The black cat was the site for a civil rights LGBTQ movement in the 60’s and it shows. Everyone is so friendly here and the food and drinks are amazing! I love to come here with friends and catch up with a drink and of course the chisme! When you’re here, you get to have a good time and get to be a part of LGBTQIA+ history! Definitely try their French fries. You won’t be disappointed!

LA is lacking when it comes to low-key bar burgers, but this version is a standout. Black Cat certainly didn’t invent raclette cheese, but whoever decided to put it on top of their juicy burger deserves a medal of recognition. When combined with the sauteed onions and tangy pickles on top, the result is gooey, salty, and sweet—and an ideal accompaniment to whatever you’re drinking.

The Black Cat is famous for playing a significant role in the 1960 LGBTQ Civil Rights movement as a gay bar that was often subject to police raids. Soak in some LGBTQ history this Valentine's and celebrate the many freedoms our community now has. Now a gastropub, they offer elevated American comfort food and a vibe steeped in the revolution of the 60s.

It was protests here at the Black Cat Tavern in 1967 that helped launch the LGBTQ civil rights movement in the city, and it has since been declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Photos of the demonstrations are displayed on the walls, above handsome leather booths and below elegant brass chandeliers. The menu is mostly old-school American – burgers, house-made pastas, fried chicken – and cocktails mix up classic with cutting-edge twists.

"Not only does this restaurant offer an amazing mac & cheese dish (my favorite cheat day food), but the location also played a very important role in LGBTQ+ history. In 1967, 2 years before the monumental Stonewall Riots in New York City, this was the site of a major demonstration protesting police brutality against LGBTQ people."

On the eve of February 11, 1967, hundreds of people gathered outside The Black Cat to protest against police brutality that targeted the bar’s LGBT patrons and queer spaces located elsewhere in the city. It was one of the first documented LGBT civil rights demonstrations in the country and served as a catalyst for New York City’s Stonewall Riots two years later. Although the original Black Cat eventually closed, a new restaurant reopened later under the same name.

This Silver Lake gastropub was the site of the very first LGBTQ+ civil rights demonstration in the country (you can find some historical photos in the plush booths). After undercover officers began to beat and handcuff the gay clientele at the bar on New Year’s Eve 1966, what was then called the Black Cat Tavern became the meeting ground for more than 200 people who came to take a peaceful stand for their rights on February 11, 1967.