The Best Clubs in LA Right Now: 11 Nightclubs Worth the Line
- By: Alexa Erickson Gage
Where to dance, what to wear, and how to get in, from the Sunset Strip to the Arts District…
The best clubs in LA right now are Zouk LA, Keys, Poppy, Sunset at EDITION, and Galerie in West Hollywood; Bar Lis, The Spotlight, Sound, and Academy LA in Hollywood; and Exchange LA and the new ORIGIN downtown. Most open only a few nights a week, expect upscale attire with no athletic wear, and leave entry to the door’s discretion. Alcohol sales stop at 2 a.m.
Updated Nov. 6, 2026
LA nightlife doesn’t run on a seven-night schedule. Clubs pick their nights, the door picks the room, and the best parties sometimes last three hours. Here’s where to spend them, from the Sunset Strip to the Arts District.
West Hollywood
Zouk LA
The West Coast outpost of Singapore’s Zouk Group, built in partnership with Sam Nazarian’s sbe, opened in March 2025 in a 16,500-square-foot room on La Cienega. Studio Collective designed it as an arena in miniature: tiered seating rings the dance floor, and an overhead lighting, LED, and sound setup the club calls the Mothership anchors the room. The bookings are big. Don Toliver, The Chainsmokers, Travis Scott, and Lil Wayne have all played here, and Billboard’s Power 100 party took over the room during 2026 Grammy week. Music runs from hip-hop and rap to EDM, house, pop, and R&B.
643 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Check the calendar at zouk.la or @zoukla
Tables: VIP tables and bottle service
Dress code: Strictly enforced; no offensive prints, tank tops, jerseys, or shorts
Best for: Big-name DJ and artist nights
Sunset Strip, West Hollywood
Keys
The h.wood Group’s Sunset Strip club sits at 9039 Sunset Blvd., an address with real rock history: it was Gazzarri’s during the glam-metal ’80s, then the Key Club, and, more recently, 1 OAK. Keys bills itself as a destination “bringing dancing back to Los Angeles,” and the setup matches the promise, with DJs, a full dance floor, and table service for groups.
9039 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tuesday (the “Paris at Night” party), Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tables: VIP tables and bottle service
Best for: A Strip night that’s actually about dancing
West Hollywood
Poppy
Another h.wood room, Poppy leans fully into fantasy. The space is built like a storybook, with a colorful garden on one side and an opulent library on the other, and it’s meant to be wandered. Tables are the main event here, so plan your group in advance.
755 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Monday, Friday, and Saturday, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tables: Bottle service
Best for: A Monday that doesn’t feel like one
West Hollywood
Sunset at EDITION
Hidden in the basement of The West Hollywood EDITION, Sunset is reached through an inconspicuous side entrance around the corner from the hotel’s main door on Sunset Boulevard. Downstairs, the ceiling is crowded with disco balls, and the energy takes its cue from the clubs that lined the Strip in the ’70s. In February 2026, Paris’s Silencio, the club designed by David Lynch, took over the room for a three-night residency timed to Frieze Los Angeles.
1090 N. Doheny Dr., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Friday and Saturday, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tables: Available
Dress code: Upscale nightlife attire
Best for: A night that feels like you found it yourself
West Hollywood
Galerie
Chef Ben Ford and partners’ 1970s-glam supper club sits across from the Chateau Marmont, and it’s built to carry you from dinner straight into the late night. Expect live jazz, weekend DJ sets from a walnut DJ booth, and a patio where smoking is allowed, a rarity in LA.
8226 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046
Thursday and Friday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Tuesday and Wednesday close at 10:30 p.m.)
Entry: Reservations through Resy
Dress code: Smart casual
Best for: A dinner that turns into a night out
Related | Celebrity Hotspots in West Hollywood
Hollywood
Bar Lis
Perched on the roof of The Hollywood Grande (the former Thompson Hollywood), Bar Lis channels the French Riviera with views across the Hollywood Hills. It’s two places in one week: Tuesday is the Jazz Eclectic LA live jazz series for a grown-up crowd, while Thursday through Saturday brings DJs, with Saturday the busiest night. It’s a rooftop, so bring a layer once the sun goes down.
