “savory or sweet?” once and for all.
Grandmaster Recorders, a multi-event space in the original Grandmaster Records studio space, is anchored by its airy Italian-Australian restaurant; its rooftop, though, gives that spot a run for its money with bullseye cocktails and small bites like burrata with honey and chili crisp.
The opening of Mes Amis, a highly anticipated French brasserie from Lincoln Carson, is imminent. While you wait, don’t miss Magari, where Italian indulgence is married with Japanese precision; Ka’teen, where Wes Avila is reinvigorating the ancient flavors of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula; and Clark Street Diner, where the famous 101 Coffee Shop—which has had countless cameos on the big and small screen—has been remade into an upscale bakery under the watch of Clark Street’s Zack Hall.
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Where to stay in Hollywood
The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel has been the anchor of Hollywood since cinema’s golden era, and that legacy has been painstakingly preserved today with the most beloved of Hollywood traditions—a full makeover. Check your reflection in the lobby mirror once graced by Marilyn Monroe or peek into the Blossom Ballroom, site of the first ever Academy Awards in 1929. Then fast forward to the modern era with a splash in the David Hockney-painted Tropicana pool before retiring in one of its 298 newly plush guest rooms.
The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood is modern, buzzy, and cheerful, with the largest rooftop pool in Hollywood, art fabricated by Los Angeles native artist Nick Petronzio, and a courtyard wine bar—all with a perfectly situated location just one block off of the Sunset Strip.
The Thompson Hollywood and its kid sibling Tommie Hollywood are two new kids on the same block. Both Hyatt-owned properties ooze mid-century influence; though Tommie is more casual and youthful, while Thompson is sleek and sophisticated. Both sport sexy rooftop pools, local art, and exceedingly friendly staff.
