Editorial
The best bars in Downtown Los Angeles are not where the tourists look. They are tucked into converted warehouses in the Arts District, hidden behind unmarked doors in the Historic Core, and perched on rooftops with views that remind you why people moved here in the first place. We have spent years in this part of the city — the ones worth a detour and the ones you walk past without knowing what you missed.
Downtown has changed faster than any other part of Los Angeles in the past decade. What was once emptied out after 6pm is now one of the most concentrated bar scenes in the city. The Arts District alone could keep you busy for a week. Here is where we send people first.
The Arts District is where the best of downtown's bar scene has concentrated in the last five years. Former industrial spaces turned into cocktail bars and late-night spots with the kind of interior design budgets that used to be reserved for West Hollywood. These are the ones that hold up on a return visit.
Downtown has more rooftop bars per square mile than anywhere else in Los Angeles, which makes sense given the density and the year-round weather. These are the ones worth the elevator ride — either for the views, the cocktail programme, or both together.
Downtown Los Angeles has become a genuine bar destination rather than an afterthought. The Arts District drives most of the energy, but the Historic Core and Financial District hold their own with cocktail bars and rooftop spots that would rank highly in any city. Build your evening around The Varnish for cocktails and Perch or 71Above for views — and if you want something looser, R Bar is the honest end-point. For rooftop drinking specifically, our Los Angeles rooftop bar guide covers every option worth knowing across all of LA.
Marcus covers the West Coast and Latin America for barsforKings. He has been drinking in Los Angeles since 2009 and has strong opinions about which neighbourhood has peaked and which one is about to.