The Beatles member Paul McCartney hold the listening party of his new album at coffee music bar called Jaracanda, named for Maccaranda just for the night only. Forget Cavern Tavern. There are two Jaracandas in Liverpool, both music places, but just one – Maccaranda Jacaranda – comes with the secret booth and that’s why it is a quirky place to visit. There are more cities that I know with nice off beaten, under the radar cool places.
I had the most insane night in Liverpool last night. I went to the iconic Jacaranda coffee bar not for my favourite coffee aka Espresso like Sabrina Carpenter song but for the world-exclusive listening party for Paul McCartney’s brand-new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The vibe was unmatched and they even renamed the place the “Maccaranda” for the night! It is such iconic less known venue, actually two, that it does not need to get a buzz from the Liverpool legend. There is bigger indie music venue aka the bigger brother in Baltic triangle for hosting concerts such as Royel Otis in the spring this year. I am not linked to Liverpool anymore, but it is a cool city and it has less known cool place such like Jacaranda. while I was there, I checked out their rare 1940s Voice-O-Graph booth upstairs where you can actually record your own voice or song straight onto a physical 7-inch vinyl record.
I did not cut our own record here but I like to ask and also share the quirky and cool places to visit. Let’s share more secrets that any concierges will not tell you about, in the cities that I know or have been before. Los Angeles, the city of Lalaland that I have known years ago quite well for a private reason, has the biggest number of the most unexpected places to visit, from natural or plastic wonders to the new opening of ultra cool or ultra mad venues, such as new art gallery in former hospital that reminds you maybe the nurse job of Paul McCartney’s mother, to the expensive Museum of Death or Museum of Love for the couples to find out whether they are compatible. LA comes actually with better place for anybody and similar older twin in London, UK.
Cartoon museum is around the corner from famous British Museum and it is all free to visit. You will see old caricatures of the royalty that circulated in the Regency print, often covering fat George IV as their favourite tabloid star, not just on then unique bicycle. There was a joke about the sausage aka Wurst of Saxe Coburg Gotha when his daughter, tragic Princess of Wales, Charlotte married for love impovereshed prince Leopold, later elected king of Belgium. They marked their headlines that she liked his bratwurst and so the nickname for late Queen by Prince Philip or the job of Mike Tindall’s father. You perhaps know where the English British cheeky cute phrase with a different meaning – You silly sausage – is coming from. If you pay couple of the quids, there is a big chance to receive own portrait in the form of caricature.
Sticking to the chance to get something pressed or printed from the museums or the places such as Jacaranda, you don’t need to wonder far from Cartoon Museum.
The Camera Museum (London): Tucked away right near the British Museum in Bloomsbury, the Camera Museum is a specialised basement archive packed with historic cameras (from Leica to Rolleiflex) paired with a photography-themed café on the ground floor. You can buy historical cameras, but that’s pretty much, essential for any photograph and film enthusiastic fan.
Cooler similar place for anybody, mainly a group of quacking girls is located in Los Angeles. You don’t get so much deep insight, but you see iconic photos and get fun with the booths like in Jacaranda, not just opened occasionally.
The Photo Booth Museum (Los Angeles): Located on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, the Photo Booth Museum by Photomatica is a living gallery filled with beautifully restored, working vintage chemical photo booths dating back to the 1950s. You can step inside, pull the curtain, and print real analog strips.
Silver Lake is my favourite spot in Los Angeles and about it and more quirky places here, in London and in other cities in next part. if you would like anything little creepy and quirky, travel to East London for hipster eating places and The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History in Hackney, which features an eccentric, macabre collection of taxidermy, shrunken heads, and occult artifacts. It is free and ridiculous in good way. I will continue where I left it, in next part.
As I have been always stuck to DTLA and pedestrian friendly cities such as London and Chicago, Midtown NYC, I know these parts well, but the places changes, the location is location. I am skipping the food scene of Hackney and beyond because I am really biased as the Londoner (majority of my life, although born in the land locked country mentioned incorrectly in Winter Tale by Shakespeare).
