Where to See Stars in Hollywood | Celeb Hunting in Los Angeles

Star Trek: Finding Celebrities in LA

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As a (former) San Franciscan, I’ve been to Los Angeles on many occasions. But this most recent visit had an agenda: I was going to see celebrities. In a previous career path, I worked as a red carpet reporter, so I’ve interviewed everyone from Ben Affleck to Robert Redford—yet have never once run into any star out and about in his native environment. So I was a girl on a mission: This time that would all change.

Prior to my trip, I hit up every friend in LA asking where I needed to go. I consulted Twitter, my fellow entertainment reporter colleagues, and “reliable” sources like People magazine and US Weekly’s websites. Everyone had a different opinion. “On a Friday or Saturday, you won’t see anyone. That’s when they all go into hiding,” one Beverly Hills bartender promised. My friend countered him: “Don’t go to Mr. Chow on Sunday. Celebs only dine there on weekends!” There were so many conflicting opinions that I wasn’t really sure what to do or who to believe. So I eschewed them all and went with my gut—which didn’t always prove successful.

The first day in town, SVV and I ventured to Beverly Hills. If there’s a place to find celebrities, that’s it—particularly middle of the week. Rodeo Drive, where all the high-end shops reside, was deader than I anticipated, so we nabbed a booth at the Grill on the Alley, a popular spot just off Rodeo where agents like to wine and dine their talent. There was a lot of old money present and likely some retired directors in our midst, but no one we recognized. We quickly forgot our mission—and disappointment—though, as we noshed on the biggest portions of baked halibut and ahi salad I’ve ever seen, then managed to save room for a strawberry shortcake fit for a king.

That night, we meandered over to Malibu, heading to the shopping center that houses Nobu, one of the hottest tables among A-listers, and Taverna Tony, a more low-key Greek spot. Neither yielded results. Of course, I had already missed one key sighting that day; Stefanie, our host for the night, texted as my plane touched down at LAX to inform me she was having lunch at Chateau Marmont—and so was Jessica Biel. This would be a common theme on my trip, friends calling to say Arnold Schwarzenegger was at Barney’s Greengrass and Bill Rancic at the Grill, but never seeing anyone in the flesh myself—or worse, me always being one step behind.

The following day, we spent our time running around Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Celebrities migrate to those neighboring areas due to their chill clientele and beachside vibe. We had breakfast at La Grande Orange on Main Street, a favorite of Kate Bosworth’s (though she wasn’t brunching that day, of course), then walked along the trendy Abbot Kinney corridor. Nothing.

Then, we headed to the waterfront for a decadent brunch at posh resort Shutters on the Beach’s One Pico. We didn’t see anyone famous, but I did run into a family I knew from my teenage years in Tennessee; you’d think spotting a big screen star would be much more likely than that coincidence. Shutters commonly welcomes high-profile clientele, just not while I was there. However, the food was so mouth-watering, I dismissed my defeat to enjoy a meal overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a perfectly sunny Southern Californian day.

Later, we checked into the iconic Roosevelt Hotel, a favorite stopover point for such VIPs as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, who like to visit the highly exclusive, on-property Teddy’s. We had no such sightings, but we did take advantage of the fancy digs, sampling an array of cocktails in the Library Bar, prepared by mixologist master Matt Biancaniello, a local celebrity in his own right, and pausing a moment to sit by the pool before turning in for the night in our contemporary quarters.

The following day we returned to Beverly Hills, beginning with brunch at the iconic Beverly Hilton, which effortlessly recreates the days of Hollywood glam and plays host to many an awards show such as the Golden Globes. We heard Renee Zellwegger, Paris Hilton, Pink and others were around for a gala that evening, so we camped out poolside waiting for them. If they came out that afternoon, it was under an unrecognizable guise—and for Paris, I think that would be hard to do—as we never spotted any of them. Still, the brunch at Circa 55 was a pleasant experience, and all restaurant guests are welcome to use the pool; we took full advantage of that.

That afternoon, we met my friend China for a high-calorie snack at Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood. One of the newest red carpet spots in town, the younger set like Miley Cyrus frequent the shake shack. Fittingly, each concoction is named after its creator, like “The Heidi and Spencer” or “The Khloe.” We spotted no one, though really, I just wanted an excuse for a milkshake.

