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L.A. TACO Neighborhood Guides: Westwood

Persian beef tongue tacos, a legendary steak burrito, and King Kong Bundy's final resting place, plus a brief neighborhood history by Adam Villacin. Don't sleep on Westwood!

An Illustration of Fox Theater in Westwood with its tall tower and marquee

Illustration of Fox Theater by Adam Villacin.

This guide to the restaurants, history, and sights of Westwood is sponsored by Eduardo's Border Grill.

FIRST, A SHORT HISTORY OF WESTWOOD, BY ARTIST ADAM VILLACIN

The land that modern-day Westwood occupies was once inhabited by the Chumash. Once that society had mostly moved to the Channel Islands, the Tongva people settled in (around 3500 BCE). A village named Kuruvungna (meaning "a place where we are in the sun") once stood in the current Sawtelle neighborhood. 

Rancho San José de Buenos Ayres was a Mexican land grant that transferred hands a few times before it ended up with the director of the L.A. and Pacific Railroad, John Wolfskill.

A portion of the land was donated to the federal government in 1887 to be used for the care of Civil War and "Frontier Wars" veterans. In 1919, department store impresario Arthur Letts bought 3,300 acres of land for $2 million. UCLA moved in. Letts came up with the names Westwood and Holmby Hills.

Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Letts was a Freemason, a Knight Templar, and a member of several elite private clubs across L.A. and California, including the Bohemian Club. He was also on the board of AAA and the Boy Scouts. His son's estate later became Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion. 

Silent film actor (and 33rd degree Freemason/founder of the anti-Communist Hollywood Committee for Senator Joseph R. McCarthy) Harry Lloyd sold the land of his film studio to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, it is the second-largest Mormon temple in the world. 

Armand Hammer's father was favored by Lenin and was a founder of the Socialist Labor Party of America. Armand was named for the arm and hammer logo of the SLP. His great-grandson is an actor who was accused of cannibalism. Armand founded the Hammer Museum in 1990. 

Westwood is home to many notable mid-century homes designed by Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, and John Lautner. 

Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Many notable figures are interred at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, including Marilyn Monroe, Bettie Page, King Kong Bundy, Truman Capote, Hugh Hefner, Natalie Wood, Minnie Riperton, Dean Martin, Ray Bradbury, Roy Orbison, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Frank Zappa, John Cassavetes, and Gena Rowlands.

In 1988, the Fox Theatre was designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission as an Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #362). It shut down in 2024 and was bought by an investment group of a couple dozen filmmakers, led by Jason Reitman. It is slated for reopening in 2027. ~ Adam Villacin

WHERE TO EAT

Super Sun Market. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

When most Angelenos think of Westwood, UCLA students and Persian families usually come first to mind, with entire populations of Los Angeles willfully overlooking the neighborhood from the disbelief that its dining scene is composed solely of Waba Grills, Le Pain Quotidiens, and a few legendary kebab houses.

The cold case at Jordan Market. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Which is a big mistake. Westwood has a terrific and diverse restaurant scene.

Between Farsi signs for barber shops, markets, and bookstores, the dining scene of "Tehrangeles" is insane and multifaceted, from famous names in local tacos to a great Alice Waters restaurant at the Hammer Museum to locations of 99 Ranch and raging hot Cajun Boiling Crab. Restaurants like Sunnin and Shamshiri have become institutions well beyond the zip code for their Lebanese kebabs and traditional Persian cuisine, respectively.

Shatter Abbas Bakery. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Right now, a stroll on Westwood Boulevard will put you in touch with local sentiment, as posters of some of the thousands of everyday Iranians who were recently murdered for protesting against Iran's war-torn political regime can be found pasted to walls, and flags pressing for the poltiical ascendancy of the deposed Shah's son flutter in front of vibrant produce displays.

Here is where L.A. TACO likes to point people to eat in Westwood.