If you miss the budget of the Kardashian – Jenner and any star, opt for less pricey version of Dunsmoor, try Loretto. It is more laid back, less coveted but still with amazing food and ambience. Both places are deep in Northeast L.A., far away from the West Hollywood and Beverly Hills hotbeds and you dine here do so because the restaurants wood-fired cooking is widely critically acclaimed, and the cosy, rustic atmosphere allows them to eat completely unbothered. You can do your celebrity or historical houses spotting and tours during the day, both in LA, NYC or London, UK.
While Dunsmoor offers cosy, historic Southern comfort food in a rustic setting and the prices are high, Loreto delivers a moody, romantic, and high-energy atmosphere. It is considered one of the hardest reservations to score on the Eastside. The restaurant is notoriously strict about protecting the privacy of its high-profile guests, but it made for a normal crowd. I just like it for many reasons – the seafood, the food, the venue, the vibe…you name it. Thanks to its stunning, minimalist “Tulum-meets-industrial” open-air layout, it is a favourite for local designers and musicians looking for an intimate night out under the stars.
If your purse is really tight and you are penny pinching, but hoping to be in wealthier area close to Erewhon and hipster, more public crowd, stick to Silver Lake main lifeline. We will continue here with the less known quirky places. Bacari Silverlake is a place to go for similar vibe for less money. It is a part of the chain but it does not provide you with greasy fast food and it sits on prime Sunset Boulevard location with cool celebrities and folks to watch during day time.
,It inherited one of the most stunning, romantic treehouse-style backyard patios in all of Los Angeles – on the budget – it is highly popular with younger Netflix actors, indie musicians, and massive TikTok creator living on Eastside. You never know when you end on the stream, so don’t scream. If you like to just see ,the world goes by’, this section of Silver Lake is full of amazing coffee shops and cheap eateries, before we start exploring in next part of the series.
I was taken by the car for the visit to Huntington Library and the Gardens for the army and historical food event linked to the female Philippine American food scientist behind banana ketchup. It took place last autumn in Pasadena and it is my last visit to the USA, starting in NYC for the fall ballet gala in early October and ending in San Francisco and LA for whistle stop visit linked to the IT work and certain charity things (not just overcome my hate of jogging and running 5 miles in SF that weekend for the female charity, there was one more run organised by Diplo). Only the black and white gown by DIOR was a talk in the UK and in one Montecito hacienda (not of my ex partner). I was recommended the tiny vegan spot called Little Barn Coffee House on the way to the event, mostly for the coffee and secluded quirky patio. I am not a vegan person, think more of Paul McCartney who ranted about carnivore Brea like diet of Paul Mescal, playing him in new movie about Beatles.
Little Barn Coffee ,House’ it is a quiet, window-serve spot located in a sleepy residential section of Northeast L.A., not so famous online like the window coffee Sunday service in DTLA. The ,shed’ cafe with amazing food (it reminds me a cool coffee shop with the rockers and their vegan bacon sarnie at Deptford High St ages ago, before it went all downhill in London )was co-founded by Joana Rubio and Seleste Diaz, who double as members of the local L.A. rock band Stars At Night. Because of their roots, the lush back patio is a major word-of-mouth hangout for local musicians, indie artists, and underground creators. That’s how I got the secret tip.
More mainstream coffee place with the edge and artistic vibe ? Maybe try books meet coffee in lovely patio at Caffe Nido. This is easily one of the most stunning “secret garden” cafes in L.A. It pulls double-duty as a curated independent bookstore having Sunday morning book club , meaning you can grab a specialty latte (like peach or lavender) and browse art books under the trees. They run resale events, something for our Preloved Mode pop up shop idea and more events or things for the community. Cafe Nido operates out of a gorgeous, house-like setting with a lush, sprawling, tropical-themed outdoor patio filled with green tiles, shade trees, and cosy nooks with a lot of bookworms. It feels like stepping into a private oasis completely disconnected from the city.
Continue next week, in Part 2.
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