Let’s just kick the elephant out of the room right away. It’s hard to write a guide to Highland Park without addressing the “G” word. The neighborhood has been described as a poster child of gentrification, and for anyone who spends time there, it’s easy to see why.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
Within the Northeast neighborhood nestled between downtown L.A. and Pasadena, you’ll see the Highland Park of the past: find remnants like the stone castle that was once the home of Charles F. Lummis, a poet and journalist who famously walked from Cincinnati to Highland Park — yes, you read that correctly — to accept a job at the Los Angeles Times in the mid 1880s. (He later went on to found the Southwest Museum, L.A.’s first museum, close by.)
You’ll see the Highland Park that remains: a working-class hub where bandas practice outside for all to hear, the smell of street tacos fills the air, multigenerational families play together at the park and iconic fixtures like the 22-foot-tall Chicken Boy statue that hovers over North Figueroa like a friendly mascot.
And you’ll see the Highland Park that’s emerging: an L.A. hot spot where young people flock to sip on fancy cocktails along York Boulevard and hang out at a chic Prohibition-era bowling alley.
Somehow, all these versions exist together. These days, it’s common to see luxury companies like Le Labo, which sells candles for upward of $90, move next door to small businesses such as the beloved Mexican family-ownedDelicias Bakery & Some that has been serving fresh pan dulce for nearly 35 years. The community collectively mourned when its100-year-old historic movie theater closed last March.
As one of L.A.’s first suburbs, Highland Park began the 20th century as an artsy oasis that was dotted with charming Craftsman homes. By the 1960s, the neighborhood had transformed into an epicenter for Latino life. The evolution of Highland Park has brought all the usual tensions between longtime residents and newcomers, many of whom were priced out of areas like Silver Lake and South Pasadena.
In spite of that, Highland Park has managed to hold onto its roots and small-town charm. This is in part thanks to nonprofits like the Highland Park Heritage Trust and community members who have been working to preserve the neighborhood’s rich history and cherished cultural hubs.
“A lot of the identity is still here, things that just make it feel like home,” says Michael Nájera, 35, whose family has lived in the neighborhood for three generations. He and his wife co-founded a running club calledTofu Scramble that meets at local coffee shops on Friday mornings.
“There’s a strong sense of community here. Even with everything going on these days, it’s amazing to see people out — some of us because we can, and others at risk because they have to,” he adds, referring to the recent ICE raids. “And still, this feels like a place where it’s OK to be brown and to be outside.” It’s common to see local businesses displaying Know Your Rights cards in support of their neighbors.
Rocio Paredes, a director and photographer who attended Franklin Middle School and High School in Highland Park, adds that “Chicanoism is very engraved in our DNA here.” You can see the culture’s influence in spaces like the Centro de Arte Público and the Mechicano Art Center, both of which were home to Highland Park’s Chicano Arts Collective, an organization that helped advance the political aims of L.A.’s Chicano movement in the 1970s. And also at local restaurants. At Las Cazuelas, a family-run Salvadoran pupuseria that’s been open since 1985, Parades says, “It’s like a f— time capsule.”
From historic Craftsman homes, beautiful hills, bountiful green spaces, cuisine from various cultures, vintage shops of varied prices and a vibrant nightlife scene, there’s so much to appreciate about Highland Park.
What’s included in this guide
Anyone who’s lived in a major metropolis can tell you that neighborhoods are a tricky thing. They’re eternally malleable and evoke sociological questions around how we place our homes, our neighbors and our communities within a wider tapestry. In the name of neighborly generosity, we may include gems that linger outside of technical parameters. Instead of leaning into stark definitions, we hope to celebrate all of the places that make us love where we live.
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What L.A. neighborhood should we check out next? Send ideas to [email protected].
This palatial hacienda dating to 1616 is wonderfully maintained as a restaurant that feels like the prototype setting for a noirish telenovela, where sleek-haired businessmen and heirs negotiate their fortunes and the future of the country over hours consumed with cigars and tequila. San Angel Inn is a destination for upper-crust locals attracted to its unabashedly old-school approach to food, cocktails and service. Everyone here swears by the stately margarita service or a frosty martini, the kind that conjures images of Prohibition-era afternoons spent betting on the races in Tijuana. The menu feels like a journey over the greatest hits of classic Mexican fine dining: oysters, snails, escamoles and fideo seco with foie gras beckon as starters. Taco service is family style, in orders of three to eight, of rib-eye prime, arrachera, shrimp, lengua, duck, chicharrón and so on. Mains are Falstaffian, from lengua de res a la veracruzana to chateaubriand bouquetiere. The wine list leans heavily Mexican, followed by Spanish, Argentine, American and Chilean — just as it should be for this hemisphere.
As with all of Los Angeles, one word or phrase can’t characterize the San Fernando Valley, or its 1.8 million residents. When it comes to dining within its 250-plus-square miles, the golden rule germane throughout Southern California very much applies here: Look past the visual ubiquity of strip malls and chock-o-block businesses to find the beauty — the cultural specificity — just inside the sun-bleached storefronts.
I remember my first meal in the Valley. It was at Brent’s Deli in Northridge in 1997. I was visiting Los Angeles, and as we settled into one of the booths spaced in neat rows the friend who lived in the area talked about the 1994 earthquake, how it felt to her like yesterday and already the distant past. I think she took me to Brent’s because I was a vegetarian at the time.
The menu had many meatless, filling choices: cinnamon-laced noodle kugel, latkes I layered with sour cream and apple sauce, kasha varnishkes with lots of caramelized onions but with no brown gravy for me, since it contained roast beef drippings.
My second meal in the Valley was nearly 20 years and about three lifetimes later, in the middle of my run as Eater’s national critic before I moved to L.A. in 2018. The meal, at Kobee Factory in Van Nuys, also carries a memory of cinnamon, one of the sweet spices infused in the broth in which rice-stuffed lamb intestines are served.
I was far from my vegetarian days, and the delicate, boudin blanc-like qualities of the innards complemented whirls of hummus, crackling fried kibbeh and a grilled, soft-crisp variation of kibbeh favored in Syria, where owner Waha Ghreir grew up.
Dishes at Kobee Factory in Van Nuys.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Both of these culinary tentpoles show up in our guide.
So does plenty of sushi, certainly along the “Sushi Row” stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Studio City but also far beyond. Stephanie Breijo has an essay in the package on Tetsuya Nakao, the silver-coiffed 62-year-old Asanebo sushi chef who has brought a new angle of fame to the restaurant with viral social media videos. Breijo observes Nakao filming on a recent Sunday: “He dusts so much edible gold over the top it looks like the [crispy-rice] ‘pizza’ passed through the glitter aisle at a craft store, a dish truly made for the eye of the algorithm.”
Thai restaurants have been shaping the Valley’s culinary landscape since the 1980s. We name four of our very favorites, including Anajak Thai, the meteor that has my vote for the Valley’s absolute best restaurant.
Breijo has another story tracing Anajak’s recent two-month closure for a summer renovation. The space will have an additional dining room, an open kitchen with new equipment (including a refurbished wok station long manned by chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi’s father Ricky) and art made by Justin’s grandfather. It reopens this weekend; report coming soon.
Sketches of dishes, and some that came to fruition, at Anajak Thai
(Stephanie Breijo and Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
The vintage by-the-glass list at Augustine Wine Bar.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
One final bonus: Vanessa Anderson (a.k.a. the Grocery Goblin) reports on Iranian spices, and other treasures of the cuisine, sold at Q Market & Produce in Lake Balboa.
And did I mention, during a heat wave, the cooling cherry soup that begins a Hungarian meal in Encino?
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“We are suffering, world. We need humanitarian aid – food and medicine – whether by airdrop or by opening ground routes. We cannot survive in this condition,” Othman Angaro, from a displacement camp in el-Fasher, told Al Jazeera.
Angaro described how he and his family rely on livestock fodder known as ambaz, a type of animal feed made out of peanut shells.
