Now that one of L.A.’s native daughters is in with the royals, let’s talk about the smoldering passion Brits have always had with Los Angeles. From English-born Charlie Chaplin invigorating the film industry in the ’20s to the British Invasion bands flocking to the Sunset Strip in the ’60s to today’s annual springtime BritWeek charity hullaballoo, Brits love us. And we love them back. Embrace their culture by eating bangers ’n’ mash, watching cricket, shopping internationally and taking a lesson in tea etiquette just like Meghan Markle did. Off you go!
How to Live Like a Brit in Los Angeles
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Published May 14, 2018
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Watch Cricket
Did you know that cricket, a game that’s inscrutable to most Americans yet beloved by citizens of the former British Empire, is serious business in L.A.? Head to Woodley Park in Van Nuys to watch the Compton Cricket Club (aka “the Homies and the Popz”), which was first formed in 1995 from a band of homeless youth at risk for gang involvement—who later went on to become global champions.
Learn Tea Etiquette
In Pasadena, the Rose Tree Cottage has three daily seatings for tea, during which you’ll be escorted to your table by the owner, sip Earl Grey from Royal Doulton bone china cups and be encouraged to ask anything and everything about how an English tea is conducted. After all, this is where Meghan Markle went to get pointers (including the correct pinky-finger crooked position) before she met her future grandmother-in-law. You know, the queen.
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Shop Casual Chic
Now that Meghan Markle has shown us that SoCal casual can look chic when your wardrobe is made up of classic pieces, shop some of her favorite brands, like Canadian retailer Aritzia’s airy Century City boutique or Veronica Beard at Melrose Place. Or just order Markle’s perfect white shirt online from the collection of her designer pal Misha Nonoo.
Lift a Pint
Want the experience of walking into a traditional English pub? That’s the vibe of Santa Monica’s Ye Olde King’s Head British Pub, Restaurant & Gift Shoppe, where you can browse to your tchotchke-loving heart’s content, as well as eat a plate of bangers and mash or just drink a draft Guinness while watching a football match. (That’s soccer to you, Yank.)
The Pikey
Dine at a Gastropub
As interpreted by Sean MacPherson, The Pikey Cafe & Bar is like the Epcot Center version of a hip Brit pub. In a good way. Crisper design, less crowded and with a menu of the greatest hits of pubdom: fish ’n’ chips, Welsh rarebit, and some standout Indian-inflected items reflecting the time of the Raj, like vinegar chicken and a vegan curry (because, hey—we're still in L.A.).
