LA’s Haute 5 Brunch Spots: 5 More Reasons to Drink Before Noon

Aside from baby showers and birthday luncheons, there are really too few excuses to drink before the sun starts to set.  Sunday brunch, however, is your once weekly answer to your call for late morning alcohol – Bloody Mary or Mimosa, anyone?  Los Angeles is home to many a great brunch spot where grazing (a little hungover) at 3:00 p.m. doesn’t signify laziness so much as it does a certain haute chicness.  Et voila, the most haute 5 brunch spots are revealed…

The Hall Brasserie at Palihouse Holloway

There’s not much to gripe about when sitting in brasserie chairs, sipping an espresso, and looking around the Hall Brasserie’s charming courtyard. It feels like you’re in some hybrid city – a warmer version of London or Paris.  Every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Chef Brandon Collins hosts a traditional Roast Sunday Lunch to make you feel like a Brit, while their simple brunch menu offers variations on the Benedict, Belgian Waffles, a Strozzapreti Pasta, topped off with a Gooseberry Crème Brulee. The great thing about brunch at the Hall is that it can so easily melt into drinks at the Palihouse Holloway’s lounge just inside.

The Hall Brasserie at the Palihouse Holloway is located at 8465 Holloway Dr. in West Hollywood. (323) 656-4020

Campanile

Man of the hour, Mark Peel (whose Tar Pit is set to open soon, admist tons of buzz) has been serving truly memorable brunch to guests since 1989 at Campanile on La Brea Blvd. The architecture of the building itself – built in 1929 for Charlie Chaplin – is enough to whet any aesthete’s palate, but checking out the menu doesn’t hurt either. Their Pumpkin Waffles, La Brea Bakery Granola, Egg in a Hole, and anything from the Pastry Basket are all lethally delicious choices sure to go quite well with that Mimosa you’re clutching.

Campanile is located at 624 S. La Brea Blvd. in Los Angeles. (323) 938-1447

Shutters on the Beach – One Pico

Angelenos, spoiled as we are by the year-round weather, should take as much advantage of sunny winter days as possible. To be honest, what’s better than looking out at the beach while nibbling on House Smoked Salmon, Crab Cakes, or a Belgium Waffle – with that Pimm’s Cup never too far from reach? One Pico, the restaurant in Shutter’s on the Beach Hotel has a nautical charm with dark wood floors, a stunning view of the ocean, and an award winning wine list.

One Pico at Shutters on the Beach is located at 1 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. (310) 458-0080

Cafe Stella

Daring Westsiders willing to drive and devoted Eastsiders can all agree on Café Stella.  An integral part of any French-lover’s version of Los Angeles, Café Stella in Silver Lake is a bistro-style haven for French staples like Moule Frites, Escargots, and Soupe A L’Oignon. If you’re a fan of eggs for brunch, you’ve come to the right place – their Moroccan eggs with Merquez lamb sausage will make your eastern bound drives much more frequent; same goes for the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The old-fashioned, Parisian café charm of Café Stella makes for one of LA’s most desirable brunches – we hope they never close!

Café Stella is located at 3932 W. Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake.  (323) 666-0265

Cathernine Malandrino Maison Cafe

When the Francophile crowd at Little Next Door is getting in the way of satisfying your cravings for a Parisian brunch, Catherine Malandrino Maison Café is the ticket. Whether or not you love her clothes or home décor matters not – what’s important now is that there is a gorgeous outdoor patio on La Cienega Blvd that’s never packed and whose menu is chock full of appetizing French cuisine from the Little Next Door.  Hurry thyself to Catherine Malandrino Maison, grab a seat in the darling courtyard café set just in front of the shop, and order a cup of tea with your Pistachio Tart.  Just try keep this one to yourself.

Catherine Malandrino Maison Café is located at 651-653 N. La Cienega Blvd. in West Hollywood. (310) 358-0895