The Border burrito at Eduardo's Border Grill. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

EDUARDO'S BORDER GRILL ~ WESTWOOD BOULEVARD

If you crave a solid taco in Westwood, there are locations of the excellent pastor vehicle Tacos Tamix, plus a Tacos 1986 and a Tacos Tu Madre! But if you want a great burrito, you'll go where generations of Westwooders have gone for 39 years: Eduardo's Border Grill, a southwestern paean to Tex-Mex known for its nachos, tostadas (essentially taco salad bowls), and fajitas plates. It's also venerated for eschewing lard for vegetable oil and instituting other healthy touches like grilled skinless chicken.

Eduardo's looked like it would close at the end of 2025. Fortunately, Cofax owners and burrito pros Nick Starr and Jason Bernstein stepped in to save the place, keeping the staff and the recipes of venerated owner and Vietnam veteran Eddie Greenwald the same as they've always been.

"There's only two types of there's only two things that I eat where I walk out, and I have that brain tickle glow after I eat it," says Starr, who was raised in Rancho Park and thinks his first burrito ever was at Eduardo's. "One is really great sushi, and the other one is in Eduardo's burrito. And I think basically what it is, is just like every day, they start from the very beginning, and they make everything fresh that day. So, but it's super duper simple, uncomplicated food."

Starr says people thank him every day for saving the local landmark.

Spicy pico de gallo at Eduardo's Border Grill. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Like so many regulars, our favorite order is the "world famous" Border Burrito, which manages perfect proportions of rice, black beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo, things we don't usually want in our burritos but that really work here. Particularly, the tender, charbroiled steak takes center stage despite all the accoutrements. It's creamy, crunchy, and meaty in all the right places. The quintet of fresh salsas bar provides a tempting palette to paint your food, from the big bowl of spicy pico de gallo to a tangy, fruity mango salsa.

1830 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025

A Wowshi with basturma at Bella Pita. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

BELLA PITA ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

If it weren’t for falafel, we probably would have starved to death before graduating from college. So finding a spot like Bella Pita on its student-heavy stretch of Gayley Avenue isn’t surprising. 

What does come as a shock is the commitment to excellence in this teeny nook, which makes everything in-house from the pita and falafel to the basturma and the wide variety of sauces offered at the bar. These elements are crucial to the 19-year success story of this place, which was opened in 2007 by Egyptian-born, former UCLA computer science professor Medy Sanadidi and his son, Ezedin.

Bella Pita. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

The duo even patented Bella’s signature creation, the Wowshi, a sandwich of sorts served in a thin, flaky pita, baked to-order, and filled with your choice of craggy, full-flavored falafel balls, thin slices of lamb or basturma, koftah, chicken, or black beans, alongside loads of the kind of crunchy vegetables you’d find in a fattoush salad. Once that’s handed over, you’ll get to drizzle on as much hummus, tzatziki, tahini, toum, and hot sauce as you think your pita and mouth can manage.

Falafel with tahini at Bella Pita. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Bella Pita, as any respectable, falafel-dealing co-ed support system should, also keeps late hours, staying open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays, and offers dish-specific discounts each week to keep prices student-friendly. 

960 Gayley Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

Persian pizza with beef tongue (left) and cheese with a ketchup base (right).
Persian pizza with beef tongue (left) and cheese with a ketchup base (right). Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

CAFE GLACE ~ WESTWOOD BLVD.

Cafe Glacé is like a classic American diner from another madar, situated next to Westwood’s time-honored Mary & Robb’s and the ever-brilliant Jordan Market. A clean and cozy cafe where shakers of za’taar stand next to the salt and pepper, crusty sandwich rolls are filled with Olive salad and kookoo sabzi, and Persian pizzas on thin pita-cracker crusts come topped with ingredients like beef tongue, mortadella, Ranch dressing, and sliced gyro. 

Order a pizza, with a plate of Persian lengua tacos and a majoon date milkshake from Nelly at the counter. After a short wait on the cute patio, where you’ll take in the fake ivy from a bright orange plastic chair, your table will soon be loaded down with steaming dishes.

