Los Angeles has been on the forefront of the craft cocktail movement for the past few decades using avant-garde techniques along with California's micro-seasonal produce. That innovation still shines through today with some marked shifts: While agave-based spirits are part of the region's DNA, martinis are definitely having a moment, along with Japanese whisky highballs. And, if you’re ‘California sober,' non-alcoholic options are just as inventive these days.
With its glamorous bars in Beverly Hills, old Hollywood haunts and cool downtown dives that shake up some of the most inventive concoctions, LA remains serious about its tipples and the environs in which they imbibe. After all, you need to make sure that hot new watering hole – or old classic - is worth crossing the 101 or 405 freeway during rush hour. To get you started, here is our selection of the best bars in Los Angeles spanning Eastside to Westside; from rooftops with a view to lively speakeasy basements; or mysterious hideaways with clinking artisan ice-cubes – and everything in between.
The Wallpaper* guide to the best bars in Los Angeles
Accomplice
For the best cocktails on the Westside, head to Mar Vista. There you’ll find Chef David Kuo’s trailblazing Taiwanese soul food joint Little Fatty and its award-winning partner-in-crime, Accomplice. Pull up a stool beneath the mural by Grammy-nominated illustrator Josh Cochran and take your time to explore an inventive, experimental menu overseen by Adam George Fournier, the 2021 US Bartender of the Year. The new cocktail list nods to the Asian flavours of the kitchen while drawing inspiration from LA’s historic neighbourhoods – don’t miss the Little Tokyo, their light, floral take on a martini, which pairs excellently with the signature XO Fatty noodles.
Accomplice is located at 3811 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA.
Bar Avoja
Avoja is slang for ‘hell yeah’ in Italian and this sentiment pervades this bar's Rome-inspired cocktails, fine wines, pizzas and other Italian snacks. It's a concept from Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf Group and gives you the chance to order a few of the award-winning chef’s popular nibbles without braving a tough reservation at Mother Wolf itself. The clubby space is wrapped in rich walnut woods and red velvet seating, and is a sexy date night outing with occasional live music, and the perfect upscale lounging space to begin or end your evening with one hell of a Negroni.
Bar Avoja is located at 1545 Wilcox Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Bar Benjamin
Co-owned and designed by industry veteran Jared Meisler (The Roger Room and Bar Lubitsch), this bar's speakeasy vibe includes vintage inspired listening lounge speakers, and high-back mohair banquettes. Martinis are the move from the clarified Tzatziki version with yogurt to Girl Dinner with vodka and green tea, or the stiffer Ben’s Martini with Monkey 47 Gin and lemon oil. You will want to order more of the addictive Kennebec triple-fried chips that accompany the last drink – and possibly with caviar service on the next round.
Bar Benjamin is located at 7174 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046, United States
Bar Next Door
Helmed by Lawrence Longo (Prince Street Pizza and Irv’s Burgers), this Art Deco-inspired bar serves cocktails that are inspired by iconic locations nearby from legendary landmarks such as the Chateau Marmont to Hustler Hollywood, with signature cocktails by the same name. Bar director Brynn Smith has a following for her whimsical libations that channel the rich cultural tapestry of the area’s storied rock-n-roll past.
Bar Next Door is located at 9159 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States
Beaudry Room
Located in the cultural hub of Downtown LA, the Conrad Los Angeles is one of only two hotels in the world designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry. And, you can bask in a view of his iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall from any seat in the sleek Beaudry Room designed by Tara Bernerd. As if that were not enough, molecular cocktails and tapas by chef and humanitarian José Andrés are on the menu.
The Beaudry Room is located at 100 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
Dante Beverly Hills
In location terms, Dante is hard to beat. Perched on top of The Maybourne luxury hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills, its rooftop views extend from the snowy peaks of the San Gabriel mountains all the way to the Hollywood Hills. Inside, the decor is just as easy on the eye thanks to creative director Nathalie Hudson’s careful curation and a colourful fresco depicting Southern Californian plants and birdlife by LA-based artist Abel Macias. Luckily, the drinks are also top tier, from the signature Garibaldi (Campari and ‘fluffy’ orange juice) to the six different types of martini, each available daily at a special rate during ‘martini hour’ from 3 to 5 pm.
Dante Beverly Hills is located at The Maybourne, 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA.
Death & Co
This New York transplant defined modern cocktail culture with its keen approach to balance and technique. But, if there was an award for darkest bar in town, this basement level hideaway behind a cloaked curtain would be winner hands down. A few things you might have over looked while stumbling out into the light: they offer a special half martini cocktail – another growing trend, which is perfect if you want to try a few other concoctions – and, they have a smaller bar they open on weekends when it gets busy, that is darker still.
