The Walker Inn, Once One of the World’s 50 Best Bars, Will Close

Los Angeles is losing one if its best cocktail bars next month, as February will mark the end of a nearly four-year run for the Walker Inn. The upscale, separate cocktail space was tucked quietly into the back of the Normandie Club (also a bar, attached to the redone Hotel Normandie complex) but had an outsized presence in the LA bar scene, even winning a nod as one of the World’s 50 Best bars.

The Walker Inn always operated as a rather unique place to drink. For starters the bar was reservation only when it first debuted, and leaned on an omakase-style menu where every drink was structured out and planned in advance by the bartenders. In early 2018, the popular Proprietors LLC team in charge of the Walker Inn totally overhauled the menu, changing from themed menus to tasting schedules and opening up more public nights that aligned with their sister bar, the Normandie Club. Now the bar will close altogether, with a final date to come in mid-February.

Reps for 213 Hospitality, which co-ran the Normandie Club with Proprietors LLC, send along the following note regarding the mutual split:

For almost four years, we’ve been proud to serve the Koreatown neighborhood and beyond with a highly innovative and thoughtful craft cocktail experience, bolstered by the hard work and dedication of Proprietors LLC, 213 Hospitality, and The Walker Inn’s talented bar team. The closure also marks the departure of Proprietors LLC from both Walker Inn and The Normandie Club. The Walker Inn space will be incorporated into The Normandie Club to accommodate the bar’s expansion, and will also serve as a venue for limited run and visiting cocktail concepts.

Both groups are still keeping busy, don’t worry. 213 Hospitality continues to run some of the most heavily-trafficked bars in Los Angeles, including the gorgeous new tenants at Union Station. Meanwhile, Proprietors LLC is ready to focus on their incoming Arts District bar Death & Co., also considered to be one of the best bars in the world. The final night of service for the Walker Inn is February 17, and Proprietors LLC reps tell Eater that they have plans to hopefully land another location for the Walker Inn somewhere else in the future.

The Walker Inn. 3612 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA.

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