The counter at Cafe Glace. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

The tacos will teem with thick, soft slices of beef tongue slipped between crisp, light pita-tortillas, ceding to crunchy onions, zippy parsley, zingy tomatoes, and melted cheese. The Persian pizzas reach beyond novelty into the realm of divinity, on the crest of that thin crackly crust. When you notice it’s ketchup in place of marinara on the plain pie, you’ll still like it. If quietly.

Persian beef tongue tacos at Cafe Glace. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Cafe Glacé manages to be casual, approachable, and still inventive; a place you’d probably hit five days a week for lunch if you worked in the area. Even as it reinvents everyday classics with Iranian twists.

1441 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024

Beef tongue sandwich at Attari. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

ATTARI SANDWICH SHOP ~ WESTWOOD BOULEVARD

One of the great glories of walking through Westwood is stumbling on its transporting, tile-lined courtyards, some hidden behind unassuming buildings, some open in the sun with burbling fountains.

Attari, one of the oldest Persian restaurants in Westwood, is fronted by a beauty, making it a perfect place to sit and enjoy one of its legendary beef tongue sandwiches on a crusty roll or a bowl of fortifying ash-e jo when it's overcast. Or you can sit inside, listening in on whispers of regime change in Tehran from tables packed by local families.

The sandwich is clean, no drippy sauces or oily meats in the way. Just thick cuts of tongue boiled for 14 hours with onion and saffron, center stage, riffing with some mayo, parsley, tomato, and pickles on that big soft roll.

Attari does everything else well, including stews, polos (rice dishes), and kebabs, as well as offering a fetching tea service and sweets like shimmering baklava and curlicues of zoolbia.

But it's the sandwiches we keep dipping in here for. Especially when Attari is stocking lamb brains to pair in your beef tongue sandwich. You may have to ask for it by the name "mahkloot," which means "mixed," as it's often available but unlisted, brains being in short demand these days.

1388 Westwood Blvd #101 Los Angeles, CA 90024

Koobideh at Taste of Tehran. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

TASTE OF TEHRAN ~ WESTWOOD BOULEVARD

Of all the koobideh joints in Westwood, you walked into this one? Good call.

Shiraz-raised chef Saghar Fanisalek’s Taste of Tehran is likely the first place we’ll send anyone seeking traditional Persian food in Westwood. It does it all and does it all very well, including limited daily servings of tahdig topped with gormeh sabzi, a rich, balanced fesenjoon, and lesser-seen recipes involving Cornish game hen and barbecue trout. All in a sunny, casual nook that screams your name at lunchtime, offering all of the flavor, free of glitz.

Mast-O musir with lavash at Taste of Tehran. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Start with a stark white bowl of the shallot-infused yogurt dip mast-o musir, a semi-solid silk that’s spreadable on the thin lavash that comes with it, luscious, creamy, thick, and skillfully walking a tightrope between salty and sour. There will be enough for your meal and enough to take home. Enough to feed a small circus, really.

Taste of Tehran has the kind of honest and direct cooking that urges you to come back and try everything, certain you’re inching closer to the majesty of Persian homecooking than you'll typically find at Persian restaurants. 

The koobideh shatters its nearest competitors. This classic ground beef kebab is served hot, with a fork and spoon, no knife, foreshadowing just how tender it is. Jiggly almost to the point of jelly, the thinnest semblance of tension on the surface restraining a flood of visible meat juice. Palpably wet, it unleashes with a snap, pure flavor hitting you with a slight tang of game. 

Its misshapen length crests with a single hot tomato and a hill of yellow and white rice, holding out for a dash of brick-red sumac from the plastic shaker on your table. You may plan to save some of this flavorful link for later. Only to realize you’ve already eaten the whole thing. With zero regrets.

Oh well. You’ll be back.

