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Dim cocktail lounge with lounge seating and bar in Santa Monica.
Canary, Santa Monica
Wonho Frank Lee

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Rage in Tropical Style at Santa Monica’s Colorful New Cocktail and Live Music Lounge

Canary opens this weekend in Santa Monica’s burgeoning downtown

by Matthew Kang
Photos by Wonho Frank Lee
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Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of Eater LA. He has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He's the host of K-Town, a YouTube series covering Korean food in America, and has been featured in Netflix's Street Food show.

Santa Monica’s always going to need a fresh place to drink cocktails, and the latest entrant Canary opens this weekend on November 8 right in the former West End. The dimly lit, clubby venue boasts colorful cocktails from longtime LA bartender Devin Espinosa, a tropical-inspired ambience, and live music every night. Pacific Coast Hospitality founders Nas Negahban and Wen Yeh bring some serious Hollywood-like energy to the beach-adjacent lounge with everything from jazz on Sundays to live acts and DJs late into the night.

Espinosa has built a cocktail menu (below) with tropical influences that reflects the design, with a rum, lemon, passionfruit, yellow Chartreuse, and mint drink called Gran Canaria that hearkens the Spanish tropical island (and this club’s name). The Cafe Fria comes with Giffard banana liqueur, rum agricole, cold brew coffee, pineapple, and stout syrup for a refreshing cooler weather sipper. Though Canary won’t have any food, it’ll arrange for various food trucks to park outside. Canary is open Wednesday to Friday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Sundays start December 8).

Canary. 1301 5th Street, Santa Monica, CA.

Colorful Canary interior with lounge seating Wonho Frank Lee
Modern bar with bottles and high chairs at Canary, Santa Monica.
Lush greenery and lounge seating with dim lights at Canary, Santa Monica.
Bar area with green lights at Canary.
Lounge tables at Canary with interior foliage.
Live music stage at Canary
Lounge area with foliage at Canary, Santa Monica.
La Frambuesa with mint garnish, raspberries, vodka, Canary, Santa Monica.
La Frambuesa with raspberries, vodka, bonal, lime, and angostura at Canary, Santa Monica
Desert rose cocktail at Canary Club.
Desert rose cocktail at Canary Club
Cafe fria cocktail at Canary.
Cafe fria cocktail at Canary
Sherry Baby cocktail with rum, orgeat, orange curacao, sherry at Canary.
Sherry Baby cocktail with rum, orgeat, orange curacao, sherry at Canary
Gran Canaria cocktail at Canary in a bird-shaped glass and mint garnish.
Gran Canaria cocktail
Viva Sandia with tequila blanco, aperol, and watermelon juice at Canary.
Viva Sandia with tequila blanco, aperol, and watermelon juice at Canary
Canary Club neon sign with hanging swing.

Canary Club

1301 5th Street, Santa MOnica, CA Visit Website
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