The Side Door

(310) 722-1084

900 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 33.8829 -118.4098

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Last updated 10.14.11

Category:

Restaurants, Neighborhood Bars, Singles Bars, Lounges

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Club Special Features:

Late-Night Scene, 21 & Over

Minimum Age:

21

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About The Side Door

Featured Review

Tara Lis

Contributor

In Short – A compact cathedral facade, complete with stained-glass windows and unmarked entry, conceals this slightly subterranean watering hole. The cozy spot features faux blue velvet couches, benches and rounded booths, along with a tiny bar in the middle of the room. Sunday through midweek, it's an egalitarian mix of local barhoppers, bohemian Venice commuters and the college contingent. Much the same crowd shows on the weekends, when all but the former are held behind a slow-moving velvet rope.

Editor's Tips

Look Good:
There's no sign and the entrance is located just north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, on Ninth Street.
Parking:
Metered spaces are free after 8pm on the main drag and neighboring side streets.
The Extras:
Chat up the bartender on a slower night and you may get treated to a tour of the exclusive 700 club upstairs, where there's a full menu available and you can smoke both cigarettes and cigars freely.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The crowd is sophisticated and the atmosphere is unique and welcoming.”
  2. “its small but quaint and has great atmosphere.”
  3. “They just got remodeled and have a nice decor plus there is the private club upstairs.”
  4. “This is no longer a romantic place.”
  5. “The ambiance was nice.”
  6. “This place is very cozy - and definitely gets a little too crowded on weekends.”
  7. “Not much in the way of a romantic ambience, but a good after work place to relax and have a couple drinks.”
  8. “During the week for a bite and few drinks after work, or on the weekend for a night of fun the Side Door is a great place to enjoy a night out with friends.”
  9. “This cozy little hole in the wall is located right in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach.”
drinks
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “All i know is that most of the good looking people, stroll through the bar and go up the stairs.”
  2. “Besides the music the staff was nice and introduced themselves by name in case i needed anything, and the drinks were so good i didnt want to stop drinking them.”
  3. “I've always liked the Side Door, but last night while trying to have a nice quiet drink with my girl, there was this idiot DJ blasting some sort of INDUSTRIAL DANCE thumping b*llsh*t music.”
  4. “Luckily, they had our favorite rum - Sailor Jerry's - and we stayed for a drink.”
  5. “great little Martini bar - even if you don't drink martinis.”
  6. “Great drinks, Awesome Music and a Great Staff- And on Fridays they do 80's last call-which quite honestly "ROCKS"!”
  7. “Great little bar, friendly bar tenders and it feels like a secret place sometimes.”
  8. “During the week for a bite and few drinks after work, or on the weekend for a night of fun the Side Door is a great place to enjoy a night out with friends.”
  9. “I'm sure the massive salt was to make you order more drinks.”
  10. “Drinks are pricey but if you sit at the bar they keep getting refilled when someone else orders a similar one.”
  11. “Not much in the way of a romantic ambience, but a good after work place to relax and have a couple drinks.”
  12. “My fiance and I usually have dinner at Penny Lane, a small Sushi restaurant across the street (make sure to bring a bottle of wine, corkage fee is only $5) and then head over to The Side Door for drinks and good music.”
food quality
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Not only are the Martinis delicious, but the service is great!”
  2. “would not go there again for food or service, unless they changed their menu and cooked freshly made food and had a different, attentive waitress.”
  3. “The food was delicious, I had the meatballs and mac n cheese (because Im all about my health ha ha), and on a healthier note the tuna tartar it was delicious and my date loved it too.”
  4. “The Side Door is one of the best places in the South Bay- The place is chill during the week with a late night crowd-and on weekends- it's a great place to have a meal/app with someone new-and then come back for the party late night!”
  5. “The music, food and staff are great.”
  6. “The food was not fresh.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “would not go there again for food or service, unless they changed their menu and cooked freshly made food and had a different, attentive waitress.”
  2. “great menu and really great service from a friendly staff.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “It is a nice, mellow place and not too much of a scene.”
  2. “During the week for a bite and few drinks after work, or on the weekend for a night of fun the Side Door is a great place to enjoy a night out with friends.”
  3. “The Side Door is one of the best places in the South Bay- The place is chill during the week with a late night crowd-and on weekends- it's a great place to have a meal/app with someone new-and then come back for the party late night!”
  4. “Not much in the way of a romantic ambience, but a good after work place to relax and have a couple drinks.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “The Side Door is one of the best places in the South Bay- The place is chill during the week with a late night crowd-and on weekends- it's a great place to have a meal/app with someone new-and then come back for the party late night!”
  2. “would not go there again for food or service, unless they changed their menu and cooked freshly made food and had a different, attentive waitress.”
service
92.30999946594238% positive
  1. “All i know is that most of the good looking people, stroll through the bar and go up the stairs.”
  2. “Everybody there is nice, the music is good and the service is excellent.”
  3. “think that if you are a regular and he arbitrarily determines that he likes you or are a very good looking lady that he may provide good service.”
  4. “The music, food and staff are great.”
  5. “Besides the music the staff was nice and introduced themselves by name in case i needed anything, and the drinks were so good i didnt want to stop drinking them.”
  6. “Not only are the Martinis delicious, but the service is great!”
  7. “great menu and really great service from a friendly staff.”
  8. “Great little bar, friendly bar tenders and it feels like a secret place sometimes.”
  9. “The service is great, and the female bartender who seems to be the regular there is very pleasant and knowledgeable of the in-house special Martinis.”
  10. “The waitress was very slow.”
  11. “The waitress recommended their Fuzzy Kitty Martini.”
  12. “Unfortunately, as much as I used to like this place, I think that service is key to the success of any place and I would not recommend it on the premise that the service there seems to lack the "how can I help you" attitude.”
  13. “would not go there again for food or service, unless they changed their menu and cooked freshly made food and had a different, attentive waitress.”
value
0.0% positive
  1. “Drinks are pricey but if you sit at the bar they keep getting refilled when someone else orders a similar one.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “The waitress was very slow.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/02/11