1915 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025

Doogh with rose buds and mint at Toranj. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

TORANJ ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

While Westwood Boulevard is packed with great Persian restaurants, ice cream parlors, and markets, bro-and-sis Farbod and Farinaz Pirshirazi's six-year-old Toranj is the only name specializing in traditional Iranian eats above Wilshire. And it does this with notable care, glimpsed in the tiny rosebuds bobbing over the housemade, fermented yogurt drink doogh, and in the swirls of sumac-sprinkled hummus punctuated by a single fat green olive.

Jujeh kebab, aka "juicy chicken," at Toranj. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.
Hummus at Toranj. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Jujeh kebab is a Persian standard found among most local Iranian kebab-slingers. It is Toranj's most notable dish, known here as "juicy chicken." The plate comes lined with what looks like five miniature whole chickens, each stained orange and individually rolled with white meat, bearing a supremely tender, molten core next to Tehrangeles' ubiquitous charred tomato.

Tahdig with gormeh sabzi and fesenjoon at Toranj. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.
Toranj in Westwood Village. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

If you want to explore traditional Persian food on a budget, a good way to get in and out for under $20 is to get the crispy saffron rice-based tahdig appetizer, which comes with your choice of famous stews like the red bean-and-spinach laced classic gormeh sabzi, and the walnut-thickened, pomegranate molasses-spiked fesnejoon, a potent virtuoso in striking the balance between sweet-and-acidic.

10861 Lindbrook Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024

An ice cream sandwich with two chocolate chip cookies sandwiching chocolate ice cream, held in someone's hand.
Ice cream sandwich at Diddy Riese. Photo by Hadley Tomicki.

DIDDY RIESE ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

Diddy Riese opened in 1983 and was named for the founders’ grandmother. Absolutely no other Diddys were involved in this production. So take it easy.

Diddy’s basically been doing the same thing all these 43 years: selling bombass ice cream sandwiches made with housebaked cookies and Dreyer’s Ice Cream. At $5 per sandwich, the prices are significantly less than heinous, especially seeing what Yogurtland recently charged us to tickle the bottom of a paper cup with a splash of preservative-packed froyo.

It also makes brownies, sundaes, and shaved ice. But what are you thinking?

Get the cookies, get the ice cream sandwich. Your combination choices are endless. A white chocolate macadamia cookie with pistachio almond ice cream? Sure. That same pistachio almond ice cream in a sugar cinnamon cookie? Why not? Chocolate chip cookie dough inside of an M&M-studded chocolate chip cookie? We believe in letting you be you.

926 Broxton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

Pla tod kamin at Emporium Thai. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

EMPORIUM THAI ~ WESTWOOD BOULEVARD

John Sungkamee and his family opened Emporium Thai in 2000 on Westwood Boulevard, six years before helping to open L.A.'s renowned Jitlada with his brother, Tui, and Jazz” Singsanong. Earlier this year, Sungkamee and his wife, Jane, opened a sequel, Emporium Thai Market, on Sawtelle, managed and staffed by their children and other family members.

Emporium's tom yum beer. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Focusing on southern Thai flavors, you'll bring your own brood for plump and piquant Phuket-style curry wings, crunchy softshell crab, seafood-crammed drunken noodles, crab curry, the always-wonderful-to-say Phuket duck, papaya salads, prawn-topped pad Thai, and the coup de grace: pla tod kamin, a whole fish speckled to the gills in garlic and tumeric. If you're in a drinking mood, try the house beer, which recreates the flavors of tom yum in a can.

You'll love these things. And you won't be alone. Emporium isn't shy about letting you know about its celebrity fans like Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Anderson Paak, and John Legend.

Cardi B's mango sticky rice at Emporium Thai. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Sungkamee, always engaging with customers who greet him by name, will tell exactly you why the meatballs are named for Blackpink's Lisa. Or about the recent night when longtime fan Cardi B returned with a huge entourage right before closing, earning her two eponymous dishes on the menu.

Cardi's clearly got good taste. Taste the heavenly mango sticky rice named after her and just try to convince us otherwise.

1275 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024

Tea-smoked pork ribs at Sichuan Impression. Photo via Sichuan Impression.

