Big Colors and Bright Drinks at Downtown LA’s Newest Hotel Bar

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Downtown’s Freehand Hotel is starting to pick up steam, with guests able to book rooms beginning next week. In the meantime the ground floor restaurant The Exchange has been equally charged up with mock service nights and industry meals, while attached lobby lounge Rudolph’s Bar & Tea is looking busy as well starting June 22. Soon, passersby will be able to revel in the plush seating and tall ceilings of what could be one of the nicest new hotel bars in town.

The Sydell Group once again partnered with Bar Lab owners Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi to bring Rudolph’s to life alongside designers Roman & Williams. The plan here is for daytime tea service to transition rather seamlessly into evening cocktails with a twist. There’s a full supply of booze labels to know and love, plus cocktails like a North African old fashioned and a collection of craft beers. The cool angle here is that all the cocktails are inspired by the flavors of tea or coffee. Hot tea is the early-evening move, as are the small plates from chef Alex Chang. The full menu is below.

Rudolph’s officially opens alongside the hotel next Thursday, keeping daily hours from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. The upstairs Broken Shaker bar will open later this summer.

Rudolph’s Bar & Tea
416 W. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA