The smartest thing you can do on a night out in L.A. is forgo the high-profile hangouts of the moment (right now, that means the White Lotus and the rooftop at the downtown Standard). As locals know all too well, on nights they're not closed for a private party, they're usually overrun with suburban star spotters. Instead, we surveyed a motley mix of nightspots to find out where it's really happening.


NIGHTLIFE
Local VIPs flock to Avalon to get sweaty on the dance floor. Formerly the Palace, a stage for legends Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra, the club received more than your standard L.A. facelift when it was overhauled last fall by the designers of the downtown Standard Hotel's lobby and rooftop bar. If you don't mind facing the velvet rope, try slipping into Avalon's Spider Club, a Moroccan-inspired lounge and patio where entrance is granted only with the flash of a membership card or some serious schmoozing. 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood, 323-462-6031.

Shimmy over to Pearl, a new arrival on the scene, to peruse twenty- and thirtysomething club hoppers while dancers slither in shadow boxes to Top 40, house, and hip-hop beats hand-selected by DJ Madd One. On Tuesdays, the crowd belts out karaoke tunes with a live band. Too shy for the stage? Retreat to a suede armchair, sip a vodka tonic, and scope out the talent. 665 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-358-9191.

If you're savvy enough to find it, you're cool enough to hang out at the Mountain, Chinatown's newest fixture. This bar entices creative types and those seeking refuge from the scamming Hollywood scene. The mod blood red walls and futuristic lamp sculptures give off a moody speakeasy vibe that's perfect for savoring a minty mojito. 473 Gin Ling Way, L.A., (213) 625-7500.

With a ritzy yet cozy living room feel, Windows Lounge at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills is the louche lounge for loitering—with plush sofas and a late-night menu. Clink champagne glasses among achingly hip fashionistas as you ease into a night of barhopping. From the patio, check out the H2s and limos transporting celebs like LL Cool J and Kid Rock to and fro. It's classic Hollywood, minus the lines and lists. 300 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-273-2222.

Bowlers at Lucky Strike nimbly balance bowling balls and cosmos while teetering on stilettos. The 12-lane alley and bar has enough retro-chic style to lure young clubgoers itching for a twist from the usual cruise down the Strip. Striking out with the beautiful people but not with the pins? Try your luck at pinball or pool or dive into a grilled alley hot dog and a frosty beer. 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323-467-7776.

With a vintage jukebox blaring, the Burgundy Room is for those who like to rock, not talk. The dimly lit cavern is a raw stomping ground of rockers circa 1980, with a local vibe and a mullet-bearing, leather-wearing crowd. Sidle up to the bar for a beer on tap or a Jack and Coke. Select "Ring of Fire" from the jukebox at your own risk; it's been known to inspire the bartenders to light the bar on fire. If you're lucky, you might just end up swigging shots with Johnny Knoxville or other bad boys. 16211/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323-465-7530.


RESTAURANTS
Hit restaurants in L.A. get only a New York minute in the spotlight before being eclipsed by the next new thing, so you have to keep up. These are the best of the spots basking in the glow right now.

The hottest new ticket along Beverly Boulevard's restaurant row is Grace. With plastic and fabric chandeliers, tangerine-colored banquettes, and polished cement floors setting a soft but chic tone, the accent here is on great "new American" food (courtesy of celebrated chef Neal Fraser) and conversation rather than a scene. 7360 Beverly Blvd., L.A., 323-934-4400.

These days, the business-smart set winds down at Sona, where spartan white walls and a six-ton granite centerpiece are a minimalist backdrop for quiet conversation. If you can take the hefty prices (dinner for two can easily creep north of the $200 mark), this intimate destination is the place for a romantic evening or a low-key night that steers clear of the noise and hype of the neighboring Hollywood scene. 401 N. La Cienega Blvd., Eest Hollywood, 310-659-7708.

In a land of faux, faux, faux, Le Dome, where you step off the Sunset Strip and into a Tuscan villa, is right at home. A legend on the Hollywood circuit since 1977, the recently redesigned venue is an after-work haven for hipsters who come to snag dirty martinis along a marble and teak circular bar. 8720 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, 310-659-6919.

Dolce is the pit stop of the moment for J Lo and Britney Spears. (Demi also drops by frequently with Ashton Kutcher, an investor.) While the food is respectable, the customers come more to see and be seen. Celebutantes decked to the nines in halter tops, Seven jeans, and stilettos sip peach martinis at the bar and pout against a backdrop set aflame. 8284 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 323-852-7174.


HOTELS
So you've done the Mondrian and both the Standards. Fortunately, there are a few new interesting boutique options in West L.A. for savvy hotel hoppers to put on their list for the next trip down.

Budget-conscious revelers who like to be close to the hubbub of Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, and West Hollywood might try the five-month-old Crescent. The two-story, 40-room place has a decidedly younger, dormlike feel: Narrow hallways are packed with smallish rooms tastefully done in a minimalist industrial palette of gray, black, and white. Still, the reasonable prices and central location make this a great value, and the spacious outdoor patio is perfect for cocktailing and people watching. 403 N. Crescent Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-247-0505, crescentbh.com, from $145.

