A Sunday hoofing it with the well-heeled

You don’t have to be a movie star or an heiress to enjoy the worldly pleasures of ZIP Code 90210. The only credentials you need are a free Sunday and a date willing to play chauffeur.

When we’re in the mood for a little swank, my husband, Melkon, and I begin our Beverly Hills plunge stomachs first. We start out with a late brunch at Barney Greengrass atop the stylish department store, Barneys New York.

When the weather is beautiful, lounging under sturdy cloth umbrellas on the restaurant’s rooftop terrace is mandatory. Even with clear views of the Spanish-style City Hall dome ringed by green hills and pricey homes, it’s the scene on the terrace that keeps our attention: girlfriends, in designer track suits that will never see the gym, hydrate themselves with gossip and ubiquitous bottles of Voss; hip young dads, with their offspring in tow, tackle bagels and lox flown in from New York City; and agents and other entertainment types try to blend in. We sit back with an omelete and pumpernickel toast for Melkon and, for me, a grilled cheese with the unusual option of a side of cookies, potato salad or cole slaw.

An hour later, it’s time to work off brunch, Rodeo Drive style. No, not with a quick nip-and-tuck, but by following the human flow, crisscrossing the street to watch tourists and residents alike. We take photos for any who ask. The windows of Cartier and Tiffany are among the most popular backdrops. We crash as many photo ops as possible with sly grins while we pretend to be window shopping. At Frette, the Italian linen store that is charged with making the pope’s robes, Melkon has to stop me from petting the buttery soft sheets.

Our stroll up Rodeo isn’t completely aimless. We’re on our way to City Hall. The City of Beverly Hills has free cultural activities most weekends. Today, we’ve missed the weekly farmers market and are too early for the Playboy jazz concert. But we catch a temporary exhibition housed on City Hall’s lawn. Titled “One Through Zero,” artist Robert Indiana’s colorful, giant aluminum numbers are scattered on the green expanse. They look playful, almost whimsical until we read the plaque: “They reflect the progress of man from birth to death.”

To cap off our date, we stroll to Oliver Cafe and Lounge, with its modern, hip Dodd Mitchell interior. The afternoon heat is at its peak and it feels good to step indoors for a couple of mango smoothies.

Oliver Cafe is surgically attached to the exclusive Sports Club / LA, but the only workout we’re getting is reaching for our glasses as we watch sculpted bodies in yoga pants. We linger till closing time -- 5 p.m. on weekends -- feeling like the rich and famous even as we drive away in our Chevy Aveo.

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The tab

Lunch $30

Where: Barney Greengrass, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (310) 777-5877

What: Brunch for two with tip

Art free

Where: Beverly Hills City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive

What: “One Through Zero” by Robert Indiana displayed on the City Hall lawn. For info on other free cultural activities, visit www.beverlyhills.org.

Drinks $13

Where: Oliver Cafe and Lounge, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (310) 888-8160.

What: Healthy smoothies

Total $43

Litty Mathew can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.