Nightlife Supper Clubs Guide

Dinner and Dance Clubbing

Hot and spicy don't only describe the food at these sexy spots. Once diners are done eating at their table, they hop onto it and turn it into a go-go stage.

1.

Les Deux

Though the focus has shifted from sophisticated grazing to dancing and star-gazing, this luxe club still serves delicious dishes of the Italian variety. A plate of thick 'n creamy pasta too heavy before hitting the dance floor? Sample the cupcakes on the dessert menu instead.

2.

Basque

Many an appetite is worked up watching the girls in garter belts perform behind the bar as corseted waitresses work the room. The kitchen does its best to sate desires of the non-XXX variety with a French-inspired menu including roasted beet salad, seared foie gras and filet mignon. A dinner reservation guarantees a speedy entrance, even on popular nights.

3.

LAX

DJ AM's lounge for Hollywood jet-setters has the feel of a first-class airport cabin. (The dance floor is almost as cramped.) But, unlike the food served on a plane, the grub here is actually edible. The small menu includes mini burgers and spring rolls. Note: Coach-flying clubbers may encounter some turbulence getting past the velvet rope.

4.

Aqua Restaurant & Lounge

Thirtysomethings come together at this under-the-sea-themed bar for seafood tapas in the coral dining room before grooving on the dance floor to DJs or live acts including Dennis Quaid and The Sharks. To fit in, wear a designer suit and lots of jewelry.

Intimate Attractions

They're small in size, but these clubs pack a double whammy of mouth-watering dishes and stellar entertainment.

1.

Largo

Low-key hipsters file into this dark, no-nonsense restaurant/club for intimate sets by the likes of Beck, Aimee Mann, Emmylou Harris, Jon Brion and Fiona Apple. Since dinner reservations are the best way to secure a ticket to a show, we're grateful that the Italian menu—caprese salad, penne with pesto, baked honey chicken—is edible.

2.

Hotel Cafe

This is perhaps LA's most unassuming but worthwhile music venue for headlining folk stars like Alexi Murdoch, Gary Jules and Gomez singer/songwriter Ian Ball. Though ordering food here isn't mandatory for show-goers, the European-style paninis are good.

3.

The Mint

Jackson Brown, Bonnie Raitt and the Rolling Stone's Blondie Chaplin all headline here, but it's not uncommon to see just-as-famous faces (Mick Jagger, Justin Timberlake) in the audience. Maroon 5's Adam Levine, who's a regular, has raved about the gourmet dishes. The seared ahi tuna is good, but the burger is one of the best, unheralded burgers in all of LA. (Yes, we've been to Father's Office. The Mint's is better.)

4.

Tangier

This charming North African-themed eatery serves up Mediterranean specialties including Spanish shrimp cocktail, tomato bisque and curried chicken. But the main attractions are the quirky, poppy indie-rock acts put on by promoter Scott Sterling.

5.

Cinespace

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, contemporary Californian cuisine like mac and cheese, fried calamari and pan-roasted halibut is served to those who never understood why "dinner and a movie" had to mean two separate trips. On the big screen, films range from new must-sees to classics to fun flicks that never get old. At 10pm, make way for (or join in) the club scene.

Rock 'n Roll with a Side of Fries

Rock stars live on the edge. May they inspire the calorie-conscious to feast on fried food.

1.

Key Club

Headlining acts like Blondie and Evanescence aren't the only treats on the menu at this state-of-the-art venue. Executive chef Jeffrey Haines's serves indulgent fare including pan-roasted sea bass, flat-iron steak and a grilled filet mignon sandwich served with sweet potato fries.

2.

Troubadour

Grubbing at this legendary rock club defies reason. The kitchen is in an area that looks like a renovated closet, the grey-haired cook is generally disagreeable and the greasy food offers no nutritional value. But it's all so bad that it's oh so good, especially the frozen fries defrosted in a vat of sizzling oil and served in a paper box.

3.

House of Blues

Although the Southern-style restaurant upstairs doesn't overlook the stage, diners with show tickets get first access into the concert hall and, if they're not done eating, they can get their meal boxed and finish it downstairs while watching Prince, Ice Cube or whatever big-time act is headlining that night. The Creole jambalaya is a definite standout, as is the Bayou fried shrimp.

International Flair

No malaria shots are needed for these exotic experiences, nor will the water give you the runs.

1.

El Cid

The flamenco floor shows bring in diners looking for campy diversion, though they're just as awed by the tasty menu.

2.

Tokyo Delve's Sushi Bar

The chefs at this sushi restaurant might make you the entertainment for the night: After a few sake bombs, it's not unusual for diners to be coaxed into singing and dancing on the tables.

3.

Orchid

Though it's housed in a historic mid-Wilshire bank building, this karaoke joint has the feel of a Vegas club, with stainless-steel waterwalls and lighted towers that change color. Shy Mariahs in training reserve an ultra-private room for the dining and octave-jumping.

Jazz, Blues & Grub

Whether into down-home blues or old-school jazz, neither should be consumed on an empty stomach.

1.

Babe's & Ricky's Inn

This blues den feels like a Mississippi juke joint, especially on Monday nights when $8 gets you a soul-food dinner (real fried chicken, collard greens and black eyed peas) and a date with illustrious Louisiana soul singer Mickey Champion.

2.

Vibrato Grill Jazz...etc.

Tucked incongruously into a tony shopping center all the way at the top of Beverly Glen Boulevard, Vibrato is a most unexpected steaks-and-jazz joint co-owned by trumpet legend Herb Alpert. Most nights the jazz is free, but call ahead to make sure; big-name acts bring a cover charge of $10-$20.

3.

Catalina Bar & Grill

Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and McCoy Tyner are among the heavyweights who headline at this Hollywood jazz landmark which also serves mouth-watering—if relatively pricey—fare like chicken piccata and the shrimp scampi linguini.