Thunderbolt ★ 4.6
Thunderbolt in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles is a Mathew Biancaniello cocktail room with frozen rotations and one of the city's best martinis.
Signature drink: Frozen mai tai
Food: Bar snacks, pickled things
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Los Angeles for grown-ups.
Where to drink
Frolic Room ★ 4.3
Frolic Room on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles is a 1934 dive bar with a Hirschfeld mural along the back wall and a $7 well drink. Cash only, no food.
Signature drink: Whiskey on the rocks
Food: None, snacks at the counter
Bar Flores ★ 4.5
Bar Flores in Echo Park, Los Angeles is Othon Nolasco's mezcal and tequila room serving Latin-leaning cocktails and a small dinner plate menu.
Signature drink: Tepache margarita
Food: Small Mexican plates
Good Times at Davey Wayne's ★ 4.2
Good Times at Davey Wayne's in Hollywood, Los Angeles is a 1970s-themed bar from the 1933 Group; enter through a refrigerator door, large patio out back.
Signature drink: Popsicle cocktail
Food: Snacks, food truck on patio
Tiki-Ti ★ 4.5
Tiki-Ti on Sunset, Los Angeles has been a 12-seat tiki bar since 1961, run by three generations of the Buhen family. Cash only, opens at 16:00.
Signature drink: Ray's Mistake
Food: None
The Roger Room ★ 4.4
The Roger Room on La Cienega, Los Angeles is an unmarked cocktail bar behind a palm-reader sign, pouring craft drinks at a 25-seat room since 2008.
Signature drink: Industry sour
Food: Small plates
Tiki No ★ 4.3
Tiki No in North Hollywood, Los Angeles is a 1933 Group tiki bar with hand-carved booths and a long rum list. The strongest Mai Tai in the valley.
Signature drink: Painkiller
Food: Bar snacks
Old Lightning ★ 4.7
Old Lightning in Venice, Los Angeles is a hidden whiskey bar behind Scopa with rare bourbons and pre-Prohibition spirits. Reservations only, three weeks ahead.
Signature drink: Vintage bourbon flights
Food: None
No Vacancy ★ 4.3
No Vacancy in Hollywood, Los Angeles is a 1902 Victorian house turned 1933 Group cocktail bar with a large patio, a piano room and a strict ID at the door.
Signature drink: Smoked old fashioned
Food: Patio bites
Everson Royce Bar ★ 4.5
Everson Royce Bar in the Arts District, Los Angeles serves a martini-and-smashburger combo that locals book the patio for. Walk-in friendly weeknights.
Signature drink: Smashburger and a martini
Food: Burger, small plates
Cha Cha Lounge ★ 4.0
Cha Cha Lounge in Silver Lake, Los Angeles is a kitsch-y dive bar with a back patio, a photo booth and a $5 well. Open since the late 1990s.
Signature drink: $5 well
Food: Snack vending in lounge
The Prince ★ 4.3
The Prince in Koreatown, Los Angeles is a 1949 hotel bar with red velvet booths, used as a Mad Men location, now serving Korean fried chicken with soju.
Signature drink: Korean fried chicken and a soju
Food: Korean menu, fried chicken
La Cuevita ★ 4.3
La Cuevita in Highland Park, Los Angeles is a mezcal and tequila bar with a deep agave list, a Mexican kitchen and one of the better DJ booths on York.
Signature drink: Mezcal flight
Food: Tacos, small bites
Bars in Los Angeles, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Los Angeles?
Peak food season in Los Angeles is year-round.
What time do people eat in Los Angeles?
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
How does tipping work in Los Angeles?
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
What is the one dish to try in Los Angeles?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Los Angeles rewards trust.