15 Hot Pink Ways to Eat Like Barbie in Los Angeles

Nov 13, 2023

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Barbiemania is officially here. At the moment, everything is focused on Barbie — director Greta Gerwig’s big screen take on the iconic doll — which stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, and more. It’s a wildly hot movie release. Rather, a hot pink movie release.

And while some of Los Angeles’s restaurants and vendors are leaning into the movie release with Barbie-themed events or dishes, Eater is taking a different direction with a bright pink exploration across the Southland at bakeries, restaurants, and bars that naturally skew Barbie through color. If you’re team Barbie, Ken, or ever dreamt of living in a Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse, below are ways to celebrate the release of Barbie, which is out in theaters now.

Let’s start with that bright pink $18-dollar smoothie everyone’s been talking about. The Hailey Bieber smoothie is an Erewhon celebrity collaboration served at all nine locations. There are too many ingredients to list, but it’s bright pink, cold, downright delicious, and fits right in with Barbie.

Locally produced Sawtelle Sake is all about rice fermentations with California ingredients. Multiple drinks are available at this shop, but the Junmai Ginjo Nama sake is perfect for Barbiecore. It’s also known as “the pink can” full of bright pink sake made with herbal tea, yuzu, kokuto sugar, and carbonated to activate the acids and live cultures.

Over in Beverly Hills at Funke, try the Sicilia cocktail with tequila, Amara, prickly pear, lime, and blood orange. If non-alcohol is preferred, try the pink lemonade at Strings of Life cafe. Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar recently introduced a zero-proof cocktail menu which includes the garden party drink made with Seedlip Herbal, hibiscus syrup, and rosemary.

Head to Bar Flores in Echo Park where bartenders can prepare two Barbie-esque cocktails available on the menu. Bring friends and order a pitcher of the bright pink Flores garden margarita. Or, opt for the garden spritz, a stunning cocktail shaken with pisco, sweet vermouth, Cocchi Rosa aperitif, jasmine, rose, jamaica, raspberries, rhubarb, lemon, bougainvillea, and a packet of wildflowers to take home.

Beato’s Chocolate hails from wife and wife team Lisa Casoni and Heather Stobo, who pays homage to Ojai-famous resident Beatrice “Beato” Wood. Wood died at age 105 and attributed her longevity to chocolate and young men. The “dance of the 89 positions chocolate bar” is bright pink and fruity.

Barbie owes a debt to Cambodian doughnut shops. Step into any one of LA’s classic or modernized stores where frosted pink doughnuts with sprinkles are always available, as is the signature pink box made famous by doughnut king Ted Ngoy. Head to Glassell Park’s Donut Star, California Donuts in Koreatown, or even the pink-hued huckleberry from a non-Cambodian competitor, Sidecar Doughnuts.

Barbie lovers must make the trek to the Madonna Inn. The 65-year-old hotel recently launched a mocktail menu where most drinks are bright pink. They also serve a signature dessert to match the property’s white and pink exterior, or the Inn’s iconic Pepto Bismol pink-colored dining room: the champagne cake.

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Chef Chad Colby serves one of the best Italian menus in town, but he’s also known for his decadent ice creams. Antico Nuovo recently announced a new ice cream flavor, a pink-tinged cherry ice cream with cherry compote.

A post shared by Antico Nuovo (@anticonuovo___la)

Located in both Mid-City and North Hollywood is Cake Monkey, where founder Lisa J. Olin produces a strawberry passionfruit cake made with vanilla cake, strawberry buttercream, housemade strawberry jam, and passionfruit curd.

A post shared by Cake Monkey (@cakemonkeybakery)

Sweet Lady Jane launched a triple berry cake just for the movie called “She’s Everything. He’s just Ken.” Pre-order a six-inch cake for $72 or a nine-inch for $104 through the website, and pick it up from the store from July 21 through 23.

A post shared by SWEET LADY JANE (@sweetladyjanecakeshop)

Westfield Century City’s Cafe Landwer has a Barbie menu that’s available until August 7. Order pink smoothies, lattes, and a strawberry soju cocktail. But if more pink is needed, try the pink house-made hummus with edible flowers or the pink waffles with pink cream.

A post shared by Westfield Century City (@westfieldcenturycity)

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