Editorial
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.
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.
West Coast Editor — Los Angeles to Mexico City. Casual luxury, never aspirational.