Find skillfully prepared cocktails and mocktails in Los Angeles at restaurants, speakeasies, lounges, rooftops, and even hotel lobbies. The spots on this list include a mix of newer openings and older spots with revamped menus — all will provide the perfect backdrop for a great night out. Here are 13 hot cocktail spots to check out in LA right now. For more established venues, check out Eater’s essential cocktail map.
Read MoreThe 13 Hottest Cocktail Spots in Los Angeles
Sip LA’s newest drinks at these restaurants, bars, and lounges
Baroo
Los Angeles was thrilled when Baroo settled into the Arts District in 2023. Chef Kwang Uh’s five-course menu ($110 a person) is inspired by life phases, with wine or non-alcoholic pairing options. The Korean-inspired cocktails by Jason Lee are worth having conversations over, especially the Omija, mixing maesil soju with five-berry tea cordial.
Stay Zero Proof
Stay Zero Proof co-founders Stacey Mann and Summer Phoenix opened their non-alcoholic bar in Chinatown’s former punk rock venue Hong Kong Cafe. It’s now a stylish cocktail lounge experience with 12 drinks named for each Chinese zodiac sign. The Rabbit mixes elements of an Old Fashioned with Lyre’s Highland Malt, orange and chocolate mole bitters, ginger syrup, and cherry.
Bar CDMX
Bar CDMX showcases the flavors of Mexico’s bar scene, complete with arcade games and rock en Español. Agave-based spirits and rum are the focus with four options on draft: margaritas, mojitos, and mezcal palomas, while the Tropic Thunder is made with rum, orgeat syrup, pineapple, lemon, and ginger. Opt for the rum punch, caipirinha, or an Old Fashioned made with a spirit of choice.
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Sinners y Santos
LA nightlife veterans the Houston Brothers opened Sinners y Santos in September, bringing a bold Gothic cathedral-looking nightclub lounge decked out in stained glass, table service, and live lucha libre wrestling matches on a stage suspended above the bar. Expect guest DJs spinning behind a church organ booth and a cocktail menu by barman Devon Espinosa.
Mr. Wanderlust
At Downtown’s Level 8, Mr Wanderlust beverage director Devon Espinosa draws from bars and cocktail histories around the world. It’s an inventive approach that includes collaborations with exceptional bartenders at a rotating bar with live performances.
Shim Sham
Historic Filipinotown’s newest bar is what’s needed in every LA neighborhood — no fuss, $4 beers, outdoor seating, and $13 cocktails in a relaxed setting designed to foster conversation with the person sitting on an adjacent bar stool.
Jemma Hollywood
Jackson Kalb’s Hollywood restaurant pairs modern Italian American food with easy-sipping cocktails. The Bellezza is made with blanco tequila, Aperol, Bill’s honey, cucumber, and mint, which works as a sweet-bitter starter to things like spicy vodka rigatoni and a shareable veal Parmesan.
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Mars Hollywood
Mars opened directly behind Mother Wolf in January 2024 but isn’t affiliated with the restaurant. Find a posh indoor and outdoor space, a carefully curated wine list, and cocktails that cost at least $20. The Apollo, shaken with Bacardi 8, pineapple rum, lime, Crème de Banane liqueur, and banana foam, is particularly noteworthy. Mars is open to the public, but rare spirits can only be held on-site for members shelling out $5,000 per year.
Cold Shoulder Bar
While inside Fairfax’s Blue Collar Bar, look for the hostess who (with a password) will open the hidden bookcase entry to Cold Shoulder. Once seated, order a banana foster cocktail presented on an antique serving tray while observing the rugs and stools hanging from the ceiling, and the psychedelic paintings of U.S. presidents — it’s quite a vibe.
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Videre
From Videre’s rooftop, glance to one side for views of buildings, offices, and luxury condos, and in the other direction for a panoramic tableau of the Hollywood Hills. One can order a spritz, work from a laptop, or take a dip in the pool.
Holy Water
Woody Harrelson opened Holy Water next door to his cannabis consumption lounge, the Woods. The bar is cozy and seats only 30 people with some stunning cocktails made with or without booze.
Spago
Spago recently redesigned its bar and recruited award-winning barman Adam Fournier to run it. Fournier’s inventions are separated by category: light, medium, and full-bodied. The menu includes a section of higher-end drinks that start at $39, and a spirit-free menu as well. Of the lighter cocktails, the Spa Water is made with rums from Jamaica, Trinidad, and Martinique with pandan leaves, coconut water, aloe, lime, and crushed ice.
Si! Mon
This very dark and energetic Venice spot features two bars, one in the semi-outdoor dining area and another inside. Refreshing drinks like the lime leaf paloma, which mixes guava, mezcal, and grapefruit, pair well with the menu’s Panamanian-inflected bites including surf clam ceviche and fried chicken legs.