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Where to Drink in Los Angeles, Spring 2014

by Matthew Kang@mattatouille Apr 9, 2014, 5:50am PDT

4 comments / new

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by Matthew Kang@mattatouille Apr 9, 2014, 5:50am PDT

4 comments / new

The cocktail scene in Los Angeles has never been better. The proliferation of well-made drinks has made diners and imbibers not only want the best, but expect the best, from men and women behind the bar. The trademark style of L.A.'s cocktail might be the use of fresh produce available in farmers markets, but also the strength of the city's committed cocktailians and mixologists that make drinking so enjoyable this time of year. Couple that with a wealth of great looking rooms, lounges, bars and restaurants, and one has a terrific selection of places to drink around town. With a major revamp, presenting Eater's Drink Heatmap for Spring 2014.

4/30/13: Added: littlefork, The Corner Door, Freddy Smalls, FEED Body + Soul, Cliff's Edge, Goldie's, Bestia, Corazon y Miel, Paiche, Son of a Gun, Crossroads, RivaBella, Drago Centro, Bludso's Bar & Que

10/28/13: Added: Warwick, Honeycut, Shutters, The Church Key, Pitfire Pizza Fairfax

12/27/13: Added: Scopa, Petty Cash Taqueria, Wolf & Crane, Acabar

4/9/14: Added: The Wallace, Gracias Madre, Bar Jackalope, The Tasting Kitchen, Faith & Flower, Melrose Umbrella Co., POT Bar, Bourbon Steak, Bigfoot Lodge

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Scopa Italian Roots

Bar pros Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix make what might be the hottest place to get a drink in Venice, with Italian twists put on a modern cocktail menu that won't break the bank either, as most drinks hover $9-12. Try the house negroni.

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The Corner Door

Bartender Beau Du Bois really meshes the best of classic cocktail making with the new cadre of great spirits available on the market. A master of blending liqueurs, try the Mezcallin for a smokey, gingery drink or a seasonal pick like the Rapier and Dagger made with scotch, cognac, benedictine, amaro and creme de peche. The ambiance tends to be more relaxed, making for a more pleasant cocktail experience.

12477 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90066

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Honeycut

Honeycut, the new downtown bar and (light up) dancing facility from 213's Cedd Moses, has a proper bar program by David Kaplan, Alex Day and Devon Tarby of Proprietors, LLC. A whopping 50 drinks are on offer in the bar room, meanwhile the dance/disco room serves bottled cocktails and cocktails on draft.

819 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The Spare Room

Blending a mix of tried & true cocktails and some seasonal ones, the Spare Room is still one of the best places to grab a drink. Think choices like Love Ain't for Keeping, with Plymouth dry and sloe gin, lillet blanc and peach bitters for something refreshing, or perhaps a super gingery Moscow Mule or one of the house-made barrel aged cocktails to go along with some fancy late-night bowling.

7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Bestia

The cocktail menu put together by Julian Cox keeps it simple on the front and complex at the end, with drinks like Aromatic exuding persimmon-infused rye, dry vermouth, amer-Bestia (instead of Picon), and maraschino.

2121 E. 7th Place, Los Angeles, Ca 90021

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The Church Key

The Church Key has a plethora of fun ways to imbibe, thanks to bartender Devon Espinosa. There's Negronis in a can and adult iced push pops in flavors like lemon drop and apple martini, which are served from old Delta airlines service carts. Off the regular bar menu go for the Pink Lips with Grey Goose La Poire, lime, Pama Espuma, and Champagne.

8730 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Warwick

Warwick is a rustic Hollywood nightclub with craft cocktails by Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room. Think quality beverages from one of the venue's bars or even tableside drinks made by a "cocktail attendant." Instead of the usual cranberry, tonic, and orange juice, those who order a bottle receive fresh juice, housemade syrup or bitters, seasonal garnishes, housemade "foams," and fancy ice.

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Petty Cash Taqueria

Julian Cox makes a small, accessible cocktail list for this uber-popular Mexican taco spot by Walter Manzke. The paloma might be the strongest version ever done, with the most amount of salt and tang possibly mixed into a drink. The draft cocktails are a relative bargain too.

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Acabar

Julian Cox and Josh Goldman do classic drinks right with a thoroughly reimagined approach to making everything from tiki drinks to old-school favorites like the sherry cobbler. The arresting room, completely redone in the former Dar Maghreb space doesn't hurt either.

Open in Google Maps

7651 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

The Wallace

This Culver City newcomer has all the hallmarks of a great farm-to-table restaurant, and the cocktails are right up there with the food. Consider the Fun Flask, made with coffee-infused scotch, cognac, and chocolate chili bitters. Or for something with more freshness, try the Dream Catcher, made with vodka, ginger, yellow Chartreuse, and lime juice.