1541 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tuesday (live jazz at 8 p.m.), Thursday through Saturday (DJs), plus a daily sunset hour
Tables: Table packages available
Dress code: Smart casual; no beachwear, athletic tops, T-shirts, sweatpants, casual shorts, or flip-flops
Best for: Rooftop views with a dance floor
Hollywood
The Spotlight
The Spotlight is the intimate counterpoint to Hollywood’s big rooms: about 300 people in 2,700 square feet, dimly lit in gold, with custom L-Acoustics sound. It’s run by Framework, the team behind Sound, which has also programmed Coachella’s club-focused Yuma tent. The building has history, too. The 1920s building was home to The Spotlight, one of LA’s longest-running gay bars, until 2011, and the new club revived the name.
1601 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Thursday through Saturday, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for club nights; jazz shows run 7 to 10 p.m.
Dress code: “Upscale trendy.” The club asks guests to skip athletic wear, joggers, tank tops, running shoes, hoodies, ripped jeans, and hats.
Best for: Electronic sets in a room small enough to feel the bass
Hollywood
Sound Nightclub
A Hollywood staple for dance music, Sound pairs a custom sound system with 3D projection mapping and video built for the room. If the DJ matters more to you than the table, this is your stop.
1642 N. Las Palmas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m.; closes around 2 to 2:30 a.m. on Thursdays and 3 to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
Entry: Tickets and RSVPs through the event calendar
Dress code: Smart casual; no joggers, sweatpants, shorts, beachwear, athletic tops, tank tops, undershirts, jerseys, flip-flops, sandals, slides, or work boots
Best for: House and techno heads
Hollywood
Academy LA
Academy is Hollywood’s home for big-room electronic music, with nights from Insomniac brands like Bassrush (bass), Dreamstate (trance), and Basscon (hard dance). If you want a headliner without the festival, start here.
6021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m.
Entry: Tickets, guest list, and tables through the event calendar
Dress code: Upscale; check the event page before you go
Best for: EDM fans who want festival-level DJs in a club
Downtown LA (Historic Core)
Exchange LA
Housed in the 1930s Los Angeles Stock Exchange building in the Historic Core, Exchange spreads four stories and 25,000 square feet of art deco detail around a serious dance floor. Insomniac has programmed the club since 2011, and it’s a regular on DJ Mag’s Top 100 Clubs list.
618 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90014
Friday and Saturday, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., plus occasional Thursday and Sunday shows
Entry: Tickets through exchangela.com
Dress code: Enforced; no sandals or flip-flops (open-toe heels are OK), tank tops, or sportswear (DJ merch is OK). Shorts are allowed in summer.
Best for: Touring electronic acts
Arts District
ORIGIN
LA’s newest serious club celebrated its grand opening weekend in October 2026 with Kölsch, MRAK, Malive, and Liva K. Founders Roni Mehrabian and Cyril Bitar, the team behind SBCLTR and Minimal Effort, built it as a music-first room, with a custom analog KV2 Audio system and design by Marc Dizon, whose credits include Brooklyn Mirage and Output. Expect an indoor room plus a large outdoor patio, with a capacity of about 1,000. Fridays focus on live and indie electronic bookings, and Saturdays alternate between daytime outdoor parties and late-night house and techno.
613 Imperial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021
Friday and Saturday programming, plus special events
Entry: Tickets through the club’s event listings
Best for: Sound-system purists
Best clubs in LA: your questions, answered
What’s the dress code at LA nightclubs?
Dress up. Most clubs on this list expect polished, upscale outfits and turn away athletic wear. The Spotlight’s posted code is typical: no sweatpants, joggers, gym shirts, running shoes, hoodies, ripped jeans, or hats. Entry is always at the door’s discretion, so when in doubt, go a level dressier.
Do you need a reservation?
It depends on the club. The West Hollywood and Sunset Strip rooms (Zouk LA, Keys, and Poppy) run largely on tables and guest lists, so book ahead on weekends. Music-first clubs like Exchange LA, ORIGIN, and Sound sell entry through their event calendars, so buy tickets in advance for big names.
What time do clubs close in Los Angeles?
California law ends alcohol sales at 2 a.m., so last call usually comes a little before that. Some clubs keep the music going later: Exchange LA runs until 3 a.m., and Sound stays open until 3 or 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Which nights are best for going out in LA?
Friday and Saturday are the biggest, but the week has options: Poppy on Monday, live jazz at Bar Lis on Tuesday, and Keys on Sunday.
Read More