Another woman, veterinarian Zulfa Al-Nour, told Al Jazeera that her family relies daily on a charity kitchen called “Matbakh Al-Khair” for a single meal, amid a total lack of external aid.
She called for urgent international intervention, including airdrops of humanitarian supplies, warning that even the ambaz fodder is nearly depleted.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) last week warned about starvation in the el-Fasher region. Starvation has reached the most severe level on the United Nations-backed food security scale – ‘IPC Phase 5’, indicating full-blown famine – it said on Friday.
The two-month siege of el-Fasher has complicated aid efforts.
The RSF has blocked food supplies, and aid convoys trying to reach the city have been attacked, locals said. Prices for the goods smuggled into the region cost more than five times the national average.
Outbreak of cholera
An outbreak of cholera in the North Darfur state, of which el-Fasher is the capital, has further added to the misery.
Deaths due to the water-borne disease have risen to 191 in the region, which has witnessed months of fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF, according to a government official.
At least 62 people have died from the disease in Tawila in the North Darfur state, the spokesman for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, Adam Rijal, said in a statement on Monday.
Nearly 100 people have also died in the Kalma and the Otash camps, Rijal added, both displacement camps located in the city of Nyala in South Darfur state.
Some 4,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the region, according to the statement.
In recent months, more than half a million people have taken shelter in Tawila, some 60km (37 miles) west of el-Fasher, the state capital, which has been under two months of siege by the RSF rebels. Most of the Darfur region is under the rebel control except for el-Fasher.
‘Too weak to survive’
Meanwhile, with Sudan in the throes of the rainy season, along with poor living conditions and inadequate sanitation, the outbreak of cholera is only worsening, warn aid groups.
Cholera was first identified in early June in Tawila and has since spread to numerous refugee camps, according to NGO Avaaz.
Nearly 40 people have died due to cholera in the Jebel Marra area, a district of West Darfur state.
Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, is operating two cholera treatment facilities in Tawila housing 146 beds – coordinating nearly the entire medical response to the outbreak.
Last month, it warned that “much more” needs to be done to improve “access to water, hygiene, and medical care to curb the spread of the outbreak in the midst of the rainy season”.
Samir, a former teacher displaced to el-Fasher with his family, told Avaaz last week that the situation was “catastrophic” and that the cholera outbreak was being exacerbated by widespread hunger.
“People are dying because they are too weak to survive,” he told the NGO.
“Their immune systems are compromised from severe malnutrition. People are starving in the displacement camps.”
مدينة الفاشر في ولاية شمال دارفور غرب السودان بتعيش مجاعة قاتلة بسبب فرض الحصار عليها من قبل قوات الدعم السريع المدعومة من الامارات المجاعة دخلت المرحلة الخامسة يعني مجاعة كاملة ووضع كارثي اتكلموا عنهم#الفاشر_تموت_جوعاََpic.twitter.com/1aNfuGY9nH
Translation: “The city of el-Fasher in North Darfur state, western Sudan, is experiencing a deadly famine due to the siege imposed on it by the Rapid Support Forces backed by the Emirates. The famine has reached the fifth stage, meaning a full-scale famine and a catastrophic situation. Speak about them.”
Meanwhile, fighting continues.
“The RSF’s artillery and drones are shelling el-Fasher morning and night,” one resident told the Reuters news agency.
“The number of people dying has increased every day, and the cemeteries are expanding,” he said.
On Monday, Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group, said at least 14 people fleeing el-Fasher were killed and dozens were injured when they were attacked in a village along the route.
The UN called for a humanitarian pause to fighting in el-Fasher last month as the rainy season began, but the RSF rejected the call.
Fighting between the two groups first erupted in the capital Khartoum in April 2023. It has since spread to several regions of the country as the army chief and de facto head of state, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, jostles for power with RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.
The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 13 million people, according to UN estimates, resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
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It is the child who wakes up asking for biscuits that no longer exist. The student who studies for exams while faint from hunger.
It is the mother who cannot explain to her son why there is no bread.
And it is the silence of the world that makes this horror possible.
Children of the famine
Noor, my eldest sister Tasneem’s daughter, is three; she was born on May 11, 2021. My sister’s son, Ezz Aldin, was born on December 25, 2023 – in the early months of the war.
One morning, Tasneem walked into our space carrying them in her arms. I looked at her and asked the question that wouldn’t leave my mind: “Tasneem, do Noor and Ezz Aldin understand hunger? Do they know we’re in a famine?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. “Even Ezz, who’s only known war and ruins, understands. He’s never seen real food in his life. He doesn’t know what ‘options’ are. The only thing he ever asks for is bread.”
She imitated his baby voice: “Obz! Obza! Obza!” – his way of saying “khobza” (a piece of bread).
She had to tell him, “There’s no flour, darling. Your dad went out to look for some.”
Ezz Aldin doesn’t know about ceasefires, borders, or politics. He doesn’t care about military operations or diplomatic statements.
He just wants one small piece of bread. And the world gives him nothing.
Noor has learned to count and recite the alphabet from her mother. Before the war, she loved chocolate, biscuits. She was the first grandchild in our family, showered with toys, snacks, and little dresses.
Now, every morning, she wakes up and turns to her mother with wide, excited eyes. “Go buy me 15 chocolates and biscuits,” she says.
She says 15 because it’s the biggest number she knows. It sounds like enough; enough to fill her stomach, enough to bring back the world she knew. But there’s nothing to buy. There’s nothing left.
Where is your humanity? Look at her. Then tell me what justice looks like.
[Omar Houssien/Al Jazeera]
Killed after five days of hunger
I watched a video that broke my heart. A man mourned over the shrouded bodies of seven of his family. In despair, he cried, “We’re hungry.”
They had been starving for days, then an Israeli surveillance drone struck their tent near al-Tabin School in Daraj, northern Gaza.
“This is the young man I was raising,” the man in the video wept. “Look what became of them,” as he touched their heads one last time.
Some people still don’t understand. This isn’t about whether we have money. It’s about the total absence of food. Even if you’re a millionaire in Gaza right now, you won’t find bread. You won’t find a bag of rice or a can of milk. Markets are empty. Shops are destroyed. Malls have been flattened. The shelves are not bare – they are gone.
We used to grow our own food. Gaza once exported fruits and vegetables; we sent strawberries to Europe. Our prices were the cheapest in the region.
A kilo (2.2 pounds) of grapes or apples? Three shekels ($0.90). A kilo of chicken from Gaza’s farms? Nine shekels ($2.70). Now, we can’t find a single egg.
Before: A massive watermelon from Khan Younis weighed 21 kilos (46 pounds) and cost 18 shekels ($5). Today: The same watermelon would cost $250 – if you can find it.
Avocados, once considered a luxury fruit, were grown by the tonne in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis and Rafah. They used to cost a dollar a kilo. We had self-sufficiency in dairy, too – cheeses and yoghurts made in Shujayea by local hands.
Our children were not spoiled – they just had basic rights. Breakfast meant milk. A sandwich with cheese. A boiled egg. Now, everything is cut off.
And no matter how I explain it to the children, they cannot grasp the words “famine” or “price hike”. They just know their bellies are empty.
Even seafood – once a staple of Gaza’s diet – has disappeared. Despite strict fishing restrictions, we used to send fish to the West Bank. Now, even our sea is silent.
And with all due respect to Turkish coffee, you haven’t tasted coffee until you’ve tried Mazaj Coffee from Gaza.
It had a strength you could feel in your bones.
This is not a forecast. Famine is now. Most of us are displaced. Unemployed. Mourning.
If we manage one meal a day, we eat it at night. It’s not a feast. It’s rice. Pasta. Maybe soup. Canned beans.
Things you keep as backup in your pantries. Here, they are luxury.
Most days, we drink water and nothing more. When hunger becomes too much, we scroll through old photos, pictures of meals from the past, just to remember what life once tasted like.
Starving while taking exams
As always, our university exams are online, because the campus is rubble.
We are living a genocide. And yet, we are trying to study.
I’m a second-year student.
We just finished our final exams for the first semester. We studied surrounded by hunger, by drones, by constant fear. This isn’t what people think university is.