3833 Main St, Culver City, CA 90232

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Gracias Madre

With a stellar mezcal and tequila program, this expansive vegan Mexican eatery in West Hollywood shouldn't need a great cocktail menu. But it does, and the boozy horchata made with almond milk and mezcal, or the more refined La Ciudad, composed of tequila, dry vermouth, amaro, and orange bitters for a stirred drink that stands up to tortas.

8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Bar Jackalope at Seven Grand

This Japanese whisky bar cut out of the expansive Seven Grand space in Downtown is a different kind of vibe from Cedd Moses. Intimate, settled, and focused on a superior brown liquor experience, imbibers can even buy a bottle to finish on another occasion. Or right away.

Open in Google Maps

Los Angeles, CA

The Tasting Kitchen

Though the bar program remains as solid as ever under the direction of barman Justin Pike, it's time to reconsider The Tasting Kitchen as perhaps the best place to grab a drink on Abbot Kinney. Consider the barrel-aged cocktails, like the Negroni.

1633 Abbot Kinney Rd, Venice, CA 90291

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Faith & Flower

This grand Downtown restaurant has a stellar bar program helmed by Michael Lay, who put together the menu in Monterrey's 1833. Using seven different kinds of ice and boasting a Russian-style absinthe service, standout drinks include the English Milk Punch and the Adonis, made with sherry, angelica tincture, royal combier, china-amer and orange bitters. (yes, believe it)

705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Melrose Umbrella Co

With cocktails by Zach Patterson and a helping hand from Julian Cox, this stunning lounge in the heart of Melrose feature antique design elements from Matt Winter. Using housemade syrups, tonics, and tinctures, the program is just as artisanal as the look itself.

7465 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Crossroads Los Angeles

Cocktails in a vegan restaurant? Yes, believe it, thanks to Jeremy Lake, who puts together fresh ingredients that are no only conducive to the inventive plant-based fare, but also borderline healthy themselves. Consider the tea-infused gin, or Beast of Burden, made with tequila and coconut water.

8284 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

Also featured in:

POT Bar

Matthew Biancaniello takes the Korean-inspired drinks at POT to another level, thanks to ingredients like uni, natto, and mushrooms, but the intoxicants simply burst with flavor at this whimsical bar in The Line Hotel's bustling lobby.

Open in Google Maps

3515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Bourbon Steak

The drinks are definitely a step up the typical steakhouse at this Glendale meat emporium thanks to the Japanese whiskey cart, which brings a classic Tokyo whiskey bar to the Americana at Brand.

237 S. Brand Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91204

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Bigfoot Lodge

Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello take the drinks at this Atwater Village classic to another level, to coincide with the overall makeover of the interior. Featuring small-batch whiskies, the menu riffs off campfire classics to offer drinks like the Cookie Duster, made with whiskey, chocolate liquer, and cream, or the Donkey Punch, made with El Silencio mezcal, vanilla liqueur, and mint.

Open in Google Maps

3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

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Scopa Italian Roots

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Bar pros Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix make what might be the hottest place to get a drink in Venice, with Italian twists put on a modern cocktail menu that won't break the bank either, as most drinks hover $9-12. Try the house negroni.

2905 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Visit Website

The Corner Door

12477 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90066

Bartender Beau Du Bois really meshes the best of classic cocktail making with the new cadre of great spirits available on the market. A master of blending liqueurs, try the Mezcallin for a smokey, gingery drink or a seasonal pick like the Rapier and Dagger made with scotch, cognac, benedictine, amaro and creme de peche. The ambiance tends to be more relaxed, making for a more pleasant cocktail experience.

12477 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90066

Visit Website

Honeycut

819 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Honeycut, the new downtown bar and (light up) dancing facility from 213's Cedd Moses, has a proper bar program by David Kaplan, Alex Day and Devon Tarby of Proprietors, LLC. A whopping 50 drinks are on offer in the bar room, meanwhile the dance/disco room serves bottled cocktails and cocktails on draft.

819 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Visit Website

The Spare Room

7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Blending a mix of tried & true cocktails and some seasonal ones, the Spare Room is still one of the best places to grab a drink. Think choices like Love Ain't for Keeping, with Plymouth dry and sloe gin, lillet blanc and peach bitters for something refreshing, or perhaps a super gingery Moscow Mule or one of the house-made barrel aged cocktails to go along with some fancy late-night bowling.

7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Visit Website

Bestia

2121 E. 7th Place, Los Angeles, Ca 90021

The cocktail menu put together by Julian Cox keeps it simple on the front and complex at the end, with drinks like Aromatic exuding persimmon-infused rye, dry vermouth, amer-Bestia (instead of Picon), and maraschino.

