Exploring Hollywood’s off-duty escape.
This quaint township has long drawn a certain kind of unassuming Angeleno seeking a rural retreat. Surrounded by rolling, sun-dappled hills and cooled by a breeze from the nearby Pacific, there’s a good reason why it’s commonly referred to as Shangri-La.
Ojai has always been popular with film industry types, but the past five years have seen that magnetism go into overdrive, with Anne Hathaway, Donald Glover, and Charlize Theron (plus a cadre of behind-the-scenes dealmakers) making the move. To cater to them, a new crop of restaurants, hotels, and shops has sprung up, complementing quirky longtime establishments.
Take the recently opened Hotel El Roblar, from hospitality heavyweight Eric Goode. The revamped 50-room property offers a blend of historic and modern with a cozy wood-paneled lobby, elegant pool, central garden and two dining venues. Located in the center of town, it joins the iconic Ojai Valley Inn. Founded in 1923, this is the area’s most well-known lodging, a luxury resort set across 220-acres of landscaped lawns, with a world-class golf course, award-winning spa, and four dining concepts. For the adventure-seeking there’s also the eccentric Caravan Outpost, equipped with Airstream trailers — a fun, no-frills camping-adjacent choice.
Dining options abound, including all-day cafe Highly Likely, the third outpost from LA chef Kat Turner, which serves classic brunch-and-lunch fare. The breezy Ojai Rotie is an outdoor fast-casual restaurant specializing in rotisserie chicken, sourdough bread made on-site, and veggie-forward sides like caramelized cauliflower.
The Duchess is another local favorite, a cafe and restaurant that offers California Burmese cuisine, including chickpea curry and lentil-rice bowls, plus a not-to-be-missed crispy battered chicken sandwich. Rory’s Place, meanwhile, is known for its seafood and innovative cocktails, like the Salt & Pep Martini and suggestively named mezcal-laced Hello Satan.
Ojai’s location makes it ideal for winemaking, and visitors can stop off at Old Creek Ranch & Winery or the Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room to sample local blends. For vintage clothes, meanwhile, there’s Out West Market, offering a fine selection of Western shirts, denim, and cowboy boots. Bibliophiles will be charmed by local institution Bart’s Books, open since 1964, an open-air bookshop with a mix of new, used, and rare tomes. Adventurous music lovers may want to visit during the summer’s Ojai Music Festival, known for experimental classical and contemporary works.
There are plenty of hiking options (Los Padres National Forest is particularly admired), but perhaps the most memorable attraction is the local hot springs, where you can soak in mineral-rich waters. And the best example of Ojai’s unique overlap of celebrity and nature appreciation is Gilga, Donald Glover’s ‘creative hub and operational farm’ where he cooks up fresh produce and visionary film and fashion projects alike.
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