Death & Co is located at 818 E. 3rd, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States
Employees Only
Speaking of New York, Employees Only is another Big Apple imports that blends speakeasy vibes with LA glamour and some of the city’s most groundbreaking craft cocktails. Start with a smoky ‘When in Oaxaca’ mezcal creation or a ‘Cookies and Cafecito’ with Mr. Black coffee liqueur, and chai tea to keep the buzz going. Seasonal drinks with fresh ingredients are a given here, but the wagyu steak frites with Oaxacan mole is also worth a visit, and it’s a top date-night spot to boot.
Employees Only is located at 7953 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046, United States
Good Neighbor Bar
If you love highballs, tiki punches and frothy, tropical-style drinks, this is the spot, operated by the team behind longstanding staples Everson Royce Bar and Silver Lake Wine. Sleek wood banquettes line the room with carved black timber walls and other recycled materials from the area (pre Los Angeles fire) collected by owner Randy Clement and his sons, that were turned into an intriguing backdrop by artist Tony Brown – who has a margarita on the menu named after him. For fresh air, check out the patio set-up for various events and BBQ’s that almost become like a parking lot block party with throngs of locals showing up – a sign of resilience in an area still recovering from the 2025 inferno.
Good Neighbor Bar is located at 2311 Lincoln Ave, Altadena, CA 91001, United States
The Georgian Room
If these deep red walls could talk, you'd surely be stuck at the Georgian Room for a lifetime. This bar is tucked beneath one of Santa Monica’s historic landmarks – hallowed Hollywood ground in the 1930s when everyone from Judy Garland to Clark Gable to 'Bugsy' Siegel were regulars. While the Steinway from 1918 remains, a modern version has emerged, designed by Fettle, with round green leather banquettes, retaining the glamour of jazz, and an array of martinis, curated by bar director Jerom Morris.
The Georgian Room is located at 1415 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States
Hotel Bel-Air Bar & Lounge
Walk by a pond full of floating swans and you'll discover a chic bar designed by David Rockwell with giant Norman Seeff images of Tina Turner and Mick Jagger. The people watching here is also some of the best in town and you never know when your favourite Hollywood A-lister might saunter in. This feels like a taste of long-lost glamour with plush décor, a roaring fireplace and a sleek grand piano providing live music.
Hotel Bel-Air is located at 701 Stone Canyon Road Los Angeles, CA 90077, United States
Mirate
This Mexican restaurant in Los Feliz is breathtakingly designed, with a 40-foot tree rising up from its central courtyard and Oaxacan-influenced decor by Adean Studios, but that isn’t why it’s been named one of North America’s 50 Best Bars for two years running. That well-earned acclaim is all to do with beverage director Max Reis and his dedication to hand-selecting an ultrarare collection of mezcals and tequilas and blending them with oft-overlooked ingredients such as tepache, a traditional Mexican drink made from fermented pineapple, and pulque, made with agave. Stand-out cocktails include El Guero, their aqua chile-inspired take on a margarita.
Mirate is located at 1712 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
Musso & Frank Grill
To take a seat at Musso & Frank’s dark mahogany bar is to participate in a magic trick that reawakens the golden age of the movie business. Hollywood’s oldest restaurant opened in 1919, and glancing around at the leather banquettes and red-jacketed waiters will tell you that precious little has changed since. The storied bar has a lengthy list of screen credits that would make any A-lister envious, notably playing itself in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. It’s here that Brad Pitt orders a Bloody Mary while Leonardo Di Caprio knocks back a whisky sour, but there’s nothing on the menu finer than their perfect martini, served with an overflow carafe in its own miniature ice bucket.
Musso & Frank Grill is located at 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA.
Old Lightning
Looking for history in a glass? This small, mid-century style bar has an air of ‘insider secrecy’ from the hidden side entrance behind Scopa Italian Roots eatery, to the exceptionally rare bottles they pour. This might include vintage Four Roses bourbon expressions from a large format bottle, matured six years, produced by Seagram's in the 1990s and exported exclusively for the international market. Most of these disappeared from circulation decades ago but you can find such rare treasures here on the border of Venice and Marina del Rey.
Old Lightning is located at 2905 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292, United States
Or Bar
West Hollywood has no shortage of great places to party, but prior to 2023, it lacked a truly exceptional cocktail lounge. The remedy, courtesy of Rob Novinger and Stephanie Schestag-Muriano, is the chic, French disco-inspired Or Bar. The space is exquisitely designed, from the exterior hand-painted black-and-gold mural by Londubh Studio to the stunning, custom-made 3,700-piece crystal chandelier and the walls filled with elegant art, including a Ken Price original silkscreen print. Little wonder they took home last year’s John Chase Design Award from the City of West Hollywood. By day Or Bar serves first-rate La Colombe coffee, which they also put to good use at night in their signature Espress-Or Martini.
