Sophie Monk made her debut as a presenter on Getaway and she talks about her favorite places to go in L.A.

Sophie Monk's LA
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sophie Monk's musical career began in 1999 when she was chosen from more than 2000 ambitious girls to be part of the female pop group, Bardot. She has since established a solo career and turned her hand to acting. She's been based in Los Angeles for 4.5 years and Getaway asked her to show us some of her favourite places.

Kings Road Café
This is where Sophie likes to begin her day. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and the menu is huge. There's something for everyone. They roast their own Arabica beans and their coffee is so popular you can buy beans to take home.

The European style cafe is filled with light and very buzzy and patronised by producer, writers and aspiring actors. The newsstand next door is where everyone buys the daily paper and magazines for local news and gossip, and there's plenty of that!

Runyon Canyon
Sophie's been going to Runyon Canyon since she arrived in LA. The mountain is the perfect place to escape the city. It has several trails laid out for a short walk or strenuous hike. If you reach the top you are rewarded with a grand view of the city. It's dog friendly and it's legal for them to run around leash-free.

It's hard to believe you are in 52 hectares of urban wilderness just two blocks from Hollywood Boulevard. It's a rare example of wild chaparral with drought-resistant evergreen and shrubs. There are three ways to enter Runyon Canyon — two entrances at the bottom of the park in the south and one at the top in the north.

Sophie tries to tackle the hardest walk at least once a week with friends. She said it's amazing who she runs into when she's on her walk.

Napoleon Perdis
Another Aussie who has hit the big time is Napoleon Perdis. He began carving out his successful beauty product career in Sydney's inner-west and is now the king in Los Angeles, a city where appearances are everything.

He has products for faces, bodies, lips, eyelashes — you name it — and he must be doing something right. He has outlets across Australia, three stores in California and is about to open in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Malaysia.

Sophie has been a fan since they were both novices in their chosen fields and says her beauty secrets all lie with Napoleon make-up.

Napoleon never forgets his Australian roots, and if you visit his store in Los Angeles you will receive a 20 percent discount off whatever you buy.

Melrose Avenue
This is one of the area's prime shopping precincts. It's cool, it's trendy and is one of the few pedestrian neighbourhoods in LA. It runs all the way from Santa Monica Boulevard to Silver Lake and one its most famous landmarks is Paramount Pictures.

There are countless international fashion houses, including Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu, Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and many more. If you love to wander from shop to shop, Melrose is the street for you!

Revolve Clothing
Revolve began as an online store, but became so popular it became a store with a shopfront. You have the choice of the way to shop. They stock the best in women's and men's designer clothing and accessories and an eclectic mix of lifestyle goods.

They have more than 400 brands, unrivalled customer service, free worldwide shipping, free returns and live operator assistance. Their online store has around 1.7 million visitors every month.

Sophie loves the flagship store on Melrose. It's in an old warehouse and she says their stock changes so fast she has to be a regular visitor.

Kara Lusardi
Sophie's favourite designer is Kara Lusardi — they met when Sophie first arrived in Los Angeles and have become great friends with their careers soaring. For Kara, who has the label "Bobi", it all began with women's T-shirts. Kara's clothing is basic and casual yet elegant and affordable.

Some of Hollywood's biggest names snap up her clothes — Madonna, Beyoncé, Hilary Swank, Nicole Ritchie and Ellen DeGeneres are a few who buy from her — and she has just launched her label worldwide.

Thompson Beverly Hills Poolbar
This is one of Sophie's favourite places to meet friends and enjoy a cocktail. The dark-toned 1970s style venue is a dash of east coast sophistication in the heart of Los Angeles. The rooftop bar is laid-back cool, has fabulous views and is quite the place to go. The two-level area has a heated pool and lots of citrus and olive trees.

The hotel has 107 rooms, pool, gym, spa and an excellent restaurant decorated in chocolate, walnut and bamboo tones, set off with loads of orchids. Bond Street is one of Beverly Hills' most stylish Japanese restaurants and their saketini is one of the most popular cocktails in town.

Sur Restaurant and Bar
For a great place to dine, Sophie recommends Sur Restaurant and Bar. Its food is described as Mediterranean-Californian. It's all low lighting, candles, crisp white linen and lots of fresh flowers.