13 Old Hollywood Stars' Favorite Restaurants

Nowadays, we can stream movies while eating a bowl of popcorn balanced on our stomach, but back in the 1940s, going to the theater was a formal affair. When Old Hollywood stars weren't singing their hearts out or strutting down the red carpet, they would look for comfort anywhere they could, and that was often a dimly lit restaurant. During this era, it was hard for celebrities to feel like they had any freedom. Big name studios like MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox managed to control their every move, so dining out was often their one true solace. There are a number of elite clubs where celebrities were known to let loose, but just because it was "the place to be" doesn't mean it was anyone's favorite. It's true: Stars are just like us, and sometimes they just want to be left to eat a hot dog in peace.

Before we followed celebs online, fans had to keep tabs on their crushes the old fashioned way — in gossip magazines and radio shows. Old Hollywood stars have shared their favorite foods, but where was their favorite place to kick back and relax? Unfortunately, most aren't around anymore to confirm, but from what I've gathered, these hot spots were absolutely adored by these Old Hollywood A-listers.

Marilyn Monroe is just about as iconic as Old Hollywood stars can get. Her signature beauty mark and fluttering white dress became synonymous with her look and a go-to Halloween costume for decades to come. At the height of her fame, she was spending most of her time in Los Angeles, particularly West Hollywood when filming the 1959 classic "Some Like It Hot." One would think the film's Golden Globe would be the best thing to come out of that time of Monroe's life, but it was more likely the chili at Barney's Beanery. Monroe fell in love with the pit-stop diner when filming, and her love for it never faded. She stopped by the beanery any chance she got, and casual diners loved gloating about her frequent visits. A signed check covering Monroe's chili tab still hangs framed on the wall alongside plenty of other interesting celebrity memorabilia. Though Monroe had many favorite California restaurants, nothing seemed to beat Barney's chili.

The man behind the beanery, Barney, was treasured by all of Los Angeles. He would let regulars start a tab and was even known to give away free plates of beans to folks in need. Barney was a huge part of what brought the eatery to fame, but its close proximity to Hollywood's film studios certainly helped.

As one of the era's most famous movie stars, Humphrey Bogart had to live up to his on-screen reputation. This meant smiling and shaking hands with all the fellow big names and never staying home on a Friday night. Anyone who was anyone in Old Hollywood had spent a night or two at Romanoff's, and chances are they locked eyes with Bogart, tucked away in his dedicated booth with a drink waving in hand.

Romanoff's was Beverly Hills' before, during, and after party. Bogart likely spent more time there than most employees. According to PBS, he would dine there for lunch daily and slurp down two scotch and sodas, capping the afternoon off with a coffee and brandy. A late breakfast of bacon and eggs was Bogart's favorite meal, always with a Scotch whisky. Per The Wine Sisters, he notoriously stated "Scotch is a very valuable part of my life," but Romanoff's lavish French menu must have also played a role in his love of the restaurant. The owner, Mike, became somewhat of a star himself, orchestrating hangouts for the country's biggest celebrities.

To this day, people still fawn over Chasen's chili, and Elizabeth Taylor may have had something to do with its reputation. Most people go to Rome to enjoy all the delicious food the city has to offer, but not Elizabeth Taylor — she couldn't imagine spending months without her favorite chili from Chasen's. According to the Larchmont Chronicle, the iconic actress had 10 quarts delivered to her door when filming "Cleopatra" in 1962.

Taylor wasn't the only star who couldn't get enough of Chasen's and its otherworldly chili. Clark Gable and James Cagney were regulars, and Alfred Hitchcock would even order his favorite steak from his reserved table. The casual eatery was also the backdrop of so many monumental moments in pop culture. It hosted dozens of Academy Awards after-parties, and it's even said Donna Summers wrote "She works hard for the money" in a Chasen's bathroom stall. The swanky restaurant certainly catered to its high-end clientele, reportedly having a sauna and full-time barber in-house, but Taylor was more focused on the chili.

[Featured image by the Los Angeles Times via UCLA Library Digital Collections | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0]

Frank Sinatra was behind the piano more often than the camera, but his name was falling out of everyone's mouths during the old Hollywood era. When stars made it over to the East Coast, Manhattan was their first stop, and no one loved New York City like Sinatra. Growing up just over the river in New Jersey, he fell into the NYC scene in the '30s and never tired of it.  

After an iconic night of performing, Sinatra could be found at P.J. Clarke's into the wee hours of the morning. He would routinely close the saloon down, laughing with friends and fans at his signature spot — Table #20. The gastropub is still thriving with a few new locations in Manhattan, one in D.C., and one in Philly, but the original location on Third Avenue is still the same stack of bricks it's been since opening in 1884. In honor of Sinatra, his table still remains set today.

