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A bright orange cocktail in a collins glass with lemon garnish and long straw at a daytime restaurant.
Hera Pheri from Baar Baar.
Wonho Frank Lee

The 14 Hottest Cocktail Spots in Los Angeles

Sip LA’s newest drinks at these restaurants, bars, and lounges

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Hera Pheri from Baar Baar.
| Wonho Frank Lee

Find Los Angeles’s hottest cocktails in both expected and untraditional settings, including hotel lobbies, new restaurants, and beloved lounges. The spots on this list include newer openings, typically less than six months old, along with new additions to cocktail bars that always hit the mark. (See the essential cocktail map for a list of more established venues.) Here are 14 hot cocktail spots to check out in LA.

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The Velvet Martini Lounge

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Above Vitello’s restaurant and the Rendition Room bar is the newly opened Velvet Martini Lounge: an Old Hollywood, Rat Pack-inspired lounge located in Studio City. The Velvet Martini Lounge aims to transport visitors to another time and place with live music, drinks, and dishes that stick to the theme, including an old-fashioned TV dinner that’s served on a metal tray. Cocktails are well-made, as they are in the rest of the building, and include Sammy’s Jazzerac, which comes together with rye, amaretto, bitters, and an absinthe rinse.

Mírate

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Spread across two bars, this sequel from the Mírame crew plays with agave spirits like tequila, mezcal, and bacanora infusing flavors like papaya and anise-y Xtabentun liqueur that have the inventive perspective of chef Joshua Gil’s Baja-inspired menu. Former Gracias Madre bartender Max Reis shakes a mean margarita too, except it’s made with aquachile, nopales granita, and coconut.

A bar with chairs, tables, hanging lights, and lit bottles at Mírate in Los Angeles, California.
Bar at Mírate in Los Feliz.
Sierra Prescott

The Den on Sunset

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After undergoing a renovation in late 2022, the Den on Sunset has a stunning new look, menu, and bar program. New drinks added just last month include the Mojave Magic, which features tequila with cactus fruit, jasmine, and lime, and the nonalcoholic Lodi Dodi, made with pomegranate juice, pineapple, lemon, ginger, basil, and egg white. There’s also an exciting new wine program that includes the classics alongside some French and Spanish pet nats and skin-contact orange wines.

Casa Madera

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Expect rooftop decadence from this West Hollywood newcomer at the Mondrian, where a mostly coastal Mexican menu leads diners to a thorough cocktail menu featuring lots of tequila and mezcal, a house margarita, and (in a bit of a surprise) a charred pineapple tepache, also made right on site. The nonalcoholic drinks are equally delicious, and the Sangrita is spicy, sweet, and fruit.

A dim corner of a Tulum-like wood and tan restaurant, before service.
Tulu-like dining area of Casa Madera in West Hollywood.
AVABLU

Bar Next Door

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This new addition to the Sunset Strip plays with all things retro. There are vintage touches, like an old reel-to-reel machine and even a menu that’s designed like an old newspaper, with classic cocktails alongside drinks like the La Cienaga, which features ingredients like cold brew, matcha, basil, and mint with a generous pour of rum.

A dark cocktail with chocolate tones against a moody tile in a new bar.
The Whisky a Go Go, made with two kinds of whiskey.
Stan Lee

Pijja Palace

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Pijja Palace’s new bar director Jason Lee (N/Soto) has created a new drink menu that takes inspiration from the Indian kitchen to create cocktails with ingredients like lentils and spices. The Chana Dal includes a lentil-based orgeat that adds earthiness, balanced with nutty and buttery ghee. The Kheer Royale is reminiscent of the spiced rice pudding and includes ingredients like pistachio, basmati rice, cardamom, and sparkling wine.

Baar Baar

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Baar Baar’s Bollywood-inspired menu is gorgeous enough that folks pay $15 to take it home. The modern Indian restaurant, which opened earlier this month, riffs on several classics. The Anarkali is a spin on a Negroni and features a potent dose of Darjeeling tea, while the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a twist on the tequila sunrise and comes with tamarind, aged balsamic, and blackberry syrup.

A purple-pink cocktail with a single cube and edible yellow flower inside a snifter glass.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with tequila, tamarind, balsamic, blackberry syrup, soda.
Wonho Frank Lee

Sendero

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Located on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton in Downtown LA, Sendero is a four-in-one dining concept that features the cuisines along the Pan American Highway, from LA through Mexico, Columbia, Peru, and Argentina. There are several dining options to accompany Downtown views: the seafood-driven Corteza, Argentinian steakhouse Leña, and the new Agave Library, where chef Kevin Luzande creates a tasting menu centered around a selection of rare and premium agave-based spirits. Cocktails at Corteza include the multisensory Palo Santo, made with bourbon, Carpano Antica Rosso, cynar amaro, bitters, and palo santo smoke.

