Generally speaking, you come down firmly on the pro-palm-tree side.

So it seems wrong to finally get out of the office, rally your friends, put the top down and... hole up in the back of some dark bomb-shelter bar.

You live in LA. Even when you’re inside, you’d rather be outside.

So take a look at The Corner Door, an elegantly low-key corner spot for burgers and drinks with plenty of windows that open up to let the outside in, now open in Culver City.

First off, yes. There is a corner door. So they’ve got the whole truth-in-advertising thing happening for them. Gives you an instinctual sense of trust.

You should probably rely on your instincts here, since you can drop in easily for a seat at the bar or a tall communal table for some cocktails both classic and crafty—an Old Fashioned, sure, or maybe a Fortune & Glory, with gin, cantaloupe and absinthe. Wouldn’t be the first time some gin led you to fortune and glory.

But if the nearby Waterloo & City is packed—and you’re feeling more like a burger, fried brussels sprouts and some cider-glazed wings than some veddy English pâté anyway—you’ll want a table up front under those open windows, with views of palm trees, meter-free parking and sky.

The meter-free parking gets you every time.