Hollywood Nightlife Entertainment Clubs, Bars and Events
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Text and photos to clubs, bars, celebrity spots and restaurants in Hollywood, CA.
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Hollywood Nightlife and Tourist
Guide!
In many ways, it was Hollywood that first put Los Angeles on the worldwide stage. It was the weather that attracted the movie makers and the resulting exposure portrayed Los Angeles as a place of idyllic surroundings. Hollywood has brought us movie stars, made us laugh, made us cry and given us endless hours of joyful entertainment. There's a new Hollywood in the works, and it's got all the glitter one would expect from the Entertainment Capitol of the World. The centerpiece is Hollywood and Highland, a massive complex with retail outlets, restaurants, movie houses and the fabulous Kodak Theater . The latter is the new home of the Academy Awards. A giant lighted Britney Spears Pepsi ad towers above the Gap and just below it, a video billboard rolls ads like a Las Vegas casino. As one would expect, the already-famous Hollywood club scene is thriving as a result of this revitalization process. Hollywood is home to L.A.'s mega dance clubs – if you want to dance in this town, Hollywoos is the place to do it – but also many long-standing little haunts located in the back alleys of main streets with no names on the door. Once again, it's Hip to be in Hollywood. Hollywood bars are happening almost all nights of the week, though they peak Thursdays thru Sundays. One of the best things about Hollywood is that its resurgence has created a cluster of bars, so walking from one to another makes it more like New York than car-dependent L.A. Pubs/Lounges [MAP for Hollywood & Highland] There are bars, and then there are b-a-r-s. This section is a taste of old L.A., places that have been around for years and won't be gone in a month when the trendy crowd moves to the next hip location. Locals, celebrities, movie executives and everyday people come here for good music, live bands or just to have a few drinks. The Room houses some of L.A.'s best music. The long, narrow,
dark bar features up-and-coming deejays playing to an all-everything
crowd, which includes up-and-coming actors and models. If you like music,
this is a good place to find it. On Tuesdays, it's THE place to be in
Hollywood. Like many great bars, The Room is difficult to find. It's
on Cahuenga between Selma and Hollywood behind a blue building with
an orange awning; go around the back and look for the doorman. It's across the street from The Burgundy Room, another good bar,
cool music with a cool crowd (cash only). A close walk away is Opium
Den, a rock bar for young alterna-rockers. The tiny stage area gets
packed and Mondays are especially cranking with local radio station KROQ's
"Zeke's Backyard" night. Goldfingers, one of L.A.'s most interesting haunts, is unfortunately
gone, replaced by a red, posh "new Hollywood" place called the
Red Buddah Lounge. We'll see. Looking for a good bartender? Daddy's has among the best in
town. They are friendly and know how to mix the prefect drink. Daddy's
has a strong reputation as a pick-up bar. The Frolic Room (Hollywood and Vine) is a very local bar that
gets going late, after 11, after the Pantages Theater next door show
is over. Frolic's main architectural feature is a wallpaper mural of
old-time Hollywood stars. On a different scale, the Pig 'N Whistle is a restaurant that
turns into a bar at night. It has different themes on different nights
and is operated by the owners of the celebrity-favorite Sunset Room. For
example, it turns into the Nubar some nights, a cool martini bar
with a mostly younger crowd. Not to be confused with the Pig 'N Whistle
is the Cat 'N Fiddle, reputed to be a Rolling Stones fav. Any surprise
it's a British pub? It has a dart room, a dining room and a patio. Laid-back
locals love the place. To drink, try the Snake Bite. Not a lot of femms
go there, though. Merix (located in nearby West Hollywood, on Santa Monica east
of La Ciegena) is mostly gay, but has a wide variety of fruit margaritas
(kiwi, mango, etc.). It's absolutely impossible to get into on Sundays
after the noon hour, a tribute to its tasty frozen concoctions If it's Monday, check out Les Deuz Cafe, a French bistro which
has a bit of a scene that night. It's also reputed to be a hideaway
for Hollywood stars (Sharon Stone, Jerry Seinfield, Cameron Diaz, Lenny
Kravitz...). Bars Want to see a celebrity? Or at least mingle where they mingle? Hollywood is home to several upscale bars that attract celebrities,directors and producers, movers and shakers, and more "ordinary" folks who like a good drink and a good time. Most mix dancing with comfortable bar seating. One of the best bars in Hollywood for the "average" person
is Lucky Strike Lanes. It's not a chore to get in and people
actually talk to someone who's not in their own crowd. It's a beautiful
bowling alley and bar – this is becoming big in L.A. – in
the Hollywood & Highland complex. An upscale choice of the past, the Sunset Room, is being remodeled and
will reopen at Caabana Club. Forty Deuce. At the latter it's tease
without the sleeze, not a strip show but a show. One trend seems to be naming places after the street address. Thus,
welcome to town 1650. This classy dance club and bar is one of
THE places to be in town. Formerly known as Vinyl, it's new and hip.
