Tucked just south of the Laguna Beach village, La Casa del Camino is one of the city's oldest hotel properties with a youthful renovation that's yielded a hip rooftop terrace and series of surf-theme suites that are some of the most stylish rooms in the city. Built in 1929, the Mediterranean-style boutique hotel features a textured stucco facade with terracotta roofline and hidden rooftop that's home to one of the city's hottest bar scenes come summertime.
Arranged amongst a series of teak seating areas and long rectangular bar attended by a chatty selection of local surfers. An all-day menu includes selections of appetizer-sized ahi poke, stuffed-empanadas, Mediterranean dips, and great mojitos or margaritas. Relatively obscure from the street, the bar is refreshingly free of the tourists that fill the inner village come July and August with a good contingent of single locals that linger till 9pm throughout high-season.
Tips
Rooftop lounge atop Laguna Beach boutique hotel offers all day menu and bustling sunset happy hour popular with locals.
Last Word
Best on warm summer weekends, the rooftop bar remains open throughout the year as long as there's sunshine with the assistance of heat lamps and blankets.