The celebrity-approved LA bar where selfies are frowned upon

Los Angeles might sound like too far to venture from Australia for a mere six days, but it turns out to be just the ticket for me and my friend Melvis as we trade family responsibilities for quality time together.

LA is still as much about celebrity spotting, rock ‘n’ roll and living large as it ever was. Credit: Getty Images

Arriving at Petit Ermitage West Hollywood, a luxury hotel tucked away in the backstreets, feels like stepping into a David Lynch film. Discreetly chic, the hotel features velvet accents, while kitsch objects and artworks line the corridors. It’s where Victoria Beckham had her baby shower for daughter Harper back in 2011, but now the air is thick with what seems to be marijuana smoke.

In an attempt to overcome our jet lag, we head straight to the rooftop pool where a larger than life prawn cocktail and a negroni kick help reset the internal clock while Lana Del Rey plays in the background – a perfect Cali sun-soaked moment.

A visit to the Rainbow Bar & Grill is next. My nostalgia for this old-school Sunset Strip rock ‘n’ roll hangout runs deep, as it does for any hard-rock music lover, though it feels more touristy than I remember. Since Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister died in 2015, a statue in his honour has become the Instagram moment at his favourite bar.

Inside, the booths are dark, the tunes are loud, and the waitresses are still wearing skimpy hanging-by-a-thread attire, with hair teased to maximum volume and held in place with gallons of hairspray – very 1980s. This is where the Who’s Keith Moon and Alice Cooper hung out long before the venue was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History in 2017.

We’re seated beside actor David Spade and his cohort, who pick on him for not organising a more discreet table.

Next up is Hollywood’s Jones bar, a frequent haunt for models and actors that also offers a great rock soundtrack and equally good food – if you can nab a table. There are fewer leather jackets than at the Rainbow amid a crowd that ranges from tech millionaires to wannabes trying to make in Tinseltown.

Day three and we’re off to the Hollywood Bowl for the Outlaw Festival, where we see Bob Dylan, who first played here in 1965, and Willie Nelson along with Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Our route to the venue is heavily gridlocked, which is why locals book their rides for three hours before the bands they want to see come on stage. But all is forgotten once we arrive at the iconic amphitheatre where the Beatles performed in 1964. Sonny & Cher and the Beach Boys have played there, too – the ghosts of its past give me goosebumps.

Chateau Marmont is a celebrity hot spot, yet we’ve nabbed a table on a busy Saturday night thanks to an LA friend in the know. We’re seated beside actor David Spade and his cohort, who pick on him for not organising a more discreet table. It’s a perfect spot to people-watch, and while photography officially isn’t allowed, no one’s enforcing the rules while we’re here.

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A change of hotel for our final night sees us settle into the newly renovated W Hollywood, situated across the street from record shop Amoeba Music – another holy grail for rock fans. The art deco interiors and lush velvet finishes in the hotel’s suites hit the right note and the lobby bar is a winner; tip generously for a stronger follow-up cocktail.

It pays to book ahead for lunch at the Sunset Marquis hotel, another celebrity mecca – on the day I visit, I spot Nick Cave, and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. In the foyer you’ll also find the Morrison Hotel Gallery, where you can see rock ‘n’ roll photographs from the 1950s onwards. This is where Jim Morrison and the Doors were photographed for the cover of their 1970 album Morrison Hotel, and the iconic print is part of the display.

Whether you’re shopping al fresco at The Grove, witnessing the queues for a Hailey Bieber smoothie at health bar Erewhon, or grabbing a table at Curtis Stone’s restaurant, Gwen, LA is still as much about celebrity spotting, rock ‘n’ roll and living large as it ever was. Ignore the exchange rate and make memories instead.

The writer travelled with assistance from Frontier Touring and Warner Music Australia.

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