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Abbot's Habit
With its crunchy, unwashed vibe - messenger bags, dreadlocked hippies, '80s indie classics on the airwaves - scruffy Abbot's Habit feels more Colorado mountain town than shiny LA surf city. But then you see the flip-flops, dude, and it all seems right. The coffee's strong, the pastries are fresh and the patio's made for loitering. Check it out, bro.
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Antigua Cultural Coffee House
'From our plantation to yours' is the motto at this Mayan-themed coffeeshop where no one's a stranger for long. The coffee faithful loiter over magazines, listen to bands or just appreciate high-quality beans shipped directly from Antigua and roasted on site.
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Arclight Cinemas
Pre-selected seats, an in-house bar, and friendly employees - not to mention proximity to Amoeba Music - make this relative newcomer one of the primo theaters in LA. Star-sighting potential is also exceptionally high, though you won't see Quentin Tarantino, who's opposed to the strict 'No entry after the movie starts' policy. He may have a point - everyone is running late in LA.
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Avalon
Now booking superstar DJs for its Saturday-night electronic dance scene 'Avaland,' the 1400-capacity club hopes to win the battle of the Saturday-night dance clubs. Weekly, the cavernous venue introduces live bands and local DJs into the mix. With its late-night permit, you'll see Avalon party kids spilling onto the sidewalk as the sun comes up.
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Bigfoot Lodge
Smokey the Bear presides over this laid-back log-cabin setting, a cool spot to camp out for a drink or two (try the minty Girl Scout cookie). The action heats up Tuesday for ladies' night and Wednesday for Club London Calling.
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Boardner's
Keeping barflies boozy since 1942, this dimly lit dive is hot once again with the hipsters - just ask the old salt keeping track from his barside perch. For celeb hounds, Kiefer Southerland, Heath Ledger and Vince Vaughn have been spotted here. The B52 nightclub in back draws a different crowd - Saturday night's Bar Sinister admits only those in black or fetish-appropriate attire.
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Bowl
The largest natural outdoor amphitheater in the US, the beloved Bowl stages symphonies under the stars, Sound of Music singalongs, and perfect-for-chillin'-outside faves like Lyle Lovett and Sheryl Crow. Now the summer home of the LA Phil, it also hosts big-name rock, jazz and blues acts. Wine-and-cheese picnics are a popular pre-show tradition.
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Cat & Fiddle
From Morrissey to Frodo, you never know who might be sipping Guinness on the leafy, laid-back courtyard patio where it's more about friends and conversation than faux-hawks and working the deal.
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Catalina Bar & Grill
The exterior of LA's smoothest jazz club looks more like an office complex than a sexy club, but once inside the spacious but sultry digs, all is forgiven. Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakely and the Marsalis brothers have graced the stage but up-and-comers are spotlighted too.
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Cinespace
Thursday through Saturday, it's dinner and date night at easygoing Cinespace, where classic movies and cutting-edge indies are screened for crowds wanting more than a trough of buttery popcorn. After the show, the theater morphs into a sexy, but not-hipper-than-thou, nightclub.
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Circus Disco
It's a seven-ring circus Saturday nights when DJs spin house, trance, hip-hop, and '80s in seven separate rooms in Circus' 40,000-sq-ft warehouse. Crowds swarm the throbbing, laser-filled dance floors for a multilingual, multi-themed DJ-powered bacchanalia. On Tuesdays it's boys night for guys who like guys, and next door at gay-slanted Arena (323-462-0714; www.arenanightclub.com), it's boys night a lot more often.
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Comedy & Magic Club
Carlin, Foxworthy, Seinfeld - his puffy shirt is on display - have all paced the boards at Hermosa's Comedy and Magic Club. For big names, get here before to nab a good table and be ready to share your job or hometown with the ever-inquisitive opening acts. Always hot is Jay Leno, who tests out jokes most Sunday nights.
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Edendale Grill Mixville Bar
Gay, straight, 20s, 30s and Hollywood refugees - it's a five-alarm crowd on weekends at this former Silver Lake firestation. The mahogany bar, pressed-in ceiling and wide bay doors lend a certain old-school gravitas to the non-stop, late-night reveling. Locals fill the bar and patios weeknights.
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Egyptian Theatre
With a design inspired by the discovery of King Tut's tomb, the Egyptian held Hollywood's first star-studded premiere in 1922 - Douglas' Fairbanks' Robin Hood . Today, moviegoers settle in for tributes, retrospectives and post-screening Q&As with directors, screenwriters and actors.
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El Compadre
Excuse me, waiter? It seems my margarita is on fire. It's supposed to be? Slurp. Mmmm. Can I have another? If you've never had a flaming margarita, order up and enjoy along with addictive chips and salsa at Echo Park's liveliest cantina. Open late, its u-shaped booths and festive decor are perfect for rowdy groups. If this downtown-adjacent location isn't convenient, check out the dimly-lit Hollywood branch (7408 W Hollywood Blvd).
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El Coyote Mexican Café
With 24 tequilas and a variety of margaritas displayed prominently on the menu, there's no doubt what's pulling 'em in at this festive, red-boothed institution where Sharon Tate is rumored to have eaten her last meal. Pay a buck more for the tastier homemade 'scratch' margarita, but word to the wise: drinks here are fall-on-your-face strong. Witnesses can attest.
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Elixir Tonics & Teas
Tea is the new coffee at this teacup-sized retreat. Browse herbal tonics, candles and Buddhas, then order a freshly made tonic - try the Depth Recharger - at the tea bar. A secluded courtyard awaits those needing a longer zen moment.
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Ercole's
Check your attitude at the door at scruffy but lovable Ercole's - the South Bay's favorite dive since 1927. Old salts, pub crawlers, volleyball stars, wobbly co-eds - expect all to wander in. What's best? The around US$8 pitchers and Taco Tuesdays.
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Ford Amphitheatre
Every seat is within 100 feet of the stage at this up-close-and-personal outdoor amphitheater. With the Hollywood Hills as a backdrop, catch indie bands, foreign movies and dance troupes from May to October. Picnics welcome.
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Good Luck Bar
It's decked out like a fantasy Chinese opium den, and the paper lanterns at this cultish watering hole cast a siren's red glow. The clientele is cool, the jukebox is loud, and the drinks are seductively strong. Be sure to pick up a matchbook.
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Greek Theater
Appreciative summer crowds love the vibe and the variety - Lyle Lovett, Tina Turner, the Russian Ballet, Death Cab for Cutie, Gipsy Kings - at this 5800-seat outdoor venue tucked in the woodsy hills of Griffith Park. Be forewarned, parking is stacked, so plan on a post-show wait.
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Groundlings
From sketch to improv, the much-kudoed Groundlings comedy troupe conjures up the funny every night. Surprise guests who've gone on to Saturday Night Live and Mad TV often drop by Thursday nights.
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Hennessey's Tavern
With a little luck o' the Irish, you'll nab a table on the bustling rooftop deck just in time for sunset. Grab a Guinness and burger at this pier's-end pub - always fun but a smidge less rowdy than the frat-pack magnets crowding the rest of the pier.
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Hotel Café
Unsigned bands get their due at charmingly intimate Hotel Café, where an appreciative crowd comes for the music and not the scene. Seen as a stepping stone for up-and-comers, the calendar includes an eclectic mix - from touring Australian cult faves John Butler Trio to rock legends like Pete Townsend. The narrow, redbrick interior fills quick, so arrive early for a table or a meal.
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House Of Blues
Despite a Disneyfied 'Mississippi blues shack' exterior, this center-of-the-strip music hall books quality, sometimes quirky, small-venue bands from all over the US and abroad.
