A nightlife guide to Long Beach. Happening restuarants and clubs, places to hang out and stroll.
Nestled between Orange County and Los Angeles on the Southern California coast, Long beach is a great place to hang out with friends and experience fine dining and other night time activities.
The Pike at Rainbow Harbor is one of the larger outside waterfront developments of recent memory. There are over a dozen great restaurants at The Pike, a state of the art theatre complex and an antique carousel for romantics of all ages. Examples of the great restaurants one can sample at The Pike include The Auld Dubliner Irish Pub, where you can get Guinness fresh off the tap just like the old country. Other great restaurants include P. F. Chang's Chinese Bistro; and for dessert and a walk up the boardwalk, the scrumptious hand packed ice cream of Cold Stone Creamery is available. The Pike is located on the waterfront in downtown Long Beach and can be easily accessed by using the Ocean Blvd exit of the 710 freeway.
Just up Pine Avenue from The Pike is the wonderful little shopping area, Shoreline Village. The Yardhouse is great hangout to grab some Heifeweizen or blonde on tap or a mixed drink. The Yardhouse is one of the most happening spots for young, on-the-rise Long Beach denizens.
If your wallet is a little heavier, the northern Italian ambience of L'Opera Ristorante is unsurpassed. With an elegant dining hall that includes Marble columns and Zagat- recommended service, great food completes the experience. The L'Opera is located at 101 Pine Ave.
Another place that cannot be beat for atmosphere is the RMS Queen Mary. The landlocked ocean liner has an award winning restaurant, The Chelsea. If you want to grab a drink then the Observation Bar is the place. Located in the original first class lounge, the Observation Bar features great historic artwork and beautiful art deco décor. The Queen Mary is right next to The Pike at Rainbow Harbor and can be reached by using the Ocean Blvd exit.
Mums Restaurant also on Pine Avenue is the site of several great clubs. The club Cohiba is a 7,500 square foot club with a wood floor and German Walnut moldings on the wall. It's a great experience to listen to 21st century dance and trance music and the expert spinning of the DJ, while surrounded by this old style beauty. The Martini Lounge or Small Cohiba offers a large array of martini's if you get tired of dancing.
The Long Beach scene has dozens of hot night clubs to choose from. The Club Cheri is a great tavern on 4th street that offers great service and a great drink selection. The Las Vegas Room is a great sports bar with big screen television's and plenty of peanuts and endless bear on tap. Its proximity to the University of Long Beach ensures a hip, happening crowd that knows how to party.
If you like to get out and walk the streets at night, 2nd Street in Long Beach is a great place to go. There are coffee emporiums, ice cream shops, some classy bars, and some great CD shops. It's nice place to walk on a summer evening with or without a romantic paramour at your side.
With it's great climate, wonderful architecture and hip college crowd, Long Beach can be a fun place to visit as a tourist or for the traveling businessman. The varied paces of nightlife and the wonderful variations in cuisine or sure to make anyone happy.