We took exams on empty stomachs, under the scream of warplanes. We tried to remember dates while forgetting the last time we tasted bread.
Every day, I talk with my friends – Huda, Mariam, and Esraa – on WhatsApp. We check on each other, asking the same questions over and over:
“What did you eat today?”
“Can you even concentrate?”
These are our conversations – not about lectures or assignments, but about hunger, headaches, dizziness, and how we’re still standing. One says, “My stomach hurts too much to think.” Another says, “I nearly collapsed when I stood up.”
And still, we keep going. Our last exam was on July 15. We held on, not because we were strong, but because we had no choice. We didn’t want to lose a semester. But even saying that feels so small compared to the truth.
Studying while starving chips away at your soul.
One day, during exams, an air strike hit our neighbours. The explosion shook the walls.
A moment before, I was thinking about how hungry I felt. A moment after, I felt nothing.
I didn’t run.
I stayed at my desk and kept studying. Not because I was OK, but because there is no other choice.
They starve us, then blame us
Let me be clear: The people of Gaza are being starved on purpose. We are not unlucky – we are victims of war crimes.
Open the crossings. Let aid enter. Let food enter. Let medicine enter.
Gaza doesn’t need sympathy. We can rebuild. We can recover. But first, stop starving us.
Killing, starving, and besieging are not just conditions – they are actions forced upon us. Language reveals those who try to hide who is responsible.
So we will keep saying: We were killed by the Israeli occupation. We were starved by the Israeli occupation. We were besieged by the Israeli occupation.
This spring, I spent five weeks travelling around Mexico – my longest time away from home since becoming a vegan two and a half years ago. It was a learning experience: lots of incredible vegan food, gallons of fall-back guacamole and the odd cheese-related disaster. This is what I found out about being a vegan on holiday, and the advice I received from more seasoned vegan travellers.
Choose your destination wisely
“I have been completely blown away by the difference in attitude and progressiveness of places,” says Alexis Gauthier, a Michelin-starred vegan chef. “I’ve found the cuisines of Mexico, India and the eastern Mediterranean/Levant all vegan-forward. Their use of beans and pulses as a fundamental ingredient and minimal reliance on dairy means they make excellent choices for a vegan holiday.” I second Mexico: pretty much everywhere serves beans, rice and guacamole, and most restaurants will knock up some veggie tacos.
Vegan tacos in a restaurant in Mexico. Photograph: Rachel Dixon
But don’t rule anywhere out – even France
“I’m sorry to say my beloved homeland of France has not yet caught up with the world with vegan food, but there are ways to be smart,” says Gauthier. “In the north it is more difficult, as everything is still mostly based on heavy cream, butter and red meat. Paris is changing – there are now lots of really exciting places opening, especially bakeries.” That wasn’t my experience. I was in Paris last autumn, and it was still difficult to find vegan options.
“In the south it’s better, as menus naturally rotate around seasonal vegetables,” continues Gauthier. “Falafel is popular, as is socca [chickpea flatbread], panisse [chickpea fries] and tapenade. I swear you can live on really good tomatoes, aubergines, basil, chickpeas, olive oil and olives for ever! And there is always France’s greatest dish: ratatouille, my favourite dish in the world.”
Holidaying in the UK may be harder than you think
“Don’t assume that all of the UK is vegan-friendly,” says Holly Johnson, editor of Vegan Food & Living magazine. “What’s normal in a cafe in Bristol is weird and wacky, and even offensive, to those in more remote farming communities. I once got laughed out of a corner shop in Devon for asking for oat milk.”
Go on a city break
“Berlin is an amazing city for vegans, with a real forward-thinking scene, as are Brighton and Vienna,” says Gauthier. I would add London, where eating out is effortless (although expensive), and Mexico City, where I ate exclusively at vegan restaurants. Peta, the animal rights organisation, has free vegan city guides to Berlin, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, plus one for the Indian state of Goa.
Give the countryside a chance
“I’ve learned never to assume that there won’t be vegan options,” says Elisa Allen from Peta. “I was recently in a small village in rural Ireland. An online search hadn’t turned up any options, so I was pleasantly surprised when the local cafe had two home-baked vegan cakes and a vegan lasagne. The owner’s daughter had recently gone vegan, so they were inspired to expand their menu.”
Look for an alternative scene
Sunset in El Cuyo, Yucatán, Mexico. Photograph: Megapress Images/Alamy
In El Cuyo, a laid-back fishing village at the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, practically every restaurant had hummus and tofu on the menu.
Use the Happy Cow app
Every expert I spoke to recommended the Happy Cow app and website, and I relied heavily on it in Mexico. “Happy Cow is your best friend for seeking vegan options while travelling. You can use it to research local restaurants beforehand or while you’re strolling around a city,” says Chelsea Harrop from Veganuary. “You can filter by vegan and vegetarian eateries, as well as restaurants with plant-based options if the rest of your travel party isn’t eating vegan. I’ve visited many small towns in Ireland and the Scottish islands where I didn’t expect to find anything vegan at all, and Happy Cow has always served me well.”
Learn some helpful phrases in the local language
Not everyone is familiar with the word vegan. Sascha Camilli from Peta says: “A friend of mine tried saying ‘vegan’ in Bali and they all thought she meant ‘pagan’. In Portugal, I’ve been offered gluten-free food because they didn’t know what vegan meant.” A simple explanation, such as “No meat, dairy or eggs, please”, will help. Harrop says: “Learn the words for ingredients such as egg, milk and fish so you can spot them on menus. Phrases such as ‘I don’t eat fish’ or ‘Does it contain egg?’ are also useful.”
Carry a cheat sheet
“In Egypt, I had an infographic in Arabic that said exactly what I didn’t eat,” says Camilli.Peta’s Sadie Buckles says: “When I visited China, my professor helped me make a little card that said: ‘I am a strict vegetarian. No meat, dairy, eggs, fish, milk or cheese. Onions and garlic are OK.’ In China, they will ask if you are Buddhist vegetarian, which means no pungent foods such as garlic, onion, leeks, chives and shallots.”
Call ahead
Jennifer White from Peta contacts restaurants and hotels in advance to explain she’s vegan. “Be super nice about it, and chances are they will make you a lovely meal even if they don’t have anything on the menu,” she says. Johnson says: “I find that most chefs are happy to accommodate, and actually excited to cook something a bit different. I always make sure I show my gratitude – they might just add more plant-based options to the menu in future.” I phoned ahead on a city break to Genoa, and chefs prepared delicious dishes around seasonal ingredients such as artichokes.
Stay in a vegan hotel
The Vegan Welcome website lists 35 hotels around the world that are 100% vegan in the cuisine they offer. It also has a directory of vegan-friendly hotels. Retreat-style holidays almost always cater well for vegans, too.
Consider self-catering
‘Exploring the shops and markets is a great way to connect with the local culture.’ Photograph: Posed by model; Maria Korneeva/Getty Images
“If you’ve researched your destination and it doesn’t seem vegan-friendly, choose self-catering,” says Harrop. “This way, you can explore the shops and markets, which is a great way to connect with the local culture.” Emma Robinson from Veganuary says: “One of my favourite activities as a traveller is visiting traditional markets. I enjoy looking at the unfamiliar produce and trying to figure out what it is and how to prepare it.” In Mexico, I tried chaya, a spinach-like plant; nopales, the fleshy fronds of the prickly pear; and huitlacoche, offputtingly described as corn fungus, but tasty in a taco. Buy the basics at supermarkets, says White: “They are surprisingly well stocked in many countries, and you can find oat milk, tofu etc.”
“Make the most of online vegan communities when planning your trip, especially Facebook groups and influencers on Instagram and TikTok,” says Harrop. “Most large cities are likely to have a vegan community and there are vegan travel groups on Facebook that are full of invaluable tips.”
