Best Beach Bars in Los Angeles (2026)
Oceanfront patios, rooftop sunsets, boardwalk beer gardens and unpolished beach-town dives from Malibu to Long Beach.
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Drinking at the beach in Los Angeles isn't one experience. Malibu has seafood shacks, oceanfront patios and frozen drinks in the sand. Santa Monica and Venice mix boardwalk institutions with polished rooftops. Farther south, Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach have the most convincing beach-town bar culture: people show up sandy in the afternoon, stay through sunset and sometimes make it to last call.
This guide covers the coast from northern Malibu through Palos Verdes to Long Beach. Some picks are literal beach bars. Others earn their spot with a real water view, unmistakable beach-town character or a location close enough to walk over in flip-flops. Every pick is labeled with its actual relationship to the water, so you'll know before you go whether you're getting sand, a sunset view or a dark room a block from the beach.
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All 25 Beach Bars in Los Angeles at a Glance
| Bar | Area | Water | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neptune's Net | Malibu | Ocean view across the road | Fried seafood, cold beer and a classic PCH stop |
| The Sunset Restaurant | Malibu | Oceanfront | A quieter sunset drink or a beach date |
| Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | Malibu | On the sand | Frozen drinks, long lunches and the full Malibu fantasy |
| Duke's Malibu | Malibu | Oceanfront | A proper Pacific view with a group |
| Gladstones | Pacific Palisades | Oceanfront | Mai tais and chowder where Sunset meets PCH |
| The Bungalow | Santa Monica | Near the beach, limited or no view | A social crowd, games and a party night |
| Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe | Santa Monica | Oceanfront | A burger, a cold beer and easy day drinking |
| Coast Beach Cafe & Bar | Santa Monica | Oceanfront | A polished beach drink without a rooftop scene |
| The Waterfront Venice | Venice | Oceanfront | People-watching, weekend energy and groups |
| Kassi Venice Beach | Venice | Elevated ocean view | The best sunset in Venice |
| Venice Whaler | Venice | Oceanfront | Groups that want a view and a later night |
| Hinano Cafe | Venice | Near the beach, limited or no view | A classic Venice dive and a very late beer |
| Beachside Restaurant & Bar | Marina del Rey | Harbor or bay view | Families, quieter groups and a harbor-side afternoon |
| Prince O'Whales | Playa del Rey | Near the beach, limited or no view | Karaoke, sports and a neighborhood dive |
| StrandBar | Manhattan Beach | Elevated ocean view | A polished date or celebratory sunset drinks |
| Shellback Tavern | Manhattan Beach | Near the beach, limited or no view | A compact, rowdy beach-town dive |
| Vista | Hermosa Beach | Oceanfront | The best all-around South Bay beach bar |
| Tower 12 | Hermosa Beach | Elevated ocean view | Groups, weekend brunch and late nights |
| Tiki Kai | Hermosa Beach | Near the beach, limited or no view | Rum drinks and a memorable first stop |
| Surfer Girl | Hermosa Beach | Elevated ocean view | Brunch or a calmer oceanfront drink |
| Old Tony's on the Pier | Redondo Beach | Elevated ocean view | Retro atmosphere, sunset and a signature cocktail |
| Naja's Place | Redondo Beach | Harbor or bay view | Draft beer, live music and an unpolished harbor hangout |
| Nelson's at Terranea | Rancho Palos Verdes | Elevated ocean view | A clifftop sunset with fire pits |
| Belmont Brewing Company | Long Beach | Oceanfront | Craft beer beside the sand |
| Ballast Point Long Beach | Long Beach | Harbor or bay view | Large groups and lots of outdoor seating |
Malibu and Pacific Palisades Beach Bars
Malibu works best as a deliberate afternoon or sunset trip. Most of these places wind down earlier than city bars, and PCH traffic makes hopping between them slower than the map suggests.
