Angels Delight: a Food and Wine Tour of LA

The Grand Central Market in LA is a must for all foodies
The Grand Central Market in LA is a must for all foodies | © Chon Kit Leong / Alamy Stock Photo
Lucy Thackray

On this buckle-busting break, you’ll feast on California’s larder and dine out on the rich bounty of restaurants, bars and markets in Los Angeles with local insiders.

From designer-clad Beverly Hills to hipster Silverlake, LA’s food scene is a place to see and be seen. It’s most famous for its power lunches and health foods, but the city’s restaurateurs also crave authentic concepts – Korean food is a big deal here, as are all-American food trucks and vegan cuisine.

“You could eat and drink out every day of your life in LA – and you’d only scratch the surface of what’s available,” says winemaker Amy Luftig Viste, of Angeleno Wine Co. “LA’s alcohol producers are also some of the best I’ve ever tried. We make wine right here in Los Angeles using city-grown grapes. People think that’s strange, but in fact, LA was the birthplace of California winemaking, and the local brewers here have spent years perfecting their craft.”

In this spirit, we’ve combined LA’s must-try food experiences with a hotel that’s famous for its eats, connecting you with locavore-loving locals and classic Californian cuisine, all bookable right here on Culture Trip.

 The Manhattan Beach area has a thriving food scene |
 Great Korean food, like Dakgangjeong, can be found all over LA |
 The food truck scene here is unrivalled |

Where to Stay: the Hotel

1. The Line LA

Hotel

The LINE Hotel
Courtesy of The Line LA / Expedia

In the center of LA’s food-forward Koreatown neighborhood, this hotel was the original hotspot that put the area on the map for trend-hungry travelers in the mid-2000s. Staying true to the local scene, its dazzling, millennial-pleasing restaurant, Openaire, serves koji broth, jidori chicken and kimchi-fried rice in cool, glassy surrounds strung with hanging baskets and garland lights. Downstairs, a kitsch-retro bar, Break Room 86, has karaoke suites, and the in-room minibars even have cult Korean snacks. With a decadent, palm-fringed pool to lounge by and a killer cocktail bar, this base has all the ingredients for a foodie break in LA – along with artsy, pared-back rooms with distressed concrete walls and upcycled furniture for sleeping off the food coma.

What to Do: the Experiences

2. A Private Foodie Tour of Downtown LA

Tours

This walking tour gives you the inside track on one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, Downtown (DTLA), and a hotbed of new cafes and restaurants. As well as seeing retro movie palaces and the historic Angels Flight funicular (featured in the 2016 film La La Land), you’ll get to graze your way around Grand Central Market, where cult donut, taco and brunch vendors are framed by vintage neon signage within a cool, industrial interior. Thirsty? You’ll also grab a cocktail or beer with locals to toast your day.

3. A Luxury Vegan Food Tour of Los Angeles

Tours

LA’s food scene delights vegetarians and vegans with its healthy-at-heart ethos. You’ll have no problem finding a plant-based dish here; indeed, you’re positively spoiled for choice when it comes to innovative and colorful vegan creations. This tour whisks you straight to the belly of the city’s vegan scene by bus, welcoming you with bubbly and taking you to the most delicious hangouts to meet chefs dealing in meat-free cuisine.

4. A Manhattan Beach Food Tour by Locals

Tours

“The USP of LA’s food scene is the ability to grab something in town and have a picnic either high in the mountains or down at the ocean shore within 30 minutes,” says winemaker Amy Luftig Viste. On this restaurant-hopping tour, you’ll experience dining by the Pacific in trendy Manhattan Beach – an enclave of great restaurants about half an hour from the city center. With your local insider, you’ll sample the city’s beloved Mexican food, Californian wine, beachfront seafood and the staples of SoCal cuisine, to name a few.

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