We've all had those mornings- you wake up after a hard night of partying, struggle to locate your phone, wallet, and/or pants, chase four Advils with a double-shot of espresso, and tell yourself that you're
never drinking again. But this is America, where nobody likes a quitter, and besides, we all know that a far better cure for the weekend morning blues is to get right back on that horse with a hearty, delicious brunch and some classy, but free-flowing, brunch cocktails. For those of you ready to keep the party going in daylight, here's a list of my favorite all-you-can-drink brunch spots where you can wine and dine your early-morning woes away.
La Poubelle
Nestled in the heart of Franklin Village is La Poubelle, a French bistro which serves only the freshest local ingredients and wines from eco-friendly vineyards. The restaurant has a fun, almost New York feel to it with high-quality French fare sans pretentious attitude. The crowd is hip, but not painfully hip, and there's usually a celebrity or two (Twilight's Robert Pattinson was spotted there recently) enjoying the traditional French cuisine. La Poubelle's brunch offers bottomless Mimosas, Kir Royales and Bellinis for $15 to go along with your authentically French æufs brouillés aux truffes or brioche breakfast sandwich.
La Poubelle
5907 Franklin Ave.
Hollywood, 90028
Zengo
Overlooking the 3rd St. Promenade atop the newly renovated Santa Monica Place is Chef-owner Richard Sandoval's Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, Zengo, where you can partake in a SICK brunch offering. For $35 per guest, you can stuff yourself for up to 2 hours with unlimited small plates that include beef tenderloin benedict, peking duck hash, and sea bass ceviche while you gulp down all you can drink traditional brunch cocktails as well as pepped up versions like bacon bloody marys, mango mimosas and lychee bellinis. With an extensive menu selection, a huge rooftop patio for Santa Monica people watching and a DJ with the most epic soul patch in modern history, you'd be hard pressed to find a better spot to enjoy your sunny L.A. weekend.
Zengo
395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, 90401
Overland Cafe
A West LA hipster favorite (for those willing to travel East of Lincoln) is Overland Cafe, where you will find bottomless champagne during brunch (which lasts from 8 am to 4 pm) on the weekends for a measly $5 per person with each entree purchase. Good food, an unpretentious vibe and local authenticity make this place very popular with the West L.A./Palms residents. It's like going over to your mom's house for brunch, except no one will bug you about when you're getting married.
Overland Cafe
3601 Overland Ave.
Culver City, 90034
The Backyard at the W Hotel
For a more upscale but still casual brunch experience, head over to The Backyard at the W Hotel in Westwood where you'll dine al fresco by the pool, enjoying some of Executive Chef (and 'Top Chef' alum) Dakota Weiss' creations made with farm-to-table ingredients. For this entire year, you can enjoy a two course brunch on the weekends for $20.12 and add bottomless mimosas for an additional $20.12 (last year, the prices were $20.11). The Backyard is a popular spot for out of town celebrities and is definitely one of L.A.'s hidden gems.
The Backyard at the W Hotel
930 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, 90024
Rush Street
One of my favorite downtown Culver City restaurants is Rush Street, a hip meet-up spot inspired by the famous Chicago strip of the same name. This former sign-shop-turned-contemporary-restaurant serves its self-proclaimed "ultimate hangover brunch" on the weekends where you can order endless mimosas or bottomless bloody marys for $20 per person. Rush Street features a large sidewalk patio, a 35 foot molded concrete bar—the largest in Culver City, and a roof top patio. I really dig the speakeasy-esque feel of the place with the exposed brick wall and the dark furniture. And if you go on a nice day, the glass doors that make up the front wall of the restaurant fold away to create a seamless openness inside and out.
Rush Street
9546 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, 90232
[This post was written by me for Guest of a Guest L.A., all photos via]
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