Capri Club

Capri Club occupies the former Capri, the red sauce Italian restaurant that Joe and Helen Sams opened at 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd in 1963. Robert Fleming of Bar Covell reopened it in summer 2022 with chef Francesco Allegro on food and Patricia St. Peter on cocktails.

Time Out LA called it the coolest new bar LA has seen in years, sitting at the nexus of casual, stylish and cool. The Infatuation scored it 7.8 and admitted the table wait can run the better part of an hour.

Who would hate it? Anyone who needs a reservation system or a quiet Tuesday. The room packs nightly from sunset.

Deep red booths and wood paneling survive from the original restaurant, joined by memorabilia and a long curved bar. The big folding window under the red awning gives the sidewalk what The Infatuation calls block party energy.

Order the blood orange Frozen Negroni from machines Time Out describes as so cold they are coated in ice; the same review calls it the best adults only slushie in town. The $6 fifty fifty shots rotate Italian herbal liqueurs and pack a major punch.

The Salty Snack, a caper and olive brine build with lemon and dill, exists for filthy martini people, per The Infatuation.

Time Out clocks a nightly crowd of casually well dressed locals that fills the seats from sunset, heaviest on weekends. Early evenings and late weekday hours stay manageable.

What regulars say:

• The coolest new bar LA has seen in years, per Time Out LA's four star review.
• A great place to linger, even if you hover for a table the better part of an hour, per The Infatuation.
• Skip the limp bruschetta; the cacio e pepe supplì is the best snack on the menu, per The Infatuation and Time Out.
• Reviewers single out the Sour Cherry Spritz and the Frozen Negroni as the standing orders.

Who it is for:

• Aperitivo hour that drifts into lasagna night
• First dates that need an easy, excellent default
• Avoid if you hate waits; Eagle Rock Brewery pours nearby without one

The bar that gave Northeast LA its aperitivo hour and kept the 1963 booths to do it. Go early, order frozen.

Getting there: 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd; the Metro 81 bus runs the boulevard, but most arrive by car or rideshare.

Timing: Mon to Wed 4pm to 11pm, Thu and Fri to midnight, weekends from 2pm; sunset is peak.

Cost: Amaro shots $6, snacks up to a $26 antipasti plate; walk ins only.