We spent that night at the trendy Beverly Hills Thompson hotel, where prominent Angelenos like the Beckhams and Kate Beckinsale like to throw soirees aside the rooftop pool, which is only accessible to hotel guests. Though of course, no one was partying that particular night. (Are you sensing a theme? If there’s a pool, there’s often a Hollywood starlet rumored to be nearby.)

Sunday morning it was off to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Sunset and Holloway, hoping to catch the haggard night owls who needed their early morning caffeine fix. We sipped lattes by a girl who strongly resembled one of the Kardashians, but when she climbed into her Pontiac Sunfire—not a Rolls Royce, not a Bentley, not even an Audi—we realized it wasn’t her.

We decided to try our luck down in Orange County, popular among the “stars” who headline reality shows like the now-defunct Laguna Beach and The Hills, as well as The Real Housewives of Orange County. Many are frequently spotted shopping at Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza, or lounging, again, poolside at the Montage Laguna Beach, but all such hotbeds failed us on this particular day.

Somewhat disheartened by our lack of luck, we returned to LA and checked into our last hotel for the final night, the new and buzz-worthy W Hollywood that had just opened days before. Hundreds of bikini-clad, jewel-adorned twentysomethings filled the common areas hoping to get into the weekly Sunday pool party—it was far more Vegas than California—and amid them all was rapper Timbaland, surrounded by his posse. (Note: I wouldn’t have had recognized him from Adam had the sales manager not pointed him out to me.)

The following morning was a different sight entirely: The vacant lobby had been scrubbed clean of any evidence of the previous night’s follies. SVV went to the valet stand to retrieve our car, then quickly returned to my side.

“Do you want to see Reese Witherspoon?” he asked excitedly.

“Of course I do!” I replied. After all, she’s a fellow Tennessee girl like me, and while she’s had a few duds in the past couple years, you can’t deny the cinematic brilliance that was Legally Blonde.

I rushed over to the valet stand, trying to look “casual” at the same time. One lone guest, who turned out to be JULIA STILES (not Reese Witherspoon…good try, honey), stood next to us as we waited for the valet to bring around our car. I started to say something—“Will you one day revive your career?” (this was early 2010 and pre-Dexter, people) or, more likely, “I loved you in 10 Things I Hate About You!”—but decided against it. Actors are people, too, after all and well deserving of their privacy (unless they willingly subject themselves to being a contestant on a reality show, in which case all rules of civility are banished).

Moral of this story: Don’t go looking for celebrities when in Los Angeles. You’ll never find them. It’s when you end the chase that they come to you.


Missed Connections

Didn’t manage to see a celebrity in the flesh? Here are a few spots you’re guaranteed to run into them … in one form or another.

Where have you seen celebrities in the Los Angeles area before? Share with this class, so we can get in on that A-lister love!

For those of you who weren’t aware I supplemented my travel writing career by dabbling in entertainment journalism, read my celebrity tell-all here.

COMMENTS
  • February 22, 2012

    Thanks for all the dining suggestions! Sound like a delicious trip!

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      Celebrities eat well, that’s what I walked away with on this particular assignment 😉 Also, I now see why it’s so pertinent they all have trainers!

  • February 22, 2012

    I’ve met a few celebrities in my time, most notably Daniel Craig who I was properly introduced to and shook hands with, wondering who on earth this blue-eyed dream boat was. A few weeks later it was announced he was the new James Bond. I also met Hugh Jackman in NYC in a decidedly less cool setting….I probably chased him down the sidewalk to gush about how much I loved him, he touched my arm and said “thank you, sweetheart” in that adorable Aussie drawl. HE TOUCHED MY ARM! *swoon.

    xox

    • February 22, 2012
      Kristin

      I’ve met Hugh Jackman in NYC before, too! Isn’t he just lovely? Daniel Craig continues to evade me.

  • February 22, 2012

    Come on, you really just went there to eat. Right?

    • February 22, 2012
      Kristin

      Gaelyn, I really just go everywhere to eat! It’s why I run so much: so I can eat that much more. 😉

  • February 22, 2012

    We have good luck spotting stars because Caanan can recognize ANYONE from a mile away. When we get together we’ll tell you about the time we followed a couple stars around for, oh, about 2 hours when they were filming a movie up in Vancouver BC.

