Your Must See And Do's On Your Next Trip To LA

Located right outside of Los Angeles in Pasadena, The Norton Simon Museum (411 West Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; +1-626-449-6840) is a treasured institution known for presenting critically acclaimed exhibitions of 20th century art by the likes of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and others. Its curved tile-covered building was designed in 1969 by architects Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey (and later upgraded by Frank Gehry) to blend into the surrounding mix of Beaux Arts, Moderne, and Craftsman architectural styles. “It such a gorgeous place to see both art and architecture and even play a game of chess in the Sculpture Garden,” says Tamara.

As a cradle of wellness trends—kombucha, ayurveda, hot yoga, and micro greens are a normal part of daily life here—Los Angeles is a great place to indulge in a rejuvenating and detoxifying treatment. Head to The Now (7611 Beverly Blvd.; +1-323-746-5525) a serene, boho-chic sanctuary with well-priced massages and fun extras like “crystal healing,” involving the placement of energetically charged crystals on your chakras. For something aequally unusual, at Shape House (434 North Larchmont Blvd.; +1-855-567-2346), which bills itself as an urban sweat lodge, you spend an hour in bed, tucked into a infrared sleeping bag, while relaxing and watching Netflix.

For pre-Prohibition era cocktails—a time when bourbon and gin were the spirits of choice, served with few other ingredients or garnishes over hand-chipped blocks of ice—head to 1886 Bar (1250 South Fair Oaks Ave.; +1-626-441-3136), a wood-paneled space set behind the patio at The Raymond restaurant. "It just feels homey and comfortable," says Tamara. "And I love the historic Craftsman building it’s in." A more glamorous atmosphere awaits at Cecconi’s (8764 Melrose Ave.; +1-310-432-2000) a restaurant in West Hollywood with a sweeping marble-topped bar doling out creative cocktails like the Italian Paloma, made with tequila, campari, lime and San Pellegrino grapefruit soda.

On sunny weekends, Tamara likes to have brunch in the plant-filled back patio at Botanica (1620 Silver Lake Blvd; +1-323-522-6106), an all-day restaurant and marketplace offering gorgeous plates of healthy food and an equality eye-catching atmosphere decorated with rattan, weathered wood, and exposed concrete. In the evenings, she often heads to Café Stella (3932 Sunset Blvd.; +1-323-666-0265) a bustling casual bistro with a menu of classics like duck rillettes, moules frites, and steak au poivre. “It feels a little bit like Paris and they have best escargots!,” gushes Tamara. One of her absolute favorite restaurants in the city is Otium (222 South Hope St.; +1-213-935-8500) at the Broad Museum, where chef Timothy Hollingsworth is rethinking American cuisine. Designed by Tamara herself (together with architect Osvaldo Maiozzi and interiors firm Studio Unltd), the space features a thoroughly modern interpretation of rusticity, with muted colors and natural materials like stone, copper, glass, and wood.

“There’s curated goodness for everyone,” says Tamara of Please Do Not Enter (549 South Olive St.; +1-213-263-0037), an intriguingly named design gallery and boutique in DTLA that sells a disparate collection of covetable, rarefied objects like delicate Japanese stationery, quirky Danish toys, and limited-edition perfumes, along with furnishings and artworks. Nearby Flowerboy Project (416 West 8th St.; +1-213-395-9535) is part flower shop and part concept store, stocked with everything from vintage clothing to scented candles and jewelry made of semi-precious stones.