An amber cocktail in a clear glass plus a wooden smoker being smoked with palo santo.
Sendero’s Palo Santo cocktail.
Don Riddle

This intimate cocktail lounge in the Proper Hotel in Downtown LA has just 18 seats. Expect a pared-down menu with Iberian-inspired bites and classic cocktails prepared using rare and small-batch liquors, plus a roving cocktail cart that delivers drinks table-side.

An amber-colored drink in a clear glass with an orange peel garnish at Dahlia in Los Angeles.
The Old Fashioned at Dahlia Lounge in Downtown LA.
Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel

Wine House Kitchen

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A true hidden gem, this upstairs dining area has been a popular West LA wine bar for years but has recently gotten a refresh from Francois Renaud and a team of industry vets. Bartender Chris Grosso, formerly of Blind Barber and Viale dei Romani, mixes new takes on classic cocktails like the Liquid Sunshine, blending rye, Cointreau, honey, and lemon.

Wine House Kitchen, a moody wine bar and dining area with minimalist furniture.
Interior of Wine House Kitchen in West LA.
Francois Renaud

Featuring one of the prettiest new interior designs in Los Angeles, Juliet comes from the restaurateur behind Norah and Margot, which also offer great-looking spaces to go along with polished fare. Juliet leans more heavily into French bistro, with the cocktails following suit, like the cognac, rye, and Benedictine sipper called Mon Coeur or the Special Potion, mixing calvados, absinthe, apple, and egg white.

A yellow and orange cocktail in tall glasses on a round marble table with wood accents.
Cocktails on the table at Juliet in Culver City.
Liz Barclay

19 Town

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Sporting one of the coolest spaces in the eastern SGV, 19 Town serves modern Chinese fare and baijiu cocktails to a well-heeled crowd. Bartenders work in elderflower and even plum juice, a nod to a popular Sichuan beverage that helps quell spicy flavors.

Cocktail bar and patio of 19 Town in City of Industry.
Cocktail bar and patio of 19 Town in City of Industry.
Wonho Frank Lee

Gin Rummy

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Following Nueva’s closure in early May, bar proprietor Jared Meisler (the Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch, the Friend) and David and Patti Reiss of Reiss Co. (the Brig and the Alibi Room) opened cocktail bar Gin Rummy in the same Marina del Rey space on May 26. Gin Rummy is a celebration of beach bars and will serve classic, tropical, and original cocktails, like piña coladas, frozen margaritas, and more boozy and booze-free options.

Baby Gee

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With relaxed thrift store vibes and a friendly neighborhood dive bar feel, this new entrant in Long Beach from two established LA bar veterans keeps things simple with approachable but well-crafted drinks and a ’70s-style menu of easy bites, from crudites to honey-drizzled flatbreads.

A green and pink dive bar at daytime.
Baby Gee in Long Beach.
Brian Addison

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The Velvet Martini Lounge

Above Vitello’s restaurant and the Rendition Room bar is the newly opened Velvet Martini Lounge: an Old Hollywood, Rat Pack-inspired lounge located in Studio City. The Velvet Martini Lounge aims to transport visitors to another time and place with live music, drinks, and dishes that stick to the theme, including an old-fashioned TV dinner that’s served on a metal tray. Cocktails are well-made, as they are in the rest of the building, and include Sammy’s Jazzerac, which comes together with rye, amaretto, bitters, and an absinthe rinse.

Mírate

Spread across two bars, this sequel from the Mírame crew plays with agave spirits like tequila, mezcal, and bacanora infusing flavors like papaya and anise-y Xtabentun liqueur that have the inventive perspective of chef Joshua Gil’s Baja-inspired menu. Former Gracias Madre bartender Max Reis shakes a mean margarita too, except it’s made with aquachile, nopales granita, and coconut.

A bar with chairs, tables, hanging lights, and lit bottles at Mírate in Los Angeles, California.
Bar at Mírate in Los Feliz.
Sierra Prescott

The Den on Sunset

After undergoing a renovation in late 2022, the Den on Sunset has a stunning new look, menu, and bar program. New drinks added just last month include the Mojave Magic, which features tequila with cactus fruit, jasmine, and lime, and the nonalcoholic Lodi Dodi, made with pomegranate juice, pineapple, lemon, ginger, basil, and egg white. There’s also an exciting new wine program that includes the classics alongside some French and Spanish pet nats and skin-contact orange wines.

Casa Madera

Expect rooftop decadence from this West Hollywood newcomer at the Mondrian, where a mostly coastal Mexican menu leads diners to a thorough cocktail menu featuring lots of tequila and mezcal, a house margarita, and (in a bit of a surprise) a charred pineapple tepache, also made right on site. The nonalcoholic drinks are equally delicious, and the Sangrita is spicy, sweet, and fruit.

