Los Angeles with Laila Gohar
Point of View: The City of Angels
The Cairo-born, Manhattan-based artist and designer Laila Gohar brings a cinematic flair to the table—only part of what makes her feel at home in Hollywood’s backyard. In her food-based installations for fashion houses and design firms, humble potatoes stack into reimagined croquembouche towers; a modernist chair proves to be cake in disguise. Gohar World, the fanciful home-goods company that she and her sister Nadia launched in 2022, celebrates traditional crafts and manufacturing techniques, from Battenberg lace to mouth-blown glass. The brand name just as much reflects Gohar’s appetite for travel—the City of Angels included.
Why I Love LA
Most people don’t necessarily think of amazing architecture when they think of Los Angeles. It’s more so the stereotypical associations with palm trees and the movies. But there’s a lot of rich cultural heritage here. That, for me, is what makes LA a really special place. I love the indoor-outdoor approach to living, which you see incorporated into some of these beautiful modernist houses that I enjoy visiting, as well as restaurants and museums with their lush gardens. It just feels as though the sun is always shining, and the farmers’ markets are full of persimmons and citrus and dates—that’s the moment when I have the most envy. Growing up, LA felt so distant and aspirational. Exotic, even. To me, it still feels like another planet.
Laila’s Guide to Los Angeles
Club Tempo
For a night out, this is a fun Latin cowboy-themed club with salsa and drag shows. I first went there a couple years ago with friends and found it to be so particular to the city—almost like it fell out of a movie scene. I just love the energy. It’s a place to let loose.
Ennis House
Partly inspired by Mayan architecture, this 1920s home is a prime example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s textile block residences—so named for the patterns visible on the hand-poured concrete blocks. (The Greek key design on the property’s gate was a reference for this collaboration’s silver olive pick.)
Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
Los Angeles is famously not a walking city, but the botanical gardens here are a good remedy, sprawling over 130 acres. Each time you round a corner, you’re transported: a Japanese garden one moment, Australian the next. The whole thing—specifically the desert area, with its Dr. Seuss–like cacti and yucca—feels quintessentially LA.
Mariscos Jalisco
Some of the best tacos I have had in the area are from a Mariscos Jalisco truck. It feels like a local institution, with a handful of daytime locations plus a brick-and-mortar space. The guys here are best known for their seafood offering of shrimp cocktail, octopus tostada, and oysters peinados. Really fresh and delicious.
Musso & Frank Grill
It’s the oldest restaurant in Hollywood—Charlie Chaplin was a fan—and serves an impeccable martini. It feels like it’s from another time while remaining part of LA’s present moment. Whether you’re sitting at the bar or in a booth, you can’t really go wrong.
Norton Simon Museum
This is a beautiful and peaceful museum, perfect for a day out in Pasadena. Go for a wander among the Maillols and Henry Moores in the sculpture garden—where the lily pond takes after the one at Giverny—and you will forget you are in the city.
Sapp Coffee Shop
I love this spot. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Thai Town to meet with friends. Originally located inside a Hollywood motel—diner breakfasts for guests, Thai food by night—Sapp moved to a nearby strip mall in the ’80s and the “coffee shop” stuck. I order the jade noodles without the extra sugar, plus coconut water made from young coconuts.
Stahl House
One of my favorite things about Southern California is all of the varied architecture. You can book tours to visit some of the well-known modernist homes, like the Stahl House designed by Pierre Koenig, which overlooks the Hollywood Hills. The large glass windows and cantilevered living room were an engineering marvel at the time.
Stories
For good books and coffee, this is a worthwhile meeting point on Sunset. I always discover something new and walk out with a monograph or design-history book that I feel like I wouldn’t find elsewhere. They host lots of cool events too.
Where to Stay
SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills
I love this part of town. Beverly Hills is just so lush, and it feels older, less hip—and I like that about it. This hotel has a lot of little nooks in the lobby where you can get work done or be alone, and when you need to unwind there is classic room service and a nice big bed. One way to get your bearings: Start off your morning with a trip to the rooftop, where the view gives a sense of LA’s seemingly endless horizon—one of my favorite things about the city. For more recommendations during your stay at SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills, view our Destination Guide here.
Shop the Barware Collection
Laila’s Barware Line
Discover a globally inspired barware collection created exclusively for The Luxury Collection by our new Global Explorer, Laila Gohar.
Martini Glass & Cocktail Pick
A mouth-blown crystal glass and a hand-hammered copper cocktail pick inspired by some of Laila’s favorite architectural structures in Los Angeles.