Great Vibe but Tiny!

by lovelife4539

Wonderful little place in Mahattan Beach - it's tiny but cute There's a exclusive club upstairs. Fantastic drinks, friendly staff, VIP area upstairs. I wonder what that is all about?

3 Star Rating: Average

09/20/08

Good place.

by andersonm

Lots of variety of people. Good to hange with friends and chyll. Very different from the other scenes around manhattan.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/08/08

A favorite place in MB

by myanimator

Great little bar, friendly bar tenders and it feels like a secret place sometimes.

Drinks are pricey but if you sit at the bar they keep getting refilled when someone else orders a similar one.

Fun place, can get crowded quickly though.

  • Pros: Hide away bar, great drinks
  • Cons: Can get crowded and loud, small place
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/16/08

Great Ambiance, Awesome Music, Unique Martinis

by RonnieEx

I live in San Francisco, and have always been a proponent of lunge type bars. San Francisco is home to some of the best lounges in the world, all with their own unique style and sophistication. I found the Side Door to be one of my favorite lounges I have ever been to, which is not an easy thing for me to say. The four times I've been there I enjoyed the music selection. Trance, Downtempo, Trip-Hop and Electronica give this gem of a place a certain ambiance that can't be found just anywhere. The service is great, and the female bartender who seems to be the regular there is very pleasant and knowledgeable of the in-house special Martinis. The Martinis are not cheap, but you will have fun trying them all out. I myself only have a few more to go before I can say I've tried the whole menu. A little steep in price, but the drinks are worthy of the price. If your looking for a cool fun place to hang out in Manhattan Beach, this is the place to go. The crowd is sophisticated and the atmosphere is unique and welcoming. Enjoy!

  • Pros: Atmosphere and Ambiance
  • Cons: A Little Pricey
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/01/08

Best Ambiance Best Service - anywhere

by manbchron

This cozy little hole in the wall is located right in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach. A great little Martini bar - even if you don't drink martinis. The small size really adds to the character. Always great music playing in the background. A great menu and really great service from a friendly staff. My server was Amy and she was super attentive. Got everything right. I'm going back for sure!

  • Pros: Good selection, great ambiance, great service
  • Cons: Pretty small - will not work if you're looking to hold a big party.

The Details on The Side Door

Place Categories:

  • great mellow place
  • great service
  • good house music
  • favorite martini
  • great staff
  • great food
  • great atmosphere
  • very slow waitress
  • recommend side door
  • favorite lounges
  • very pleasant female bartender
  • great little martini bar
  • pricey drinks
  • excellent tuna tartar
  • nice quiet drink
  • nice ambiance
  • friendly bar tenders
  • great little bar
  • good people
  • highly recommend towne
  • really enjoyed vibe
  • great menu
  • favorite rum
  • great more drinks
  • very cool deocr

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