Festive Downtown institution offering pub grub & live music in a sunken pirate ship setting.
Tropical drinks and tikis everywhere!
Hip gastropub doing a mix of Mexican BBQ & American bar food in a funky, loftlike setting.
Stylish but mellow cocktail spot offers bar bites, extended happy-hour deals & a popular jukebox.
Funky ’70s retro bar with era-appropriate garage sale decor, an Airstream trailer & backyard BBQ.
Buzzy bar with a factorylike vibe offers inventive cocktails, live music & burlesque some nights.
Rotating draft beers, wine & creative spins on global bar bites.
Lively bar with Yellowstone-like decor that serves novelty drinks & hosts events, such as bingo.
This unpretentious tavern opened in 1924 serves no-frills sandwiches, pickled eggs & hot dogs.
Lively tavern draws a crowd with budget drinks & bar bites, including wings & weekend breakfast.
Hank’s is the ultimate dive. It’s close to the Staples Center, so if you want to get a drink before/after the game or concert, you gotta hit Hank’s. It’s a hole in the wall dive bar, hidden in the lobby of the Hotel Stillwell on Grand (between 8th & 9th Street).
Long-running frontier-themed steakhouse & saloon hosting live local bands & karaoke nights.
Featured in the film "Swingers," this throwback lounge offers classic Continental eats & live music.
Art lines the walls of this convivial combination wine bar/shop featuring small plates & live music.
Retro-chic spot pairs creative pub grub, such as blue cheese tater tots, with a curated drinks menu.
Home to one of the largest whiskey sections this side of the Mississippi, Seven Grand has set the standard for what makes a premium cocktail in Los Angeles. Located in the historic part of downtown and possessing a vintage hunting lodge feel, the bar itself features live music, pool, and private party areas.
German establishment serving sausage, schnitzel & beers in a chalet-style space or on its rooftop beer garden.
Cozy, wood-paneled watering hole lures locals with craft beers, select wines & vinyl music.
Laid-back tiki bar offering fruity drinks, lava-rock fountains & eclectic tunes on the jukebox.
Lively, gay-friendly bar with an unpretentious vibe, tiny dance floor & well-stocked jukebox.
A password is required for entry at this speakeasy-style bar (complete with karaoke and a jukebox).
Funky Koreatown fixture draws crowds with karaoke, specialty cocktails & a high-energy atmosphere.
Chill taproom pouring house beers & flights in a spare space with food trucks in the parking lot.
A Cuban-themed nightspot with a dress code offering a cigar lounge & burlesque-style salsa acts.
Serving the neighborhood of Silver Lake, 4100 bar offers handcrafted cocktails in a chill, inviting atmosphere. Stop by on the weekends for some excellent BBQ served up by Barbeque Pit Stop.
Long-standing bar packs a boisterous crowd for karaoke & cocktails in a tiny, no-nonsense setting.
Waiters serve classic American fare & martinis to diners in red booths at Hollywood’s oldest eatery.
Jumbo’s Clown Room is a strip club located on Hollywood Boulevard
in Los Angeles, California. It was opened on July 27, 1970 and later
became a strip club in 1980.
Cash-only watering hole with a pool table & jukebox set in a dimly lit, wood-paneled room.
Ceramic lamps, brown wood paneling and newspaper clippings chronicling the bar’s past complete the granny’s living room feel of this old bar, which is often pretty empty thanks to its rear entrance and misleading, restaurant looking neon sign. Sports on the tube, classic rock on the juke, older locals on the stools and outsider-ish cliques filling up the booths all seem par for the course here. Even with Atwater’s influx of cute cafes and boutiques, there’s something about Tee Gee that’ll just never be tren-dee.
Gastropub offering whiskey, craft beers on tap & comfort food.
Operating as an actual speakeasy during the Prohibition era and located in the basement of Townhouse (the oldest bar in Venice), Del Monte continues on today as a music venue and bar with a burlesque atmosphere.
