Comprising of just over five square miles, the tiny city of Beverly Hills is full of diverse, delicious food. There's a restaurant for everyone: whether you're looking for a solid panini, overpriced four-course dinner, or something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Contrary to the stereotypes, there is more to Beverly Hills than just mansions for the rich and famous. Having lived there my entire life (not in a mansion btw), I've explored every corner of Beverly Hills and definitely perfected my restaurants preferences. I've outlined them below.
Fancy-Pants Restaurants
Il Pasteo and Da Pasquale are both top-notch Italian restaurants. My go-to order at any Italian restaurant is chicken milanese, and these two BH classics never disappoint. Their salads, pastas, and pizzas are also great, though. Il Pasteo is slightly fancier, and I would advise getting a reservation beforehand because it tends to get pretty busy. Da Pasquale is owned by an adorable Italian couple; the wife is the head chef and you can sincerely taste the authenticity in her food.
Just a couple stores down from Il Pasteo sits Xian, a Chinese restaurant. I love/am obsessed with their sweet velvet corn soup. On top of having all your favorite Chinese dishes, like orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and lo mein, they also have the dishes you never see at takeout restaurants, such as claypot chicken and hoisin-braised baby back ribs.
Spago, by Wolfgang Puck, is the fanciest on the list. It has a gorgeous brick outdoor patio and serves international dishes. The portions are pretty small, but are all presented artfully. I'd recommend going for a special occasion.
Casual Restaurants
Il Tramezino and Honor Bar are the homes of my two favorite chicken sandwiches. Il Tram's is a classic Italian panini with creamy pesto that I can eat by the bowlful, sun dried tomatoes, and avocado.
Honor Bar's crispy chicken sandwich, pictured above, tastes exactly how it looks – perfect. I get mine protein-style with lettuce buns instead of bread buns. The restaurants themselves, while only a few blocks away from each other, are very different: Il Tram is bright and comfy with a faded mural of an Italian countryside on the wall, while Honor Bar has dark lighting, limited seating, and, as the name suggests, a full bar.
Mulberry Pizza has super-thin, super-huge pizzas (whole or by the slice) that are the perfect amount of cheesy and saucy and soft and crunchy. The atmosphere is laid back and timeless from its white and red checkered tablecloths to the retro clock on the wall. Keep an eye out for their unusual pizza flavors, like chicken Parmesan or rigatoni pizza.
Comoncy is a newer, French cafe that I always end up at because of its convenient takeout and peaceful study environment. Their turkey sandwich is loaded with thinly sliced green apples and walnut spread. Keep an eye out for the Thai salad on the specials menu; the dressing is ever so spicy and the ingredients are always fresh and crisp.
Best Breakfast & Brunch
The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel is the epitome of Beverly Hills with its healthy dishes and countless palm trees. Not only can you go there to enjoy breakfast, but also pack a swimsuit and lay by the legendary BH Hotel pool for a few hours.
Fred's at Barney's NY sits on the top floor of the giant department store and overlooks all of BH. Their blueberry pancake is thick, soft, sweet, and tart. Barney's itself is a sight to see – there's a grand staircase and such. cute. clothes. So spend your Sunday there brunching and shopping like there's no (Monday) tomorrow.
Porta Via has decent Italian food, but their dishes for breakfast and brunch are well above par. Their Grand Marnier french toast is thick, soft, and sugary. I usually opt for the 2+2+2 combo, which comes with two eggs, two griddle cakes, and two breakfast meats. The restaurant has a clean-cut atmosphere atmosphere and a great central location on Canon Dr.
Finally, due to my açaí bowl obsession, I had to include Kreation. I love their açaí bowls because the fruit on top is cut really small and is easy to distribute. Their location in Beverly Hills is a small takeout spot with a 24-hour juice ATM. If you're looking for one with a more thorough menu, the Kreation in West Hollywood has delicious breakfast – try the tri-protein omelet – and surprisingly authentic Persian food.
Dessert
Sprinkles is the very first cupcakery (yes, cupcakery is a real word). Their Beverly Hills location is a must-go because, not only does it have their world-famous cupcakes, Sprinkles Ice Cream is right next door with cupcake-infused ice cream, cookies, and brownies. And don't worry about making it before closing time since their cupcake ATM is popping out cupcakes 24 hours a day.
#SpoonTip: Sign up for their rewards program for a free cupcake.
Edelweiss is an adorable chocolate shop that makes all of its chocolate in a little chocolate factory at the back of the shop. Its history is almost as rich as its chocolate, making it a Beverly Hills historical icon. (My elementary school actually took me on a field trip there when I was in 2nd grade.)
Bouchon Bakery is hidden away beside the little park at the Montage hotel. My absolute favorite thing there is the bread pudding, but it's more of a pastry than pudding. Each pudding cup is baked individually, as shown above, to have a crispy top layer and a soft interior. The bakery is famous for their freshly-made Better Nutter and TKO cookies, which are basically a huge, fancy Oreos.
Harjuku Crepe, while more lowkey than the others, serves customizable Japanese crepes that would put a smile on anyone's face. They have both savory and sweet crapes, but I've only ever gotten the sweet ones. I especially love adding a big scoop of green tea ice cream to mine (in addition to strawberries and Nutella of course).
Where to spot celebrities
If you decide to spend the day at Go Greek, there's a good chance you'll either see a Kardashian/Jenner or my mom who goes there way too often. Their yogurt, both frozen and regular, is imported fresh from Greece. I always go for the self-serve chocolate frozen yogurt topped with flaxseeds, chai, chocolate chips, strawberries, and honey.
Urth Caffe is a trendy, casual restaurant with huge green tea bobas and simple, healthy foods. A plethora of famous people frequent Urth, such as Miley Cyrus, Ashley Benson, Ashley Tisdale, and Jessica Alba.
Bouchon Bistro in the Montage Hotel boarders the small park within the hotel. They have a small menu of French dishes, but I like their sandwiches best. Justin Bieber plays soccer there sometimes, Ryan Seacrest is a huge fan, and Taylor Swift has been seen there.
The Palm is a fancy restaurant that tends to attract an older crowd. Their food is okay, but pretty overpriced. As for celebrity sightings, the list is lengthy. A few celebrities include Channing Tatum, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, and Meryl Streep have been seen there.
Clearly, you'll never go hungry in Beverly Hills. So pack your credit card, camera, and an empty stomach because the 90210 is ready for you!