145 Best Nightlife in California, USA

Fans of this storefront bar pouring dozens of Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world call themselves Bubbleheads, fitting given the bubbly atmosphere owner-impresario Erin Riley, aka the Chief Bubblehead, has created. The knowledgeable servers will help you choose the right glass from the well-curated selection and keep you entertained with bingo, trivia contests, and other diversions. On some nights, Be Bubbly presents DJs and musicians.

The welcoming vibe of the largely under-30 crowd at this retro-hip but chill wine-and-beer bar is exceeded only by that of the charming hosts. Congeniality aside, the other draws here include the craft brews on tap, the change-of-pace selection of international wines (nothing from California), and the live-music, movie, and other event nights.

This uptown drinking den picks up where tiki bar founding father Don the Beachcomber left off—first, by occupying its former space where Frank Sinatra guzzled navy grog by the quart and second, by delivering both classic cocktails like zombies and mai tais and fruit-forward, rum-heavy originals decorated with umbrellas, chunks of honeycomb, and flamingos. It's dark, full of kitsch (it's hard not to love the pufferfish lights), and has both late-afternoon and last-call happy hours daily. 

Long before Uptown got hot, the late Peter Van Kleef was serving stiff fresh-squeezed Greyhounds and booking live music at this funky café-bar that crackles with creative energy—there's still live music every weekend.

Tucked away in a basement on quiet Hudson Avenue, Dirty Laundry is a former speakeasy turned proper cocktail bar with live music and DJs spinning both fresh and throwback music. There’s beer on hand, but here, cocktails are king.

Ramshackle Ernie's shares a corrugated tin building with a frozen-in-time roadside garage, with part of the bar actually in the garage. Mounted stag heads and a toothy wild boar watch over this rural-neighborhood hangout with a long, narrow bar, a patio outside, and Pliny the Elder and another 20 or so brews on tap. Signs everywhere ban cell phone use, though patrons and even staffers occasionally flout them.

It's a fridge; it's a door; it's the entrance to Davey Wayne's, a bar and lounge that pulls out all the stops to transport you back in time to the '70s. The interior is your living room; the outside is an ongoing backyard barbecue with all your friends. Come early to beat the crowds or be prepared to get up close and personal with your neighbors.

Arguably California's longest continuously active saloon since it opened in 1884, this watering hole, built from the hull of a flat-bottomed stern-wheeler, is where young Jack London got his start as a writer. Historic photos and artifacts hang from the crooked walls and ceilings, which have been atilt since the 1906 earthquake. Get a peek at the slanted bar, where beers on tap and bottomless stories of Oakland history abound.

A GM involved with over-the-top Las Vegas Tiki establishments and a chef with a mission to promote authentic Hawaiian cuisine teamed up on this hypertropical bar. Saturated colors out of the Day-Glo school of lighting illuminate a decor heavy on bamboo, rattan, and intricate wood carvings. The rum-leading lineup includes updated takes on Trader Vic's mai tai and Don the Beachcomber's Zombie, along with newer cocktails with equal verve. All play well with the Asian-influenced bar bites.

Two cocktail all-stars and a chef with a fascination for international comfort food opened this bar where patrons wash down fish tacos, kimchi noodles, crispy pork spare ribs, and chicken tenders with craft cocktails that include the Phatty Margarita ("phattened" up with avocado and coconut oil). Good beer and wine list, too. Everything's best enjoyed out back on the patio.

Halfway between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms sits a gleaming white Spanish bungalow so striking and solitary and surrounded by sand that you're bound to do a double-take. But it's no mirage. In fact, it's an adorable, chill oasis where you can quench two types of thirst: the morning or afternoon-pick-me-up need for coffee (and pastries) and the anytime (post-work, post-hike, celebration) alcoholic fix. There's a great patio, where patrons sometimes do yoga but usually just sip selections from the Mexican-leaning cocktail menu of margaritas, Mezcal negronis, micheladas, Bloody Marias.

Flavorful, colorful, fruity cocktails are the specialty of this bar and restaurant whose equally rich-hued decor and corrugated-metal ceiling intentionally evoke spots throughout Mexico. While sipping sangria, a cerveza, or the house margarita in several flavors, you can nibble on street tacos, posole, elote (corn on a stick), and other small plates.

The prim and proper vibe of this old-school steak house won't appeal to those looking for a raucous night out; instead, its appeal lies in its history and sturdy drinks. Established over a century ago, its dark wood decor, red tuxedo–clad waiters, and highly skilled bartenders can easily shuttle you back to its Hollywood heyday when Marilyn Monroe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Greta Garbo once hung around and sipped martinis.

This cocktail bar with a stunning brick back bar easily competes with the best in the Bay Area. Cocktails are creative and compelling, frequently incorporating atypical ingredients like Thai tea or a syrup made of pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The short food menu revolving around spruced up comfort food is less inventive than the cocktails but far more interesting than standard bar grub.

Smack in the middle of a Wild West main street movie set built in the 1940s, this haute–honky tonk saloon serves stiff drinks and hosts live music on two stages: one inside and intimate, the other out under the stars. Given that it's on the small side and in the middle of nowhere, you might be surprised at the caliber of talent it books—Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Orville Peck, Lizzo, and Patti Smith have all made the pilgrimage—and the number of patrons it packs in on any given night. It also hosts surprise, drop-in performers, especially during the Coachella music festival. Bring your dancing shoes and come hungry, as the restaurant here dishes up open-fire, Santa Maria–style barbecue that's worth the inevitable wait for a table (reservations aren't accepted).

