Hooray, hooray, summer is officially here. With that in mind, we thought we'd gather all our summer eating and drinking intel into one place to give you, our dear readers, a guide for dining and imbibing in the hotter months. 

Outdoor dining
Conveniently, we've just updated our list of L.A.'s best restaurants for outdoor dining. From leafy patios in Hollywood to stunning oceanside decks, the best of al-fresco Los Angeles. 

Beach Dining
Beach trips are in your future. You will be hungry. With that in mind, check out the best restaurants in Santa Monica, the best restaurants in Long Beach, as well as the restaurants we consider essential (as in, from our 99 Essentials list) in Santa Monica/Venice and in the South Bay. 

Oysters at Messhall; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Oysters at Messhall; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Cold things to eat
Stew season is fairly short here in L.A., but summer makes us want to eat cold seafood, frozen treats, and cool salads. Luckily we have guides to all of those things:

Here is a list of cheap oyster specials for every night of the week.

Here is a list of 20 fantastic cold dishes to beat the summer heat. 

Here's a list of the best ice cream shops in L.A., as well as a list of 10 places to get weird but awesome ice cream flavors around town. 

For popsicle lovers, here's a list of eight great high-quality popsicles specific to L.A. 

Here's a list of the ten best salads in town.

And here are three mariscos trucks you should be checking out right now. 

Burger at Connie & Ted's; Credit: Farley Elliott

Burger at Connie & Ted's; Credit: Farley Elliott

Hot things to eat
There's no denying there are some needs to be met in the summer foods category that aren't cold. Bring on the hot dogs, burgers and tacos. 

Check out the 10 best hot dogs in L.A.

As for tacos, we've got 20 tacos to try in Los Angeles, a list of happy hours that include tacos, and the five best hard shell “gringo” tacos, if that's what floats your boat. 

For your burger-eating pleasure, we have both the 10 best burgers in L.A. and the 10 best new burgers in L.A. Oh, and we also have a brand new Burgers and Beer event, where you can come stuff your face with burgers as well. Which brings us to…

Beverly Fix at Terrine; Credit: B. Rodell

Beverly Fix at Terrine; Credit: B. Rodell

Cold things to drink
You don't think we forgot about the booze, did you? Of course not. And we even have guidance for non-boozy cold drinkin'. 

Here's our city's ten best beer bars. Plus the best new breweries that opened last year. Plus the best places in town for parents to go out and drink beer. 

Cocktail lists are forever changing, but last year we sought out the best summer drinks around town and made a list. Whether or not these specific drinks are still being served (and some of them certainly are), you will definitely find great summer drinks at the bars mentioned. I also recommend the Beverly Fix at Terrine, which was a perfect spring drink and continues to hit the spot now that it's summer. 

And here's a guide to some of our best juice bars, as well as a look at five smoothies in town we love. 

Happy summer!

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