Los Angeles is geographically impossible to bar-hop. The 10 below acknowledge that — they're the rooms worth a separate Uber for. The cocktail revival here started later than New York's, but the depth caught up fast. From the Downtown speakeasies to the Hollywood institutions to the Westside hotel bars, this is where our LA editor drinks when he's not working.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best bars in Los Angeles
01 · Los Angeles
Downtown
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Through Cole's · Speakeasy
Through Cole's restaurant in DTLA. The room that taught LA how to drink seriously again. Sasha Petraske's West Coast outpost.
Order: A Sazerac
02 · Los Angeles
Koreatown
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Tasting menu · Behind The Normandie
Behind The Normandie Club. Tasting-menu cocktail bar — you sit, they pour. Reservations essential.
Order: The full tasting
03 · Los Angeles
Hollywood
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Victorian · Multi-room
In a restored 1902 Victorian house. Multiple rooms, garden patio, theatrical entry. The most photogenic bar in LA.
Order: A garden-side spritz
04 · Los Angeles
East Hollywood
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Industrial · Burlesque
Industrial-loft cocktail bar with mid-week burlesque programming. The cocktails are precise; the room has character.
Order: A whisky-based seasonal
05 · Los Angeles
Hollywood
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Southern Gothic · Garden
Southern Gothic-themed bar with a garden patio that feels transplanted from Savannah. Bourbon-leaning cocktail program.
Order: A mint julep on the patio
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06 · Los Angeles
West Hollywood
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Hidden · Behind a palm reader
Through a fake palm-reader storefront on La Cienega. Tiny, dark, classics-driven.
Order: A perfect Manhattan
07 · Los Angeles
Santa Monica
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Beach-club · Sunset
Beach-side at Fairmont Miramar. Sunset-hour scene, frozen drinks, the LA outdoor-bar template.
Order: A frozen margarita on the lawn
08 · Los Angeles
Los Feliz
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Lounge · Live music
Marty and Elayne's residency made this room famous via Swingers. Live music nightly, retro-lounge atmosphere.
Order: A Manhattan, vintage-style
09 · Los Angeles
Highland Park
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Bowling alley · 1927
Restored 1927 bowling alley with a serious cocktail bar attached. Drink and bowl on the same night.
Order: A boilermaker between frames
10 · Los Angeles
West Hollywood
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Old Hollywood · 1925
Operating since 1925. Bogart and Marilyn drank here. Restored in 2019 with a serious cocktail program added.
Order: A martini in the booth Sinatra used
More LA bars by categoryCocktail, rooftop, hidden gem — the full LA index.
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How to drink in LA without driving
Pick a neighbourhood, stay there. Downtown gives you The Varnish + The Walker Inn + The Normandie Club within walking distance. Hollywood pairs No Vacancy with Harvard & Stone and Sassafras. The Westside is its own sub-trip — Bar Marmont and the Bungalow are best left for a separate evening. Most LA bars run later than the city's reputation suggests; 1 AM is normal, 2 AM happens.
