San Vicente Boulevard
Brentwood is a beautiful part of town which has a special place in my heart. One of its shopping area located on San Vicente Boulevard (on the portion between Wilshire & Bundy) embodies the very essence of the neighborhood : chic and yet low key.
San Vicente offers the best of Los Angeles in terms of dining, shopping, cafes and services.
On your left arriving from Wilshire is the small Topa Town & Country center with sets the tone with its handpicked high quality shops. It gives you an idea of what is to come on this part of town. Every wellness junky will find happiness at the Earth Bar and the foodie will be satisfied at the excellent sushis restaurant Sugar Fish. There is a great SoulCycle studio where I took my very first spinning class (read all about it here). You will also find the classy clothing store The Lady and the Sailor which has the most beautiful basics, "simple but necessary luxuries" is their philosophy.
In terms of restaurants San Vicente has you covered. I bet that you will find what you are looking for. A classic brunch at Coral Tree Cafe, a healthy fast casual meal at Sweetgreen (read my full review here), fine dining at Baltaire or Katsuya.
For Italian cuisine you have many choices. I highly recommend Pizzana founded by the creator of Sprinkles Cupcakes, Candace Nelson. Pizzana is so popular that it is better to make a reservation. If you are looking for a nice Tuscan trattoria atmosphere Toscana is the place to go, they serve delicious Northern Italian cuisine. To enjoy Sicilian dishes go to Palmeri S.p.A. (spa stands for Societa per Azioni, which means public company in Italian!) where Chef Ottavio Palmeri likes to add personal touches to his authentic cuisine. There is also the charming Italian bistro Pizzicotto founded by two Italian sisters born on the shore of Lake Como.
This is a non-exhaustive list of what you can find!
There are many coffee shops too. The classic Coffee Beans, Peet's & Starbucks and the very best for matcha Alfred Coffee! The juiceries are not outdone. You will find a Pressed Juicery which also serves their famous "pressed freeze", a Juice Crafters, the Earth Bar, and the trending Danish juicer brand Joe & The Juice right next to Alfred.
You can plan your whole day on San Vicente. And of course there are places to workout : cool Soulcycle spinning studio, hidden boutique yoga studios, boxing at Box N Burn, intensive fitness at Orange Theory, high-quality pilates classes at Club Pilates.
There are many options to pamper yourself. Explore the blowouts options for your hair at the Dry Bar, waves, curls, straight, braids... you can do anything! For nails go to Côte, a great non toxic nail salon with a pleasant beach house atmosphere. When looking for a gift it's always a good idea to browse the Côte boutique section, there are many treasures to be found.
There are cool shops like my all time favorite clothing store chain William B + Friends which has a well curated selection. As my friend Valentina said "When you enter William B, you know you will end up buying something!" It doesn't have to be a big piece, it can be one of their beautiful little notebooks or cute trendy jewelry.
Among the things I love in this neighborhood is the Whole Foods flowers section which is always particularly appealing at this location. Every time I walk by this place I can't help it but take a picture!
Almost ending the Brentwood portion of San Vicente Boulevard you will find Vicente Foods, an old school grocery store founded in 1948. It is still a family business which is very appreciated by the locals. You can find everything on your shopping list plus products from foreign countries.
