Built in 1927 by the flamboyant Sid Grauman, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is the most famous of LA’s art deco movie palaces and is home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame which commemorates the biggest stars in La-La Land.

One of the world’s largest theme parks, Universal Studios boasts a mixture of hair-raising rides, studio tours and a petting area featuring retired animal actors.

Perched high above the city, close to the famous Hollywood sign, the art deco Griffith Observatory was renovated in 2006 and now boasts its own planetarium as well as stunning views over Tinsel Town.

Housed in a vast futuristic-looking building, the Getty Center is home to one of the world’s largest collection of photographs, as well as painting and sculpture from all over the world.

Covering 133 hectares (328 acres), LA Zoo, and the adjoining botanical garden, is one of LA’s most popular attractions, thanks to its coterie of rare animals, including the mountain tapir, and multimillion-dollar elephant enclosure.

The Autry is home to the Museum of the American West, which charts the history of the area and its people, including Native Americans. With more than 21,000 artefacts, the museum also has the largest collection of Indian art after the Smithsonian.

The first, and some say best, of the six Disney resorts, Disneyland includes eight themed ‘lands’, including Main Street USA, Tomorrowland and Frontierland, each of which contains rides and attractions of varying speed.

The former home of railroad tycoon Henry E Huntington is packed with art, antiques and rare books, as well as works by Gainsborough and Lawrence. Outside is an 81-hectare (200-acre) botanical garden, including the stunning ‘Garden of Flowing Fragrance’.

Part of the L.A. Live entertainment complex, the Grammy Museum is dedicated to all things musical and includes a fascinating exhibition on the technology of recording.

Housed inside an Arata Isozaki-designed red sandstone building, MOCA is home to one of the finest collections of 20th-century art in America, including works by artists of the calibre of Mondrian and Rothko.

One of LA’s most infamous bars, The Viper Room remains a hipster hotspot. Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash and Placebo are just a few artists who have played here.

Set in a converted power plant, this industrial chic lounge is one of LA’s hippest hangouts.

An LA institution that has been entertaining clubbers since the 1960s.

A super-hip lounge bar with a huge central pool and great cocktails.

A movie regular, the lavish Polo Lounge has hosted everyone from Marlene Dietrich to Mia Farrow.

Hideously expensive but very tasty sushi in a slick restaurant popular with the celeb set.

Set around an airy courtyard, Spago boasts an eclectic menu and a vast 30,000-bottle wine cellar.

Offering A-list food on a D-list budget, Tavern is popular with stars and locals alike.

Rib-sticking Americana done extremely well – pulled pork is the house special.

Mexican food as eaten by President Obama and whipped by chef Rick Bayless.

Raw or cooked? Matthew Engelhart, chef of the popular raw food restaurant Café Gratitude in Los Angeles, keeps his cool when this debate gets going. He shares the opinion of self-help guru Deepak Chopra: The fact that both sides argue fiercely only means “that it is about a very important issue.” And he has the appropriate breakfast dish for congenial guests on the menu, his “I Am Great” buckwheat granola in almond milk.

Starting with the logo on this charming café’s website, you will be reminded of the Californian hippie and flower power movement. Here, close to the beach, you can enjoy a wide range of food, from the vegan warm chili love soup to veggie burgers. And if you wish, you can even have healthy food delivered to your door once a week by ordering “The Box.”

Beware, this place serves cooked food and meat in addition to the small selection of real raw food dishes on its menu. But its idyllic garden and oodles of hippy charm easily make up for that. So maybe it’s the place to get your first taste of the raw food scene – but it´s definitely not for confirmed “rawvolutionists.”

Opened by Michale Falso in 2014, this restaurant serves 100 % organic, raw and vegan fare, none of which is heated to more than 118° Fahrenheit (= 47.78° Celsius). The bar serves organic wine and beer at lunch and dinnertime.

The specialties here are fresh organic juices, raw smoothies, frozen yoghurts and fat-burning lemonades.

The EMC Seafood & Raw Bar opened its doors in Koreatown in 2013 and soon became a popular place for fresh seafood. The oysters and tiered platters of seafood variations are the top sellers here. Behind the bar, there’s a team of dedicated “mixologists” just waiting to serve you.

Here you can create you own fruit smoothie from a selection of 26 main ingredients and around 40 extras for the final touch. The menu includes a huge variety of salads and sandwiches, but also burgers, pizzas, taquitos, burritos and wraps.

A vegan restaurant with a deli counter, this place stocks a small range of raw food salads plus lots of cold-pressed juices, smoothies and shakes.

Grassroots Alchemy sees itself as “The New World Social Lounge” and believes that healing foods bring health, happiness and longevity. The meals to be found in the Raw Living Foods section of the menu include Yin Yang Zucchini Pasta, The Caliente Raw Tacos and Thai Wrap.