Los Angeles · Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles packs its bars into restored theatres, hotel towers, and the alleys off Broadway. The run below covers a back room speakeasy, a Japanese whisky bar, two rooftops, and a classic that has poured since the 1930s. Each pick is a real, currently open room with its own profile on the site.
COCKTAIL BARS · $$$
The Varnish hides in a back room of Cole's on East 6th Street, a small booth lined space that helped start the LA cocktail revival. The Old Fashioned is the order. Expect a wait on weekend nights.
COCKTAIL BARS · $$$$
Bar Jackalope sits behind Seven Grand on South Broadway, a hushed reservation room built around Japanese whisky. The whisky flight rewards a slow night. Book ahead, since the room seats only a handful.
ROOFTOP BARS · $$$
Perch tops a tower on South Hill Street with two open levels and a wide view over the skyline. The Perch French 75 is the house pour. Reserve a railing table for sunset, when the line forms early.
AFTER WORK · $$$
The Lobby Bar at Hotel Figueroa anchors a Spanish Colonial room on South Figueroa Street, steps from LA Live. The Figueroa 75 starts the night. It works for an after work drink or a pre game stop.
COCKTAIL BARS · $$
Clifton's Republic fills a multi floor cafeteria turned bar on South Broadway, with a redwood forest centrepiece and a tiki room upstairs. The Tiki Punch suits the theme. Go for the spectacle and stay for the upper floors.
SPORTS BARS · $$
Yard House at LA Live keeps a long tap wall and a wall of screens across from Crypto.com Arena. The yard of beer is the call before a game. It runs late and stays loud on event nights.
LIVE MUSIC · $$
The Mayan Theatre Bar sits inside a 1927 movie palace on South Hill Street, open on show nights for the crowd before a set. The Mezcal Mule is the easy order. Check the calendar, since hours follow the bookings.
Use this guide as a route through Downtown or as a checklist for a weekend in Los Angeles. Reservations are flagged where they matter. For the wider picture, see the full Los Angeles bar guide, the city's best cocktail bars, and the rooftop bars in Los Angeles.