Neptune's Net
42505 CA-1, Malibu, CA 90265, USA
Neptune's Net is a roadside institution near the Ventura County line where surfers, bikers, families and coast drivers end up at the same picnic tables. The Pacific sits just across the highway, the menu is fried seafood and clam chowder, and the whole thing feels more like a road-trip ritual than a restaurant booking. There are no reservations, and the drinks are beer and wine, not cocktails. Expect a line on weekends, plan to share space and fold it into a drive up the coast instead of making it your evening. Ocean view across the road · Best for: Fried seafood, cold beer and a classic PCH stop
The Sunset Restaurant
6800 Westward Beach Rd, Malibu, CA 90265, USA
Set at the end of Westward Beach near Point Dume, The Sunset gives you Malibu scenery without the Paradise Cove crowds or the roadside energy of Neptune's Net. It feels tucked away, and the cocktail program is good enough to make it more than a convenient beach restaurant. Think date night more than beach party. Come after an afternoon at Zuma or Point Dume, ask for the most water-facing table and settle in before the sun drops. The weekday happy hour runs into the evening, which makes the view unusually good value. Oceanfront · Best for: A quieter sunset drink or a beach date
Paradise Cove Beach Cafe
28128 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, USA
This is the rare LA spot where drinks in the sand is literal. Tables spill onto the beach, the menu leans on margaritas, mojitos, beer and frozen vacation drinks, and the setting practically dares you to turn lunch into an afternoon. It's touristy and expensive, and still hard to replicate anywhere else on this coast. Treat parking as part of the plan. Getting your ticket validated at the cafe cuts the steep parking charge for a few hours, so don't leave the car there all day without checking the rate. On the sand · Best for: Frozen drinks, long lunches and the full Malibu fantasy
Duke's Malibu
21150 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, USA
Duke's is where to take a group that wants a real ocean view without committing to a precious special-occasion dinner. Head for the Barefoot Bar, where tropical cocktails and island-style food come with waves right outside the windows. It works for visiting parents, a post-beach drink or a low-pressure date. Duke's reopened in 2026 after a full renovation, initially on a reduced schedule, so check which days it's open before you drive out. Late afternoon is the sweet spot, when the room is still casual and the Pacific is doing most of the decorating. Oceanfront · Best for: A proper Pacific view with a group
Gladstones
17300 CA-1, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, USA
Gladstones has been a PCH pit stop for decades, and it came through the Palisades Fire largely intact. Its remodeled deck reopened in 2025, and it's still one of the easiest places on this stretch to sit outside with a mai tai and a bowl of clam chowder while the sun drops over Will Rogers State Beach. Go for the deck and the sunset, not a refined dinner. A Wolfgang Puck redevelopment of the site has been approved for the future, but the owners say Gladstones will keep operating while the remaining approvals work their way through. Oceanfront · Best for: Mai tais and chowder where Sunset meets PCH
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Santa Monica Beach Bars
Santa Monica packs the most variety into the shortest stretch, from a sports-bar patio at the foot of the pier to hotel bars a few steps from the sand. Expect paid parking and weekend crowds. For a discounted drink with a pier view, The Lobster's happy hour is in our guide to the best happy hours in Los Angeles.
The Bungalow
101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
The Bungalow, at the Fairmont Miramar, feels like a coastal house party that grew into one of Santa Monica's defining nightlife spots. Baja-influenced rooms and patios, ping-pong and pool tables make it livelier than the actual beach bars below the bluff. Come for the crowd and the energy; the water view is secondary. It takes more planning than the breezy design suggests. It's only open part of the week, it gets much busier late, and a smart-casual dress code kicks in after sunset. Flip-flops that were fine at 3 p.m. may not get you in at 9. Near the beach, limited or no view · Best for: A social crowd, games and a party night
Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe
1615 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
When someone says beach bar and means a sunny patio, sports on TV and nowhere to be for a couple of hours, this is the place. Big Dean's sits at the foot of the Santa Monica Pier, so the passing boardwalk crowd is half the entertainment. The building has fed beachgoers in some form since the early 1900s, and nobody has tried to polish that history away. It's a daytime spot. Seating is first come, first served, and it closes earlier than Santa Monica's nightlife bars. Get there before the late-afternoon rush, come dressed for the beach and order the burger. Oceanfront · Best for: A burger, a cold beer and easy day drinking
Coast Beach Cafe & Bar
1 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA
Coast, inside Shutters on the Beach, sits somewhere between a sandy beach cafe and a luxury-hotel restaurant. It's clearly more refined than Big Dean's, but the beach path runs right past the windows, so the room never loses its sense of place. Use it for a date, an easy drink with visiting family or a sunset without a loud rooftop. The weekday Sunset Hour at the bar is the smartest way in: you get the setting without committing to a full hotel dinner. Oceanfront · Best for: A polished beach drink without a rooftop scene
Venice Beach Bars
Venice is where the boardwalk itself becomes part of the bar. The Washington Boulevard end, by the Venice Pier, is the better bet for a late night. Kassi also appears in our guide to the best rooftop bars in Los Angeles.