[Featured image by Jazz Guy via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

Cary Grant was one of the most beloved actors of the Golden era, but around 1966, he took a step back to focus on family. This was around the time he started dining at Madame Wu's Garden on the regular, which gossip mags loved to document. He would often have his wife and daughter seated by his side, and it didn't take long for Grant and the restaurant's owner, Sylvia Wu, to become family friends. He even attended her son's wedding, and his daughter celebrated her birthdays at Madame Wu's.

Their friendship aside, Grant contributed to the success of her business by inspiring her now-famous Chinese chicken salad. As the story goes, Wu created the shredded salad specifically for Grant one afternoon, and it quickly became one of the restaurant's most ordered items. It's unclear how original the concept was, or if it even had that close of a connection to Grant as Wu suggested. But PR stunt or not, Grant did genuinely adore Madame Wu's and influenced others to visit. 

Regardless, Wu helped the dish become a Chinese American classic and printed the recipe in her cookbook, "Madame Wu's Art of Chinese Cooking." She even included a foreword by the one and only Cary Grant. "Any bachelor who plans to pitch woo, should get a copy of Madame Wu. And WOW," he penned, per the Los Angeles Times. Wu sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 106, but her memory lives on forever through her chicken salad and her warm spirit.

A quick look into Audrey Hepburn's favorite foods will tell you that she loved pasta more than most things in life. Rumor has it she ate the food nearly every single day, so while she had many indulgences, it feels wrong to pick any restaurant that didn't serve a flawless plate of her favorite meal: spaghetti al pomodoro. As much as Hepburn loved people-watching from the Carette patio on Place du Trocadéro with a hot chocolate on her lips, Rome had her heart. She lived in the Eternal City for almost 20 years, most of which she spent under the radar raising her children.

We're so fortunate to have a little piece of Hepburn as told through her son, Luca Dotti. In his 2015 memoir, "Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen," he recounted how she spent her afternoons galavanting through Italian markets, frequently ending her Sundays at Ristorante Nino. The elegant restaurant, which still remains on Via Borgognona today, has been serving the neighborhood since 1939. It wasn't just Hepburn who adored Ristorante Nino, either — many Italian icons were frequently spotted there, like Sophia Loren, Rizzoli, and Dino Risi. Hepburn was "not Roman by birth but in spirit," as Dotti said in his 2011 book "Audrey in Rome." He also joked that by the time his mother filmed her second feature in Italy, she was Roman by adoption.

After starring in "Rebel Without a Cause," James Dean couldn't really shake the angsty teen persona, but it didn't seem to bother him. As much as he loved to remain mysterious and cavalier, hiding out at cool coffee shops like Googies, he loved to wade through the starlight every now and again. This Old Hollywood star didn't stray far when he hit the town, and his favorite hangout was probably Hollywood's Villa Capri, where he spent most of his downtime in between filming. 

A flip book could be made with photos of James Dean having a grand ol' time at Villa Capri. He was seen eating cake with Ursula Andress, smoking cigarettes while laughing with Milton Berle and snapping photographs of Sammy Davis Jr. He reportedly even enjoyed his final meal in the iconic LA lounge's dining room, just one day before he died at 24. The historic restaurant was the stage for films and many moments of cultural significance before being bulldozed in 2005.

Known as the "King of Hollywood," Clark Gable was an icon. Much like many other male actors of the era, he embodied the everyday man and was comfortably relatable, with rugged looks and masculinity spewing out his ears. The only thing more notable than Clark Gable may be his favorite restaurant, the Brown Derby. While the eatery was a chain, the LA location became a Hollywood landmark, and not just for its quirky hat-shaped exterior.

Gable was regularly seen at the industry hangout — so much so that the owner, Bob Cobb, knew exactly how he took his coffee. According to the Golden Globe Awards, Cobb did more than his fair share of catering to the stars, once saying, "They get 'em that way even though we have to tear the kitchen apart." Being located on North Vine Street just a skosh away from major film studios made the Brown Derby a central location for film execs and actors to meet up and talk business, and Gable always had an invite. 

The restaurant meant so much to the actor that he embedded it into his engagement story, proposing to Carole Lombard in one of its booths. She later threw his 40th birthday party at the saloon, serving up his favorite corned beef hash, pot roast, baked beans, and orange chiffon cake. If the iconic location hadn't been torn down back in 1994, Clark Gable's caricature would likely still hang on the wall alongside dozens of other silly celebrity portraits.

Grace Kelly's striking looks and compelling talent caught the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, leading to her critically acclaimed roles in "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief." But that was only one chapter of her fascinating life. Kelly accomplished the actress-to-princess pipeline long before Megan Markle, marrying into Monaco royalty in 1956. She quickly settled into her new life and found solace in one of the city's most renowned brasseries, Cafe de Paris. Multiple swanky establishments share the name, which all happen to attract an elite crowd including Kelly, but Monte-Carlo had her heart. 