SICHUAN IMPRESSION ~ WESTWOOD

This is the first place we point stupid people who say, "There's no good Chinese food on the Westside."

Westwood alone has a lot of Chinese restaurants, including spots like Zhangliang Malatang's build-your-own-hot-pot buffet, IxLB Dim Sum Eat's solid hargow, and handstretched noodles at Noodle Street.

But nothing hits like Sichuan Impression's mouth-buzzing mala dishes. The Westwood location of this SGV-exported institution sits in a humble strip mall, just steps east of the 405 freeway and upstairs from sushi destination Hamasaku and its still very reasonably priced omakase. 

Mapo tofu at Sichuan Impression. Photo via Sichuan Impression.

S.I.'s lip-tingling, Sichuan peppercorn-packed options are seemingly endless. But if you're squeamish about such delicacies as the bullfrog with baby ginger, stir-fried pig's feet, or wok-fried kidneys, begin with the classic starter of toothpick lamb, a sea of small wooden pike-impaled cuts of chile-rubbed lamb. Or maybe just a mapo tofu that will set your soul on fire.

It's best to come with a group of spice adherents. That way you can share multiple dishes from the massive menu, such as the Sichuan standard of pickled fish and mustard green soup (suan cai yu), the tea-smoked ribs, golden soup with lamb and needle mushrooms, beef noodle casserole, and oxtail-and-tomato soup.

Boiled Fish with rattan pepper⁠ at Sichuan Impression. Photo via Sichuan Impression.

There was a time when the mala overload could be counteracted by a quick trip to a rare L.A. Carvel's down below. But alas, Fudgy the Whale has blown this particular strip mall.

11057 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025

The steak burger at The Apple Pan. Photo via The Apple Pan/Instagram.

APPLE PAN ~ WEST L.A.

If you wanna get technical about it, anything under Santa Monica Boulevard is West Los Angeles, even as you run down Westwood Boulevard. This includes classic westside burger joint The Apple Pan. But given that L.A. neighborhoods can be as much a state of mind as they can physical locations bound by Babylon demarcations, we're throwing it into this Westwood guide.

Because a blissful diner that only offers two simple burgers, a bounty of pies, and odds and ends like a grilled cheese and tuna salad, just as it's been doing for 78 years, is a treasure that breaks barriers.

All of which is to say, you need to eat a hickory burger or even more time-honored steak burger with a slice or two of Tillamook cheddar at The Apple Pan's U-shaped counter at least once in life, not to have your L.A. food credentials pulled. Go on. We'll wait for you to be seated.

10801 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064

The "small" fattoush with mutabbal and chapati at Mandi House. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

MANDI HOUSE ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

It's 6 P.M. You've had a long, exhausting day of screaming things outside of the Federal Building and feel like you could eat a horse. Mandi House is a captivating Yemeni restaurant built for feasts, serving dishes intended to feed large groups at its tufted booths with traditional seating on the floor.

Mandi House. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

Your meal will start with great wagon wheels of hot, whole-wheat chapati bread, perfect for wiping up a plate of thick, creamy mutabbal, a smoky eggplant dip distinguishable from babaganoush by its additions of tahini, yogurt, garlic, and light splashes of vinegar on top.

From there, if you're a lamb lover, you can get half a lamb's head or maybe just some lamb liver or Yemeni spiced lamb kebabs, depending on your particular kinks. A fattoush salad, even the small version on offer, will be massive, while a plate of Yemen's national dish, lamb mandi with young, slow-cooked lamb quartered over rice can feed up to five. A whole lamb mandi will cost you nearly $600 and feeds 18.

Hrada fashah at Mandi House. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

We tend to head straight for the Sana'a signature of hrada fashah, a bubbling pot of shredded beef and lamb with a deep, rich flavor and a thick, slightly sticky consistency that reminds us of a birria en caldo made from cabeza. The lamb flavor is slightly subdued, and there are chiles hiding in there. Ripping the stretchy chapati apart is more fun than pounding the slime at the Sloomoo Institute, and you can make your own little "tacos" with the fashah. Old habits being hard to break and everything.