2121 E. 7th Place, Los Angeles, Ca 90021

Visit Website

The Church Key

8730 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

The Church Key has a plethora of fun ways to imbibe, thanks to bartender Devon Espinosa. There's Negronis in a can and adult iced push pops in flavors like lemon drop and apple martini, which are served from old Delta airlines service carts. Off the regular bar menu go for the Pink Lips with Grey Goose La Poire, lime, Pama Espuma, and Champagne.

8730 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Visit Website

Warwick

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Warwick is a rustic Hollywood nightclub with craft cocktails by Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room. Think quality beverages from one of the venue's bars or even tableside drinks made by a "cocktail attendant." Instead of the usual cranberry, tonic, and orange juice, those who order a bottle receive fresh juice, housemade syrup or bitters, seasonal garnishes, housemade "foams," and fancy ice.

6507 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Visit Website

Petty Cash Taqueria

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Julian Cox makes a small, accessible cocktail list for this uber-popular Mexican taco spot by Walter Manzke. The paloma might be the strongest version ever done, with the most amount of salt and tang possibly mixed into a drink. The draft cocktails are a relative bargain too.

7360 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Visit Website

Acabar

7651 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Julian Cox and Josh Goldman do classic drinks right with a thoroughly reimagined approach to making everything from tiki drinks to old-school favorites like the sherry cobbler. The arresting room, completely redone in the former Dar Maghreb space doesn't hurt either.

Open in Google Maps

7651 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

The Wallace

3833 Main St, Culver City, CA 90232

This Culver City newcomer has all the hallmarks of a great farm-to-table restaurant, and the cocktails are right up there with the food. Consider the Fun Flask, made with coffee-infused scotch, cognac, and chocolate chili bitters. Or for something with more freshness, try the Dream Catcher, made with vodka, ginger, yellow Chartreuse, and lime juice.

3833 Main St, Culver City, CA 90232

Visit Website

Gracias Madre

8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

With a stellar mezcal and tequila program, this expansive vegan Mexican eatery in West Hollywood shouldn't need a great cocktail menu. But it does, and the boozy horchata made with almond milk and mezcal, or the more refined La Ciudad, composed of tequila, dry vermouth, amaro, and orange bitters for a stirred drink that stands up to tortas.

8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Visit Website

Bar Jackalope at Seven Grand

Los Angeles, CA

This Japanese whisky bar cut out of the expansive Seven Grand space in Downtown is a different kind of vibe from Cedd Moses. Intimate, settled, and focused on a superior brown liquor experience, imbibers can even buy a bottle to finish on another occasion. Or right away.

Open in Google Maps

Los Angeles, CA

The Tasting Kitchen

1633 Abbot Kinney Rd, Venice, CA 90291

Though the bar program remains as solid as ever under the direction of barman Justin Pike, it's time to reconsider The Tasting Kitchen as perhaps the best place to grab a drink on Abbot Kinney. Consider the barrel-aged cocktails, like the Negroni.

1633 Abbot Kinney Rd, Venice, CA 90291

Visit Website

Faith & Flower

705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

This grand Downtown restaurant has a stellar bar program helmed by Michael Lay, who put together the menu in Monterrey's 1833. Using seven different kinds of ice and boasting a Russian-style absinthe service, standout drinks include the English Milk Punch and the Adonis, made with sherry, angelica tincture, royal combier, china-amer and orange bitters. (yes, believe it)

705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Visit Website

Melrose Umbrella Co

7465 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

With cocktails by Zach Patterson and a helping hand from Julian Cox, this stunning lounge in the heart of Melrose feature antique design elements from Matt Winter. Using housemade syrups, tonics, and tinctures, the program is just as artisanal as the look itself.

7465 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

Related Maps

Crossroads Los Angeles

8284 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Cocktails in a vegan restaurant? Yes, believe it, thanks to Jeremy Lake, who puts together fresh ingredients that are no only conducive to the inventive plant-based fare, but also borderline healthy themselves. Consider the tea-infused gin, or Beast of Burden, made with tequila and coconut water.

8284 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

POT Bar

3515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Matthew Biancaniello takes the Korean-inspired drinks at POT to another level, thanks to ingredients like uni, natto, and mushrooms, but the intoxicants simply burst with flavor at this whimsical bar in The Line Hotel's bustling lobby.

Open in Google Maps

3515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Bourbon Steak

237 S. Brand Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91204

The drinks are definitely a step up the typical steakhouse at this Glendale meat emporium thanks to the Japanese whiskey cart, which brings a classic Tokyo whiskey bar to the Americana at Brand.

237 S. Brand Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91204

Visit Website

Bigfoot Lodge

3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello take the drinks at this Atwater Village classic to another level, to coincide with the overall makeover of the interior. Featuring small-batch whiskies, the menu riffs off campfire classics to offer drinks like the Cookie Duster, made with whiskey, chocolate liquer, and cream, or the Donkey Punch, made with El Silencio mezcal, vanilla liqueur, and mint.

Open in Google Maps

3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039