Sit down and get ready to experience the best new cocktail bars in Los Angeles.
GIN RUMMY
Photo Credit: Phillip Guerette
There’s a hot new spot in Marina Del Rey, courtesy of Jared Meisler, the man behind some of LA’s most beloved institutions (The Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch, The Friend, and The Little Friend), in Gin Rummy. Here, in the former Nueva space, is a concept that fully embraces the SoCal beach vibe, but with a tropical, tiki bar flair. The spacious, 200-seat setting creates a colorful and ornate island paradise that marries nautical and South Pacific themes with contemporary design. Native and tribal prints cover the bar stools and wood booths; mini palm trees and lush tropical plants are adorned with brass ship hardware; thick posts are wrapped in nautical rope; and bone-inlaid mirrors, woven wood light fixtures, rattan chairs, and lazy ceiling fans play into the Key Largo-meets-pirates lair vibe.
Photo Credit: Phillip Guerette
The convertible indoor/outdoor patio, dotted with tables painted as checker and backgammon boards, features a mahogany pergola that illuminates the space with brass ship light, is a great daytime spot to sip one of the playful craft cocktails from categories such as Frozen Rummys, Stirred, Highballs, Tiki, No Booze, and Cocktails for Four — an homage to the legendary Trader Vic’s of vintage Hollywood lore. Our pick: the “Habanero Honeysuckle” rummy for something that feels a little same-same, but different. 822 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, 90292
WASP IN A WIG
Photo Credit: SLS Hotel Beverly Hills
We’ll happily go down the rabbit hole for an adventure at Wasp in a Wig, a new speakeasy at the SLS hotel Beverly Hills inspired by the lost chapter of Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Tucked discreetly behind a mirrored wall by day, its entrance is only revealed once the clock strikes 5 p.m., when the mirror surprisingly opens, and a host stand appears. Once inside, Wasp in a Wig reveals itself as a visual feast filled with whimsical charm thanks to crystal chandeliers that cast a soft glow over the room, vintage photographs, and plush white velvet upholstery across cozy and intimate seating nooks scattered throughout the room.
Photo Credit: Kim Fox
Various design elements pay homage to Carroll’s imaginative Wonderland and the beloved characters that inhabit it, such as Alice and the Red Queen. The menu, meanwhile, is divided into three sections inspired by the enchanted dimension of Alice in Wonderland. Try an array of mushroom-inspired dishes from their One Side Makes You Grow Taller selection or explore the Eat Me category, which features shareable dishes like oysters infused with Korean flavors and an oxtail chicharron. Lastly, indulge in the Drink Me section that includes craft cocktails such as the “White Rabbit,” (Hendrick’s gin infused with yerba mate, egg white, heavy cream, and orange blossom water) and the “Fairy” (Mansinthe absinthe, Tito’s vodka, suze, honey and ginger syrups, cucumber, and lime).
465 La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, 90035
BAR NEXT DOOR
Photo Credit: Stan Lee
The concept behind Bar Next Door is a simple one: it is, quite literally, next door to some of LA’s most legendary landmarks on the iconic Sunset Strip. As such, the new craft cocktail bar reimagines the experience of a classic neighborhood haunt through a uniquely Angeleno lens. Set in an intimate, historic space designed in collaboration with Adam Greco of GRECODECO (Soho House, The Ned), Bar Next Door is where California chic meets the timeless allure of old Hollywood’s rock ‘n’ roll era. The building has a fabled past: for a period in the late 1940s, it housed the offices of the Cukor-Lipton Agency, a talent management agency that represented star players in the motion picture business, including the woman who stepped into the building as Norma Jeane Dougherty and came out as Marilyn Monroe.
Photo Credit: Stan Lee
But the location alone isn’t enough to channel the Strip’s storied past and vibrant present: founder Lawrence Longo and creative bar director Brynn Smith keep the story going through a slew of decadent, decidedly complex cocktails that pay homage to a different iconic location near the bar. On the menu, expect to see libations like the “Whisky a Go-Go” (an elevated riff on a whisky and coke that mimics cola flavors with liqueurs and vinegar, Slane Irish whisky, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whisky, Luxardo Amaro Abano, Luxardo Cherry Morlacco, lime, balsamic vinegar, and Ms. Better’s Bitters Miraculous Foamer) and the “Beverly Hills Hotel” (a clarified pink paloma rosé spritz featuring Casamigos blanco tequila, Meletti 1870, La Luca prosecco rosé, clarified grapefruit and lime, Mahina Coconut, Fancy Sprinkles rose quartz prism powder, and banana leaf). 9159 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069
MR. WANDERLUST
Photo Credit: Michael KleinbergThe nightlife scene in Los Angeles is in constant evolution, but it’s been quite some time since the city has seen a project of this scale. Cue Level 8, a first-of-its-kind multidimensional space in downtown LA that boasts eight unique restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues. The ambitious and gigantic concept (it spans 30,000 square feet) from the Houston Brothers, the tours de force behind some of LA’s most beloved venues (La Descarga, Harvard & Stone, Pour Vous), is told through the eyes of its fictional founder, Mr. Wanderlust, an adventurer whose collection of books, artifacts, and cocktail recipes reflect his eclectic tastes. This is, uncoincidentally, the name of the complex’s sole lounge, a Wonderland-esque piano bar and jazz club highlighted by knickknacks, serpentine booths, wooden walls, lush fabrics, and a secret entranceway.
Photo Credit: Michael Kleinberg
Here, the impossible is possible: aerialists swing from chandeliers and Grammy-award winning artists covertly take the stage each night. This rich and unique setting is a perfect foil for the venue’s globally inspired cocktail menu, which features libations from some of the world’s best mixologists, including Alex Day, David Kaplan, and Drink Masters star Christian “Suzu” Suzuki-Orellana. Try “Peel Slowly and See,” a stellar effort from Kate Gerwin of Happy Accidents: banana and eucalyptus-infused Hennessy with banana soda. Meanwhile, the nibbles, courtesy of chef Richard Archuleta, are equally diverse. A selection of small bites, ranging from the exquisite caviar “toad in the hole” to braised wagyu beef “cigarettes,” can be enjoyed as an omakase-like capsule experience with a craft cocktail pairing. 1254 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, 90015
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