LA Bucket List : Drinking Spots

Here are 10 awesome places to get a drink around LA.

The Edison  

Friendly Green Fairies come by to offer you 

Absinthe and other drinks.

I’ve already covered the Edison quite a bit.  I think I spent half of the summer of 2009 there. Housed inside an old power plant, it’s a little quirky and very Prohibition Era retro.  They often have burlesque dancers performing –and I love burlesque -- and the cocktails are fantastic.

Beware boys, there is a dress code.

La Descarga 
Hidden away in a relative no-man’s land on Western Avenue, you’d never find this place if you’re not looking for it. It’s a Cuban speakeasy. Why there would be a speakeasy in Havana when the entire country was basically a prohibition refuge? No idea.  Don’t ask questions, just go with it.  Once you here live the band playing and the salsa dancers start strutting their stuff across the bar, you won’t care about logic.

The specialty here is rum and they have an awesome library. They will help you find one to suit your tastes, but if you really think you need a mixer, they also whip up delicious cocktails.  Need to take a load off? Step into the cigar bar in the back for a smoke. Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about cigars. They have a wide selection and will help you choose one, whether you’re a novice or an expert.

Reservations are encouraged, but simple to make online.

The Dresden 

Made famous by its cameo in Swingers, the Dresden is still an awesome place to get a drink as Marty and Elayne sing their standards. It is surprisingly chill, low-key, and while it's little bit hipster, it's not at all sceney.

For a clip from the film and an interview with Marty and Elayne, check out this video.

The Varnish 

Yes, it’s another speakeasy.  The Varnish had been on my to-do list for ages and we finally made it there as part of one of our going away events. 

The cocktails are handcrafted with very fresh ingredients and quite delicious. They will create one for you if you can’t find anything that calls to you on the menu.

The big thing is that you have to know where you’re going. It’s located hidden at the back of Cole’s restaurant behind a non-descript door. Just proceed with confidence straight through the restaurant.  (The website gives little info besides the address, so you’re going to have to take my word on this one.) It’s a very small space and they purposefully keep the numbers down, so it’s best to go early.  However, if you draw a bit of bad luck and don’t get in, the trip need not be a loss.  You can enjoy a beer and a French dip right there at Coles.

Culver Hotel 

The Culver Hotel doesn’t have to try to cultivate a retro aesthetic; it comes by it authentically.  The hotel opened in 1924 and it is steeped in Hollywood lore.  The actors playing the munchkins stayed here during the filming of The Wizard of OZ.  Supposedly, they got frisky on their downtime, giving rise to the legend of the ‘Munchkin Orgies.’

Nowadays, the hotel retains its Old Hollywood style and the lobby is great place to enjoy classic drinks – the Sidecar was a personal favorite.

Lou
This is another hidden gem.  It’s in a rundown looking strip mall near the corner of Vine and Melrose.  Inside the décor is cozy, quirky, and fun. The focus is on organic and biodynamic wines, and the staff is really helpful. Lou himself is there on most nights and happy to share his knowledge. Oh, and the food is tasty to boot.

Borrowed from Flickr.

Although I didn’t make here as often as I would have liked, it was my favorite wine bar in the city.

Father’s Office  

 

I realize that I already put it on my favorite Burgers list, but they also have a fantastic beer selection. It seemed to me that whenever I’d find a beer I liked on a trip, we’d come back and find they had it here -- including my favorite, Trappistes Rochefort #10.

The Cat & Fiddle 
For a city with such great weather, LA really doesn’t have enough bars and cafes with patios on which to enjoy it.  This English Pub has one of the best.  It’s usually pretty casual, but it does get some spillover from the nearby trendy areas in Hollywood on the weekends.

This lovely image borrowed from Flickr.

Tiki-Ti 

This is one of the last bars leftover from the original Tiki Movement.  It is tiny – miniscule in fact—and it has limited days and hours that we could never seem to keep straight, so we were only able to get in here a couple of times despite the fact that we lived right down the street for the majority of our time in LA.  That said, it is as Tiki as Tiki can be, and the drinks are STRONG.

For the record, the hours are Thursday to Sunday, 4pm to 2am. Cash Only.

Malibu Wines

We were members of the winery for years. They have a tasting shack in a private park in the Malibu Hills and it served as our day escape whenever we needed to get away from LA for an afternoon. You bring a picnic and have a tasting, maybe buy a bottle, and you have yourself a wonderful afternoon. They also tend to have events in the evenings throughout the summer such as live  music and movie screenings.

My friend Amy discovered it while doing research for a trip out to come visit.  Back then it was our little secret hideaway. The secret is out now and it can sometimes be hard to grab a table. Nonetheless, we have had quite a gatherings here -- groups events, birthdays, we even brought out of town guests here before our civil wedding in LA.  We had going away parties here before our move to Sydney and our move to the East Coast.  Sadly, the last one got rained out a bit, only at the end. We have so many good memories here!

Cheers!