The Waterfront Venice
205 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291, USA
The Waterfront makes the Boardwalk part of the bar. A big patio and beer-garden setup make it easy to spend an afternoon watching Venice go by, and weekend DJs and bottomless brunch push it from casual lunch into a much louder scene. A Thursday afternoon and a Saturday night here are almost different businesses. Go early for conversation, or go late on the weekend when the crowd is the point. It isn't open every day, so check the schedule before building a Venice plan around it. Oceanfront · Best for: People-watching, weekend energy and groups
Kassi Venice Beach
1697 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291, USA
Kassi is the rooftop at Hotel Erwin, and it's open to everyone, not just hotel guests. The team behind Élephante and Belles Beach House opened it in 2025, pairing a Greek-leaning menu of mezze and skewers with cocktails and a wide-open Pacific view. It's the most polished sunset option in Venice without losing the neighborhood's social energy, and it works for a date, birthday drinks or the first stop of a longer night. Book for sunset. The roof is big, but the best perimeter tables go fast, and everything depends on the weather. Older guides may still call this rooftop High Rooftop Lounge; the space was remodeled and now operates as Kassi. Elevated ocean view · Best for: The best sunset in Venice
Venice Whaler
10 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292, USA
The Whaler has sat beside the Venice Pier since 1944, but it isn't preserved in amber. The upstairs deck has the best views, weekend brunch draws a crowd, and late hours keep it going well after sunset. Start here in daylight and stay after dark. Early visits are casual and view-focused; weekend nights skew louder and younger. Ask for upstairs if the ocean is the point, because downstairs is more about the crowd than the coastline. Oceanfront · Best for: Groups that want a view and a later night
Hinano Cafe
15 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292, USA
Hinano is the antidote to every carefully designed coastal cocktail bar. Open since 1962, it's dark, casual and beer-and-wine only, with pool tables, weekend live music and a kitchen that runs late. Being steps from the sand matters more than any view: this is where the beach crowd goes once it's ready to be inside. Order a burger and a beer and save the cocktail questions for elsewhere. Hinano opens early and closes late by neighborhood standards, so it's useful after a morning beach walk, before a Venice night out or after the polished kitchens have closed. Near the beach, limited or no view · Best for: A classic Venice dive and a very late beer
Marina del Rey and Playa del Rey Beach Bars
Calmer water and a more local crowd. Neither of these is a scene, which is exactly the appeal.
Beachside Restaurant & Bar
14160 Palawan Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, USA
Beachside's patio sits right on Mother's Beach, the calm, surfless lagoon inside the marina, not the open Pacific. That makes it gentler than Venice or Hermosa: a full bar, a firepit and a dog-friendly patio that suit a long lunch or an early evening. It's one of the easiest picks here for a mixed-age group. Thursday live music adds some energy without turning it into a nightlife spot. Choose it for comfort and real beach access, not crashing waves. Harbor or bay view · Best for: Families, quieter groups and a harbor-side afternoon
Prince O'Whales
335 Culver Blvd, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293, USA
Prince O'Whales has been pouring for Playa del Rey for decades and still feels built for locals, not destination drinkers. Multiple rooms and patios, TVs, karaoke nights and late hours give it more range than the old-school exterior suggests. This is a beach-town bar, not a bar with a beach view. Use it after a day at Dockweiler, for an unpolished group night or when the oceanfront places have closed and nobody wants to head inland. Near the beach, limited or no view · Best for: Karaoke, sports and a neighborhood dive
Manhattan Beach Bars
Manhattan Beach's two picks face each other at the bottom of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, a short walk from the pier. Crossing the street takes you from polished to rowdy.
