This Moroccan-themed bar on the border of Hollywood and Silver Lake attracts a mixed crowd of casually dressed gays and straights. Often supercrowded, it can get downright suffocating on weekends. There's a great jukebox, with everything from '90s rock to Frank Sinatra, comfortable seating in the lounge behind the bar, and very stiff drinks. Regular themed party nights include Craft Night, where art supplies are provided for people to carve pumpkins, make finger puppets, and color outside the lines while getting soused.

Just in case the gilded chandeliers, mahogany wood paneling, and swooping velvet drapes didn't give it away, the Silent Era of the 1920s was the inspiration behind Bar Delux, the whisky-centric watering hole from nightlife vet Adolfo Suaya. A massive emerald stained-glass Art Deco mural above the marble bar evokes Old Hollywood at its most glamorous, as does the lipstick-red ladies' lounge upstairs. Seating is scarce after 11 pm, when a polished crowd (half artsy/half industry) fills the room. And don't even think about making it past the ironclad door on Thursdays, when L.A.'s hottest club promoters, the Alliance, run the show. On Fridays and Saturdays, the trick is to score a dinner reservation—we recommend the whisky-glazed pork belly and the pretzel-bread Reuben—then order a Flapper Jack, a heady concoction of 100-proof applejack, cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, and blackberries, and stay for the late-night scene.

Open Thursdays through Saturdays 8 pm to 2 am.

This 45-year-old bar and steak 'n' seafood joint right next to the Third Street Promenade is an institution. The place hasn't changed much since Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen used to drop in; the decor, with its red-and-white overhead awnings, red vinyl booths, and a wooden ship's wheel, is still maritime-funky; peanut shells still crunch underfoot as you walk across the floor. The vibe is completely laid-back, which is why everyone from failed screenwriters to A-listers (Sean Penn, Julia Roberts) still considers it a favorite hangout.

The Edison, an Art Deco–inspired cocktail spot housed in a revamped power plant, is what the Machine Age might have been if there were better couches back then. You can sit inside an old boiler, hang out between Frankenstein-lab-like gauges and generally feel like Edison himself amid inventive nooks and crannies. It's cavernous (in the sense that it's both big and subterranean) but there are lots of little spots within for closer encounters. Stick around for the Eddies—a lively flapper showgirl revue—on Fridays and Saturdays, but beware the bridge-and-tunnel crowds that sometimes seep in by the night's end.

Open Wednesdays through Fridays 5 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 6 pm to 2 am.

Across the street from the former Goldwyn Studio, this boxy red bar with an ersatz Chinese interior has been a favorite drinking spot for decades. There's still an air of bygone glamour; more than 200 black-and-white photos of celebrities who've graced the place line the walls, and the bar is still used as an occasional movie location (a scene from L.A. Confidential was shot here). When an encroaching development threatened to raze Formosa a few years ago, the outcry of fans kept it from becoming a parking lot.

This nicotine-stained serious drinker's bar sits right next door to the Pantages Theatre. Rumpled hipsters sidle up alongside old-timers and knock 'em back. If you like dives, this place is the real deal. (Isn't that Bukowski's ghost over there?)

Don't look for a sign; just a weathered green door marks the spot (a ploy to keep the Hollywood tourists out and the cool kids in). If you don't have some kind of connection, be sure to get there on the early side (9-ish) for a chance at making it past the velvet rope. Or make dinner reservations (the menu offers upscale Frenchy bistro fare such as truffled mac 'n' cheese, steak frites, and crêpes) then stay on for drinks. The plush lounge is tricked out like a turn-of-the-century Parisian coffee house with crystal chandeliers, enormous gilded mirrors, and chic fashionistas perched on red-velvet fainting couches. For a truly Left Bank experience you can even light up a cigarette—not an easy proposal in L.A.—thanks to the air vents in the front smoking patio.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 7:30 pm to 2 am.

Not just blues, but rock, jazz, and gospel too. This flagship of the successful chain, whose exterior has been done up like a raggedy tin shack, hosts performers ranging from reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry to emo-hipster James Blunt, and former Pixies frontman Frank Black to now-receding '70s hair bands like Styx. The venue itself has the usual L.A. division between hoi polloi (who stick to the Music Hall and the Porch Restaurant) and VIPs (or "Foundation members," who get to schmooze and booze in a series of swanky private rooms). Much more inclusive is the Gospel Brunch, held every Sunday, where the entry fee gets you a Southern-style brunch buffet and enough live gospel music to satisfy your soul.

L.A. is currently embroiled in a wine-bar love affair, and this tiny spot in a grubby strip mall—hidden away behind a curtain— is one of the best. It's definitely an "in" spot, but the feel is homey, and the wine list—which changes every few weeks—is full of surprises, even for the most knowledgeable. The food menu offers small bites, with one main course that changes nightly. Try the charcuterie plate, with its spread of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, and pâtés.

Closed Sundays.

Don't let the fact that it's a tequila bar throw you off—this is a much more sophisticated, grown-up spot than some of its Hollywood neighbors. It's romantic and candlelit, with a red bar and more than 160 varieties of tequila, many produced only in small quantities. Don't know a reposado from a reserva? This is the place to learn. The lounge serves ceviche and tamales, among other Mexican delicacies.

