A rainy day itinerary for Silver Lake
Rain in Silver Lake hits different. The hills get moody, the cafes fill up slow, and nobody's in a rush. Here's how to spend one of those gray Sundays right.
9:30am, Millie's Café · 3524 W Sunset Blvd
Start here. Grab a booth by the window and order the Eggs Benedict while the rain taps the glass. It's cash-friendly, a little chaotic in the best way, and the coffee is bottomless. If it's packed, put your name in and walk the block. It usually moves fast.
11am, Dayglow · 3206 W Sunset Blvd
A short walk west on Sunset. Get a single-origin espresso drink and slow down. The space is small and intentional, good music, good light even on a dark day. This is your reading-a-menu-you-already-know-by-heart kind of stop.
11:45am, FrankieLucy Bakeshop · 3116 W Sunset Blvd
Three minutes on foot, also west on Sunset. Pick up something for later, a cookie, a pastry, whatever's left. The cases go fast on weekends. Tuck it in your bag.
12:15pm, Gogosha Optique · 3208½ W Sunset Blvd
Right next door, basically. Step in even if you don't need glasses. The frames are genuinely beautiful objects and the staff won't pressure you. It's the kind of shop that makes you feel like you have taste just for being inside it.
1pm, Azizam · 2943 Sunset Blvd
Head east on Sunset. Lunch here. Persian-inspired, seasonal, and the portions are generous for the price. Order whatever's on the tasting menu, they rotate it and it's always worth letting them decide. Street parking on Sunset or Hyperion, usually easier than it looks.
2:30pm, Origami Vinyl · 1816 W Sunset Blvd
Drive or rideshare down to the west end of Sunset. Origami is the kind of record store where an hour disappears. Strong indie and alternative inventory, plenty of used bins to dig through. The staff actually knows what they're talking about. No agenda, just browse.
4pm, CCA · 2815 W Sunset Blvd #201
Back east, just above street level, take the stairs up to the second floor. It's quiet up here on rainy afternoons, almost secret-feeling. Get an espresso and stay a while. Bring the record you just bought.
5:30pm, Cheese Store of Silver Lake · 3926 Sunset Blvd
Swing by before they close and build yourself a cheese board for later. They'll help you pick, tell them what you're drinking tonight and they'll work backwards from there. Get more than you think you need.
7pm, The Semi Tropic · 2122 Sunset Blvd
Early enough to get a seat at the bar. Order a craft cocktail, something stirred, and settle in. The room feels exactly right for a rainy night, warm, a little dim, full of people who also decided to stay in the neighborhood. Drink slowly. You're not going anywhere.
Park once on the east end of Sunset near Azizam and walk the middle stretch. For Origami and CCA, street parking on Sunset between Lucile and Edgecliffe is usually fine on weekends. The Semi Tropic has street options on Sunset and Reservoir, check both sides.