StrandBar
117 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, USA
StrandBar, one level below The Strand House, is Manhattan Beach's grown-up cocktail bar. A wall of windows faces the pier and the Pacific, the drinks are more considered than at the average beach bar, and live music or DJs give the room energy without tipping it into a party. Skip it for a sandy, cheap round after volleyball. Book it when the view needs to feel like an occasion: before sunset for the full effect, or later when the lounge takes over. Elevated ocean view · Best for: A polished date or celebratory sunset drinks
Shellback Tavern
116 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, USA
Shellback is small, loud and close enough to the pier that the beach crowd naturally becomes the bar crowd. It's been a locals' hangout for generations. It opens for lunch on weekdays and earlier on weekends, then runs until 2 a.m., which makes it one of the most reliable bridges from a Manhattan Beach day into a much less polished night. There's no rooftop or sweeping patio. Location and history do the work. Expect close quarters, and expect it to get livelier as the night goes on. Near the beach, limited or no view · Best for: A compact, rowdy beach-town dive
Hermosa Beach Bars
Hermosa is the best stretch of coast for walking between bars. Almost everything here sits on Pier Plaza or a few minutes away along The Strand. On NFL Sundays, Tower 12 and Hennessey's double as team bars; see our guide to LA's NFL bars.
Vista
11 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA
Vista gets the balance right. It's genuinely beachfront, with a horseshoe bar and outdoor tables that both look out at the coast, a Polynesian-leaning menu and enough polish for a date without losing Pier Avenue's casual energy. Come from the beach in the afternoon, come back for sunset or stay as Hermosa shifts into nightlife. It settles the argument when a group can't decide between somewhere nice and an actual beach bar. Ask for the patio or a water-facing seat, since the location is the main event. Oceanfront · Best for: The best all-around South Bay beach bar
Tower 12
53 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA
Tower 12 starts the day as a sunny coastal bar and ends it as one of Hermosa's busiest nightlife spots. The upstairs balcony has real ocean views, and daily happy hour, weekend brunch and a 2 a.m. close give it more range than most water-facing restaurants. Come earlier for views and conversation. Weekend nights can bring DJs, a cover and a packed Pier Avenue crowd. That shift isn't a flaw, just something to plan around: Tower 12 is a strong sunset bar and a strong late-night bar, rarely both at once. Elevated ocean view · Best for: Groups, weekend brunch and late nights
Tiki Kai
73 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA
Tiki Kai opened on Pier Plaza in late 2025 and gave Hermosa a proper tropical-cocktail bar a short walk from the sand. Expect a rum-heavy menu, carved tiki decor, lava rock walls and a heated patio, all far more transporting than the sports bars around it. Go when the drinks matter as much as the scenery: a first date, birthday cocktails or the opening round of a Pier Avenue crawl. There's no real water view, so head to Vista or Surfer Girl when you want to see the ocean. Near the beach, limited or no view · Best for: Rum drinks and a memorable first stop
Surfer Girl
1016 The Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA
Surfer Girl is the restaurant at the Sea Sprite Beach Club, open to the public, with a rooftop that looks straight over the sand. It's calmer and more restaurant-driven than Tower 12, so it suits brunch, a sunset cocktail or a meal with family who'd rather not shout. It's a few minutes' walk from the pier along The Strand, which makes it an easy first or last stop around a Pier Plaza night. Elevated ocean view · Best for: Brunch or a calmer oceanfront drink
Redondo Beach Bars
Redondo is quirkier and more beer-focused than its neighbors, built around the pier and King Harbor.
Old Tony's on the Pier
210 Fishermans Wharf, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, USA
Old Tony's has been on the Redondo pier since 1952, and its circular upstairs lounge is one of the most specific drinking experiences on the coast. Climb to the Crow's Nest, order the famously strong Fire Chief and watch the pier and water through the windows while the room reminds you how little it has changed. That retro quality is the reason it's here. The upstairs bar outlasts the dining room most nights and sticks in the memory longer than plenty of newer waterfront bars. Pick it when you want a story, not the latest design. Elevated ocean view · Best for: Retro atmosphere, sunset and a signature cocktail
Naja's Place
154 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, USA
Naja's is a beer bar first and a scenic spot second, and that's part of the charm. A deep tap list, regular live music and a weathered boardwalk setting give it the feel of a place that would keep its regulars even without the harbor outside. The view is King Harbor, not the open Pacific, and nothing here is trying to be refined. Bring beer drinkers, grab whatever waterfront seat is open and expect a crowd that runs from boat owners to bikers. Harbor or bay view · Best for: Draft beer, live music and an unpolished harbor hangout
Palos Verdes Ocean-View Bar
Just past Redondo, the coast turns into cliffs, and the best drink comes with a long view toward Catalina.
