BLACKBOOK U R B A N P R I M E R shops throughout LA. Their newest endeavours, which opened last year, are their most ambitious yet: Cassia (cassiala. com), which they run with chef Bryant Ng and his wife, Kim, serves Southeast Asian dishes like laksa (below left); next door is their wine bar, Esters (esters wineshop.com). Nota Bene LA’S MICRO CITY Everything that’s new and cool at the beach – now without the traffic to get there BY JESSICA FLINT AND AMANDA FRIEDMAN The beachside city of Santa Monica is its own paradise within LA’s sprawl; it even has its own government, police station and fire department. “It’s like being in a small town with all of the culture and access to the city of LA,” says James Rosenfield, owner of the Brentwood Country Mart, which, despite its name, is located in Santa Monica. But now, with the May opening of the Santa Monica extension of the Expo Line – the light-rail also stops downtown and in Culver City – the neighbourhood’s gems, like these listed here, have become more accessible than ever before to travellers and Angelenos alike. A bilevel bungalow at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows GET BEACH- READY Only three per cent of Santa Monica visitors head to Montana Avenue, a ten-block stretch with chic boutiques and fun restaurants beloved by locals. Before donning flip-flops, get a pedicure at the new Olive & June (pictured below; olivejune.com), the third outpost of the popular Beverly Hills nail salon. BUNGALOW LIVING An alternative to big beach hotels, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows ( fairmont.com) has 32 bungalows, which were redone by interior designer Michael Berman last year. The only cottages on LA’s Westside, they are residential in feel. We like the bilevel one-bedrooms, like No 24; the threebedroom Bungalow One is ideal for families. CULINARY DYNASTY Husband-and-wife team Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan oversee a Santa Monica restaurant empire: small-plates spot Rustic Canyon, pizzeria Milo & Olive, Huckleberry Bakery & Café, and five Sweet Rose Creamery ice-cream The beachfront Casa del Mar OCEANFRONT HOTELS Shutters ( shuttersonthe beach.com) and Casa del Mar ( hotelcasadelmar. com), which sit on adjacent beach lots, are both owned by brothers Edward and Thomas Slatkin. Shutters, with its New England-style shuttered exterior and interior design by White House decorator Michael S Smith, is the perennial favourite of blue bloods. But don’t assume Casa del Mar is Shutters’ redheaded stepsister. The hotel, whose Mediterranean-style ambience attracts an international crowd, was overhauled by Smith in 2015, updating its highceilinged lobby. The new Terrazza Lounge is the perfect place to watch the sun set » FROM TOP: CHRISTIAN HORAN, RICK POON, BONNIE TSANG, LISA ROMEREIN 26 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
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