Tucked inside the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, the Polo Lounge has long been the backdrop for Hollywood deal-making, star-studded brunches, and discreet rendezvous. It’s not just a restaurant—it’s where Hollywood has come to see and be unseen for nearly a century. Wrapped in pink stucco, palm fronds, and an air of exclusivity, the Polo Lounge is simply legendary.
Opened in 1941, the restaurant got its name when a group of local polo players, including the hotel’s then-owner, wanted a place to unwind after matches. The room soon became synonymous with sport, society, and a unique blend of California cool and old-world formality. But its true claim to fame came not from horses or mallets, but from Hollywood’s power players who made it their unofficial clubhouse. Executives and screenwriters, directors and divas—everyone met at the Polo Lounge. And they still do.
While the ghosts of glamour past certainly linger, the Polo Lounge has never become a museum piece. On any given afternoon or evening, the place is filled with dating couples, families, girlfriend groups, and those engaged in business. And if you’re a fan of celebrity-follower sites, the Polo Lounge name pops-up time and again; it’s also a lyrical landmark, name-checked in songs as shorthand for old-school glamour and West Coast opulence. (Listen to Drake’s “Stay Schemin,” where he mentions the restaurant’s delicious Bolognese dish.)
The menu here remains timeless. Enjoy classics like the Dover Sole Meuniere and the signature McCarthy Salad (a take on the traditional Cobb). The “Polo” branded American Wagyu Burger makes for a great photo op, as does the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake, but click discreetly. Photography is frowned upon; phones stay mostly tucked away—one reason celebs love the place.
But the Polo Lounge isn’t just about who’s there—it’s about how it makes you feel. The white-coated waitstaff, many of whom have worked here for decades, glide through the room with polished ease. They remember names. They remember cocktail orders. They remember who sat where. (I was seated in Marilyn Monroe’s favorite booth.)
The surrounding hotel—a pink palace tucked into palm trees just off Sunset Boulevard—contributes to the Polo Lounge’s mythos. It’s where the rich and famous have come to hide in plain sight since 1912. The Polo Lounge is its heart—quietly beating through breakfast meetings, liquid lunches, and moonlit dinners. And when the weather is just right (which, this being Beverly Hills, it often is), the patio becomes a sort of open-air theater, and every guest is both observer and observed.
To dine at the Polo Lounge is to participate in a Los Angeles ritual. It’s a place where time slows down just enough to let you imagine you’re part of something grander—where the past is always present, but where the next big thing might be sitting two tables away. It’s a sanctuary for the stylish, and the slightly curious, like myself.
This spring, afternoon tea returns to the Polo Lounge through a collaboration with sister property The Dorchester in London. Available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 2:30 pm. Book here.
Photos courtesy of the Polo Lounge, unless otherwise noted