Make your vegan quest part of the holiday
‘Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path to uncover local vegan treasures.’ Photograph: Coldsnowstorm/Getty Images
“When travelling, I treat vegan cafes and restaurants as tourist destinations in their own right so I can work them into my itinerary,” says Harrop. “Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path to uncover local vegan treasures – it’s a rewarding way to connect with a city’s culture.” Sophie-Anne Nabhan-Sandison from Veganuary did just that in Dubrovnik. “We found an amazing little vegan restaurant hidden away and it was one of the best meals I have ever had,” she says. Last summer, I sought out a vegan restaurant in Lindos, Rhodes, and even my gyros-addicted boyfriend had to admit it was worth the trip.
Harrop has a word of warning. “If you have your eye on a certain place, always double-check it’s open on the days you’re travelling. I once spent over an hour walking to a vegan cafe in Paris only to find it was closed when I got there.”
But don’t be boring
It’s really frustrating for your non-vegan travel companions to trail round after you for hours, looking for somewhere you can eat. If you find somewhere that ticks everyone else’s boxes – full of local people, on a beautiful piazza – will it kill you to eat bread and salad for a night? “All my friends and family are so supportive – they wouldn’t want to take me anywhere that’s meat-heavy,” says Johnson. “However, I’d never stop them going, and if necessary I’d just eat before or afterwards and join in the fun.”
Research ‘accidentally vegan’ dishes
‘Every country will have a vegan staple’ … focaccia with tomatoes. Photograph: Sabinoparente/Getty Images/iStockphoto
“I recently went to Cyprus and a lot of the country’s traditional dishes were vegan-friendly,” says Johnson. “Hummus, falafel, olive bread and certain meze dishes are all packed with flavour, so you don’t feel you’re missing out.” Ed Winters, author of This Is Vegan Propaganda and How to Argue with a Meat Eater, found the same on holiday in southern Italy. “I was pleasantly surprised by how much local cuisine was plant-based or could easily be made suitable for vegans. For example, one of the most famous foods from Puglia is focaccia barese with tomatoes and olives.” Every country will have a vegan staple such as rice, wheat, oats, maize, lentils, beans, potatoes, taro or yam.
Ask (politely) for alterations
In France, says Gauthier, you could request chickpeas on your salad instead of goat’s cheese or tuna. In Mexico, I asked for my enfrijoladas “sin huevos”: soft tortillas smothered in refried beans, greens, tomato sauce and ground pumpkin seeds, minus the fried eggs on top. Many restaurants are happy to accommodate simple requests like this. On the other hand, sometimes you have to take no for an answer. At one cafe, I asked for hummus on my toast instead of butter and jam (hummus was on the menu). They said no. I offered to pay extra. Still no.
Seek out vegan versions of local dishes
Hangover-busting … barbecue mushroom torta with roast potatoes and bean chilli. Photograph: Rachel Dixon
No vegan goes to Spain to eat Thai green curry – we want tapas and paella like everyone else. On a trip to Germany last year, I found restaurants were particularly good at offering plant-based versions of traditional dishes such as schnitzel (breaded meat) and maultaschen (filled dumplings). Oaxaca in Mexico had several places serving vegan takes on pozole (soup made from hominy – a type of dried corn – with soya chunks instead of meat), chilaquiles (stewed tortilla chips, minus the usual dairy) and tortas (a kind of hearty sandwich), including a hangover-busting barbecue mushroom version.
It’s OK to go off-piste sometimes
On longer holidays, you might find yourself craving a change from the local cuisine. Chinese, Indian, Thai, Korean and Japanese restaurants usually cater well to vegans – in Mexico City, I found an incredible vegan ramen place.
Read – and write – reviews
Vegan travellers tend to be a helpful bunch, highlighting plant-based dishes in restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor, Google and so on. Make sure you return the favour, says Harrop: “Always remember to leave your own reviews to help other travellers seeking vegan options. Share photos of the dishes and menus if you can.”
Use map apps to your advantage
It sounds ridiculous, but when I fancied a change from Mexican food, I searched for “tofu” on my phone’s map. It led me to a fantastic Japanese smokehouse and sake bar, which served agedashi tofu and vegan sushi. White says: “Some countries have navigation apps that are more widely used than Google Maps. For example, South Korea has Naver. Download and use those apps instead.”
Pack snacks
Much like at home, it’s always wise to carry snacks. Johnson says: “Don’t ever assume there will be anything to eat, especially at an airport. Once you’re on the flight, most airlines do offer a vegan option if you’ve ordered it – but don’t forget that said vegan option might just be a banana and a pair of chopsticks.” Harrop suggests snack bars and nuts; I carted a packet of fancy granola around Mexico.
And plant milk
“Always take oat milk,” says Johnson. “There’s nothing worse than waking up in a hotel room, excited for your morning cup of tea, and seeing those sad little pots of UHT cow’s milk.” I like travel-sized Oatly sachets if I’m on the move.
Try vegan activities
I once did a cookery class in Thailand and learned about ingredients such as banana blossom, which I now use regularly in curries. Lots of cities have vegan food tours, and companies such as Naturetrek offer wildlife holidays staying at vegan hotels.
Support animals
A West Indian manatee at the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, Mexico. Photograph: Rodrigo Friscione/Getty Images/Image Source
I visited the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve in Yucatán – the entry fee helps protect the habitat of manatees, sea turtles, jaguars, pumas and more. But choose carefully. “Fifteen years ago, I went to Thailand and was so excited to see a baby elephant in a restaurant. Now, I’d avoid places like that,” says Johnson. “Research shows that wild animals being used for human entertainment have most certainly suffered some kind of abuse and are kept in unnatural and often cruel conditions. I would love to try authentic experiences such as safaris or visiting an animal sanctuary, but it’s important to check the provenance of the company or organisation first.”
Accept you will have slip-ups
In one restaurant, I ordered what I thought was a vegan dip, only to be presented with a bowl of melted cheese. And at a tiny campsite in the middle of the jungle, miles from anywhere, I was given scrambled eggs for breakfast. “This has happened to me a few times over the years,” says Johnson. “I don’t let it worry me – we all slip up sometimes and I just carry on as normal. Obviously that’s different if you have an allergy, but I’m vegan for different reasons.”
Don’t sweat about supplements
At home, I take a vegan supplement. On holiday, life’s too short. I just drink the odd green juice and try to eat a varied diet. Johnson does take a multivitamin on holiday, but says: “It’s not something I worry too much about – no one is going to die of a deficiency during a week or two away.”
You can still have an ice-cream
Dark chocolate ice-cream tends to be dairy-free. Photograph: fhm/Getty Images
Vegans aren’t condemned to a life of sorbet. In particular, dark chocolate ice-cream is often dairy-free.
If all else fails, there’s always chips
“I would suggest always ordering a side of fries with every salad or curry,” says Gauthier. “It keeps the holiday vibe high!”
In an unassuming building in Stratford, east London, British start-up Better Dairy is making cheese that has never seen an udder, which it argues tastes like the real thing.
It is one of a handful of companies around the world hoping to bring lab-grown cheese to our dinner tables in the next few years.
But there has been a trend away from meat-free foods recently, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The statutory research organisation says that plant-based cheese sales across the UK declined 25.6% in the first quarter of 2025, while sales of cow’s cheese grew by 3%.
One reason for this, the AHDB tells the BBC, might be because the number of vegans in Britain is small – just 1% of the population (the Vegan Society puts it at 3%), far fewer than the amount of dairy cheese eaters – and has slightly declined lately.
The Vegan Society insists that the meat-free food market remains “competitive” and steady.
Those Vegan Cowboys
Hille van der Kaa touts a “silent revolution”, swapping cheeses people don’t often think about
Other reasons may be concerns about health and price. A recent government survey found that that food being ultra-processed – a key challenge with vegan cheese – was the second-greatest concern for consumers, the first being cost. Plant-based cheese is generally more expensive than cow’s cheese, the AHDB says.
So are these efforts a recipe for success or disaster? Some think the coming years present an opportunity.
In the Netherlands, Those Vegan Cowboys expects to bring its cheeses to the US later this year, and Europe in three to four years due to regulatory hurdles. This is because lab-made cheeses count as a “novel food” and so need EU approval to go on sale.