The elevator at the back of The Matheson restaurant whisks patrons up to Roof 106, Healdsburg's hot spot for craft cocktails enjoyed with or without pizzas, small plates, and desserts. The vibe here is jolly and hip, with luxury patio furniture for lounging and fire pits and overhead heaters to keep the open-air space toasty when there's a chill. The rooftop's a fun stop for lunch, except on Monday and Tuesday when the bar opens at 5. Ask about the Best of Chef menu (two-person minimum) of the upstairs chef's favorite dishes.

Chat up the locals at this neighborhood hangout with a welcoming vibe and bartenders slinging the classics and craft cocktails, some of whose ingredients are grown out back. Noteworthy drinks include the bacon bourbon sour and the pickled martini made with Hanson's organic vodka. Music and comedy acts perform many nights.

Since 1968, the Freight has been a venue for some of the world's finest practitioners of folk, jazz, gospel, blues, world-beat, bluegrass, and storytelling. The nonprofit grew from an 87-seat coffee house to a thriving, nearly 500-seat venue in the heart of Berkeley's Arts District. Many tickets cost less than $30.

This pair of speakeasies delights guests with high-theme decor and engaging menus. Entering the nondescript storefront, a sign above the desk in the seemingly cluttered travel agency reads "Other World Travel," but the working kitchen behind offers a hint that all is not as it seems. Accessed through a false freezer door on the left, the Grass Skirt tiki bar serves a wide selection of rum-based tropical cocktails and a menu of shareable pupus in delightfully kitsch surroundings. Venturing through the hidden door to the right transports travelers to the refined Captain's Quarters of a 17th-century sailing vessel where small bites are served alongside a gin-centric cocktail menu. Be sure to reserve a table through the website—these hidden gems are no secret!

Going strong since 1995, with themed happenings and live entertainment or DJs most nights, this popular sports bar/nightclub/restaurant caters to a young crowd and visiting bachelor/bachelorette posses who want to dress sexy, drink seriously (and cheaply during happy hour), and play hard.

A welcoming place with botanical prints, vibrant colors, carved totems, and globe pendants, Toucans is the longtime go-to for those who love drag queens, cabaret, and festive drinks.

Some of the most innovative, pristine cocktails in the Bay Area are at this neon-lit, energetic bar. Bar Director William Tsui previously worked at fine dining juggernaut Lazy Bear in San Francisco, and that high level of meticulous technicality and ingredient sourcing is abundantly clear here across the bay. It's almost unfair that the food menu, nodding to several Asian cuisine elements with a California touch, is so great as well. The narrow space gets packed quickly.

Events are held at the hotel's bar, pool, or restaurant nearly every night, including film screenings, full moon parties, concerts, DJ sets, and trivia/bingo nights. Many are free, most are casual, and some are even family-friendly.

In addition to the expansive floor filled with all kinds of gambling options (e.g., slot machines, table games, a poker room), the casino/resort also has multiple places to wet your whistle, shake your (fingers-crossed) moneymaker, and see DJs or local acts. The Show, the resort's prized theater where none of the 2,101 seats are more than 125 feet from the stage, also books a full calendar of concerts by household names like Dolly Parton and Sting, as well as fashion shows and sporting events like boxing matches.

Housed in an historic Beaux Arts building that dates from 1916, this craft brewery lures locals and visitors alike with a full bar and 20 craft beers on tap, decent gastropub menu, beer garden, and shaded sidewalk patio. The company also has a brewery, bistro, and wine bar in Carmel Plaza in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Pacific Beach often veers between the trendy and the tawdry, so this genuine craft brewhouse offers a more casual middle ground. Amplified serves more than a dozen in-house-brewed beers and healthy, vegan-friendly Mediterranean/Californian food at its scenic outdoor beer garden with breathtaking ocean views.

The husband and wife behind this energetic garden-theme bar (its name is a play on "arboretum") aim to provide patrons with more than a place to throw a few back in a verdant indoor setting. It's a sit-down affair, with specialty cocktails, no two remotely alike, the focus. Some, like the San Remo, you may have heard of or tasted. The spicy concoction a bartender calls "carne asada in cocktail form" maybe not.

This multitasking art deco venue offers both live music and club nights. The killer sound system, cavernous space, and multiple bars make it a perfect venue for both. The club is best known for its DJs, who often spin well past the 2 am cutoff for drinks. The crowd can be a mixed bag, depending on the night, but if you're looking to dance, you likely won't be disappointed. Upstairs is Bardot, which hosts special events including a free Monday night showcase of up-and-coming artists.

Not everyone who feels like having a drink and rocking out can fit into Pappy + Harriet's, so this live-music venue with two bars, an outdoor patio, and a restaurant slinging burgers and serving up tacos and chips with guacamole is a welcome addition to the valley's nightlife scene. It's set in a renovated historical Old Town building, and its wave-shape ceiling, wood-strip walls, and cork-backed flooring make for warm, open acoustics.