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      That doesn’t surprise me actually. Celebrities tend to reveal themselves to chill, nice (and good-looking) chaps like yourselves =)

  • February 22, 2012
    Briel K.

    I rarely see celebrities and I live here! I’ve seen a few out and about at The Hotel Cafe but otherwise I’m oblivious. My friend Sydney always has to point people out to me. It’s pretty ridiculous. I should pay closer attention. 🙂

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      That’s how I was in NYC. I don’t recall ever meeting a celeb that wasn’t at a red carpet event or in one of the magazine offices where I worked. I think, too, it was a case of oblivion (and indifference…clearly, we are above the celeb-obsessed culture on which this country thrives, ha!).

  • February 22, 2012

    I’ve learned this the hard way! Most of my first couple visits to LA were spent in largely futile efforts to find celebs. All I ended up seeing was Magic Johnson at a lunch cafe, and the driveways of Jack Nicholson and Kathy Griffin. I won’t give up though!

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      That’s a pretty good track record! I interviewed Jack Nicholson in San Francisco a few years ago, and I couldn’t help being petrified of him (all I see is “heeeeeere’s Johnny!” when I see his face. still).

  • February 22, 2012

    Since moving back two Atlanta I’ve seen two people from Real Housewives. Not that I would count them as celebrities, but still. The only way I recognized them in the first place is that they don’t fit in.

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      Ha, I would never recognize the Housewives either (never seen an episode) so even if we’d crossed paths with one in the OC, I would never have known it! (And I bet they blend in a lot more seamlessly in Southern California, too.)

  • February 22, 2012

    Isn’t it weird that LA is supposed to be the hot spot for celebs but I see tons of them in New York! So many I’ve lost count and just like you said, when you’re not looking for them they pop up.. lol…
    P.S. I can definitely share a few places for celeb-spotting in NY if needed in the future.. just give a holler!
    🙂

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      The weird thing is that I never saw anyone in New York, other than when I was covering a red carpet event or at work (I worked in-house for two entertainment magazines, then was at a title who shared a building with Vogue, GQ, Glamour, Vanity Fair, etc. so would sometimes see them in the elevator). I think maybe because I was never paying attention, and NYC is visual overload as it is!

  • February 22, 2012

    Too bad! I’m horrible at spotting celebrities. I’ve met quite a few while working as a nightlife photographer in Miami, but I’m positive I’ve seen even more and just didn’t know it.

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      Oh, I’m sure! And you probably saw their “true” (read: alcohol-inspired) sides at that =)

  • February 23, 2012

    Well, next time maybe you should come to LA with us to star spot 🙂
    After we saw you in SF on our road trip a couple of years ago, we headed down to LA, and completely randomly bumped into a couple of stars without even trying! We went to the Petersen car museum on our first day in town (as Didier is completely obsessed with cars!) and ran into Gene Simmons & Shannon Tweed, plus Tony Parker & Eva Longoria who were all there filming a charity TV show (Rally for Cancer I think). This was literally right before TP & EL broke up, but they were very friendly and were chatting to all the people who stopped to watch them.
    Then we were walking round town and Didier spotted Connie Britton (who he only recognized because she was in Spin City!) out filming something.
    And finally while we were driving along the coast road in Malibu, we spotted Jason Statham driving just next to us in a very nice open-top porsche. He obviously saw us turning round and pointing at him (oh yeah, we played it cool!) so as he overtook us he gave us a wave 🙂
    I’ve seen lots more celebs in Cannes at the film festival than I ever have in LA/NYC, but it’s always nice to see stars out and about when you’re not expecting it!

    • February 23, 2012
      Kristin

      Must be something in your English blood! I feel like every one of my friends who come over from the UK see stars galore. It’s probably the influence of tabloids in the British culture, ha–you learn early on how to pick them all out of a crowd =)

      • February 24, 2012

        I think you might be right about that, in the UK we’re so used to seeing celebs splashed all over the tabloids that we automatically keep one eye out for them just in case! 🙂

  • February 23, 2012

    Love this post! Love it love it love it. Every time I go to LA, I run into someone… but usually no one I was looking for. I accidentally went to a club where Hugh Hefner and Paris Hilton were throwing a party, but it was predictably terrible. And I ran into Lionel Ritchie outside the Beverly HIlls Hotel…. mehh. I would’ve been much more excited for Reese (not Julia, haha).