If anyone knows Grace Kelly, it's Claudia Poccia, the CEO of Grace de Monaco, and she recreated the princess' ideal day by sipping a coffee while people-watching from the Cafe de Paris patio, nestled in the heart of Monaco's Place du Casino. As the princess of Monaco, being seen in the city's favorite spots was a must, and Cafe de Paris easily held the most history. She would often be found in the city square, Place du Casino, whether it be celebrating her anniversary or enjoying a meal. 

As the partner to Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo across the plaza, the cafe attracted celebrities and tourists alike. Other icons like Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant popped into the cafe whenever in Monaco, ultimately helping to build its international praise by talking it up after every trip. The royal couple adored the cafe so dearly that Prince Rainer even did the honor of introducing the renovated cafe in 1988.

Musso & Frank was another one of Hollywood's most famous hangouts of the time, and Rita Hayworth wouldn't miss a chance to flash her smile there on a Saturday night. As the dancing queen of the Golden Era, Hayworth always made an entrance. She was reportedly a regular at the old-world steakhouse and would arrive with her husband, Orson Welles, in arm.

Location is everything in Los Angeles, and that was the case back in the old Hollywood days too. Musso & Frank was lucky enough to be within walking distance of Stanley Rose's bookstore and the Screen Writers Guild, two prominent industry haunts. Owners Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso tapped into their high-end clientele, setting up a VIP room of sorts for optimal privacy. Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, and dozens of other stars were frequent flyers of Musso & Frank's famous "Back Room." Unlike many of the other joints on this list that have since shut down, Musso & Frank still sits on Hollywood Boulevard today, celebrating 100 years back in 2019.

Judy Garland was thrown into fame at a very early age, which means by the time she was a young adult, she was accustomed to fancy parties and exclusive invites. As The Roanoker reported, she had a "fondness for mashed potatoes and gravy and an ice cold Coca-Cola." Garland was easy to please with her simple taste buds, but you couldn't put a price on atmosphere, and the Smoke House had plenty. Often referred to as the "steakhouse to the stars," the restaurant opened in 1946 right across the street from Warner Bros., so it quickly became the stomping grounds for anybody in the industry. The restaurant appreciated the business and eliteness it gained, so in return, it respected the privacy of its VIP's.

Garland would often dine at the star-studded restaurant while filming her Oscar-nominated role in 1937's "A Star is Born." If her meals at the Smoke House had anything to do with her performance, we owe those chefs great praise. In the 1930s, the young "Wizard of Oz" star didn't have much freedom when it came to eating, allegedly being put on a strict daily diet of chicken soup, coffee, and cigarettes (apparently a whopping 80).

From melting hearts in "A Streetcar Named Desire" to stealing the screen in "The Godfather," Marlon Brando had America in a chokehold. He was one of the most prominent stars for over six decades — including the most influential Old Hollywood years of cinema. There's no question that tough-guy Brando played by his own rules, denying most requests for interviews and staying out of the spotlight whenever possible. And his mysterious ways stretched into his dining habits too.

Unlike most glamorous celebrities, Brando would choose a greasy hot dog over a five-star meal. One of his all-time favorite places to stop for a quick meal was Pink's, LA's famous hot dog joint. The iconic eatery still sits on La Brea Avenue with the same eye-catching retro awnings and signs. Pink's is proud to hold so much history and even paid tribute to Brando's love for hot dogs with the "The Brando Hot Dog" in 2012. It was a hefty 10-inch chili dog piled high with onions and mustard. Ever since its opening in 1939, Pink's Hot Dogs has catered to both stars and everyday folks alike, cementing it as a piece of LA's culinary legacy.

Vivien Leigh's big break was unexpected, catching attention from her role in the play "The Mask of Virtue" in 1935. She embraced the newfound fame with open arms and began hitting all the exclusive spots of London, leading with the Grill Room, the five-star Savoy Hotel's restaurant. The Savoy Grill was one of, if not the place to be in London. Located inside the hotel, the restaurant catered to its high-end guests and elite travelers. As both a Hollywood star and London local, Vivien Leigh frequented the hip establishment, and it ultimately became a landmark to her love story with Laurence Olivier.

The future "Gone with the Wind" star first set eyes on Olivier at the Savoy Grill, and according to "Vivien Leigh: A Biography," she later told a friend she would marry him one day. The romantic ambiance of the dining room seemed to foreshadow their relationship, and as fate would have it, he and his first wife introduced themselves to the actress before the evening ended. Leigh and Olivier would go on to have one of Hollywood's most notorious love affairs, and it all began at the Savoy Grill. Given the two's infamous romance, it seems a given that the restaurant held a special place in Vivien's heart. It still runs London today, now owned by the one and only chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay.

[Featured image by Anthony O'Neil via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0]