Editorial
The best bars in Los Angeles are scattered across a city that takes an hour to drive end to end — which is why most people end up in the wrong neighbourhood for what they actually want. We've done the geography for you. The best craft cocktail rooms are in Silver Lake and Los Feliz. The best hotel bars are in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Downtown has changed faster than anywhere. Here's where we send people. For neighbourhood-specific breakdowns, our dedicated Silver Lake bar guide and Echo Park bar guide cover the eastside in full detail. For the Arts District, Bunker Hill, and everything within walking distance of the Broad, the dedicated Downtown LA bar guide covers all 12 spots worth your time.
LA's cocktail scene has always punched above its weight relative to its reputation as a wine and beer city. The bartender talent pool is deep, the produce is extraordinary, and there's a genuine culture of experimentation that doesn't exist to the same degree in New York or Chicago.
Los Angeles does hotel bars better than most cities in the world. The combination of year-round good weather, serious hotel investment, and a city full of people who appreciate being seen in the right place has produced a hotel bar scene that rewards exploration.
The best neighbourhood bars in LA require commitment to reach. No Uber will drop you outside all of them at convenient times. But the payoff is worth it — these are the places that feel genuinely local, where the bartenders remember your order and the regulars make room.
Los Angeles rewards the curious drinker more than almost any other American city. The geography is a barrier, but once you commit to moving around it, you find a cocktail scene that is genuinely world-class in pockets — and genuinely interesting across the board. Our starting point for any visit: The Varnish for classics, Harvard & Stone for the neighbourhood feel, and whatever is happening at Here's Looking at You for something you haven't tried before.
Marcus covers the US West Coast, Miami, and Latin America for barsforKings. He has been navigating LA's neighbourhood bar scene for over a decade and knows which freeways to avoid on a Friday evening.
Five editor-curated guides, each ten bars, each tuned to a specific moment. The Los Angeles bars our editors send first dates to, and the ones we send proposals to, and everything between.
Six annual Los Angeles guides, each ten editor-vetted bars. Christmas Day to New Year's Eve to Halloween, with the cover charges, midnight pours and door policies confirmed.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 by the barsforKings editorial team