Cocktails crafted with precision by some of L.A.’s best bartenders and excellent hospitality to boot. In 2012, The Varnish was awarded Best American Cocktail Bar at the Tales of the Cocktail® 2012 Spirited Awards® in New Orleans.
Eastside spot draws a boisterous crowd with foosball tables, photo booth, DJs & a thatched roof bar.
Handcrafted cocktails & gastropub bites in a cozy setting with book-lined walls & leather couches.
Playful neighborhood spot with pinball and disco balls, plus light fare, cocktails, beer, and wine.
Quirky neighborhood fixture offering tapas, paella, and weekend flamenco shows, plus live-music nights.
Dimly lit nightspot serving inventive craft cocktails in a rustic-chic setting with outdoor space.
Waterfront hangout with nostalgic decor featuring hearty seafood, burgers, beer, and classic cocktails.
Chic locale featuring creative comfort food, specialty cocktails, and a regular line-up of local bands.
Old-school country-western bar offers a variety of handcrafted well drinks and karaoke amid quirky decor.
Cozy music venue and bar that offers intimate live performances and tasty comfort food.
Laid-back spot boasting a large outdoor patio, cocktails & bar bites plus jazz on Sundays.
“The owner is a man I know well, to say the least. I have spent the later part of my 20s especially admiring his drive to make the world a happier place through food. He opened his restaurant Post & Beam about 5 years ago in a neighborhood around Baldwin Hills that was nowhere near hip or up-and-coming. He built a place that today has helped shape the diverse community of interesting and thoughtful people in the greater Los Angeles area. This man is my father, Brad Johnson (he also opened the original Roxbury and Georgia in the 90s). When I do drink, I prefer their Negroni or an Aviation.” — Bryce Vine
“The Federal Bar in North Hollywood has real deal karaoke nights. Like a full band i.e. guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer. And these talented musicians have memorized an arsenal of songs for anyone who signs up before the night closes. It’s pretty damn cool.” — Bryce Vine
“Saddle Peak has a great Whiskey Bar upstairs tucked away with every whiskey imaginable and a great vibe. I like to try different rare whiskeys each time I go.” — Awolnation
“I recently saw Irontom at El Cid, and it was small and amazing. It is a really cool place to see a more intimate show, and feel like your at an underground club in Tijuana.” — Awolnation
“I’m too embarrassed to do it myself, but Tim Commerford loves to sing at Cafe Habana and loves it.” — Awolnation
Ex-general store turned restaurant serves hearty American eats in a setting out of a Western film.
“It’s a gay bar full of friendly, burly gay dudes 🙂 I don’t drink, so I usually just get a bottle of water.” — Baths
“Best decor – African themed sorta kinda. Never seen anything quite like it. Totally subtle too. Best craft cocktails. The Coastline is a favorite drink. Jericho’s favorite drink is a Manhattan, Thorald likes whiskey neat, and Johnny likes top shelf tequila.” — BRÅVES
“Another landmark would be the Culver City hotel, a 1920s building with a upstairs bar. It is certainly underrated, especially during happy hour.” — BRÅVES
“Beverly Hills Hotel. Stay simply for the Polo Lounge.” — BRÅVES
Exclusive locale featuring updated American comfort fare, cocktails & impromptu music performances.
“My man and I discovered a mini vacation from LA and our toddler when we stumbled onto the rooftop of The Waldorf Hotel in Beverly Hills. Stunning view of the entire city, perfect sunset, steamy, loungey electronic music, and you get to dress up. It’s our perfect date . After playing and drinking in more bars than I can possibly count, this feels really worth it. Aperol Spritz’s all day.” – Shana Halligan
“It’s so cozy, sweaty, vibey and seems to attract people that aren’t really too worried about how cool or hipstered out they are, but that just want to shake it hard and get lost in the music. Loads of KCRW acts , amazing DJ’s, and the owners are super sweet too.” – Shana Halligan