A Two-Story Cocktail Palace Opens at the Historic Hotel Figueroa in Downtown LA

Dushan Zaric of NYC’s Employees Only bar has been on a tear lately, recently opening a branch of his iconic cocktail spot in West Hollywood. He’s also been tasked with launching bar spaces inside the multi-faceted and historic Hotel Figueroa in Downtown LA, and its latest addition is called Rick’s, which opened last night. It’s a two-story standalone building on the far side of the hotel’s pool serving breezy tropical drinks with a view of Downtown and the poolside.

The cocktail menu, which Beverage Director Michael Lay (Broken Spanish) built with Zaric, features a Mai Tai with a laundry list of ingredients from rum and curacao to vanilla demerara and atomized charbay black walnut. A drink called Pango Pango employs Japanese Toki whisky and Jamaican rum finished with sherry, kiwi, banana, and white balsamic for a refreshing but somewhat unexpected sipper. A requisite daiquiri mixes rum and lime with some fresh pineapple and bitters while the Joe’s Mojo, a take on a mojito, gets a sour kick from tamarind.

There are two entrances to the bar, one from the hotel side and another on Cottage Place, a small street that runs parallel to Figueroa and gives easy entry to anyone heading to or from Staples Center and LA Live. Hours run 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

Rick’s. 939 S. Figueroa Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 213-660-3032.

• Inside the Hotel Figueroa’s Gorgeous Remodel [ELA]
• All Hotel Figueroa Coverage [ELA]

Wonho Frank Lee

Wonho Frank Lee