Cold Soup

Chunky or smooth, cold soup is always refreshing on a hot day.

* Barney Greengrass: On the fifth floor of Barney’s New York you might find a gazpacho topped with smoked whitefish ceviche or a chilled avocado soup topped with shaved tomato ice. (Roasted tomato gazpacho, $8; chilled avocado soup, $9.) Barney Greengrass, Barney’s New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 777-5877.

* Out Take Cafe: There’s a cold soup here for every taste. Double duck consomme with foie gras. Roasted cauliflower soup with sevruga caviar, garnished with a edible gold leaf. Butternut squash consomme with vegetables and smoked turkey. Fennel soup with grilled asparagus wrapped in smoked salmon. (Duck consomme, $7; roasted cauliflower soup, $7; butternut squash consomme, $6; fennel soup, $6.) Out Take Cafe, 12159 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 760-1111.

* Citrus: Here you might find a soup of white asparagus and tomatoes with a touch of cream and Italian parsley, or one of pureed tomatoes with a drop of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, garnished with cubes of mozzarella. (Chilled white asparagus soup, lunch $8.50, dinner, $9.50; chilled tomato with mozzarella, lunch only, $5.) Citrus, 6703 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, (323) 857-0034.

* Los Feliz Restaurant and Jazz Spot: For the next few months this club-restaurant will be serving chilled sweet-corn soup poured over an avocado crab meat salad. Or you can try a wildly refreshing frozen gazpacho or cucumber soup. (Sweet white corn soup with crab and avocado salad, $11; cucumber sorbet, $9; gazpacho sorbet, $9.) Loz Feliz Restaurant and Jazz Spot, 2138 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 666-8666.

* Cafe des Artistes: Forget your troubles--sit in the relaxing patio here and have a simple chilled tomato soup, just pureed sweet tomatoes garnished with basil and sliced cucumbers and almonds. (Chilled tomato soup, $5.50.) Cafe des Artistes, 1534 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood, (323) 469-7300.

* Cayo: The revolving menu includes a carrot soup lightly spiced with fresh ginger and garnished with pickled ginger and a soothing fennel-celery soup with a hot tapenade-filled won ton. (Carrot ginger soup, $7; fennel celery soup, $7.) Cayo, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, (626) 396-1800.