48 Hours in Westlake Village: A Summer Weekend Done Right

Friday Evening: Arrive, Unwind, Eat Well

Pull into Westlake Village before the sun dips below the Santa Monica Mountains and you'll understand immediately why people end up staying longer than planned. Your first stop should be Stonehaus, the lakefront wine bar and market that functions as the community's living room. Grab a table on the stone patio with a view of the water, order a glass from their well-curated list, and let the week decompress. The charcuterie boards are generous enough to call dinner if your appetite is modest, but the patio alone is reason enough to linger. Parking in the adjacent Promenade lot is free and abundant — arrive by 6:30 PM to claim the best outdoor seats before the Friday crowd fills in.

Stonehaus — The patio tables closest to the water go fast on summer Fridays — walk in early and head straight past the market counter to the outdoor terrace.

If you're ready for a proper sit-down dinner, 101 North delivers on every count. The contemporary American menu changes with the season, and in summer that means lighter preparations — think citrus-forward ceviches, grilled fish, and a wine list that your server actually knows cold. The room is polished without being stiff, making it equally comfortable for a solo traveler with a book or a group celebrating something worth celebrating. The bar area fills up by 7:30 PM, so if you prefer a quieter table, request the dining room side when you call ahead.

101 North — Ask your server about the current seasonal specials — the kitchen rotates these frequently and they're reliably the strongest items on any given night.

Cap the evening at Westlake Brewery, where the taproom keeps things low-key and genuinely local. The rotating tap list skews toward approachable styles — clean lagers, citrusy IPAs, the occasional dark ale worth investigating. It's the kind of place where you end up talking to the person next to you without trying. Last call is your natural cue to call it a night and save your energy for Saturday.

Westlake Brewery — The taproom can get lively on summer Friday nights — if you want a quieter corner, arrive before 8 PM.

Tip: Friday parking throughout the Promenade at Westlake shopping area is free and plentiful. Stonehaus, 101 North, and Westlake Brewery are all within easy walking distance of each other in this stretch, so you can move between them on foot.

Saturday Morning: Coffee, Then Get Outside

Saturday morning in Westlake Village is genuinely peaceful before 9 AM, and you want to be part of that. Head first to The Espresso Bar, the local café that takes its coffee seriously without making you feel like you're being judged for ordering a latte. The espresso is properly pulled, the seating is relaxed, and the staff actually remembers regulars — which says something about how this community operates. Get your drink in a to-go cup because you're heading outside.

The Espresso Bar — Saturday mornings fill up by 8:30 AM — arrive a few minutes before the hour to order without a wait and grab a table if you want to linger.

With coffee in hand, the Westlake Vista Open Space trail system is your morning destination. The network of hiking paths here offers panoramic views across the Conejo Valley, and in summer the dry golden hills against the deep blue sky make for genuinely striking scenery. The trails are well-marked and range from a casual 45-minute loop to longer routes that connect into the broader MRCA Open Space and Triunfo Canyon Open Space trail networks. Wear proper footwear — the terrain is rocky in sections — and bring more water than you think you need. The trailhead parking area off Lindero Canyon Road fills by 8 AM on summer weekends, so earlier is better.

Westlake Vista Open Space — The ridge viewpoint about 1.5 miles in offers some of the best morning light photography in the area — worth the climb.

Triunfo Canyon Open Space — If you want a longer morning, the trail connections into Triunfo Canyon add significant mileage and a shaded canyon section that's welcome in summer heat.

Tip: Summer temperatures climb quickly in the Conejo Valley — aim to finish your hike by 10 AM before the heat peaks. A 7 AM start gives you the trails largely to yourself and the best light for the views.

Saturday Afternoon: Wine Tasting and an Easy Wander

Post-hike, clean up and spend the afternoon exploring the local wine scene. Aldabella Winery is the quiet gem of Westlake Village's wine corridor — a family operation that produces small-lot Central Coast wines, primarily Rhône and Bordeaux-style varietals, in a tasting room that feels personal rather than transactional. The pours are generous and the conversations with the staff are genuinely educational. They can walk you through what differentiates their Paso Robles-sourced Syrah from their Santa Ynez Grenache in plain, unpretentious language. A tasting flight here is $15–20 and absolutely worth it.