With Westwood Boulevard's Moroccan favorite Kattoubia now gone, Mandi House is the best place to bring a group for an interactive, shareable dinner, every dish having a hint of sweetness and everlasting depth. It also keeps late hours, often between 2-3 a.m. on weekends(!).

The restaurant is currently offering an indulgent nightly iftar buffet during Ramandan, which looks excellent. Of course, if you're not fasting, this means more tables are open at lunch.

1083 Gayley Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

SHOPS AND SIGHTS IN WESTWOOD

Bettie Page's grave at Pierce Brothers cemetery. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

PIERCE BROTHERS WESTWOOD VILLAGE MEMORIAL PARK AND MORTUARY

Even cemeteries are celebrity hot-spots in L.A., as evidenced by Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Cemetery, a small plot with some big names like Marilyn Monroe, Billy Wilder, Hugh Hefner, and Truman Capote, as well as some more personal favorites like Don Knotts, Bettie Page, Heather O'Rourke, Rodney Dangerfield, and Frank Zappa. If you're into hanging out at cemeteries, it's a good destination (you sick fuck).

If you're into comedy, it's also probably the funniest cemetery we've ever seen, thanks to a section of deceased cards. Jack Lemon's headstone says "Jack Lemon in . . . " just inches from the dirt, while Looney Tunes' voice genius Mel Blanc's simply says "That's All Folks!" Rodney, may he be resting in peace, offers "There goes the neighborhood," while legendary T.V. host Merv Griffin's promises ""I will not be right back after this message." Yes, you can laugh at death here. They would have wanted it that way.

1218 Glendon Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

the interior of a gift shop
The Hammer Store, the gift shop inside of the Hammer Museum. Photo by Julianne Le for L.A. TACO.

HAMMER MUSEUM ~ WILSHIRE BOULEVARD

The Hammer Museum is an overlooked gem in L.A.’s museum scene, centered on contemporary art while also guiding patrons through centuries of diverse artwork on practically just one floor. Admission is free, and entering the vast, modern lobby almost feels like entering the Men in Black headquarters. While making your way to the top floor where the galleries reside, you’ll pass by Lulu Restaurant, an Alice Waters restaurant with daily changing prefixe menus highlighting simple recipes of insanely fresh produce and meats, and sustainable practices.

cinderblocks with artwork and neon lights
Artwork by Patrick Martinez at the Hammer Museum showcasing Mayan imagery on construction material. Photo by Julianne Le for L.A. TACO.

Currently on view is “Made in L.A. 2025,” featuring artwork created in the greater Los Angeles area. Many of the artists are from L.A. like Pasadena’s Patrick Martinez, SFV’s Gabriela Ruiz, and South Central’s Freddy Villalobos.

Just across the third floor, you’ll find multiple Van Goghs within the Armand Hammer collection including “Hospital at Saint-Rémy,” a depiction of the asylum facility where Van Gogh admitted himself. 

Made in L.A. 2025 is being shown until March 1, 2026. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, except for Saturday when they close at 8 p.m.

10899 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024

students in a sculpture garden
The Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden on UCLA's campus. Photo by Julianne Le for L.A. TACO.

FRANKLIN D. MURPHY SCULPTURE GARDEN ~ UCLA

Not only a spot for students to laze about between classes and couples to stroll, the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden is an idyllic scene for art lovers throughout L.A.

Over 70 modern and contemporary sculptures populate the grounds, facilitated by the nearby Hammer Museum. (Here is the Hammer’s map to each piece in the garden, Rodin and all). This garden is a testament to the insane amount of beauty that exists in L.A., from blossoming flora to man-made artistry. While lounging on the lawn, you may even witness one of the reoccurring pet meetups where corgis and dalmatians giddily mingle. Located less than 15 minutes away and slightly uphill, the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden is also free and open to the public every day. 

245 Charles E. Young Dr. E. Los Angeles, CA 90095

a crowd of people at a farmers market
The Westwood Village Farmers' Market. Photo courtesy of @farmhabitwv/Instagram.

