Musso and Frank Grill - Hollywood's Oldest Restaurant

Photo: Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)), public domain (cropped)

A stop on Hollywood Boulevard Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Behind these doors is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. French immigrant Frank Toulet opened a cafe here in 1919, and in 1923 he teamed up with Joseph Musso, giving the place the name you see today. The red booths and long wooden counter inside have barely changed in generations.

Studio-era writers made it their clubhouse. F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler and Dorothy Parker all drank here, and a separate back room catered to screenwriters, actors and producers. Charlie Chaplin was a regular too, and Hollywood legend says he and Douglas Fairbanks raced horses down the boulevard to the restaurant, with the loser picking up the check. It is a great story that nobody has proven.

The grill is famous for its martinis and is credited with serving the country's first fettuccine Alfredo, in 1927. You do not need to eat here to enjoy it: admire the sign and the old-school storefront from the sidewalk.

Getting here: Cross to the north side of Hollywood Boulevard and walk east a short block to the restaurant near Cherokee Avenue.

Did you know?: In 2019 Musso and Frank became the first restaurant to receive its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Photo op: From across the boulevard, frame the restaurant's sign and storefront together; late-afternoon light flatters the old facade.

More on Wikipedia: Musso & Frank Grill · F. Scott Fitzgerald · Raymond Chandler · Charlie Chaplin

Musso and Frank Grill - Hollywood's Oldest Restaurant

Stops on this tour