Its chief executive, Hille van der Kaa, admits the appetite for vegan cheese is low right now, but her company is targeting a “silent revolution” by swapping cheeses people don’t often think about.
“If you buy frozen pizza, you don’t really think of what kind of cheese is on that,” she explains. “So it’s quite easy to swap.”
Meanwhile, French firm Standing Ovation plans on launching in the US next year, and in the UK and Europe in 2027.
And back in Stratford, London-based Better Dairy hasn’t launched its lab-grown cheese yet because it would cost too much right now.
But chief executive Jevan Nagarajah plans to launch in three or four years, when he hopes the price will be closer to those seen in a cheesemonger, before getting it down to the sorts seen in a supermarket.
Jevan Nagarajah sees vegan hard cheeses as having the greatest “quality gap” to the real thing
So does it taste any good?
Better Dairy invited me – a committed carnivore and dairy devotee – to its lab to poke holes in this new cheese.
Currently, the company is only making cheddar because it sees vegan hard cheeses as having the biggest “quality gap” to dairy cheeses. It has made blue cheese, mozzarella and soft cheese, but argues the proteins in dairy don’t make as big a difference in taste.
The process starts with yeast that has been genetically modified to produce casein, the key protein in milk, instead of alcohol. Jevan says this is the same technique used to produce insulin without having to harvest it from pigs.
Other companies also use bacteria or fungi to produce casein.
Once the casein is made through this precision fermentation, it is mixed with plant-based fat and the other components of milk needed for cheese, and then the traditional cheese-making process ensues.
Having tried Better Dairy’s three-month, six-month and 12-month aged cheddars, I can say they tasted closer to the real thing than anything else I’ve tried. The younger cheese was perhaps a bit more rubbery than usual, and the older ones more obviously salty. On a burger, the cheese melted well.
On a burger, Better Dairy’s cheddar was visibly melty
Jevan accepts there’s room to improve. He says the cheese I tried was made in his lab, but in future wants artisanal cheesemakers to use the firm’s non-dairy “milk” in their own labs to improve the taste.
As the company cannot use dairy fats, it has had to “optimise” plant-derived fats to make them taste better.
“If you’ve experienced plant-based cheeses, a lot of them have off flavours, and typically it comes from trying to use nut-based or coconut fats – and they impart flavours that aren’t normally in there,” Better Dairy scientist Kate Royle says.
Meanwhile, Those Vegan Cowboys is still focusing on easy-to-replace cheeses, like those on pizzas and burgers, while Standing Ovation says its casein can make a range of cheeses including camembert.
Will these new cheeses find their match?
It’ll be a tall order. Of those who bought vegan cheese on the market in the past year, 40% did not buy it again, according to an AHDB survey – suggesting taste may be a turn-off.
Damian Watson from the Vegan Society points out that resemblance to the real thing may not even be a good thing.
“Some vegans want the taste and texture of their food to be like meat, fish or dairy, and others want something completely different,” he tells me.
And Judith Bryans, chief executive of industry body Dairy UK, thinks the status quo will remain strong.
“There’s no evidence to suggest that the addition of lab-grown products would take away from the existing market, and it remains to be seen where these products would fit in from a consumer perception and price point of view,” she tells the BBC.
Studio Lazareff/Antoine Repesse
Yvan Chardonnens hopes to launch his cheeses in the UK in 2027
But both Better Dairy and Those Vegan Cowboys tout partnerships with cheese producers to scale up production and keep costs down, while Standing Ovation has already struck a partnership with Bel (makers of BabyBel).
Standing Ovation’s CEO Yvan Chardonnens characterises the recent unpopularity as a first wave in the vegan “analogues” of cheese faltering because of quality, while he hopes that will improve in the next phase.
Besides the current concerns about a shrinking vegan market, taste, quality and price, the issue of ultra-processed foods is one that these companies may have to grapple with.
They argue a lack of lactose, no cholesterol and lower amounts of saturated fats in lab-made cheese can boost its health benefits – and that any cheese is processed.
Precision fermentation may also allow producers to strip out many ultra-processed elements of current vegan cheeses.
Hille suggests it’s a question of perception. People have a “romanticised view” of dairy farming, she says, despite it now being “totally industrialised” – a point backed by AHDB polling, which found 71% of consumers see dairy as natural.
“I wouldn’t say that’s really a traditional, natural type of food,” Hille argues.
“We do have an important task to show people how cheese is made nowadays.”
However you might be feeling about the state of our country this long holiday weekend (me: angry, troubled, resolute in staying aligned with the progressive values that truly move our nation forward), I hope you have time to rest and regroup. Here are three suggestions for eating and drinking this weekend: They’re places that brought me some recent, needed joy.
Bar Benjamin
Not long after the Benjamin opened in Hollywood early last summer, I showed up hoping for a couple unreserved seats at the bar, situated in the center of the restaurant’s posh Art Deco room. No go. The staffer put us on a wait list and suggested we hang out at the Moon Room bar located above the restaurant.
We climbed the stairs and peeked in. I could roll with the New York 1970s nostalgia vibe — parquet floors with checkered tiles around the bar counter, wild art, a baby grand. That night, though, the place was so empty it looked lonely. We took a walk until the Benjamin called us back.
Riding on the success of the glamour downstairs, owners Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr and Jared Meisler reintroduced Moon Room (which Meisler had opened last spring) as Bar Benjamin, replicating the same tasteful woods, moss-colored velvets and dim chandelier lighting as the restaurant below. Much, much improved.
Last Laugh and Everything Gibson cocktails at Bar Benjamin in Hollywood
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
The group brought in two ace bartenders: Chad Austin and Jason Lee. I’m particularly a fan of Lee: A few years back he crafted a summertime cocktail at n/soto of ice, shaved to order, over watermelon juice laced with amaro and lime juice. Then he moved on to Baroo, masterfully devising drinks around Korean spirits or kombucha that synched with Kwang Uh’s singular cooking.
At Bar Benjamin, he and Austin distill many of the cuisines that define Los Angeles (Mexican, Thai, Sichuan, Persian) into liquid odes. To work backwards, there’s a fun play on the ubiquitous Iranian stew fesenjoon that includes Granada Vallet pomegranate liqueur and walnut-rice orgeat that’s sweet enough to qualify as dessert. To start, I’d lean more toward the bumblebee-yellow, mezcal-spiked Last Laugh bright with saffron, pineapple, bell pepper and mango.
A Gibson infused with the essence of an everything bagel? A bit intense in its pickled flavors for me. But then again, I lean purist in the martini realms. I’ll choose the lemony Ben’s Martini that also happens to nicely match the very edited selection of small plates, including mustardy beef tartare and dilled shrimp salad in a brioche bun.
An ikura-topped shrimp roll at Bar Benjamin.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
A fun, fizzing crowd filled the space on a recent weeknight visit. But even if I came upon Bar Benjamin with few customers, the new cocooned atmosphere would be one I’d be happy to have to myself.
Fusion Kitchen
How might a bowl of warm borscht appeal in summertime temperatures?
The broth at the version served at Fusion Kitchen in Mid-Wilshire is light, for starters. Chunks of stewed tomato and grated beets and carrot gently vary the textures. Every third or fourth spoonful catches a few strands of beef. Taste first, and then stir in a couple splotches of sour cream. On the side are toasted triangles of rye bread and several slices of melt-on-the-tongue salo — salt pork, similar to Italian lardo, that is ubiquitous to Ukrainian culture.
I’ve been hungering for more tastes of Eastern European food since writing about Noroc, a restaurant in Sacramento that serves Moldovan dishes, for the 101 Best Restaurants in California guide.
With a name as unfortunately generic as Fusion Kitchen, you need to know what you’re looking for. This was previously known as the second location of Mom, Please, the Ukrainian draw in Playa Vista opened by Oleksii Kochetkov, his wife, Inna Kochetkova, and his mother, Olena Kochetkova. The same owners run Fusion Kitchen; only the name changed.