WESTWOOD VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET

Open every Thursday, rain or shine, the Westwood Village Farmers' Market (WFM) on Broxton Avenue packs L.A.'s biggest pedestrian-only plaza to its brim at peak hours.

The WFM checks off every farmers market essential: live music, family-friendly atmosphere, and vendors selling food ranging from fresh produce to loaded baked potatoes to pupusas. Independent food entreprenuers are also present, cooking orders on the spot like Sam of Kreung Kitchen, a Cambodian BBQ joint, or offering sweet delights like the time-tested bundt cakes of Chris and Kaye Monachelli's Gourmet Specialties.

Even though WFM considers itself a "farmers' market," there's a hefty amount of fashion-focused booths selling secondhand clothing and handmade jewelry, like you would see at flea markets. Thanks to a decent amount of seating and multiplayer games strewn throughout the lawn, WFM is an ideal third space for anyone looking to slow down for an afternoon. Or to play an oversized version of four-in-a-row with hands sticky from kettle corn.

1031 Broxton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

The Westwood Farmers' Market is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Thursday.

Inside Rocket Fizz. Photo by Hadley Tomicki for L.A. TACO.

ROCKET FIZZ ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

The colors, the colors! Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop has everything. Vintage candies your grandparents would recognize, sodas of all flavors (including sour fruit, butter, and bacon), posters of Richie Valens and cutouts of Olaf, old road signs, and international sweet treats in every corner of this impressive swirl of sugar-filled novelties.

While Rocket Fizz stays on trend with products like Labubu-inspired chocolate, they also stock specialties like Turkish Delights, halva, and imported Kit Kat bars.

And since you're an adult and can spend your money on sweet stuff or however you see fit, we'll point you to nearby Campus Cooler where the Four Loko and Faygo soda live, waiting for students to test their fortitude.

1067 Broxton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

movie theater exterior
Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Conservancy.

VILLAGE THEATRE ~ WESTWOOD VILLAGE

Just a short walk from UCLA's campus, the Village Theatre became famous as a movie premiere venue, welcoming Hollywood giants to Westwood every few weeks. Hundreds of fans and curious students could be seen crowding sidewalks, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of celebrities like Timothée Chalamet during his "Wonka" press run. Seating over 1,000 viewers, the theater's striking architecture is both large and wondrous. Its pillar looms over Westwood Village like the immediately recognizable landmark it has become.

the Ectomobile from Ghostbusters
The Ectomobile from Ghostbusters outside of the Village Theater on March 21, 2024. Photo by Julianne Le for L.A. TACO.

Regency's lease expired in 2024, leading to the theater's prolific closure that year. L.A.'s cinephiles were preparing their goodbyes to the beloved movie theater when the arrival of a savior was announced. Led by Jason Reitman, 35 of Hollywood's most prominent directors and actors chipped in with the help of American Cinematheque to bring Village Theatre back to life. Its return is slated for 2027—until then, the building stands tall as it awaits its rebirth.

961 Broxton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024

"westwood copies" sign on a sidewalk
A sign on the sidewalk points customers towards the Westwood Copies store on Gayley Avenue. Photo courtesy of Westwood Copies/Yelp.

WESTWOOD COPIES ~ GAYLEY AVENUE

If you're looking for an old-school print shop (or just any establishment that's not Office Depot), Westwood Copies is a reliable, inky oasis. This small shop is tucked away between an orthodontics office and rehab center, and they got their start in 1982. Upon entering, you may be surprised that a niche, knowledgeable business like this still exists in 2026.

They offer classic services like printing in black/white and color, scanning, and faxing. But their ability to quickly bind portfolios, print stacks of club fliers without emptying students' wallets, and take passport photos have cemented them in the small business landscape of Westwood Village. In a neighborhood where rent prices are notoriously brutal and business retention is uncertain, Westwood Copies continues to defy the odds.

1019 Gayley Ave #111, Los Angeles, CA 90024

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