Los Angeles
LAX got its first serious airport-drinking moment in 2013 when the Tom Bradley International Terminal reopened with a Petrossian Lounge — a bar that sells caviar by the gram, Krug by the flute, and a serious cocktail programme operated by the same Petrossian people who run the Tribeca outpost in NYC. Tom Bradley is now the best airport drinking on the American West Coast by a comfortable margin. Centurion Lounge LAX, also in Tom Bradley, is the Amex Platinum option and is one of the best Centurion outposts in the network.
Echo Park · $$$
Bar Bandini draws a steady local crowd in Echo Park. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown LA · $$$$
Bar Jackalope draws a steady local crowd in Downtown LA. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
West Hollywood · $$$$
Bar Marmont draws a steady local crowd in West Hollywood. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hollywood · $$$
Stella draws a steady local crowd in Hollywood. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
The cheat code at LAX is the H Hotel Los Angeles (formerly Westin LAX), connected to the airport's central terminal area by free shuttle. The hotel runs an actual cocktail bar called Latitude 33 that serves real drinks made by real bartenders. Six-minute shuttle from any terminal. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, the In Sheep's Clothing in DTLA is 25 minutes by Uber on a non-rush hour and one of the better listening bars in the western hemisphere.
Plays for LAX: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Los Angeles? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.