Or Bar is located at 8228 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046, USA.
The Raymond 1886 Bar
Step back into California’s Gilded Age in this beautifully preserved example of American Craftsman architecture that dates to 1901. Once the caretaker’s cottage for Pasadena’s esteemed Raymond hotel, itself built in 1886, the bar’s more recent claim to fame is as a pioneer of craft cocktails in Southern California. So while the decor may be historic, with low ceilings and Victorian wallpaper, the drinks are cutting edge. A highlight of the new menu is the Charred Sunset, made with a delicate mezcal strawberry foam, while the attention to detail even extends to the meticulous, drink-specific ice cut using a table saw in the property’s dedicated ice room.
The Raymond 1886 is located at 1250 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA.
Real Charmer
Located in Virgil Village, this dimly lit retro space with hidden corner banquettes for canoodling could be the scene of a plot-twist in a Raymond Chandler novel. But it’s actually one of the newer bars in LA owned by Dustin Lancaster, who gave Angelenos wildly popular Capri Club and Bar Covell. The cocktails here are just as thoughtful with an entire book dedicated to the history and origins of each creation, which include a sesame oil Japanese whisky highball.
Real Charmer is located at 864 N. Virgil Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029, United States
The Roger Room
The Roger Room may be dark and intimate, but it’s no dive bar. Located next door to celebrated comedy institution Largo at the Coronet, this half-hidden spot in Beverly Grove was reinvented by nightlife impresarios Jared Meisler and Sean MacPherson in 2009 with circus murals and old-school decor to mimic the legendary Bemelmans Bar in New York. The speakeasy ambience is accentuated by the elevated cocktail list, which includes popular highlights like the Tijuana Brass, a twist on a Tommy’s Margarita topped with cucumber meringue, and the Old Sport, which combines gin with a black tea-infused lychee liqueur.
The Roger Room is located at 370 La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
Thunderbolt
Located on the edge of Echo Park and historic Filipino town, this bar consistently ranks on the coveted 50 Best Bar list, and took the title for most sustainable North American bar in 2025. This is not a showy bar but a serious line-up of mixologists, including owner Mike Capoferri, and cocktails that are more reasonable than at other popular watering holes around town. Sink into a distressed leather sofa and order the Tropipop with rum, coconut and piña colada soda that first put them on the map. And, don’t overlook the ‘school night’ N/A option with Verjus, if you’re taking it easy.
Thunderbolt is located at 1263 W Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026, United States
Tokyo Noir
Tucked behind El Barrio Cantina in Long Beach, this 25-seat speakeasy with a side-alley entrance holds a world-class craft cocktail program. As the only certified Ice Master outside of Japan, beverage director and co-founder Kevin Lee (The Wolves), has created a destination for serious bar culture fans who want to sip refreshing highballs in a moody film noir setting. Try the mezcal version of the signature Tokyo Noir cocktail, or the Astro Boy with Haku vodka and sweet potato shochu.
Tokyo Noir is located at 1731 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90802, United States
Vandell
From the team behind local hot spot Donna’s, this bar is named after Vandell Griffith - the son of Griffith J Griffith, the benefactor of LA's famed Griffith Park and home of the Greek Theater and landmark Griffith Observatory. The space features a 12-seat central bar, a sunlit banquette lounge, cosy booths and a back room inspired by Japanese whisky bars, featuring rare single malts. Don’t overlook the smoked tomato with mezcal or the smoked olive martini.
VANDELL is located at 1966 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
The Whisky Bar at The Maybourne Beverly Hills
This intimate whisky bar holds the largest collection of Macallan in North America – along with a custom-made humidor housing more than 1,000 cigars from the Caribbean and Central America. Relax in a wood-paneled den with mid-century Murano ashtrays, or step outside to the terrace overlooking Beverly Gardens Park. You’ll want to sample Highland Park Vintage 1968, from the Scottish Highlands, and the Yamazaki from the Suntory Distillery in Japan, alongside small batch bourbons from Kentucky.
The Whisky Bar at The Maybourne Beverly Hills is located at 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
The Wolves
Downtown’s ornate Wolves bar looks as if it might have stood untouched for a century, but in truth, like so much of this city, it’s a product of a remarkable reinvention. Created by filmmaker Isaac Mejia and former Mad Men set designer Al Almeida in 2018, the space was just a simple internet cafe the pair reimagined using salvaged antiques and architectural pieces sourced from around the globe. The doors once opened onto an Argentinian mansion, the marble was saved from a demolished building nearby and the stained-glass ceiling came from an old train station in Paris, Illinois. The cocktails, such as the popular Tigers Milk made with mezcal and pineapple and served in a decanter for two, are equally transformative.
The Wolves is located at 519 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA.