Nowhere in LA is brunch taken more seriously than West Hollywood. Here's how to do it right.
LessOver the years, Connie & Ted's has simmered down from ultra-sceney celebrity hotspot to what it was always meant to be: a neighborhood restaurant. On sleepy Saturday mornings, this retro East Coast seafood spot is filled with parents feeding their young children clam chowder and disheveled friends mending a hangover with mimosas and a dozen oysters. The weekend brunch menu offers less fishy dishes like a perfectly cooked steak and eggs and French omelet drenched in a tangy herb cream.
If your brunch plans prioritize party ambiance over food, Soulmate is your place. Some highlights on this Spanish-inspired menu include creamy chicken croquettes, the not-too-sweet, custard-soaked french toast, and the crispy huevos rotos––poached eggs and smashed potatoes topped with chili oil and jamón serrano. All of these dishes are solid at best but ultimately get overshadowed by the up-tempo crowd sipping passion fruit cocktails on Soulmate's beautiful patio.
Brunch in Weho doesn't have to be a weekend-only activity, especially when there are convenient options like Blue Daisy. Located inside the Palihotel, this cozy, low-ceiling restaurant serves brunch every day with a mix of staples like french toast and smoked salmon bagels, along with Middle Eastern-leaning dishes like shakshuka and za'atar-dusted eggs with spicy sujuk sausage. It's a great place to catch up with someone over scrambled eggs and Turkish coffee.
Brunch at Ardor is a grown-up affair. This dark and moody tropical-ish restaurant on the ground floor of the West Hollywood Edition offers a slightly over-the-top $85 prix fixe menu that’s perfect for special occasions. It begins with a range of shareable starters like a pastry basket, raw seafood sampler, and crispy short rib croquettes. Then you’ll get to choose an entree, followed by treats from their all-you-can-eat dessert station full of macaroons, cream puffs, and mini soufflés.
Whenever we need to make vegan brunch plans, Butcher's Daughter tops the list. Weekends here are crowded and a bit chaotic, but the tater tot-stuffed breakfast burrito and jackfruit "crab cake" benedict are worth any hassle. Just put your name in and go wander around a nearby boutique full of overpriced candles until your table is ready. They also have an all-you-can-eat breakfast bar on weekdays for just $28, which includes coffee, cold-press juices, "chicken" & waffles, and frittatas.
If you’re looking for an all-day boozy brunch fest with your friends, Breakfast by Salt’s Cure is not your spot. But if you need a quick brunch fix with good food and a crowd that doesn’t care who designed your kaftan, this is your place. This spinoff in the original Salt’s Cure location on Santa Monica is basically taking the old Salt’s Cure breakfast menu and serving it in an order-at-the-counter setup. It’s fast, affordable, and those signature griddlecakes are all we ever need on a Saturday.
Open every day at 6am, King’s Road is much more than just a weekend brunch spot. It’s an all-day caffeine therapy session, with some of the best coffee in LA and a sidewalk patio where the whole neighborhood congregates. The breakfast-y food is solid enough (we love the vegetarian-friendly garden scramble), but the reason this cafe is worth knowing about is that even during peak weekend times, you’ll never have to wait more than 10 minutes for a table.
This isn’t the coolest or most crowded place on the list and that’s why we love it. Come to Marco’s on a Saturday morning and it will be filled with people who actually live in West Hollywood. Expect a quality breakfast, great service, a really old man reading the newspaper, and $22 bottomless champagne seven days a week. Buckle up day-drinkers.
We love Hugo’s because it’s basically a diner, but one that also happens to serve really delicious vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Open since 1975, this neighborhood staple can get a little crowded on the weekends, but the atmosphere will always be more laid-back than the mimosa warzones happening elsewhere on the block. Whether you’re in the mood for chilaquiles, avocado toast, or steel-cut oatmeal, everything at Hugo’s is somewhat healthy, but will also fill you up.
Though only open for a few years, this queer-owned French bistro at La Cienega and Hollyway has become one of the neighborhood’s top morning institutions. Weho Bistro doesn’t have a specific brunch service, but it opens at 10am on the weekends with a massive menu featuring everything from eggs benedict and quiche Lorraine to open-faced tartines and lamb burgers. If you’re thirsty, try one of the ten or so different mimosa flavors (we usually go for the mango or apple cider).