Late afternoons at Dodger Stadium are summertime canon, but they also involve sunburns, wildly overpriced food, and an unfathomable parking situation. Catching the game at LaSorted’s Chinatown, however, is all upside. This throwback pizza parlor has elite pies by the slice, crispy wings, cold beer, and a bleed-blue crowd that’s invested in every Shohei at-bat—if the treasure trove of Dodger memorabilia covering the walls didn't already tip you off.

Margaritas are made for summer, and right now no one in LA is making them like Daisy, a high-energy Sherman Oaks cantina that gets wild with lime, salt, and top-shelf reposado. Out-there riffs include a guacamole-inspired slushie garnished with corn chips, a boozy mangonada covered in mini boba, and a Oaxacan chile cocktail spiced with salsa macha. But don’t sweat it, traditionalists—their classic marg is phenomenal too.

The most refreshing splurge on Rodeo Drive isn’t a cryo-facial—it’s a fruit tea from Heytea. This flashy Chinese boba chain does colorful drinks with grapes floating like Orbeez, swirls of mango chunks, or sweet-salty cheese foam. Waits can get long, but accessorizing with a cup is a summer flex that costs way less than a Hermès bag.

Hinano has been a Venice Beach icon since Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin were bumming around the boardwalk, and there’s still no place we’d rather end up after sizzling on the sand like a slice of bacon. Expect frosty drafts, free popcorn, and zero bullshit. Don't miss the legendary dive bar burger, either—just follow the scent of hot grease.

Liu’s looks like Koreatown’s latest low-lit speakeasy, but there’s no secret password—just refreshing, sometimes eyebrow-raising ice cream flavors that cut through the sticky evening air. Get the scoop decorated with cilantro and peanut powder, or swirled with a jolt of pineapple jam.

Leopard-spotted pizzas. Tropical cocktails. Swaying under a disco ball in a packed room. It’s not a checklist for your non-existent trip to Ischia; it’s a night at Not No Bar. Sure, you’ll likely have to wait in line, but you didn’t spend all those winter nights recharging on your couch for nothing.

Loitering in the parking lot at Sonny’s with a sour cherry ice and a brain freeze is like starring in a deleted scene from Licorice Pizza. Mobs of pimply seventh graders fighting over who owes whom a firecracker sundae? 85 degrees at 8:30pm? Welcome to summer in the Valley, baby.

Summer road trips are a given. But this year, a summer road trip that ends with Central Coast barbecue on the Central Coast is a must. Brisket enthusiasts line up early for this weekend pop-up in Los Alamos, so show up around 11:30am, drink local wine, and make friends with the hot couple who are also tomato farmers next to you.

At the newest Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica, you can sit outside three floors up, take in ocean views, and order cucumber salad and ice-cold mango tea in a steamer-basket-shaped booth. That’s what we call luxury. Also, no more long waitlists—this DTF has plentiful reservations.

“We didn’t get messy once this summer” is a sad Labor Day tale, so don’t let it happen to you. Head to Alba. Late-night dinners at this open-air Italian spot involve espresso martinis, arrabiata tossed tableside, and crypto wives stuffing focaccia into their Birkins—a tableau vivant we endorse.

LA contains multitudes, and sometimes, especially over the summer, it's worth leaning into the clichés. Sit by the pool at Tower Bar. Order a martini. See someone famous (or pretending to be famous). Have a pig in a blanket.

We don’t have hard evolutionary data, but we’re pretty sure humans were designed to eat seafood next to the water come summer. We’re very sure, however, that the spot to do it is Quality Seafood. Steamed clams, cold beer, and harbor views. Your post-beach lunch is settled.