America's viral pop star, former Missouri small town girl Chappell Roan, wrote earworm single "Pink Pony Club" after visiting the Abbey in West Hollywood and finding her queer community. The Abbey is number one on PureWow’s list of best gay bars in the country, so I’ve long been a fan of the spot; however, as Roan’s pop hit has become meme'd and gone gold, I wanted to pay tribute to the bar-restaurant that’s been open since 1991 as an anchor for the whole community. I’ve cherry-picked the best places to visit in West Hollywood, a walkable two-square-mile area with a happy queer vibe radiating everywhere, including boutiques, restaurants and bars.
Your WeHo Guide to the Pink Pony Club and 8 Other Must-See Spots
Here’s why West Hollywood is Chappell Roan’s happy place
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Published Sep 7, 2024
Dana Dickey; Erika Goldring / Getty Images ; Dana Dickey
Dana Dickey
1. The Abbey
This gay bar/restaurant is more than 30 years old, which is about the mean age of the clientele that frequents its pleasant outdoor patio eating area and adjacent dance club, the Chapel at the Abbey. The spot is known for its Sunday brunch, strong cocktails and hunky go-go dancing boys who shimmy in the Chapel (and inspired Chappell Roan to write “Pink Pony Club” from their perspective). The local community experienced a scare in 2023 when the original owner sold the place to a tech entrepreneur, but the management stayed in place and the DJ spins on. You’re not there for the food, which is nondescript pub fare—you’re going to have a few cocktails (as the designated driver, I enjoyed the watermelon juice-and-mint mocktail named after famously sober queer icon Melanie Griffith) and people-watch during the day, then at night dance next to hunky guys.
692 N. Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood; theabbeyweho.com
2. Bottega Louie
Around the corner from the funky Abbey, this marble-and-palm tree-dotted restaurant/patisserie gleams chicly. It’s just the place for a fancy ladies’ lunch or a Euro-cosplay selfie, and the Caesar salad is great. I always take one of the French pastries home as a treat, and a box of rainbow-hued macarons for a hostess gift.
8936 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood; bottegalouie.com
Dana Dickey
3. Kreation Organic Juicery
Along with sweets and alcohol, WeHo is known for an affinity for the body beautiful. So if you’re wanting a cleanse delivered to your door or just a healthy plant-based one-off meal, stop by Kreation Juice on Santa Monica Boulevard. This tiny storefront is one of a couple dozen locations in Los Angeles, all serving cold-pressed juices and fresh-made grab-and-go meals inspired by the owner’s Mediterranean-Persian background. You’re going to pay $14 for a glass 16-ounce bottle of something like celery juice, sea moss, ginger and chlorophyll, but it’s a small price to pay to get back all the vitamins and minerals you sweated out dancing at the Abbey.
8910 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; kreationjuice.com
Dana Dickey
4. Tail o’ the Pup
Built in 1946, this hot dog stand is a classic example of programmatic architecture that’s dotted all over L.A., like the bar shaped like a whisky barrel in the Valley and the donut-shaped restaurant in Inglewood. There’s a small set of shaded tables where you can eat your hot dog, fries, corn dog or shake; if you’re in the mood for something a bit stronger, around back there’s a tiny hidden bar called The Lucky Tiki in an old building that served as rock band The Doors’ recording studio.
8512 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood; tailothepup.com
Joanna Vargas
5. Joanna Vargas Spa
When I have an unexpected windfall, I like to head to the white barn-like building off the main Santa Monica Boulevard drag (!), where star facialist Joanna Vargas and her team perform facials deploying technologies including microcurrent, oxygen blasting and cooling derma-globe massage. I can’t leave without replenishing my supply of the skincare guru’s Rejuvenating Serum, a rosehip-scented antioxidant treatment that immediately makes my skin glow.
1107 N. Kings Rd., West Hollywood; joannavargas.com
Hauser & Wirth
6. Hauser & Wirth
This sleek gallery showcases world-class modern art in a 1930s Spanish Colonial building renovated for the gallery by starchitect Annabelle Selldorf. Splashy shows debut here including solo artists’ large-scale canvases and intriguing group shows like the fall 2024 exhibition “L.A. Story,” put together in cooperation with L.A.-based actor and art collector Steve Martin.
8980 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; hauserwirth.com
Jenni Kayne
7. Jenni Kayne
The West Hollywood outpost of this Cali designer is as understated and neutral-toned as the nearby boy bars are loud and colorful. Here I like to browse Kayne’s home and apparel offerings and decide what I’m going to invest in for the coming season—I’m currently leaning toward the best-selling pleated skirt ($395). And I swear by the Overnight Repair Duo ($144) balm and retinol serum which I apply before bed to recover my skin from Los Angeles sun-and-wind-induced degradations.
614 N. Altmont Dr., West Hollywood; jennikayne.com
8. Hamburger Mary’s
It’s the WeHo Hustle: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you'll see an influx of suburban types headed into this restaurant to participate in charity bingo, a raucous evening in which a set of drag queens call out numbers, spontaneously crack jokes and hand out prizes described, the night I was there, as “bags of crap.” (I took this to mean cheap trinkets, but you never know…). If your school, kid’s dance troupe or hospital sponsors a bingo night there, don’t miss it. And any evening you’re wanting a great date night that’s a bit of a swerve, enjoy a revolving roster of gender illusionist talent (including Marta Beatchu, shown here) up in Hamburger Mary’s.
8288 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; hamburgermarys.com
