San Diego
Local microbrewery serving surprisingly decent pub grub (most mains $9 to $17). It's particularly proud of the mac 'n' cheese – try the Piggy Bank mac…
Must-see nightlife in Southern California
West Hollywood & Mid-City
The essence of cheap and cheerful, Fiesta packs in a vibrant crowd of 20-something twinks and other assorted revelers, thanks to extra-long happy hours,…
Hollywood
Easily the coolest coffee joint in this stretch of Hollywood. Expect hipsters with lap dogs and slackers sipping organic tea and Matcha lattes to keep the…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
Fun-loving, Casbah-style Akbar is a hit with queer Eastsiders of all ages – skinny-denim hipsters, greying daddies, skyscraping drag queens. There's no…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
A fun pub right on the Boardwalk on Venice's north end, blessed with ample patio seating for sunset people-watching, long boards suspended from the…
San Fernando Valley
This new, tastefully modern pub with wood floors, wood-slab bar and brick walls has an extensive craftsman beer and wine list on the chalkboard. It has…
Greater Palm Springs
On a balmy night, Birba's hedge-fringed patio with twinkle lights and a sunken firepit brings a dolce vita vibe to the desert. Unwind with a glass of…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Climb the stairs to this sprawling, dimly lit, down-n-dirty, rock-and-roll-style bar where Downtown gays from twinks to bears frolic in a series of bars,…
Newport Beach
This giant space with a looooong bar reels them in for billiards, darts, creative cocktails and a chill vibe. Pub grub punches above its weight too, like…
San Diego
The recently opened satellite tasting room in Ocean Beach has a rustic lofty interior, stripped walls and a Scandinavian-like wooden bar. Beer barrels…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Aussie-run PCP gets its coffee from Sydney's famed Reuben Hills coffee roaster, and it makes its own almond milk and macadamia milk. Food includes…
Santa Barbara
Any actual test pilot would be grounded after one of the strong but delicious cocktails at this tiki bar in the Funk Zone. The decor follows a nautical…
Newport Beach
By the beach, this rowdy dive (beer can chandelier, anyone?) offers schooners filled with dozens of beers on tap and cocktails made with soju (Korean…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
A sweet and cozy hideaway with louvered benches and tables so close together you will commune with strangers. Here, you may sip international wines by the…
San Diego
This large sports bar a few blocks from baseball stadium Petco Park has six bowling lanes (thankfully, behind a wall for effective soundproofing). Pub…
Anaheim
Beer with a comic-book aesthetic? Unsung calls its Buzzman light lager a mutant ale, Anthia has mango, pineapple and banana overtones and nutty Propeller…
Santa Barbara
Down by the railroad tracks, the boisterous Brewhouse crafts its own unique small-batch beer (Saint Barb’s Belgian-style ales rule), serves wines by the…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
A two-story, quintessential WeHo dance club, with go-go boys, expensive drinks, attitude and plenty of eye candy. There's a marble circle bar, exposed…
Joshua Tree National Park
This whistle-stop with jukebox, pool tables and cowboy flair serves bar food along with rib-sticking burgers and steaks and daily entertainment inside and…
Santa Barbara
From the sidewalk, passersby stop just to peek through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows at a wall-sized map of Santa Barbara's Wine Country, all hand…
Huntington Beach
Cavernous brewpub with a big balcony, specializing in ales brewed in a half-dozen giant, stainless-steel kettles on site, like the HB Blonde, Brickshot…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
Although this is a sophisticated wine bar dressed in cocoa and candlelight, don’t worry if you can’t tell your pinot noir from your pinot grigio. Tapas…
San Diego
This attractive recent addition to Front St pays tribute to the local wine industry with wines supplied by local producers and more than 30 craft beers on…
Townhouse & Delmonte Speakeasy
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
Upstairs is a cool, dark and perfectly dingy bar with pool tables, booths and good booze. Downstairs is the speakeasy, where DJs spin pop, funk and…
Anaheim
Recently moved from Downtown Disney, HOB occasionally gets some heavy-hitting rock, pop, jazz and blues concerts. Call or check online for show times and…
South Bay Beaches
A terrific gastropub with 24 beers on tap. The bacon and blue burger is popular (with blue cheese and carmelized bacon), as are the spice-and-vinegar…
San Diego
A rustic open-plan microbrewery, with a tasting room, on-site brewhouse, surf photography on the walls and 12 taps pouring craft beers (like tart cherry…
Santa Monica
Cozy, dark and elegant with dangling chandeliers, twinkling candles, intimate booths, crisp white tablecloths and a chamomile mai tai that has earned rave…
San Diego
When you’ve had it with gentrified style and you’re looking for a historic dive, head to this old-school bar (decorated year-round with Christmas lights)…
Santa Monica
Rocking since 1959, this nautical-themed dive has seen its share of Hollywood intrigue from the Rat Pack to the Brat Pack. To this day it's dark and dank…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Cramped but cool; too cool even to have a sign out front. When handcrafted, throwback cocktails first migrated west and south from New York and San Fran,…
San Diego
Once Encinitas’ most notorious dive bar, it’s now Encinitas’ hippest dive bar. Fantastic Old West saloon–style murals make a great backdrop for good old…
Hollywood
In new Hollywood digs, this much-loved British pub will have you pining for Old Blighty with its mix of UK ales (think Newcastle Brown Ale and Old…
San Diego
Dark and divey, this hipster haven started pouring when JFK was president and still looks the part with its curvy booths, big bar and lovably kitsch decor…
Santa Monica
This darkly lit emporium of food, drink and fun is notable for the decent menu and phenomenal cocktails made from craftsman spirits. Set in a historic…
Santa Barbara
With over a dozen microbrews on tap, this place draws serious beer geeks out to Goleta, near the UCSB campus, off Hwy 101. IPAs are the permanent…
Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen
San Diego
This San Diego–based brewery does 4oz tasters of its beers for just $5, which could be the best deal in town. Enjoy them with a full menu including…
Disneyland Resort
Raise a glass to Napa as you nosh on pizzettas, artisan cheese plates and Scharffen Berger chocolate truffle cake around the fireplace in the Grand…
Greater Palm Springs
Tucked among the Uptown art galleries, this is the original branch of this much-beloved local chain of hip coffeehouses. The java is organic and there are…
Santa Barbara
This tiny pub can barely contain the college students and European travelers who cram the place to its seams. Pop in to catch soccer games, stuff the…
