Bars & Nightlife

Bars & Nightlife (August 10, 2012)

August 7, 2012, 4:34 p.m.

Beer Selection
Father’s Office
3229 Helms Ave., Los Angeles, 90034
(310) 736-2224
1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, 90403
(310) 736-2224
www.fathersoffice.com 
If only our own offices came stocked with 36 beers on tap — we’d get so much more done! Home to the celebrated Office Burger, Father’s Office specializes in pairing craft brews with stellar, locally sourced cuisine.

Inland Empire: The Back Abbey (Claremont)
L.A. Central/Hollywood: Wurstkuche
Orange County: Beachwood BBQ
Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley: Yard House
SF Valley/Foothills/Ventura: Tony’s Darts Away
South Bay/Southeast: Naja’s

 

Cocktail Selection
320 Main
320 Main St.
Seal Beach, 90740
(562) 799-6246
www.320mainsealbeach.com
320 Main has mastered the modern art of cocktail construction. This Seal Beach mainstay has a handle on classics like Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, but its signature cocktails are what separate it from the pack.

L.A. Central/Hollywood: Lola’s
Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley: Vertical Wine Bistro
SF Valley/Foothills/Ventura: Black Market
Westside: Copa d’Oro

 

Dance Club
Avalon Hollywood
1735 Vine St.
Hollywood, 90028
www.avalonhollywood.com
The site of DJ Sasha’s first West Coast residency, Avalon is one of Hollywood’s loudest landmarks. The 2,000-person capacity club is widely regarded as the epicenter of dance music in L.A.

Inland Empire: Brandin Iron
Orange County: Atomic Ballroom
Westside: 31ten

 

Dive Bar
Cozy Inn (tie)
11155 Washington Place
Culver City, 90232
(310) 838-3826
With a good mix of regulars, locals, working stiffs and studio execs, the Cozy Inn is more like a community than a bar. Throw in a pool table, a well-stocked juke box and (yes!) a shuffleboard table, and you’re set for the night.

Frolic Room (tie)
6245 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90028
(323) 462-5890
Looking for a Hollywood bar that’s not so … Hollywood? Check out the Frolic Room, located right next to the Pantages Theater. The place is utterly unpretentious. 

Inland Empire: Eden East
Orange County: DivBar
SF Valley/Foothills/Ventura: Tin Horn Flats
South Bay/Southeast: Gasser Lounge

 

Gay Bar
The Abbey Food and Bar
692 N. Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, 90069
(310) 289-8410
www.abbeyfoodandbar.com
Over the past 15 years, the Abbey has grown from a small West Hollywood coffee house into a 16,000-square-foot juggernaut. Locals and celebs alike flock here.

 

Happy Hour
FishBar
3801 Highland Ave.
Manhattan Beach, 90266
(310) 796-0200
www.fishbarmb.com
FishBar’s happy hour (Monday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m.) is truly epic, with $3 cocktails, domestic beers and house wines to accompany $1.50 oysters and a host of appetizer specials.

Inland Empire: BJ’s
L.A. Central/Hollywood: Vinoteca Farfalla
Orange County: 320 Main
Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley: Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Westside: The Misfit

 

Hotel Bar/Lounge
Andrea at Pelican Hill
22800 Pelican Hill Road S.
Newport Beach, 92657
(949) 467-6800
www.pelicanhill.com/dining_andrea
To have a great hotel bar, you’ve got to start with a great hotel. In the case of the Resort at Pelican Hill, “great” might be an understatement. This luxury retreat is like an Italian seaside village re-created in miniature.

Inland Empire: McKinley’s Grille
L.A. Central/Hollywood: The Standard
Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley: The Langham
South Bay/Southeast: Shade Hotel
Westside: Avalon