40 Deuce
5774 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (323) 465 4242

The Vibe: 40 Deuce lets the "it" crowd of celebs and socialites enjoy the fun without scouring strip malls to find raw underground sexuality. 40 Deuce has created the ultimate in a retro strip joint, complete with lounge chair seating, cocktail tables, and a live three-piece band. The difference between 40 Deuce and seedy hole-in-the-wall establishments like Tony Soprano's Jersey joint Bada Bing is that the dancers are trained professionals with the best props and costumes creating erotic dancing (no nudity) of days gone by. The standard is so professional that the A-list clientele )(including Nicole Kidman) have taken turns on the runway. It may be hard to get beyond the velvet rope but well worth the networking to do it.

When to go: Wednesday – Saturday 11p-2a

Spotted: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney.

Cachet
(at les deux cafe Les Deux Cafe) 1638 N. Las Palmas
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (323) 465-0509

The Vibe: Cachet, a new Monday night party, is giving people in Los Angeles a reason to look forward to the first work day of the week. Housed at Hollywood's hideaway restaurant and lounge, Les Deux Cafe, the venue offers equal amounts California coziness and South of France sexiness. A comfy-couched parlor and its surrounding lush, ivy-strewn patio allow the crowd space to curl up for hush-hush conversations. And with celebrity guest DJs, including Ione Skye, Donovan Leitch and Samantha Ronson, co-promoters Audrey Bernstein and Apple Via get the week started right. "The crowd is a little older—smart New York and L.A. (types)," explains Bernstein, "which makes the vibe very real and totally cool." A tip for newcomers: There is a guest list, but it's not too strict. A $5 cover at the door, and approval by the doorman of your coolness, will get you in.

Spotted: Tom Ford, Gina Gershon, Patricia Arquette.

Beauty Bar
1638 Cahuenga Blvd
Hollywood, CA
Phone: (323) 464-7676

The Vibe: Tucked away from the humdrum of Hollywood Boulevard is the Beauty Bar, a bar that serves more than just drinks. As both a bar and new-age beauty shop, the Beauty Bar combines two elements of indulgence by targeting our vanity and our need for a cocktail. It's the only spot in Los Angeles where a manicure and martini cost ten bucks.

When to go: Book ahead to ensure a spot for any one of their beauty services. Happy hour manicures and henna tattoos put customers in the mood for utter pleasure.

What to order: Platinum Blonde (Stoli, Malibu rum, and pineapple juice).

The Vibe: Belly where all of the young stars in Tinseltown go. It is Tinseltown's newest nightclub. The list of stars going here is a who's who of Hollywood, and one of the reasons the club has been reaching capacity almost every night. Young female and male bartenders serve a very attractive crowd of models, young L.A. movers and shakers, stars, and club kids. Owners Lonnie Moore and Mike Boogie favor urban music, so Belly deejays lean toward hip-hop, with doses of R&B, jazz and funk. This makes for an ethnically diverse clientele, always a bonus in L.A.'s club world.

When to go: Tuesday night

Spotted: Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Ginuwine and Ludacris.

The Vibe: One of L.A.'s most recent additions is Linq—with its oh-so-hip international fusion cuisine and sophisticated, modern and minimal décor. It's the brainchild of the veteran club owner and restaurateur Mario Oliver (who is also behind Façade and Le Petit Four). The interior, planned by L.A. designer Dodd Mitchell, features four elegant and spacious dining rooms, two lounges and one elevated bar area.
What to order: Try to get a table by one of the two fireplaces and order a Sidecar ($9.50). Then, while admiring the waterfall in the first dining room, sample the Un-Traditional Caesar Salad appetizer (the surprise here is avocado, mushroom and shrimp toast croutons, $6.75). It's the perfect blend of nature and nurture.
Spotted: Courtney Cox Arquette, James King, Lisa Kudrow and Antonio Banderas.

The Standard Lounge
8300 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (323)822-3111

The Vibe: A hipster crowd has frequented The Standard Hotel’s lobby bar for years, basking in the glow of the resident DJ and almost-naked model in the glass box above the receptionist’s desk. Then again, the chairs are usually fully occupied, poolside drinking closes at 11pm, and it takes forever and a day to get a drink. The lounge has a ’50s look and is very dark with blue lighting. DJs plays classic-cool rock like Led Zeppelin and The Cars, and the crowd is a mix of local hipsters and rock stars.

When to go: Fridays and Saturdays, both of which normally require an invitation or most certainly a table reservation.

The Vibe: This swank, upscale bar in West Hollywood's fabulous Hotel Le Mondrian is a hangout for much of young Hollywood. Owned by Cindy Crawford’s husband, Rande Gerber, which tends to attract celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Cher. The Sky Bar has a restaurant adjacent as well as a pool, and a terrific view of the city lights and the Hollywood Hills. There is a lot of sexual energy here, with the sexy girls in their low cut sari-wrap serving you cocktails. There is seldom a line and no cover, unlike the New York sister club. You do have to call in advance to make reservations. Dress to Impress or watch the cars on Sunset passing you bye...

When to go: Friday and Saturday nights

Spotted: Cindy Crawford, Cher, Tom Hanks.

The Mayan
1038 S. Hill St,
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 746 - 4674

The Vibe: Mayan attracts a largely uninhibited group of daredevil rug-cutters, sharply-dressed men and women in their finest, flashiest attire. When it transforms into a concert venue, the faces and threads become as mixed as Southern California itself.

When to go: Friday and Saturday nights spotlight live salsa music with a bouncing blend of DJ-mixed Latin, meringue, retro, house and funk grooves shaking things up between sets.

Spotted: Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Oscar De La Hoya.

The Whiskey Bar
1200 N Alta Loma Road
The Sunset Marquis Hotel
West Hollywood, CA
Phone: (310) 657- 0611

The Vibe: A quintessential L.A. rocker bar with hardly enough room for the cool kids it attracts.

When to go: Tuesdays or Thursdays, late-night.

What to order: Unleash your inner rock star with a few shots of Jagermeister.

Spotted: Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, U2, Jeff Beck, UB40, the Black Crowes, Nirvana, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Dave Foley ("NewsRadio",) Winona Ryder, Kevin Spacey, Rod Stewart, Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore. Charlie Sheen, Metallica, Forest Whitaker, Ben Stiller, Slash, and "Friends" Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer & Matthew Perry.

The Vibe: This is the place for the legendary moving and shaking that goes on in this town. Stars in town on the studio's dime like to drop in for a nightcap before retiring to their rooms upstairs.

When to go: Weeknights, after work.

What to order: The Dietrich - Hollywood's answer to the cosmopolitan. Fill up on the killer party mix.

Spotted: Puffy Daddy, Liam Neeson, Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson