West LA, Culver City

Culver City is fast becoming the go-to spot for Westside Angelenos. This upscale yet laid-back neighborhood is now home to a wide variety of bars, restaurants, art galleries, wine bars, and lounges, making it great for a night on the town with friends, or a romantic date for two.

In the Culver City bars, you'll find every kind of concoction your heart desires. From fine wines poured from a vending machine at Ugo, to the potent Dark & Stormys at Mandrakes, to Smokey's Moonshine at Bigfoot West; you're sure to find the perfect way to begin and end your night.

Live music is somewhat harder to find in Culver City. Just open your ears and you'll begin to hear the country-western-garage of The Cinema Bar, the roadhouse rock of Joxer Daly, the freeform jazz of the Industry Cafe, the eclectic bands of Fais Do Do, and the unknown bands of The Good Hurt. The Culver City music scene is laid-back, relaxed, and as unpretentious as you can get without leaving Los Angeles.

In the trendy Rush Street, you'll find a taste of Chicago, an array of comfort foods, an eclectic beer selection and a stripper pole upstairs for your one-too-many Sugar Plumtinis. If you're looking for more of a divey experience, Carbon is well within walking distance from its fancier counterparts. Facing Venice Blvd, it's the dark, dimly-lit building with loud rock music and red lights pouring outside.

If you're going to make a night of it, you can start as far east as Creole speakeasy Fais Do Do on West Adams and La Brea, and make your way down Washington Blvd, hitting up the jazzy Industry Cafe, homey Father's Office, all three Ugos (the cafe, the restaurant, and the wine bar), stop for some Korean barbeque at Gyenari, then head back out for some honky-tonk and a Pabst at The Cinema Bar, and if you make it all the way to Alibi on Washington and Grand View, we salute you. - Trisha Hanudel