Tessa & Alex
Things To Do
Elephante
LA in a nutshell. Breezy, rooftop vibes, and fun cocktails frequented by your favorite influencers. It's Alex and Tessa's go-to trendy spot for "Southern-Italian" faire. Highly recommend reservations -- try and go during the day for the views. And get the whipped eggplant!
Cha Cha Chicken
Not quite a shack, but check-out this low key Carribbean spot that's BYOB. Super easy, super casual, and it's good.
Malibu Wine Tours
Go wine tasting in the hills of Malibu. You can do a hike, take a jeep tour, or do my favorite VW bike tour. Wine is mediocre, but the views are not. A fun little day trip.
Giorgio Baldi
It's Rihanna's favorite restaurant. Classic, intimate, rustic Italian spot that's been around for 30 years. You'll probably see a celebrity or two. Reservations highly recommended.
Santa Monica Pier
Walking distance from the hotels -- go play tourist in LA and enjoy the beach.
Farmers Market - Wednesdays/Saturdays
Wednesday and Saturday farmers markets are 8:00am to 1:00pm and are where all the fresh farm:table food you'll eat comes from. Your fav celeb chefs are known to frequent the Wednesday market, but feel free to join us as we walk the farmers market before our Saturday brunch at Cult.
UOVO
Forget the celebrities. UOVO is the small fresh-made pasta spot for the food snobs out there.
The Promenade
Need/want to go shopping? The Promenade is walking distance from both hotels and has a bunch of stores like Nordstrom, Zara, Anthropologie, Sephora and more
Cassia
Forget all the Italian spots, here's a Southeast Asian place that's a stone's throw away from the Proper hotel. It's a huge space with good food. While you're waiting, grab a couple glasses of wine at Esther's its sister wine bar with outdoor patio space.
Marvin Braude Bike Trail
It's winter! Enjoy the beaches and bike the Strand, a 22-mile bike trail along the coastline. The Proper lends out bikes for free, but there are many rental places if you're not staying there. A 22-mile bike path, officially known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, that traces nearly the entire extent of L.A.’s westward-facing coastline. It's the best way to tour the beaches.
LACMA
Not in Santa Monica, but the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the West. You've probably seen the iconic lights, but go check-out the Picassos and other timeless classics
The Getty
The incredible Getty museum sits atop a hill and has incredible pieces of art. Worth going if you have a few hours and love art. The Getty Villa is another campus a little closer in the Palisades (not far from the wedding venue). Admission is free (parking is not), and temporarily requires a timed-entry reservation.
Venice Canals
Playing tourist for the day? Venice is very close to Santa Monica so take a look, walk around, and enjoy the beach!
Abbot Kinney Boulevard
A mile-long strip for shopping, art, and food in Venice. A bit funkier than the Promenade and great to explore the culture that Venice is. You can stop by Muscle Beach as well
The Rose Venice
A big, lofty restaurant, bar, cafe with two patios for yummy food and drink.