The Beauty Bar is a hair salon converted into a bar. It's quirky,which
is fitting, because so is the crowd. It's more of a novelty, less than
great for mingling with strangers. Clubs
The heartbeat of Hollywood's nightlife are its dance clubs. There are more here than there are stars on the Walk of Fame (or so it seems). And even more are on the way. Vanguard brings it with cool DJs, go-go girls on a catwalk and
enough dance floor space to fit in the relaxed but energetic crowd, which
ranges mainly from 25s-early 30s. There's an outdoor tropical-style patio
in the back for VIP service, but this place is really just a pure dance
club with few distractions. In the heartbeat of Hollywood Blvd., are two so-called "hotspots," Mood and Geisha House. Mood's mood is Indonesian has go-go dancers in panties and t-shirts and theme nights put on my various promotors. A-list parties are on Wednesdays, Asians are attracted to Thursdays, Top 40 on Fridays,, celeb and VIP-seeking Saturadys and R&B on Sundays. (6623 Hollywood Blvd,, 323- 464-6663)
Geisha House is a sushi restaurant with a lively bar scene. The A three-tiered fireplace is the centerpiece of the dining room while the plasma TVs dominate the bar. Other than the crowd, of course, which crowds in here.. (6633 Hollywood Blvd, 323-460-6300). Between Mood and Geisha House is an old Hollywood legend, Book City; unfortunately, it doesn't fit in the modern times and will soon close.
The Ivar is a restaurant/bar/club with an industrial look and
feel and a hot-looking crowd. Most of the peo;e are standing outside
but o get in, get there by 9 or at least 9:30. If you get stuck, the
pizza place next door has pretty good social action. CineSpace is an upscale restaurant, bar and screening
room showing movie classics. The front bar is for the scene, the screening
room for couples and diners. Movies – think dinner and a flick –
start at 7:30 with the DJ coming on at about 10. CineSpace is located
upstairs in the same building as Ivar.
Those curious about the "get down and dirty" Crush Bar – a
local legend with 70s and 80s music – will be disappointed to learn
it is closed. In its place now is White Lotus, an Asian-themed
bar and restaurant brought to Hollywood by the Sunset Room and Pig 'N
Whistle owner.It has two dance floors, a patio and VIP area (of course).
In grand Hollywood tradition, it opened to celebrity-filled fanfare.Like
many places here, go for dinner to avoid the huge lines that form later. Celebrities are flying into LAX, an airplane-themed club with three bars and two outdoor smoking patios. It hosts many private events for celebrities an on "regular" nights, it's advisable to go early. (1714 N Las Palmas, 323-464-017). The Palace has re-opened as Avalon and is open for now
only on Fridays for a New York-style disco (starts 10 p.m.).It's huge
buildingis full of history for theater, TV shows (Jerry Lewis, Merv Griffin
among others) and bands. On the top of Avalon is Spider Club, which
has a smokin' good-looking crowd. It's almost twin VIP rooms, each with
a DJ and dance floor and bar; one is more intimate and the other is larger. For the trendy-seeking, Xes (sex spelled backward and pronounced
"excess") has go-go dancers on poles and shows videos of girls
in bikinis smashing bugs and such which, for some reason we're not quite
capable of comprehending, is all the rage for some folks. Tuesdays are
hosted by an adult film company, Wednesdays are 80s, Thursdays are Top
40 dance and weekends are for it all (call ahead).
Club Circus and the Arena is a gay and bisexual club
with three dance floors, heavy on Latin music and features guest DJs.
Actually they are two clubs located right next to each other. On Fridays,
though, a promotion called Red at Arena draws in a huge mostly
Asian straight crowd of post-rave progressive house and trance featuring
local DJs. Cover is $20, or $10 before 10 p.m. (323) 692-3533. Club One Seven is an Under-21 dance club at Hollywood & Highland, open only on weekends, $20 cover. 6801 Hollywood Blvd. (323) 462-4172. Take a walk on the wild side: Cinematic is an S&M club in
West Hollywood. Located two blocks West of Fairfax on Santa Monica Blvd.,
the building rotates themes each night. Saturday is S&M night which,
for those not eager to participate, makes for great people-watching.
Or, you can check out Deep where sex is definitely in the air.
In fact, the owner was quoted in a local publication as saying his club
"pushes the envelope in terms of sexuality, decadence, voyeurism."