On weekends, the famed guitar shop hosts singer-songwriters from the worlds of country, folk, jazz, and rock. Many respected musicians (Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Costello, to name a few) have performed in this funky, modest venue, where the walls and all other available surfaces are covered with hundreds of acoustic and folk guitars, ukuleles, banjos, violins, mandolins, and dulcimers.

The latest venture of L.A. nightlife impresario David Judaken (he was responsible for turning the nearby Garden of Eden into a major hot spot), Mood has been drawing a steady crowd of see-and-be-seeners—including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jay-Z.—since it opened in summer of 2005. The decor here is equal parts minimalist and Balinese temple, with brushed-steel light fixtures and low suede couches offset by flickering candles, carved wood panels and doors, and stone statuary. The space includes a patio bar and, naturally, a VIP room; rumor has it that famous regulars are given mood rings that grant them instant access.

The Music Center houses the city's largest performance venues, including the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which is the home of the Los Angeles Opera (www.losangelesopera.com ), and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the base for the Los Angeles Philharmonic (www.laphil.org ). The Music Center also includes the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum, both home stages of the Center Theatre Group.

The dark and sexy Opera has become Hollywood's latest place to be seen. The mega-club impresses with several bars, two smoking patios, and expert mixologists serving up a celeb heavy crowd, featuring big names from Britney to Kanye West. You can pretty much forget about getting in on a Thursday, when Alliance, Hollywood's hottest club promoters, run the show, unless you've got some good names to drop.

Open Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 pm to 2 am.

The roster at this intimate venue features mostly up-and-coming bands, with the occasional big name, and attracts a very young crowd.

One of the handful of speakeasies breathing some much needed life into L.A.'s downtown scene, this old school–style whiskey bar with a tricked out hunting lodge motif, is a favorite happy hour hang for downtown loft-dwellers. The revamped display cases of this converted 1920s jewelry store flaunt 125 different kinds of whiskey—from small batch Tennessee bourbons to a rare, 30-year-old Macallan Scotch. Its proximity to USC means you might have to deal with a few cigar-smoking frat boys mouthing off in one of the dark leather booths, but the crowd is mostly young professionals who come in for a game of pool and the stiff drinks.

Open Mondays through Fridays 4 pm to 2 am, Saturdays and Sundays 8 pm to 2 am.

The Spanish-colonial Hollywood Athletic Club opened in 1923 as a private club hosting Hollywood's biggest male stars, but until recently, efforts to revive it had all failed. Now, New Yorker Jeffrey Chodorow has opened the ambitious Social, with a Moroccan-themed restaurant further romanticized by metal cut-out lanterns, carved horseshoe seats, and star-studded parties. The food in the upstairs dining room is decent, but the downstairs bar and lounge is where the real Hollywood Socializing goes on.

The good news? There's finally reason to bust out that trucker hat you thought was so cool five years ago. The bad news? There's a good chance it will get sprayed by a stuffed, wall-mounted skunk. Stinkers, a kitschy '70s theme bar modeled after a glammed-up truck stop, is an ode to all things Smokey and the Bandit—from the mustachioed Burt Reynolds headshot to the 5,000 vintage beer cans lining the walls. There's also a reel-to-reel-equipped DJ booth; steam-spewing animatronic skunks (a tongue-in-cheek reference to the location in Silver Lake, where the animals are a bit of a nuisance); and bartenders who shout last call from a CB radio attached to a loudspeaker. Artsy hipsters in rectangular rimmed eyeglasses and thrift store finds congregate here for a fun old ironic time complete with loud classic rock, cocktails with names like Diesel and Large Marge, and plenty of Olympia and PBR all around. Brush up on your Dukes of Hazzard trivia for small talk.

Open daily 5 pm to 2 am.

This huge (5,000-square-foot) new lounge from Rande Gerber in the newly renovated—and completely transformed—Sofitel hotel has plush banquettes down one wall, lots of open space, and an outdoor patio with a fire pit. Next door is the fancifully modern Simon LA, Kerry Simon's restaurant, with glass-partitioned private rooms and excellent upscale comfort food (crispy gulf shrimp with ponzu dipping sauce, meatloaf, braised short ribs). The hilarious junk food dessert tray, which comes with cotton candy, Rice Krispie bars, and caramelized popcorn—is very popular just now.

This tiny bar is one of the inspirations for the retro tiki trend. It's family-owned and full of regulars who love to needle newcomers. There are 85 tropical cocktails to choose from, and many are concoctions you won't find anywhere else. If you can't decide between the Pain Killer (made with Pusser's rum, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg), a Great White Shark (made with rum, lime juice, and passion fruit), or a good old Suffering Bastard, you can always ask to spin "The Wheel" to decide your fate.

Closed Sunday–Tuesday.

It's not the kind of ultra-exclusive Hollywood spot where you'll find the cast of "The Hills" cat-fighting, but you'll still be rubbing elbows—or grinding on the small dance floor in the back—with plenty of beautiful people. The thumping hip-hop and 80s rocker music means the crowd—mostly 20-somethings and rocker groupies sporting head scarves and tattoos—likes to let loose. The long black leather banquettes are reserved for bottle service, although the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Vice has plenty of eye candy to offer, from the snake-skinned bar to the cocktail waitresses strutting around in high heels and even higher mini-skirts. If drinking and dancing aren't your only vices, well, better talk (or buy) your way upstairs to the VIP balcony where smoking is still allowed.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 7:30 pm to 2 am.