Just steps from Sunset in West Hollywood is the Sunset Marquis, which recently emerged from a makeover. The interiors, with a modern, vaguely Eastern aesthetic, aren't the most unique or luxurious you'll come across in boutique hotels, but the Marquis makes up for it by providing an oasis in the middle of West Hollywood—complete with terraced gardens and walking paths—that offers relatively spacious suites. By nightfall, the glamorati and rock 'n' roll crowd fill up the Whiskey Bar, which has the usual lists, doormen, and attitude you'd expect of a self-styled hot spot. 1200 N. Alta Loma Rd., West Hollywood, 310-657-1333, sunsetmarquishotel.com from $275.

The Ambrose makes a strong case for the unheard-of idea of staying at a Santa Monica hotel that's not steps from the sand. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood a mile and a half from the beach (and from the tourist strip along Ocean Avenue), the Ambrose offers a shot of Zen at reasonable prices. The hotel's tranquil feel (think Pottery Barn goes Asian: celadon-colored walls, dark wood furniture) is the perfect balm to a harried week. Wander around the private garden (which boasts a miniwaterfall), don a fluffy bathrobe, and de-stress on the limestone terraces, some of which have fireplaces to keep you warm on nights cooled by ocean breezes. 1255 20th St., Santa Monica, 877-262-7673, ambrosehotel.com, from $145.

Those who do want to stay on the beach should head for Viceroy, by Kor, the chain of retro-fabulous boutique hotels (Viceroy Palm Springs, Avalon in Beverly Hills). The hotel that put Santa Monica on the hipster map may have seen its status as an übertrendy watering hole wane a little, but that's all good news for guests. Now you can actually get a drink at the pool without a pack of overstyled Paris Hilton wannabes swilling cocktails nearby. Design aficionados will appreciate the vibrant, retro interiors, done in a palette of parrot green, gray, and white, with latticework wallpaper and bone china plates as wall decorations. 1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 310-260-7500, viceroysantamonica.com, from $249.


GALLERIES
L.A.'s latest cluster of hot art galleries has emerged in the unlikeliest of places—smack-dab in Chinatown. A half dozen showrooms have opened up along Chung King Road, a pedestrian street strung with red paper lanterns and white lights. This budding artists' colony makes an interesting afternoon excursion or early evening detour on your way to the must-have cultural ticket of the year, a concert at the new Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall downtown.

At Mary Goldman Gallery (932 Chung King Rd., 213-617-8217), check out conceptual creations by Andrea Bowers, Stan Kaplan, and other up-and-coming artists from L.A., New York, and Europe, and you might rethink your position on L.A. as a cultural wasteland. Next door, China Art Objects (933 Chung King Rd., 213-613-0384) has stood as the pioneer on the street since 1999. Take a look at the latest from Jonathan Pylypchuk, JP Munro, and Eric Wesley. LMAN Gallery (949 Chung King Rd., 213-628-3883) deals in sculpture, woodwork, and photographs by Asian American artists like Soo Jin Kim, Kaoru Mansour, and Mineo Mizuno. Other interesting stops include the Happy Lion Gallery (963 Chung King Rd., 213-625-1360), which juxtaposes the tastes of its two owners, Leo Koenig of New York and Michael Janssen of Germany, and Peres Projects (969 Chung King Rd., 213-617-1100), which has been tempting the curious for about a year now with works by avant-garde newcomers.

SHOPPING
Time was, L.A. shopping meant three things: Rodeo Drive, Fred Segal, and vintage shops on Melrose. Things have come a long way since then, with L.A. getting its own fashion week (nascent but gaining momentum) last fall. Now, the stretch of Third Street between Fairfax and La Cienega is becoming a style destination, with one-off boutiques giving it the feel of Hayes Valley or New York's NoLita and red-hot eateries Toast (323-655-5018) and AOC (323-653-6359) offering rest stops for hungry stylistas. In contrast to many L.A. shopping districts, Third Street has a decidedly urban feel: You actually walk down the stretch, stopping here and there when something catches your eye. Anchored by such fashiony faves as Sigerson Morrison for shoes (323-655-6133) and British import Lulu Guinness for handbags (323-852-7300), the street has seen more than half a dozen stores open in the past year. From local fashion designer Trina Turk (323-651-1382), whose 3,300-square-foot pink-hued emporium opened last November, to specialty stores such as Puppies & Babies (323-653-3995), where you can snag a $50 couture sweater for Fido, the street's the place to go for more individual designs. It even has a Bead Boutique (323-966-5880) specializing in semiprecious stones and beads of all materials. Then there's newly opened Scout (323/658-8684), which features a mix of below-the-radar designers and '60s-to-'80s vintage pieces ranging from Rudi Gernreich and Pucci to Sonia Rykiel. Those looking for more current labels, however, will make a beeline for nearby Loehmann's (333 S. La Cienega Blvd., 310-659-0674), which reportedly draws even New York fashion victims in search of cut-rate Michael Kors and Armani.