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Manhattan Beach bar crawl

Easy boozing in the chic beach city

By Sophia Kercher

Special to Metromix
November 12, 2008

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Upper Manhattan Lounge

Home to the AVP Tournament (aka “the Wimbledon of beach volleyball”), Manhattan Beach not only draws easy-boozing volleyball fans, it's also known as the most chic beach city in the South Bay. The beach district is popping with fine dining, boutiques and folks who have been working hard all day—on their tans. Though it’s not as young and raucous as its sister Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach likes to play. When darkness falls, sun-drunk party people fill up on everything from a members-only nightclub to beach-bum bars.

Upper Manhattan Lounge

3600 Highland Ave. - Manhattan Beach

310-545-2091

Luckily for the South Bay, the burlesque invasion has infiltrated Manhattan Beach in the form of an upscale, chic martini lounge that offers bottle service, nightly cabaret shows featuring strangely acrobatic and flexible Bettie Page look-alikes accompanied by a live band, a sophisticated tapas-style dinner menu and a Frank Sinatra impersonator.

Baja Sharkeez

3801 Highland Ave. - Manhattan Beach

310-545-6563

Sharkeez is a far bike ride from the pier's bar scene, even with a souped-up beach cruiser, but it hosts a regular rowdy crowd of barhoppers who come to slurp down margaritas and beer (sometimes at the same time) and dance.

Beaches

117 Manhattan Beach Blvd. - Manhattan Beach

310-545-2523

The LMU kids and beach bunnies take over the dance floor at this multilevel oceanfront club. If the jaw-dropping view of the Pacific and the easy-on-the-eyes clientele don’t leave you feeling frisky, knock back the house special, the Surfer on Acid. This shot of Jägermeister, Malibu rum and pineapple juice will have you hanging 10.

Ercoles

1101 Manhattan Ave - Manhattan Beach

310-372-1997

The yuppification of Manhattan Beach skimmed over this dive where grandpas and surfer brahs watch the game with cheap drinks and hot dogs and burgers from the grill. After dark, you’ll find a rowdy, sauced-up crowd and happening rounds of pool.

Hennessey's Tavern - Manhattan Beach

313 Manhattan Beach Blvd. - Manhattan Beach

310-546-4813

The tempting waft of French fries lures retired beachgoers into this poppin’ tavern that’s smaller than its Hermosa sister. But like its partying counterpart, this tavern welcomes folks who want to booze the day away on the front patio. The outdoor seating is ideal for scoping out bikini babes, shoppers and sun-soaked surfers on Manhattan Avenue.

Manhattan Beach Brewing Company

124 Manhattan Beach Blvd. - Manhattan Beach

310-798-2744

Bring that cutie you met at the beach here for a more intimate drinking experience. The sleek booths are hand-holding-friendly, and the extensive choice of seasonal suds on tap will leave you with plenty to talk about. Finally, you’ll get to wrap your lips around a Manhattan Beach Blonde (the beer version, at least).

Shark's Cove

309 Manhattan Beach Blvd. - Manhattan Beach

310-545-2683

During the week, sports fanatics gather to watch the game on the many TV screens, but on weekends, live cover bands jam up the night. The ’80s favorites may sound cheesy, but after a few tall ones, everyone gets on the dance floor action singing Journey at the top of their lungs and making best buddies with the 20-to-40-something bar fellows.

Shellback Tavern

116 Manhattan Beach Blvd. - Manhattan Beach

310-376-7857

This dive bar looks like a collision between “Endless Summer” and a Budweiser campaign, with its decked-out beer and surf paraphernalia. Young and old alike come back for the low-key atmosphere, cheap drinks and jukebox beats keeping it the most bustling bar in all of Manhattan.

Side Door

900 Manhattan Ave. - Manhattan Beach

310-372-1684

This tiny, plush lounge has a James Bond-style appeal thanks to the extensive martini list and sexy members-only VIP club upstairs, complete with awe-inspiring stained-glass windows, a fireplace and startling ocean view. DJs spin a couple nights a week, and the first Sunday of the month, the owner (also a professional singer) illuminates the night by performing Rat Pack favorites.

Shade Hotel

1221 N. Valley Drive - Manhattan Beach

310-546-4995

Locals call this lounge out as the best place to meet a cougar or a wannabe sugar daddy. OK, so it’s a little like a B-list Vegas bar, but we come back for the poolside drinks and razzle-dazzle view of the stars set against the sea.

Twelve+Highland

304 12th St. - Manhattan Beach

310-545-1881

Welcome to Hollywood in Manhattan Beach. If Diddy came to party in the South Bay, he would post up at this white-hot venue. The opulent restaurant offers fine dining for the dinner crowd and fine people for the see-and-be-seen club-goers. Expect a “wear it well” dress code and cover charge at the door.

Sophia Kercher is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.