As you enter the neighborhood of Brentwood, you will immediately see a plethora of people walking around in their gym outfits (perhaps having just Soul-Cycled), or sipping coffee under a café awning. Quaint little cafes and shops line the streets, and you can easily find places to grab a healthy snack. Brentwood is characterized by its affluent neighborhood and chill “L.A. vibe,” making it the perfect place to unwind during a weekend.
Arguably the most popular place in Brentwood, though, is the Brentwood Country Mart, an open-air shopping and food center that first opened in 1948. Rich in history and full of shops and places to eat, Brentwood’s Country Mart is a must-see for anyone who hasn’t been there. Here is my guide about all the worthy places to check out in Brentwood’s Country Mart:
1. Farmshop
Farmshop has a beautiful, classy interior and casual environment, making it perfect for a nice brunch with your friends. Farmshop features a locally sourced menu and serves California-inspired food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Aside from the restaurant itself, Farmshop also boasts a lauded bakery where you can indulge in scrumptious croissants, scones, cookies, and more. Farmshop also has a market located inside the restaurant, selling an array of produce and artisanal wine, cheese, chocolate, and more.
2. Barney's Burgers
Aside from restaurants, Brentwood’s Country Mart also has small vendors around a central courtyard selling a variety of different foods that is much like The Grove’s Farmers Market. One of my favorites is Barney’s Burgers, which sells a wide selection of interesting and yummy burgers made with fresh ingredients. They even have over 20 vegetarian burgers, such as the Portobello burger and the Wildwood Organic Tofu burger, so everyone can enjoy their food!
3. Caffe Luxxe
Caffe Luxxe is widely known for their authentic hand-crafted European coffee that has won numerous awards. Caffe Luxxe has even been featured in multiple newspapers and magazines, like the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine. Their coffee has a rich aroma and taste, and is always made fresh with the coffee beans ground at the time of order. Their coffee is always finished off with Caffe Luxxe’s signature milk foam art in the shape of a rosetta. It’s the perfect place to read a book or catch up with your friends, and it’s a must-try for coffee lovers!
4. Sweet Rose Creamery
There’s always room for dessert! End your day with a sweet finish with some ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery. Sweet Rose Creamery has delicious unique flavors like persimmon, jujube, and bacon sundae, as well as more common staples, like mint-chocolate chip, salted caramel, and Earl Grey. They also have yummy combinations like malted milk with mocha ripple. In addition to ice cream, Sweet Rose Creamery also sells fresh fruit sorbet, ice cream sandwiches and milkshakes.
5. Diesel
Brentwood’s Country Mart has a multitude of clothing brands to shop from (e.g. James Perse, Intermix, etc.), but if you’re a bibliophile like me, you’ll definitely want to check out Diesel, which is known for their unique and fascinating selection of titles. They even have author events where you can meet and discuss the book and get it signed by the author. To know more about the upcoming events, go to this events page.
So, the next time you have some free time during the weekend, be sure to check out Brentwood’s Country Mart as opposed to The Grove, which I’m sure all of you have frequented. Brentwood’s Country Mart is highly underrated and will still give you the same type of vibe as The Grove and help you reach a state of relaxation and Zen during the weekend.