Aldabella Winery — Saturday afternoons are the best time to visit — the tasting room is relaxed, and the staff has more time to walk you through the current releases.

If the afternoon still has energy left in it, the drive out Mulholland Highway to Malibu Wines is a worthy extension. The setting along the highway is scenic in a loose, California-pastoral way — hills, oak trees, and the occasional hawk overhead. Malibu Wines leans into the outdoor experience with lawn seating, occasional live music, and a poured-glass service that lets you explore without committing to a full tasting. Bring a blanket if you plan to settle in. The drive from Westlake Village takes about 20 minutes and passes through some legitimately beautiful Santa Monica Mountains terrain.

Malibu Wines — Check their website or call ahead on summer Saturdays — they sometimes feature live music that draws larger crowds and affects seating availability.

Back in Westlake Village, stop by Cornell Wine Co. for a late-afternoon glass and a light plate. The wine selection here is curated with intention, and the menu is designed specifically to complement what's in the glass rather than overshadow it. The cheese and charcuterie pairings are a smart call if you want to stretch the afternoon before dinner without committing to a full meal.

Cornell Wine Co. — The staff here genuinely enjoys talking about the wines — ask what they're personally excited about and you'll usually end up with something interesting in your glass.

Tip: If you're driving between Aldabella, Malibu Wines, and Cornell Wine Co., designate a driver or pace yourself carefully — the tastings add up and Mulholland Highway demands your full attention.

Saturday Evening: Dinner Worth Dressing For

Saturday dinner is where Westlake Village lets you flex. Mediterraneo offers a menu that draws from the full breadth of Mediterranean cooking — North African spiced lamb, Spanish-inflected seafood preparations, and pastas that tilt Italian without being locked into it. The room has a warmth to it that works equally well for a romantic dinner or a table of friends who haven't seen each other in a while. Reservations are strongly recommended for Saturday evenings in summer; the place fills without much warning.

Mediterraneo — Request a booth if you want a more private experience — the main dining room can get lively on Saturday nights.

For something with more local character and a slightly more relaxed dress code, The Old Place is a different kind of Saturday night entirely. The historic building sets the tone immediately — wood beams, a wood-fired hearth, and a menu that leans into honest, hearty American cooking without pretense. The steaks are properly done, the market side offers interesting provisions to take home, and the overall atmosphere has an authenticity that's increasingly rare. It operates on its own schedule and has a devoted local following, so calling ahead is a genuine necessity.

The Old Place — This restaurant books up quickly on summer weekends — call at least a few days in advance and confirm your reservation the morning of.

Tip: After dinner, the lake path around Westlake Lake is a lovely way to end a Saturday evening. The summer air cools noticeably after sunset and the reflections on the water at night are genuinely worth a slow 20-minute walk.

Sunday Morning: One Last Slow Start

Sunday morning is for decompression. Return to The Espresso Bar for a proper breakfast coffee — sit this time, read something, let the weekend exhale. If you want to get outside one more time before the drive home, Malibu Springs offers a quiet, NPS-managed trail through oak woodlands and past natural springs that feels entirely removed from the surrounding suburban landscape. It's an easy walk rather than a strenuous hike, which is exactly right for a Sunday morning on two glasses of wine from the night before. The trailhead is lightly used early in the morning and the riparian habitat is genuinely worth the visit.

The Espresso Bar — Sunday mornings are slightly quieter than Saturdays — a good time to claim one of the indoor tables and linger over a second cup.

Malibu Springs (NPS) — The oak woodland section of the trail stays shaded well into mid-morning, making it comfortable even as temperatures climb.

Before you leave, a final lunch at Bogies is the kind of low-key, satisfying send-off that Westlake Village does without trying too hard. The classic American pub menu — burgers, sandwiches, cold drinks — is exactly what Sunday afternoon calls for, and the friendly, neighborhood-tavern atmosphere makes it feel like a proper farewell to the weekend rather than a rushed departure. It's the sort of place where locals eat on a Sunday without needing a reason, and that's recommendation enough.

Bogies — The burger here is straightforward and well-executed — exactly the kind of thing you want before a Sunday afternoon drive home.

Tip: If you're heading back toward Los Angeles on Sunday, leave Westlake Village by 2 PM to get ahead of the return traffic that builds on the 101 Freeway through Calabasas and into the Valley by mid-afternoon on summer weekends.