Al Fresca? Have a Drink Outdoors in Los Angeles

Enjoy music and booze under the stars at the world famous Hollywood Bowl. You can always buy (overpriced) alcohol at the bars inside the bowl, but in many instances you cal also bring alcohol INTO the Hollywood Bowl…LEGALLY! Hooray! The fine print is that, you can bring booze in when a concert is performed or sponsored by the LA Philharmonic. So this meant that I could bring wine to Gnarls Barkley and the Decemberists, but not to REM. Yeah, I went to see REM, what of it??

Anyway, be sure to check where your concert falls into your technicality before stocking up on Two Buck Chuck.

Do you like beer? (Yes.)
How about sausage? (Yes.)
Waitresses in German Beer Wnch dresses? (Yes!!)
And what about enjoying all of this OUTDOORS? (OH, GOD, YES!)
Well, you can at Silverlake’s Red Lion Tavern. Their beer garden is enclosed in vines and decorated with wacky German characters and nice touches like a fountain. It’s popular every night of the year in temperate Los Angeles, but just in case it’s chilly, they do have some of those handy outdoor heaters.

This restaurant on trendy Hillhurst Ave. in Los Feliz is actually located in an old home. An old gargantuan home. However, you’d be a total schmuck if you sat inside (though I once saw Sinbad do it, so maybe it’s not that bad). No, it’s the sprawling patio, complete with a fountaining koi pond and plenty of trees where you should sit. ENjoy breakfast all day or something else that’s tasty with a mimosa or any of your favorite cocktails from your full bar.

But watch out, at certain times of the year, the trees drop these little seed pods that will get all up in your omlette. Trust me, they don’t taste good.

The historic Roosevelt Hotel was opened in 1927, with financial backing from Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B. Mayer. Today, the pool in the back hosts crowds of starlets and wannabes and a glamorous opportunity to drink outside…or take the party inside if you’re lucky enough to have access to one of the private poolside cabanas.

I, GillianS, and Guidespot.com DO NOT condone breaking the law and there is, in fact, a law called “open container” which means you aren’t allowed to just drink anywhere you please.

So, feel free to fill you flask with Orange Juice and head up to this overlooked Los Feliz Park that overlooks Hollywood. It’s usually quiet and always green. The last time I was there, you could sit at a little table with two uncomfortable chairs for really nice views of the Hollywood Hills. A great place for…Orange Juice.

This dim and charming (what kind?) of restaurant in the Sunset Junction area of Silverlake has one of the coziest patios around. Not cozy as in small, cozy as in snuggle up on a banquette over a glass of syrah under the twinkling lights and fall in love. Or lust. Or just get drunk like I would.

Who better to endorse a drinking spot than the Governator himself? This quaint brewery and restaurant is small and run of the mill on the inside, but it oepns up to a grea patio on the roof of the famed Bonaventure hotel in the back. With regular tables as well as loungey couches you can take in a freshly brewed pint with some really nice views of Downtown Los Angeles. Just, steer clear of the elevators…

This Silverlake bar, sometimes known as Mixville has a crowd that’s less than mixed — think very white, very well-put together hipsters (and occasionally moi who is only one of those things, on a good night). But their stone patio is nice for a chat and some beautiful people watching…or hating.

Another popular hotel destination with a small pool that serves its purpose well — a place to gather around with expensive fruity cocktails. There something so awesome about laying in a chaise by a pool in a cocktail dress. Or maybe that’s just me.