Here’s your guide to LA’s top swanky hotel bars, intimate whiskey lounges, and neighborhood destinations for stellar drinks and cocktails.
LessLocated inside a former cathedral in Downtown, Redbird is a showstopping destination for elegant New American cuisine with Los Angeles influences. The restaurant’s modern-meets-classic design—complete with an open-air ceiling—also makes it an ideal setting for enjoying award-winning bar director Tobin Shea’s seasonal cocktails. Sip on innovative, fruit-forward favorites ranging from non-alcoholic spritzes to cantaloupe-infused highballs in the stunning space.
Century-old Musso & Frank Grill is the king of Hollywood steakhouses. And the restaurant’s bar—decked with swiveling chairs, a vintage mirror backsplash, and a fiery open grill—is one of LA’s best spots for people watching and celebrity spotting. Order a classic appetizer like baked escargot and the world-famous martini, stirred 12 times in ice, then carefully strained into a vintage glass. The liquor comes with a bucket of crushed ice and a small carafe sidecar, because it’s Hollywood.
Xuntos brings Spanish pintxos bar vibes to Santa Monica, all in an inviting, bilevel space with Art Deco accents like chandeliers designed like flapper dresses. The restaurant has one of the city’s largest vermouth and sherry collections, along with a concise list of natural California and Spanish wines. If you feel like something stronger, slide into the wrap-around red banquette for one of Kim Stodel’s original cocktails, like a mezcal-forward cobbler.
One of LA’s most acclaimed restaurants, MICHELIN-starred Kato is a destination for chef Jon Yao’s highly personal, Taiwanese-inspired tasting menus. But it’s also one of LA’s best bars, with a stellar wine selection that pulls from the best regions in the world and an inventive zero-proof beverage program. Sample vintage wine or alcoholic-free flights along with stand-alone cocktails that could include a sake cobbler in the buzzy, industrial-cool space with a large open kitchen.
Celebs and locals alike love Wally’s Beverly Hills, a retail store-meets-restaurant and one of the best wine bars in Los Angeles for its extensive, award-winning list of more than 150 wines by the glass. Settle into a high-top in the cavernous space to sip on food-friendly varietals from Napa Valley to Tuscany paired with gourmet cheeses, charcuterie, and heartier dishes like uni pizza. Or grab a seat on the front patio, perfect for sipping Champagne.
Located inside swanky The Maybourne Beverly Hills, this intimate spot is one the best cocktails bars in LA for its stellar drinks. Choose your own cocktail (or mocktail) adventure with the restaurant’s bespoke tasting menu, a five- or seven-course omakase-style drinks flight served with savory and sweet treats and traditional oshibori (hot towel service). Or go with one of the restaurant’s classics, like Skyfall, a martini riff with heather. Either way, you’ll want to return.
At his supper club pop-up at Winston House, Wes Whitsell gives Italian classics a Texas twist in an energetic space decked out with red-and-white checkered tablecloths. The top-notch cocktails also lean into Italian favorites, like Garibaldi riff with whipped orange juice. The non-alcoholic drinks are equally clever, and with live music and DJs, Mama’s Boy is an all-around good time and one of the best bars in Los Angeles, regardless of what you’re drinking.
Located in a 19th-century craftsman cottage, this Pasadena restaurant is a local favorite for its historic charm and contemporary American cuisine, like steak frites and dayboat scallops. But it’s also one of the best bars in LA, with an award-winning wine list and stellar craft cocktails. Classics include a Japanese highball and the Allen Pool Party, an easy-sipping, cucumber-infused, tequila-forward drink best enjoyed on the greenery-strewn patio with a striking fireplace.
One of downtown LA’s best bars, this hidden whiskey lounge in the back of Seven Grand bar provides mellow and moody vibes for a memorable night out. The 18-seat bar specializes in more than 120 varieties of Japanese whisky, and there’s even an outdoor cigar lounge. Expect classics on the cocktail menu, including expertly prepared old fashioneds and manhattans. This is the place for an intimate drinking experience and a whiskey crash course—minus the crowds.