Borsht (center) and other Ukrainian dishes at Fusion Kitchen LA
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
After blitzing through the menu, I have a few strong recommendations beyond borscht. Cabbage rolls show off the same gravity-defying sleight of hand, improbably delicate wrappers bundling minced beef and vegetables scented with basil. Among varenyky and pelmeni, the half-moon dumplings filled with mashed potato and dressed in mushroom sauce turned out to be the most compelling.
And among many options for desserts, zero in on the medovic, or honey cake. It doesn’t have the zillion layers of, say, Michelle Polzine’s fame-making version at her now-closed 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco. Its sour cream frosting zings, though, with the crucial sweet-smokiness of burnt honey.
Manila Inasal
I’m ordering too much as usual, calling out chef Natalia Moran’s modern takes on Filipino standards: lumpia, sisig, lechon, adobo, kare kare, garlic rice … .
When I’m done, the server studies me. “You forgot to order the signature dish,” she says. “There’s a reason our name is Manila Inasal.”
Oops. Thanks goodness she steered me right.
Chicken may be the traditional choice for this class of thoroughly marinated and grilled dishes, but the bungus inasal, made with silvery milkfish, is particularly wonderful here. Achiote stains the fish, which has also absorbed the aromatics of lemongrass, ginger and sharply citrusy calamansi juice. Swipe forkfuls through two sauces, one based on green chile and the other on coconut vinegar. With a bit of cucumber salad spooned on the plate, it’s a refreshing warm weather meal.
A spread of dishes at Manila Inasal in Silver Lake
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
To dive deeper: start with always-easy-to-crunch lumpia or, even better, laing, taro leaves creamed in coconut milk with seasonings like garlic, ginger and shrimp paste. Moran’s take is restrained, but pleasantly so, and she presents it as an appetizer dip surrounded by focaccia baked with taro leaves. The vegetable pancit satisfyingly mingles egg and glassy vermicelli noodles in a soy-based sauce with thrumming umami.
Meatier dishes I tried like the kare kare with ultra-tender cuts of beef (including oxtail) and lechon could have been punchier in their flavors; it’s hard not to compare them with the masterful versions Maynard Llera prepares at Kuya Lord. As my colleague Stephanie Breijo reported in June, the restaurant opened two months in Silver Lake Plaza, in the same complex on Virgil Avenue that houses Daybird. So it’s still settling in and calibrating.
The namesake inasal? I’m already all in.
Also …
Karla Marie Sanford reports on the fear gripping the restaurant community in aftermath of ICE’s arrival in Los Angeles. This quote states the crisis succinctly: “The industry is deeply confused,” said Corissa Hernandez, the owner of Nativo, a Mexican bar and restaurant in Highland Park. “We’re alarmed. We’re frustrated about the lack of transparency, especially legal clarity. We’re business owners, we’re not immigration experts.”
Sanford also reports on the reopening of Gladstones, the iconic seafood restaurant in Pacific Palisades, that closed for six months after sustaining damage in the Palisades fire.
A doctor has warned anyone heading to the airport to avoid foods that could cause a painful reaction, including cabbage, cheese and beans. Dr Donald Grant says foods like dairy can cause a reaction known as ‘jet belly’, where your stomach reacts in the same way as an unopened crisp packet.
Aeroplane bloat, also known as ‘jet belly’, is a phenomenon that causes the stomach to bloat during flights. Dr Grant, GP and Senior Clinical Advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, said: “Many people will be planning or preparing to go on holiday. On long-haul flights, it’s important to be aware of ‘aeroplane bloat’, categorised as a build-up of gas in the intestines and stomach, caused by a combination of factors.
Aeroplane bloat is also known as jet belly
“This strange phenomenon is influenced by cabin pressure. At 30,000 feet, plane pressure drops dramatically, causing the gas in our guts to expand. In turn, this causes bloating and discomfort, which can lead to aeroplane bloat. It’s kind of like how crisp packets expand while in the air – the same effect is happening to our guts.
“Additionally, sitting in the same place for hours during a long-haul flight doesn’t help either. This fixed position can slow digestion and increase gas buildup, further adding to the discomfort and bloating. Depending on an individual’s food tolerances, purchasing and eating food on a plane could also increase the bloating effect, especially if the foods are high in salt content.
How to Avoid Aeroplane Bloat this Summer
“So, now that people are aware of aeroplane bloat, how can they avoid it? With the right approach, such as remaining hydrated and choosing foods carefully, people can enjoy their long-haul flights without the risk of bloating or discomfort.
1. Hydration is Key
“When we’re dehydrated, digestion is slowed and the risk of bloating increases. Therefore, drinking substantial amounts of water can make a huge difference, limiting the risk of this bloating effect. Additionally, I advise against fizzy drinks as the carbonation can increase gas buildup. Realistically, adults should be aiming for 2-2.5 litres of fluid each day, but prioritise still water before a flight.
2. Opt for Light Meals Pre-Flight
“Aside from drinking water, what we eat also plays a massive role in the risk of experiencing aeroplane bloat. Stay away from salty foods and anything hard to digest, including beans, cabbage, dairy products or fatty foods. Instead, lighter foods such as rice and lean proteins such as poultry or fish are generally better options as they’re easier to digest and manage.
Beans could leave you feeling bloated
3. Try and Move Each Hour
“While it can be tricky to incorporate movement into your flight, a walk to the toilet and back every hour or two can reduce the risk of aeroplane bloat. By moving, we’re aiding our digestive system, allowing it to work more efficiently. This actively reduces the risk of bloating.
4. Consider Probiotics or Over-the-Counter Medication
“For people with a long history of gut health issues, probiotics or other over-the-counter treatments can prove incredibly effective at targeting and reducing bloating or discomfort. Medications such as FyboCalm Wind & Bloating Relief are available without a prescription, providing relief of bloating, wind and abdominal pain in as little as two hours.
“Overall, with the holiday season underway, it’s important to be aware of aeroplane bloat and the factors that can increase the risks. However, by drinking enough still water, avoiding any trigger foods and packing emergency over-the-counter medication, I believe people can dramatically reduce the risk of experiencing this strange phenomenon.”
Los Angeles can feel like a microcosm of the whole world, particularly when it comes to dining. At some point, though, the road will call. Maybe it’s a two-hour drive into the desert, or a short flight to the Bay Area, or a quiet coastal stretch where the marine layer doesn’t burn off until early afternoon. There are reasons to go — and eat — everywhere in California.
Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Ethiopian, Syrian, Italian: As you’ll find in this guide to the 101 Best Restaurants in California, these cuisines embody who we are, and they’re only the jumping-off point. Many entries on the list include additional recommendations, and the Times has previously published deeper dives (based on my ongoing statewide reporting) into San Francisco, San Diego and Palm Springs. More will be coming.
Proud to be Canada’s most diverse city, with citizens from 230 countries around the world speaking 140 different languages, the result is a colourful array of culture, art, food and history
Often overshadowed by its neighbors with glitzier landmarks — namely Burbank and Pasadena — Glendale gets an unfair rap as being suburban and drab. Many Angelenos (especially those on the Westside) know it primarily for its massive malls: the Glendale Galleria and oft-meme’d Americana at Brand.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
While its retail landscape is certainly impressive, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of this 30-square-mile city that traverses two mountain ranges and boasts dozens of historic buildings and more than 50 parks. Visit one small corner of this century-old city and your main takeaway might be the preponderance of Armenian bakeries, kebab joints and hookah bars. For a more bohemian, historic take on Glendale, visit Adams Square, where storybook Tudor houses proliferate and a queer community flourishes. At Adams Square Mini-Park, once a gas station, find a public art gallery inside an old service building and nearby crosswalks that have been painted vibrant colors as a way to increase pedestrian visibility and celebrate the local community.
Vintage period revival mansions on enviously large plots of land can be found in Glendale’s higher elevation communities, like Chevy Chase Canyon or El Miradero, situated below the 31-acre Brand Park. Plenty of historic Queen Anne-Eastlake Victorian homes dating to the 1870s to 1890s are also still standing. Some of these older buildings — like a turn-of-the-century Moorish mansion and an old winery barn — now serve as museums, public libraries and nature centers.
