Newport Beach
Sip cocktails with Newport’s in-crowd at this upscale restaurant lounge with killer views of the yacht-filled harbor. The crowd skews older; you might…
Must-see nightlife in Southern California
San Diego
Not everyone in PB spends the days surfing or the nights partying; some drink coffee and read books at this delightful side-street cafe in a converted old…
Laguna Beach
About a mile south of downtown, this cozy coffee shop with eclectic furniture draws an equally eclectic gay/straight/hipster crowd for coffees, breakfasts…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
A divey, hipster-pulling whiskey bar on Sunset where (small-batch) bourbon is the preferred poison. The $5 happy-hour drinks, offered 5pm to 8pm on…
Hollywood
One of LA's naughtier gay bars, with no shortage of beards and brawn. Take off your shirt and join the Sunday-afternoon beer bust (it’s an institution),…
San Diego
Funky-dunky, canopy-covered cafe and plant shop, also crammed with crafts and art treasures. A chilled place to sip on a coffee, smoothie or chai latte,…
San Diego
A Bohemian bar with frescoes on the walls, chandeliers overhead, an old piano and fire pits on the patio. Sip on craft cocktails or absinthe and listen to…
San Diego
In the heart of Hillcrest, DJs shower the crowd with Latin, techno, pop and house at one of San Diego’s biggest gay dance clubs; Rich's also hosts the…
Long Beach & San Pedro
Local sports freaks and sun worshippers collide at Riley’s during big games. Ice-cold beer is poured into massive goblets, the pub grub is decent and the…
Riverbench Winery Tasting Room
Santa Barbara
Tasting room in the Funk Zone for the Santa Maria Valley vineyard of the same name. Amiable staff can guide you through a selection of Chardonnay and…
Long Beach & San Pedro
A popular pub on the Promenade on the ground floor of a historic building, Congregation Ale House has nearly 30 craft beers on tap and a nice patio out…
Santa Monica
A long-running ‘meet market.’ Strong drinks, loud music and seductive red-on-black decor further loosen inhibitions, but waiting in line to get past the…
Long Beach & San Pedro
A Long Beach shingle of the venerable Santa Monica spot, hosting regular blues bands, burlesque dancers and the famed Toledo Show on Thursdays.
San Diego
Old-fashioned neighborhood dive bar with front-row views of the Belmont Park roller coaster. It draws an unpretentious crowd and has more than 50 beers on…
The Deserts
Fun honky-tonk with lots of local business keeping the action going until the wee hours with a jukebox, darts, pool and karaoke on Saturdays. Cold beer…
Coastal Orange County
They roast their own beans in-house and serve them in hot and cold drinks in this circa 1890s cottage in the Los Rios Historic District.
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
In a former bank vault, Crane's is one of our favorite Downtown dives, complete with jukebox, butcher-block bar (carved from a 130-year-old Douglas fir)…
Coastal Orange County
This friendly wine and cheese bar and shop offers New World wine and craft-beer tasting flights, plus small plates of artisan cheeses and charcuterie.
Anaheim
Barber plus beer. Get it? At this hipster-cool men's styling emporium, treat yourself to a shave, a haircut and a brewski on Center Street Promenade.
Santa Ynez Valley
The one-horse town of Santa Ynez is home to this Harley-friendly honky-tonk dive bar with live country-and-western and rock bands, dancing and DJs.
Santa Barbara
Bicycle-themed coffee shop brewing rich coffee and espresso drinks from small-batch roasted beans. Sit and sip yours on the sunny patio.
Death Valley National Park
Light meals and bar snacks are served at this colorful bar with Old West knickknacks, cold draft beer and Skynyrd on the jukebox.
Anaheim
This cozy, literary-minded cafe serves Stumptown coffees, sells a full complement of writing implements and gigs in live music.
San Diego
This uber-dive opened in 1942 and became one of the first gay bars in the country, across from the old naval training center. The surrounding auto-repair…
Los Angeles
Sunshiny, mellow and just a little grungy, this corner coffee shop keeps it local with changing art on the walls, gig posters on the windows and a kids'…
San Diego
Choose from 36 specialty beers on tap in this huge open-plan space, with natural features and a one-acre organic beer garden with water features and…
Long Beach & San Pedro
Bessie Walker started selling sandwiches at this classic Americana divey biker bar in 1943, and the place has hardly changed a lick since: sloping…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Are there too many juice bars in LA? Yes, but you could still make the argument that there should be more of this juice-bar brand, found across the city…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
In Sawtelle Japantown, this excellent coffee roaster pours mean lattes and organic teas, but it stands out for fresh-baked pretzels with an unusual twist …
San Diego
Think Vegas in the Gaslamp. San Diego's hottest dance club has amazing design with rotating themes (jellyfish and mermaids, anyone?), DJs spinning…
San Diego
A tiki-style bar with cheap multicolored cocktails as big as your head. The crowd is as diverse as the music, ranging from Latin to pop and hip-hop. There…
Huntington Beach
For a dark, bamboo-paneled, stone-walled, trapped-in-the-captain’s-hold vibe, try this bar that's been there since 1953; it’s the ivy-covered building at…
Los Angeles
While it mightn't be much to look at, this lo-fi coffee shop brews decent cups of joe using beans from local roasters Sightglass and Contraband. Chilled…
Greater Palm Springs
Nights at this high-energy bar and club, a staple of the Arenas Rd 'gayborhood' strip, are an assortment of karaoke, drag shows, trivia nights and classic…
San Diego
Using monastic and artistic Belgian brewing traditions, Lost Abbey's hoppy concept beers are freshly made on-site. There a 42-tap system in the tasting…
San Diego
There are three distinct levels at this historic Gaslamp building that's been turned into an atmospheric watering hole: the main floor with its long…
Laguna Beach
The party’s always rockin’ at this lively tavern in downtown’s village where the Harley-loving crowd isn’t afraid to whoop it up, sometimes right on the…
Newport Beach
After sunset at the beach, follow the laughing leprechaun to this Balboa Peninsula bar where hunky lifeguard bartenders pour pints for sorority girls and…
San Diego
Local chain with a Scandi-design feel serving coffee, hot chocolate and smoothies, plus bites like French pastries, acai bowls, grilled sandwiches and…
La Jolla
A few blocks from the water, this clapboard shack of a cafe with a generous balcony is popular for its organic coffees, Italian espresso and Mexican…