Male and female dancers perform R-rated shows to encourage the sexuality,
decadence and voyeurism of the patrons. After Hours For those who would rather schmooze than lose another bar opportunity,
At the Factory has after-hours activity on Saturdays. It's a
mix of people – straight, gays, black, white, Asians, you name
it – who dance to high-energy house music. It goes from 2:30 until
8 in the morning. Cover is $15-20. Hollywood Sightseeing and Activities
Hollywood history is contained within its sidewalks at the world-famous Walk of Fame. Located up and down Hollywood Blvd., it contains stars embedded into the sidewalk acknowledging influential figures in cinema, television, radio and entertainment. Many Hollywood legends are quite deserving of this great honor. John Wayne. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Judy Garland. Certainly Hugh Hefner. But then there are ones that have tourists shaking their heads. Christie Alley? Maury Amsterdam? Well, just about anybody with a name and $15,000 can get a star, or at least be nominated. But only about 20 of 200 nominated annually receive the honor, which comes with a public ceremony. Diversions along the Walk of Fame include the Hollywood Wax Museum and the Guinness World of Records Museum and Grauman's Chinese Theater, where tourists place their hands and feet in the cemented molds of movie legends. One of the better options is the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. It has great interactive displays of Hollywood history, props, the bridge of the starship Enterprise and the actual bar of "Cheers" which, by the way, is open for business duirng Monday Night Football games in the fall. In the basement of Galaxy Theater complex is .don't miss stop – the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. It's a look at the history of motion pictures and has the actual bar used in Cheers!, the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and other really cool stuff. Hollywood Blvd, itself is a mix of low-end t-shirt shops, exotic clothing stores and PubClub's favorite place, the International Love Boutique. When it's time for a break, the art-deco Roosevelt Hotel (directly across from Mann's) provides the perfect escape. With a rum runner under palm leaves it's hard to imagine that the bustle of Hollywood Blvd., is just half a block away. While in the Roosevelt, go see the actual mirror from Marilyn Monroe's room by the elevators on the bottom floor, where it is rumored maids saw the ghost of the starlet one day while cleaning. At night (before the pubs and clubs, of course), the El Capitan Theater acts out Disney cartoons in a live stage act. The Pantages Theater (323-468-1770; Vine and Argyle) L.A.'s premier theater, which hosted Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King. Walking can be a bit taxing after a while– especially on a warm day – so a shuttle bus called DASH runs along Hollywood Blvd., and from Franklin to Santa Monica Blvd. (25 cents, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday). Los Angeles isn't much for public transportation but there is a Metro Rail Red Line that goes to Universal Studios and downtown. One stop is particularly convenient – right at Hollywood and Highland. Dining and Restaurants One of the best-kept local secrets in all of Los Angeles is Yamashio Restaurant (1999 N. Sycamore). It's a Japanese restaurant on the top of a lush hill. The food is excellent and is equally good for just drinks and appetizers. And just try and top this city view. The El Adobe on Beverly (one mile east of LaBrea off Hollywood Blvd., on the right) has sensational Mexican fare and tasty margaritas. It's been around 50+ years, so it must be doing something right. One of the more interesting places is The Raffalas (Hollywood Blvd. at La Brea). It might have LA's best pizza and certainly the coldest beers in the area. Sit by the window to watch the interesting characters on Hollywood Blvd. For real, old-fashioned Italian in an authentic atmosphere, Machelli's (Las Palmas and Hollywood Blvd.) is the place to go. Here, the waiters sing, wine bottles hang from the ceiling and it's like walking into Italy. The food is good and the prices more than reasonable, about $15 an entree. For traditional Hollywood, Musso & Frank Grill (Hollywood Blvd. @ Cherokee), is a classic. It has been around since 1909 and it seems the waiters have been there since the opening. They know the menu like the Fredrick's people know lace. The dishes are bathes in sauces. It's not cheap – up to $50 a person – but is as classical in Hollywood as Casablanca. Television Show
Tapings To see Hollywood in action on the small screen, here are places to get tickets to TV show tapings. Another spot to get tickets is on Venice Beach, where people hand out invitations. Be prepared to wait and spend a few hours in line and in the audience. Some of the best sources of tickets include:
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Garden
of Eden (LaBrea and Hollywood) is one of the trendy dance clubs. Owned
by the Mood creator, has a very picky doorman; girls will usually get
in within 15-20 minutes while it guys can wait more than hour. If they
are admitted at all. Wear black and be patient! Once inside, it's a young
crowd, mainly 21-25, each of whom paid $15-25 for entrance. 
The
Highlands is a fairly new club that gained immediate success. Located
on the fourth and fifth floor of Hollywood & Highland, it has four
decks and has hosted movie premier parties and other VIP events. 
On
the edge of town is a dance club with a Latin flair, the Rhumba Room.
Wade your way through the high schoolers at Universal's City Walk
on a Friday night to this packed and fun bar. Start with dinner and drinks
at TuTu Tango Cafe.
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