While there is plenty of new development — think high-rise condominiums, strip malls, big-box stores and expanded transportation routes — Glendale actively balances preserving its historic sites while promoting change. Take, for instance, Brand Boulevard, the heart of downtown Glendale. It’s a dynamic mix of new retailers, multicultural restaurants and landmark businesses like the 100-year-old Alex Theatre and a corset shop that has been in the same location since 1922.
And the transformation of the city goes even further.
While Glendale once bore the unfortunate reputation of being a mid-20th-century “sundown town,” it has since evolved into a vibrant melting pot. Today, it is home to large communities of Armenians, Latinos, Koreans, Filipinos and Persians. In a significant step toward reconciliation, Glendale became the first city in California — and the third in the nation — to formally apologize for its racist past.
Whichever analogy you choose — a Rubik’s cube, an onion — Glendale is one of the more fickle SoCal destinations that takes time to get to know. There are pockets of funk, beauty and culture — a neon museum, a retro roller rink, a progressive art museum at the top of a cemetery. Glendale also produced numerous Hollywood greats, like John Wayne, Eva Mendes and Paul Walker, and serves as the final resting spot of even larger luminaries, such as Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson.
Here’s where to go to get the best representation of this oft-misunderstood place that is actually, to name-drop its century-old moniker, a “jewel” of a city.
What’s included in this guide
Anyone who’s lived in a major metropolis can tell you that neighborhoods are a tricky thing. They’re eternally malleable and evoke sociological questions around how we place our homes, our neighbors and our communities within a wider tapestry. In the name of neighborly generosity, we may include gems that linger outside of technical parameters. Instead of leaning into stark definitions, we hope to celebrate all of the places that make us love where we live.
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What L.A. neighborhood should we check out next? Send ideas to [email protected].
A BEAUTY enthusiast has revealed “the best hot girl holiday hack” that will ensure you never feel floated in a bikini again.
So if you’re lucky enough to be jetting aboard any time soon and want to feel confident in your swimwear this summer, you’ve come to the right place and will need to take notes.
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A young woman has revealed a savvy “holiday hack” to ensure you wave goodbye to bloated daysCredit: TikTok/@juliaglowguide
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So if you’re heading away and want to look fabulous in your bikini, you’ll need to check this outCredit: TikTok/@juliaglowguide
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Julia raved about the Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes which facilitate the normal breakdown of proteins and tripeptidesCredit: Healf
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These supplements “relieve occasional bloating or gas” and work out at just 44p a timeCredit: Getty
In fact, it will work out at just 44p a time – yes, you heard that correctly.
Posting on social media, Julia, who is on a mission to “glow up” her life, revealed the key to staying slender whilst abroad.
The trainee nutritionist said: “Let me give you the best holiday bloating hot girl tip – I used to be that girl who’d go on holiday and be scared to eat all the food that I want, enjoy my time, because I’d constantly feel bloated.
“I just wouldn’t want to be in my bikini – the bloating would get so bad and uncomfortable because I was eating foods my body wasn’t used to.
“And I discovered the best hot girl holiday hack ever that means I can go away, feel comfortable in my bikini, not bloat, enjoy all the food and just have a great time.”
Julia explained that in order to put bloating at bay, she swears by the Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes – supplements containing enzymes involved in the digestion of protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, and lactose.
Julia’s favourite Digestive Enzymes contain a high-strength, broad-spectrum mixture of vegetarian digestive enzymes that facilitate the normal breakdown of proteins and tripeptides.
According to the product description, these supplements contain alpha-galactosidase that promotes the breakdown of certain complex carbohydrates, such as raffinose and stachyose, found in some legumes, vegetables, and grains.
In turn, this helps “to relieve occasional bloating or gas.”
I’m a size 16 and I’ve found the perfect summer dress from F&F – it’s so comfy and great for bloated days on holiday
A pack of 30 capsules will cost you £13.49, working out at just 44p per tablet.
Clearly a huge fan of the supplements, the content creator continued: “I cannot tell you how much I love Digestive Enzymes – magic pill, take them 15 minutes before you eat any meal and these help you break down food your body’s not used to eating.
Omg been looking for a solution for this for years
TikTok user
“I can have a pizza and not bloat when I take Digestive Enzymes – trust me, this is worth your investment.”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @juliaglowguide, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as in just three days, it has quickly racked up 235,700 views.
Bloating: Foods to eat and avoid
Eating the right foods can prevent bloating as well as reduce when it occurs.
But it depends entirely on what your symptoms are.
If you are bloated and constipated, eat:
Fruits and vegetables
Bran flakes
Oats
Skin-on potatoes
Dried fruits such as apricots and raisins
If you have trapped wind, avoid:
Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale
Beans (baked, kidney, butter)
Lentils
These foods, including pulses like beans and lentils, are good to add into the diet slowly as they are high in fibre.
While they are not advisable to help in the moment, they do help in the long-run by boosting gut health.
Try adding them slowly into your diet.
If you are bloated with diarrhoea, you may have a stomach bug and should eat:
Plain foods: bananas, white rice, bread or toast
Boiled potatoes
Oatmeal
Small and frequent meals
Other tips for preventing bloating are:
Exercise regularly
Chew with your mouth shut
Eat smaller more frequent meals than large meals
Avoid fizzy drinks, alcohol or caffeine
Limit processed, sugary, spicy or fatty foods
One person said: “I’ve never heard of these! Thank you.”
Another added: “Omg been looking for a solution for this for years.”
Meanwhile, one woman beamed: “They’re amazing, only thing that’s worked for me.”
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STANDING in the queue at the supermarket, Hannah Davison feels a burning sensation in her neck.
While it might be alarming for some, the hairdresser is all too aware of what is causing her chronic pain.
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Hannah Davison’s 36H breasts left her in constant agony and with a hunchbackCredit: SWNS
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Unable to stand for long periods of time, Hannah says that her boobs also got in the way of eatingCredit: SWNS
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She flew to Poland for breast reduction surgery and is now thrilled with her new 34C boobsCredit: SWNS
Her 36H breasts are the culprit with Hannah claiming she was ‘on the way to having a hunchback’ like the famous bellringer Quasimodo.
But Hannah, 33, can now hold her head (and neck) up high after having surgery to reduce her boobs by five cup sizes to a 34C.
She flew to Wroclaw, Poland, on April 14 to have breast reduction surgery where over a kilogram of tissue was removed from her chest.
The two-hour long surgery cost £3,373 after Hannah received a discount for paying through her Monzo card.
Now five cup sizes smaller, Hannah feels the hunch at the top of her neck caused by her boobs is “already going” and her daily pain has “disappeared literally overnight”.
Hannah, who lives with her husband in Greater Manchester, says: “I felt like I was on my way to having a hunchback.
“It panicked me at first because it felt like there could be something really wrong.
“I’m a hairdresser so I’m on my feet all day and using my arms.
“I struggled to stand up for periods of time.
“I’d have a burning sensation in the top of my neck.
I got my DD implants removed & went back down to a B-cup – trolls say I went from a 7 to a 4 but I LOVE my new look
“I’d have to sit down for half an hour until it stopped.”
Hannah says that even simple tasks like eating proved a huge challenge.
“Even eating a meal before I was hunched because my boobs would mean my back was pushed down,” she explains.
“My posture was a huge problem.”
The hairdresser says that her life has totally transformed since her surgery, and she’s not the only one who has noticed the difference.
“Everyone has just been looking at them so shocked at how good they look and how it completely changed the frame of my body as well,” she says.
“I look smaller, they were so big and pronounced and changed the frame of body.
“Now they look a lot more natural as well and the pain has been severely reduced.
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Hannah suffered from years of burning neck pain to her size 36H breastsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Hannah says she would give the pain of her surgery a 5/10Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Hannah stayed overnight at Europe Surgery’s clinic before staying a further five days at a hotelCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
BREAKDOWN OF HANNAH’S COSTS
Surgery – £3373
Flights – £210
Accommodation – £270
“It’s a better quality of life and I’m a lot more comfy in my own skin, which I can say I’ve never had because I’ve had big boobs since I was 14.”