A dim corner of a Tulum-like wood and tan restaurant, before service.
Tulu-like dining area of Casa Madera in West Hollywood.
AVABLU

Bar Next Door

This new addition to the Sunset Strip plays with all things retro. There are vintage touches, like an old reel-to-reel machine and even a menu that’s designed like an old newspaper, with classic cocktails alongside drinks like the La Cienaga, which features ingredients like cold brew, matcha, basil, and mint with a generous pour of rum.

A dark cocktail with chocolate tones against a moody tile in a new bar.
The Whisky a Go Go, made with two kinds of whiskey.
Stan Lee

Pijja Palace

Pijja Palace’s new bar director Jason Lee (N/Soto) has created a new drink menu that takes inspiration from the Indian kitchen to create cocktails with ingredients like lentils and spices. The Chana Dal includes a lentil-based orgeat that adds earthiness, balanced with nutty and buttery ghee. The Kheer Royale is reminiscent of the spiced rice pudding and includes ingredients like pistachio, basmati rice, cardamom, and sparkling wine.

Baar Baar

Baar Baar’s Bollywood-inspired menu is gorgeous enough that folks pay $15 to take it home. The modern Indian restaurant, which opened earlier this month, riffs on several classics. The Anarkali is a spin on a Negroni and features a potent dose of Darjeeling tea, while the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a twist on the tequila sunrise and comes with tamarind, aged balsamic, and blackberry syrup.

A purple-pink cocktail with a single cube and edible yellow flower inside a snifter glass.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with tequila, tamarind, balsamic, blackberry syrup, soda.
Wonho Frank Lee

Sendero

Located on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton in Downtown LA, Sendero is a four-in-one dining concept that features the cuisines along the Pan American Highway, from LA through Mexico, Columbia, Peru, and Argentina. There are several dining options to accompany Downtown views: the seafood-driven Corteza, Argentinian steakhouse Leña, and the new Agave Library, where chef Kevin Luzande creates a tasting menu centered around a selection of rare and premium agave-based spirits. Cocktails at Corteza include the multisensory Palo Santo, made with bourbon, Carpano Antica Rosso, cynar amaro, bitters, and palo santo smoke.

An amber cocktail in a clear glass plus a wooden smoker being smoked with palo santo.
Sendero’s Palo Santo cocktail.
Don Riddle

Dahlia

This intimate cocktail lounge in the Proper Hotel in Downtown LA has just 18 seats. Expect a pared-down menu with Iberian-inspired bites and classic cocktails prepared using rare and small-batch liquors, plus a roving cocktail cart that delivers drinks table-side.

An amber-colored drink in a clear glass with an orange peel garnish at Dahlia in Los Angeles.
The Old Fashioned at Dahlia Lounge in Downtown LA.
Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel

Wine House Kitchen

A true hidden gem, this upstairs dining area has been a popular West LA wine bar for years but has recently gotten a refresh from Francois Renaud and a team of industry vets. Bartender Chris Grosso, formerly of Blind Barber and Viale dei Romani, mixes new takes on classic cocktails like the Liquid Sunshine, blending rye, Cointreau, honey, and lemon.

Wine House Kitchen, a moody wine bar and dining area with minimalist furniture.
Interior of Wine House Kitchen in West LA.
Francois Renaud

Juliet

Featuring one of the prettiest new interior designs in Los Angeles, Juliet comes from the restaurateur behind Norah and Margot, which also offer great-looking spaces to go along with polished fare. Juliet leans more heavily into French bistro, with the cocktails following suit, like the cognac, rye, and Benedictine sipper called Mon Coeur or the Special Potion, mixing calvados, absinthe, apple, and egg white.

A yellow and orange cocktail in tall glasses on a round marble table with wood accents.
Cocktails on the table at Juliet in Culver City.
Liz Barclay

19 Town

Sporting one of the coolest spaces in the eastern SGV, 19 Town serves modern Chinese fare and baijiu cocktails to a well-heeled crowd. Bartenders work in elderflower and even plum juice, a nod to a popular Sichuan beverage that helps quell spicy flavors.

Cocktail bar and patio of 19 Town in City of Industry.
Cocktail bar and patio of 19 Town in City of Industry.
Wonho Frank Lee

Gin Rummy

Following Nueva’s closure in early May, bar proprietor Jared Meisler (the Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch, the Friend) and David and Patti Reiss of Reiss Co. (the Brig and the Alibi Room) opened cocktail bar Gin Rummy in the same Marina del Rey space on May 26. Gin Rummy is a celebration of beach bars and will serve classic, tropical, and original cocktails, like piña coladas, frozen margaritas, and more boozy and booze-free options.

Baby Gee

With relaxed thrift store vibes and a friendly neighborhood dive bar feel, this new entrant in Long Beach from two established LA bar veterans keeps things simple with approachable but well-crafted drinks and a ’70s-style menu of easy bites, from crudites to honey-drizzled flatbreads.

A green and pink dive bar at daytime.
Baby Gee in Long Beach.
Brian Addison

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