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      “Accidentally” eh? Surrrrre. 😉

  • February 24, 2012

    Uh-huh…”looking for celebrities”…you wanted an excuse to eat all the yummy food, didn’t you?

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      There’s a reason I wear dresses is all I’m saying. (The pants are fitting a bit too snugly these days.)

  • February 24, 2012

    Maybe not so many human celebrity sightings, but it sounds like you sure encountered some food starlets! (The best kind. 🙂 )

    This reminds me–I’m going to be in San Francisco this fall officiating my friend’s wedding (!!!)….which means I will be hitting you up for the can’t-miss places!

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      Yes, please do! I have an official email that I send to people with all my favorite SF restaurants (broken down by brunch, dinner, sweets and happy hours, natch).

  • February 25, 2012

    Cute tale!! I’ve seen more celebs in Paris than anywhere else – Denise Richards in the Louvre when she was dating Richie Sambora, Pharell at Sacré Coeur, Rachel McAdams who was patiently waiting for a table at… Le Pain Quotidien :), Hugh Hefner (London), and Julie Delpy (and her father, numerous times!). Probably more likely to run into celebs in NY, no?

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      Wow, sounds like I need to be palling around with you! You’re like a celebrity magnet =)

  • February 26, 2012

    My godparents lived a few brownstones away from Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams in Brooklyn, and I saw them walking around quite a bit. Brooklyn is surprisingly good for celeb sightings!

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      Yeah, it’s the same reason they gravitate toward Marin in the Bay Area or are all relocating to Nashville these days–Brooklyn is so much more laid back than Manhattan and they leave celebrities alone there!

  • February 26, 2012

    I’m never in the right place at the right time with celebrity sightings. They just filmed Lincoln here and Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, and Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Steven Spielberg were all in Richmond and I saw none of them. My twitter feed was full of friends spotting them at some of my favorite places, but they were never there when I was there. I have the worst lunch.

    • March 1, 2012
      Kristin

      You just totally gave me an idea for a story pitch (for my day job, not blog, of course)–thanks for inadvertently doing so! 😉

      Also, I’m always the girl who is five minutes behind, so I feel your pain.

  • February 26, 2012

    Haha what a fun post! You look gorgeous in your dresses!!!! Love the shots of LA.

  • March 19, 2012
    Tom

    Dear Kristin.

    I found your site by typing “where celebrities dine in L.A.” into my google browser and I enjoyed your stories about L.A. celeb hunting and your friends 30th b-day in L.A.

    I’m planning my first trip to L.A. with wife to visit friends over long Easter weekend (4 days) and luckily have free accommodations in Hermosa Beach.

    So far our plans consist of an invite from our host to go to the Los Angeles Beer Festival at Paramount studios on Saturday http://www.drinkeatplay.com/labeerfest/ and I was thinking to try to make it over to the Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax on Friday for lunch hoping that this is similar to the Ferry Plaza farmers market in San Francisco.

    Where would you recommend for Easter Sunday brunch (avec champagne), price around $50-$100 per person with a view or outdoor seating assuming it is nice out? Part two of this outing would be to find a nearby less expensive beach bar or poolside bar to waste away the rest of the afternoon. Any suggestions?

    Thanks

    Tom

  • February 25, 2013

    You are so right…I was in LA last fall and by chance made eye contact with Zach Galifianakis @ Cafe Gratitude in Venice Beach and stumbled upon Keira Knightley on the red carpet at her Anna Karenina premier…just trying to catch a movie and didn’t realize it was happening at the same time and place.

  • September 9, 2017

    I ran into Andrew Shue grocery shopping at Ralph’s back in the MelrosePlace days. I stalked him and tried to appear casual. And I almost ran over Whoopi while driving a friend around the canyons site seeing. Oh, Billy Crystal at House of Blues a long time ago. All very random!

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