Hannah’s back pain began when she was just 21 when she began hairdressing.
She said: “As the years have gone on – I’m 33 now – it’s just got progressively worse, and I had a hunch at the top of my back.
“Standing up and moving my arms in a certain way gave me a burning pain in the back of my neck.”
Hannah first heard about the procedure after a friend flew abroad for a breast augmentation in March 2025 at Europe Surgery, a clinic in Wroclaw, Poland.
She says: “My decision to go was very last minute.
“I’d wanted surgery done since I was 21 but it was always unreachable due to the price in the UK.
Standing up and moving my arms in a certain way gave me a burning pain in the back of my neck
Hannah Davison
“I went to Mya Cosmetic Surgery about six years ago and got a quote for £8,000 for the same procedure.
“It was way out of range for me.
“The last thing I heard was that the wait list [on the NHS] was six years and you had to go through extreme mental health screening.
“I didn’t want to wait any longer.
“I had the savings anyway but I didn’t want to dip into them, so I worked six days a week for six weeks to make the money I needed for my surgery.”
Hannah emailed the clinic in January 2025 and had her surgery just six weeks later.
Common Causes of Saggy Boobs
Gravity: Over time, the constant pull of gravity can cause the ligaments in the boobs to stretch and sag, especially in larger ones
Smoking: Smoking reduces blood supply to the skin, leading to a loss of elasticity and premature sagging
Lack of Support: Not wearing a properly fitting bra, especially during exercise, can lead to stretching of breast tissue and ligaments
Weight gain and loss: Changes in body weight can spark changes to the fatty tissue in the breasts, making them more prone to sagging
She says: “The clinic has a Facebook page with over 17,000 members so you get to see loads of different people’s point of view.
“I’m now four weeks post-op and I feel absolutely fine.
“I started back at the gym two weeks post-op.
“My best friend is a nurse and she can’t believe how neat the incisions look.”
Hannah stayed overnight at Europe Surgery’s clinic before staying a further five days at a hotel, while she waited to be fit to fly home to the UK.
She says: “A few times I was worried I could feel fluid inside my breast, so I just went straight in.
“All the nurses are so lovely.
“The whole experience pain wise was a five out of 10.
“The only annoyance of the whole process is the healing as you have to do nothing.
“Other than that, it was a great experience.”
She estimates that “just over a kilo and a half” of breast tissue was removed in the surgery.
She adds: “I’ve always been into the gym and training, and I feel like my body composition would never change.
“No matter how much I trained it would never make a difference.
“Now I can wear nice gym clothes.”
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She estimates she lost a kilo and a half of breast tissueCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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She likened herself to The Hunchback of Notre Dame pre-surgery, as she said her ‘Quasimodo boobs’ meant she was constantly hunched overCredit: AF Archive
A former Caledonian Airways cabin crew member has shared her advice on what foods to avoid on-board and explains why a more expensive travel class may not mean a better meal
Former cabin crew member advises travellers to use “common sense” when eating on-board(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Many airlines have been striving to improve the poor reputation of in-flight food by expanding their menus. But one former cabin crew member says there are some foods you should still avoid.
Charlotte Crocker spent 12 years working as cabin crew on long-haul flights for airlines including Thomas Cook, Astraeus and Caledonian Airways. Speaking to Metro, Crocker shared what in-flight food you should avoid, and explained why the meals are so salty.
When it comes to food worth avoiding, the ex-air hostess shared that passengers should avoid any food (fruit and salad in particular) that isn’t served in a sealed packet. “Cabin crew are trying their best, but it gets very busy in the galley during catering, sometimes lids get dropped and salad doesn’t always get washed,” explains Crocker.
Though she emphasises that you are unlikely to get food poisoning on a flight and that travellers just need to use “common sense” when it comes to what they’re eating. She also shared that she avoids drinking alcohol on planes.
“Personally, I don’t drink alcohol on planes as it’s very dehydrating. I also try to stay away from anything fizzy as well as food that’s too salty or spicy because it causes bloating and nobody wants to be unwell on a plane.”
Crocker explains there is a reason in-flight meals are typically salty(Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)
You may have noticed that the food choices in the cabin are not known to be particularly healthy, and tend to be quite salty. She added: “It’s difficult to have healthy food at 35,000 feet” and there is a reason it’s usually sodium-heavy.
“Our bodies are functioning differently at that [high] altitude, so our tastes change and the food becomes bland, so we end up having to put lots of salt and seasoning on the meals to make it taste better,” she explained.
She also says that if you are looking for quality food, you’ll probably need to upgrade your seat. “If you’re in economy, the frozen meals are not the greatest quality and that’s because of the budget – if you want really cheap flights, you’re not going to be able to have the type of food that you get in first-class, which is of a much higher standard.”
While first-class meals may be more lavish, Crocker says that the first-class ovens “aren’t actually any different” from those in the other cabins(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
That said, the ex-cabin crew member admits it’s difficult to produce decent meals when you don’t have a proper kitchen on-board, which affects all classes of passengers. “The galley in first-class is lovely but the ovens aren’t actually any different to the ones down the back of the plane.”
Crocker says that the best meal to eat on a flight is actually the one you bring yourself. While she and her fellow crew used to “polish off whatever passengers didn’t want” this didn’t leave her feeling great.
“There’s too much fat and salt in the meals and snacks – I would end up feeling absolutely horrendous,” she said. “I had to reprogram myself and start taking my own food on flights. It’s a complete pain to have to do meal prep, but it makes such a difference and I recommend giving it a try as it’s so much better for you.”
Each airline has specific guidelines on what food and how much you can bring into the cabin, so you will need to familiarise yourself with these regulations before flying. Crocker says she usually opts for “packet soups, tea bags, oatcakes and instant porridge pots” – though keep in mind some crew members warn against drinking the hot water on planes.
May 17 (UPI) — A recent Walmart earnings report citing tariffs aa a potential reason for raising prices promoted President Donald Trump to tell the world’s largest retailer to “eat the tariffs.”
“Walmart should stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for rising prices throughout the chain,” Trump said Saturday morning in a Truth Social post.
“Walmart made billions of dollars last year,” Trump said, adding that its earnings were “far more than expected.”
“Between Walmart and China, they should, as is said, ‘eat the tariffs,’ and not charge valued customers anything,” he said.
The president said he will be “watching, and so will your customers!!!”
Narrow retail margins that are less than those of other business sectors might make it impossible for Walmart to simply eat the cost of tariffs.
“We have always worked to keep our prices as low as possible, and we won’t stop,” Walmart said in a statement to CNBC. “We’ll keep prices as low as we can for as long as we can given the reality of small retail margins.”
Trump made his social media comment two days after Walmart President and Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon told investors Trump’s tariff policies might require the retailer to raise prices on affected goods.
“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible, but given the magnitude of tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure,” Doug McMillon, Walmart president and chief executive officer, said during an earnings call on Thursday.
Walmart’s latest guidance and forward-looking statements affirm tariffs are among factors that could significantly impact its earnings throughout the rest of the year and possibly beyond.
“The company’s results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in global economic and geopolitical conditions, tariff and trade policies, customer demand and spending, inflation, interest rates, world events and various other factors,” Walmart’s earnings report says.
Rapidly changing costs are making it difficult for the retailer gauge the near-future of Walmart Chief Financial Officer John Rainey told CNBC on Thursday.
“We have not seen price increases at this magnitude in the speed in which they’re coming at us before,” Rainey said. “It makes for a challenging environment.”
The electronics and toys that Walmart sells mostly come from China, which so far is subject to a 30% tariff.
The retailer also sells goods from Central and South America, such as bananas, coffee and avocados, which also are subject to at least a 10% tariff.
Rainey told CNBC the retailer wants to keep its prices below its competitors’ prices for similar goods, which would require absorbing cost increases due to tariffs.
