Venice Beach, Marina del Rey nightlife, nightclubs, bars and parties
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L.A. CITY GUIDE: NO LAST CALL! Text and photos detailing locals' bars, nightlife and activities in Venice Beach and Marina del Rey, CA.
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Venice Beach/Marina del Rey
No places says "L.A." like Venice Beach. Venice possesses a quirky atmosphere, colorful seaside performers and a laid-beach life with a bit of Harley and Hollywood sprinkled in – in short the entire outdoor experience that defines Los Angeles. Where else in the world has an outdoor gym with strong-armed bodybuilders working their muscles before the eyes of thousands of gawking tourists? A few steps away, people are playing basketball, beach volleyball, paddle tennis (paddle tennis!?), surfing, sunning, running, biking and rollerblading. There's more physical activity happening every few minutes Venice Beach than in most health clubs in a week.
Add bargain shopping – three T-shirts for $10, paintings, pocketbooks, shoes – to this scene and it's little wonder that Venice is hopping any day of the week and SRO on weekends. Venice is also a good place to pick up tickets to tapings of TV shows. On weekends, shows seeking live audiences pass out flyers along the boardwalk. The beach area is best visited in the daytime as it can get a bit dicey after dark. Venice is located adjacent to Marina del Rey, home of the world's largest man-made marina. The dividing line is Washington Blvd., which includes a splattering of afternoon bar stops. In between the two sits the Marina Peninsula, along a canal at the north "finger" of the MDR harbor, one of the new hot spots for celebrity homes. At night, Main Street on Venice/Santa Monica border roars. Daytime PubClubbing MAP The Sidewalk Cafe along the boardwalk is Venice's the most popular eating spot, but behind the patio is a no-wait sports bar. Later in the day, the Venice Whaler is the place to be. It has two levels and attracts the surfing crowd fresh out of the water at sunset. After dark, it features live music upstairs and is particularly popular on Sundays. The Whaler is located at the foot of Washington Blvd., and is surrounded by a plethora of outdoor cafes. The best of these is the Caribbean/Cuban cuisine at Mercedes Grille, known for its sangria throughout L.A. The 26 Beach Cafe is also a popular spot. For those who like dives, Hinano Cafe fits the bill. Named after a Tahitian beer, it's dark, has patrons all dressed in old t-shirts and has a pool table. We're not sure what kind of food they serve here and neither should you. This is a beer-drinking bar. East meets West on Sunday afternoons at Baja Cantina (Washington Blvd., just east of Ocean Ave.). When the sun is out – almost a given in this town – Baja Cantina can be as lively as Cabo San Lucas (well, almost). The crowd is a mix of the blacked-up Hollywood set and casual beach crowd, packing the brick-lined outdoor patio. The potent margaritas inspire mingling between these two diverse groups, providing that when given the right atmosphere, opposites do indeed attract. Thursdays, from 9-closing is Hollywood Industry Night. No telling whom one might see here. PubClubbing at Night (Abbott Kinney Blvd.) MAP
Abbott Kinney Blvd., has emerged as an off-the-beaten-path destination for neighborhood locals. Primitivo is a wine bistro with tapas. It has a good, mature 30ish crowd and a back garden courtyard that opens up at night. Venice Place is a popular bar, especially Sunday evenings. Hal's is popular for those in their late 30's-plus with a jazzy attitude. The Other Room is a lounge micobrewery with more than 60 beers on tap. Dark and cozy ,it's also a wine bar that is intoxicatingly popular. What we really like about the place is it's "locals first" policy. As the colorful doorman Caesar will tell those lined up on weekends, those with Venice identification get in first. "We don't take money and we don't take sexual favors at the door," he says. But The Other Room does take care of locals. The place does need to turn up the lights and turn down the music; it's a relaxing mingling bar but too dark and a bit too loud for long conversations.
On the lighter side, a rustic Irish pub with a big outdoor deck hosts – are you ready for this – turtle races every Thursday night. That's right, turtle races. It's dumb and fun at the same time, but Brennan's has been doing it for nearly 30 years, so it obviously works. The emcee is especially colorful – just don't point! Believe it or not, it packs in a crowd and a band entertains people between post times (10:30 and midnight).There's some good tail in there, and we're not referring to the turtles. Mostly, it's a mix of old-style pubbers, party-minded professionals and college students. Marina del Rey For sports viewing, Tony P's Dockside Grill has a huge bar area with dozens of TVs and a view of the marina out the back door (good for reflecting on the finer thinkgs in life after that drive-killing interception or turnover).It's the home of the University of Florida alumns and Sunday and Monday pro games. Another place for Monday Night Football is El Torito on Fisherman's Landing (Fiji Way); not a lot of singles action in either among the predominantly middle-age black patrons (El Torito is a bit more lively). • 26 Beach Cafe:26 Washington Blvd. (310) 821-8129
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The
only workout most tourists get is with their eyes. This is one of the
few beaches in the world where most of the action takes place away from
the shore. In addition to sports, an array of performers dazzle visitors.
They line the boardwalk and most are quite talented. There is a man
who walks on broken glass, one who juggles chainsaws and a human statue,
just to name a few of the acts.