Nelson's at Terranea
100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, USA
Nelson's is the casual bar and grill at Terranea, perched above the coves where the 1950s TV series Sea Hunt was filmed. Outdoor fire pits, tables close to the cliff edge and a long list of local beers make it a relaxed alternative to the resort's fancier rooms, with Catalina on the horizon on clear days. It's a drive from the beach towns, so make it the destination. Get there before sunset, grab an outdoor table and stay for the fire pits once the air cools. You don't need to be a resort guest. Elevated ocean view · Best for: A clifftop sunset with fire pits
Long Beach Bars by the Water
Long Beach has the easiest options for big groups and the best case for pairing good beer with the water. Both picks are breweries first; our guide to the best breweries in Los Angeles covers the rest of Long Beach's taprooms.
Belmont Brewing Company
25 39th Pl, Long Beach, CA 90803, USA
Belmont Brewing pulls off something LA rarely does: a real beach location and a long-running brewpub in one place. Open since 1990 at the foot of the Belmont Pier, it's the oldest brewpub in Los Angeles County, with a patio facing the water and a menu built for a long afternoon. It's worth the trip even if Long Beach isn't on your usual beach map. Come for sunset, order whichever house beer suits the weather and make it the destination. Oceanfront · Best for: Craft beer beside the sand
Ballast Point Long Beach
110 N Marina Dr, Long Beach, CA 90803, USA
Ballast Point is a waterfront brewery, not a beach bar. Still, two levels, outdoor patios with fire pits and wide views over Alamitos Bay make it one of the easiest coastal spots for a big group, and few places in this guide can absorb a crowd this comfortably. Smaller parties are first come, first served, so beating the weekend rush still matters; bigger groups can book ahead. Choose it when beer selection, logistics and outdoor space matter more than sand. Harbor or bay view · Best for: Large groups and lots of outdoor seating
More Beach-Area Bars Worth Knowing
Three more worth knowing nearby: a beach-adjacent party bar in Venice, a Hermosa rooftop for value, and a Santa Monica rooftop for a scenic reservation.
Belles Beach House
24 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291, USA
A tropical-themed bar on Windward Avenue, a few blocks from the Venice Boardwalk, from the same team as Kassi. Pick it for a beach-adjacent party once the goal shifts from watching the ocean to going out; weekend DJs keep it loud.
Hennessey's Tavern Hermosa Beach
8 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA
The rooftop patio at the corner of Pier Plaza and The Strand is the value play: a drink above the crowd with a wide view of the bay, without a destination cocktail program. There's a weekday happy hour.
Élephante
1332 2nd St Rooftop, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
Not a beach bar, but its Santa Monica rooftop, a few blocks from the sand, has ocean views and one of the coast's most sought-after sunset reservations. Choose it when the group wants fashionable and scenic over sandy and casual.
How to Choose the Right Beach Bar in Los Angeles
For actual sand, start with Paradise Cove. For the best mix of ocean view and a full bar, go to Vista, Kassi or Duke's (once you've confirmed it's open that day). Big Dean's, Hinano, Prince O'Whales and Shellback are the picks when you want a beach-town bar instead of a coastal restaurant.
Malibu suits a deliberate afternoon or sunset trip. Santa Monica and Venice have the most variety, but parking, crowds and dress codes take more planning. Hermosa is the best area for walking between bars, especially when an afternoon might turn into a late night. Redondo is quirkier and beer-focused, Palos Verdes is about the cliffs, and Long Beach is easiest for big groups.
One rule applies everywhere: ocean-facing restaurants don't keep inland bar hours. Big Dean's and most of Malibu wind down early, while Hinano, the Whaler, Tower 12 and Shellback can carry a night much later. Check hours the day you go.
A Note About Outdated Beach Bar Lists
Older beach-bar guides may still recommend Moonshadows or the Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio in Malibu. Both were destroyed in the January 2025 Palisades Fire and neither has reopened; Rosenthal has since said it's winding down. In Hermosa, the (Poop) Deck on The Strand closed in 2021 after more than six decades, and the space is now a convenience store.
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