As all eyes turn to the Oscars, here’s how to lead the high life in Los Angeles – like a Hollywood A-lister
The 93rd Academy Awards Sunday 12 midnight Sky Oscars
ED GRENBY - 25 April 2021
It’s Oscars night and the stars are in town. (Or at least the brave ones are, with the Academy aiming for a largely live-and-in-person awards night, spread across two Los Angeles venues.) And with the city’s hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops all reopening – albeit with restrictions – it might not be long until we can join the A-list out there. You’ll want to steer clear of crowds, of course, and no one dodges the hoi polloi like the Hollywood elite, so take these tips from the very top…
STAY LIKE THE STARS
The grande dame of Hollywood hotels is the Chateau Marmont, host to everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Meghan Markle – but you’ll have to be quick, as there are plans to turn it into a private club soon. If its pervasive scent of debauchery is a bit much for you (John Belushi died of an overdose in bungalow three, and there are lots more stories where that came from), try its polar opposite: Surfrider out in Malibu has an open-air, Californian clean-living vibe, and is popular with Zoe Kravitz, the Beckhams and Matthew McConaughey. chateaumarmont.com; thesurfridermalibu.com
WHERE THE BIG NAMES BRUNCH
Million-dollar deals are sealed every day as moguls and actors negotiate over egg-white omelettes on the sun-washed terraces of LA. Gjelina, in the beachside Venice neighbourhood, has become a hotspot, and now that (post-pandemic) reservations are required, you’ve got a much better chance of a table without the traditional two-hour wait. Grab a seat on the back patio, if possible: that’s usually where you’ll find Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio or Julia Roberts. gjelina.com
DO DINNER AT DE NIRO’S
The Nobu group of restaurants and hotels – co-owned by Robert De Niro and eponymous megachef Nobu Matsuhisa – now spreads across 20 countries. But let’s be honest, you’re not going to bump into Natalie Portman and Renée Zellweger at the Riyadh outpost, are you? Instead, they’re often installed at either of LA’s (the smarter, slicker one in West Hollywood; or the breezier branch beside Malibu Beach). The black cod with miso is still as good as the day De Niro fell in love with it. noburestaurants.com
DRINK IN THE GLAMOUR
LA’s nightlife scene is surprisingly quiet (even without Covid regulations), but post-dinner cocktails in the sophisticated Polo Lounge can be a sparkling experience – especially given that Nicole Kidman, Michael Douglas and Warren Beatty are all regulars. The decorous joint is part of the Beverly Hills Hotel – the old-Hollywood institution where Liz Taylor spent six of her honeymoons – and you’ll be sipping your Scotch and soda alongside the ghosts of Sinatra, Dietrich and Bacall, too. dorchestercollection.com
HOLLYWOOD HIKE
What we call a walk, Californians call a hike – so don’t be intimidated by the “hiking paths” or “trailheads” of Runyon Canyon or Griffith Park. The former’s dirt paths are favoured by Justin Timberlake and Charlize Theron, and early in the day you won’t go ten metres without passing a buff, baseball-capped body and accompanying personal trainer (everyone’s so toned it’s tough to tell the “talent” from the “civilians”). Griffith Park may be better for first-timers: the easy trail that starts at Fern Dell Drive takes in the Hollywood sign en route to the famous observatory – as seen in Rebel without a Cause and La La Land – not to mention widescreen views across the city itself. laparks.org/griffithpark
SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP
The rich have Rodeo Drive, while for the famous there’s Brentwood Country Mart. You’ll recognise the former (and its haughty haute couture) from Pretty Woman, but real-life film stars dress down for this farm-themed retail village in the family-friendly area of Brentwood. Designer boutiques mix with oldtimey amusements (pony rides for the kids), and Reese Witherspoon, Ben Affleck and co lap it up. And if you’re around on a Sunday morning, you’ll get even more stars-in-their-sweatpants action at the Brentwood Farmers Market. brentwoodcountrymart.com
THE A-LIST ARTHOUSE
While the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is LA’s coolest gallery, it’s the Huntington that seduces the city’s screen idols. Sure, they’ll peek at a Gainsborough in the art museum and a Thoreau manuscript in the library, but really, they’re here for the 120-acre botanical gardens, adored by Ron Howard, Vanessa Hudgens and Gwen Stefani – and well worth the 40-minute drive out to Pasadena. huntington.org
CELEBS ON SEA
The beach is as big a part of LA life as botox, and A-list Angelenos aren’t immune to its charms. Each stretch has its own personality, and fans: Malibu (above all Carbon or Zuma Beach) has a laidback vibe that’s a hit with Halle Berry, Courteney Cox and Steven Spielberg. At the other end of the scale, iron-pumping Muscle Beach (the outdoor gym at Venice Beach) has been a world HQ for wouldbe Schwarzeneggers – and the real thing – for decades. Best of the bunch, though, is Santa Monica, beloved by Sandra Bullock, Christian Bale and Tom Cruise – and home, of course, to Baywatch. Dive in!
ED GRENBY
Highlights of the Oscars are on Sky 1 on Monday at 9.00pm.