(Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
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We know it's hard to keep track of all the spots that seem to pop up nightly, so we've made this handy guide for you. Bookmark it and refresh daily.
New bars and clubs on the block
A guide to the latest venues in the nightlife scene
Compiled by Alexandra Le Tellier, Will Theisen and Katie Bain
March 2, 2009Westside Tavern
10850 W. Pico Blvd. - Los Angeles310-470-1539
The Westside Tavern is log cabin gone L.A. Outfitted in douglas fir and cordwood reclaimed from the San Diego fires, the state park-sized 10,000 square foot bar and restaurant specializes in California beers, epicure worthy wines and seasonal tavern food from former Whist chef Warren Scwartz.
The Lab Gastropub
3500 S. Figueroa St. - Los Angeles213-743-1843
The Lab Gastropub provides a welcome diversion from classes, and sobriety, for USC students and anyone else who finds their way to this Galen Center-adjacent bar and restaurant. The space is science lab chic, with classroom style common tables, bookshelf lined walls and comfy, professor's office style leather chairs. The Lab offers 40 beers including Trojan Blonde and The Lab Amber Lager, brewed especially for the bar by San Diego's Karl Strauss brewery and served in beakers. The menu includes decidedly non-college items including pizzetta flatbreads, fancy sandwiches and entrees like grilled lime & garlic shrimp.
Corkbar
403 W. 12th St. - Los AngelesWith an easygoing approach to wine, Corkbar aims to create an unpretentious tasting experience for aficionados and newbies alike. Inspired by California wine country, the bar serves a rotating selection of 40 wines by the glass and many more by the bottle. Corkbar also features a selection of craft beers and farmer's market fresh food that can be enjoyed inside or on the patio. Close your eyes and it's almost like you're in Napa.
Barbarella Bar
2609 Hyperion Ave. - Los Angeles323-644-8000
Like a caring neighbor, Bungalow Club owner Anat Escher saw what a mess Zen Sushi was, and she stepped in to fix it. The interior was completely gutted and remodeled, and now features a long bar that won't look familiar to fans of the former set-up.
Delancey's Tasting Room
5940 W. Sunset Blvd. - Los Angeles323-469-2100
This tiny wine bar on Sunset screams intimacy, or, more precisely, whispers it softly in your ear. The velvet walled venue seats a mere dozen people and feels more like private regal quarters fit for a prince, or Prince, than a Hollywood bar. Mix and match a wine flight from the bar's list and from Delancey next door. The rotating selections, artisan cheeses, and mysterious ambience are primo reasons to visit, if you can find the place.
The Crocker Club
453 S. Spring St - Los Angeles213-239-9099
An empty, abandoned bank: some might see it as a sad symbol of an economy in recession. Luckily, co-owners Vincent Terzian and Thomas Turner see it as a great place to grab a drink, and the downtown cocktail crowd now has the Crocker Club.
Copa d'Oro
217 Broadway - Santa MonicaCelebrated mixologist Vincenzo Marianella of Providence fame is the man behind this Santa Monica bar, where patrons have a hand in customizing their cocktails.
Darkroom
7302 Melrose Ave. - Los Angeles323-931-3800
The dingy, dive-bar vibe of the Gig has been replaced with a chic new decor, complete with chandeliers. There's no food or live music yet, but they may be coming as Blackbird finds its identity in the Melrose bar scene.
MyHouse
7080 Hollywood Blvd. - Los Angeles323-960-3300
Every guy strives to create the "ultimate bachelor pad", but too often the final product is little more than an Ikea showcase with a mid-sized HDTV, a mismatched comforter set and a medicine cabinet full of AXE products. If your digs do resemble a guest wing at the Playboy Mansion, we applaud you. For everyone else, there's MyHouse, Hollywood empresario David Judaken's latest jaw-dropping project which brings the glamorous comfort of the successful man's home life to your nightlife.
Barney's Beanery Burbank
250 N. First St. - Burbank818-524-2912
The same Route 66 roadhouse vibe of the original West Hollywood location is present here, with an enormous menu featuring over 700 dishes, an impressive selection of happy hour drafts and plenty of screens to watch the game. A notable addition is a comfy lounge area, with couches and coffee tables. One can only imagine how Jim Morrison might have abused these.
The Yard House
800 W. Olympic Blvd. - Los Angeles213-745-9273
If you can't find a beer that you like on tap at the Yard House, then you don't like beer. The L.A. Live location has over 200 brews on draft, and a menu of American fusion cuisine to go with it.
h.wood
1738 N. Orange - Los Angeles323-871-2262
The short-lived Stork Lounge known for it's iron-clad velvet rope and burly bouncers has been replaced with H-Wood; a bar that’s, ironically, less Hollywood and more relaxed, despite the name. The lounge is still under the helm of Loyal Pennings (who also owns LAX) and John Terzian, but gone is partner Grace Fernandez and taking her place is Amanda Scheer-Demme, who initially designed the space. In layman’s terms, dress in your best if you want in.
Pop Champagne & Dessert Bar
33 E. Union St. - Pasadena626-795-1295
Fortunate for Pasadena residents, Pop Champagne & Dessert bar is at the ready for all late-night cravings. Open as late as 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the bar also features 15 different desserts in addition to many varieties of champagne, dessert wine and artisanal beer. Every week, the house chef whips up three different specials to serve (soon-to-be a daily fixture), in addition to the savory soups and salads that are always available.
Salute Wine Bar
2435 Main St. - Santa Monica310-450-3434
Wine bars are a dime a dozen in Santa Monica, but we take our hats off to Salute Wine Bar. They have a key-card system for for allowing DIY-drinkers two-once, self-serve pours. Plus, a small plates menu for noshing while you toast. It’s in the former Yose space, which was previously Rockenwagner, but let’s cross our fingers it's here to stay.
El Bar
3256 Cahuenga Blvd. - Universal City323-969-1934
The specialty cocktails, extensive tequila list and sangrias should even have the gringos speaking Spanish by the end of the night.
Must Wine Bar
118 W. 5th St - Los Angeles 213-627-1162
A downtown wine bar that caters to locals, the Must is all about affordability. Wines were selected to be accessible, and the food, which includes classics such as chicken pot pie, is reasonably priced from $5 to $8.
The Association
610 S. Main St. - Los AngelesEverything we've come to expect from the burgeoning downtown scene. The lights are dim, the drinks are stiff, and the clientele is classy, but they still came to party. Owner Ashley Joyce brought the carpet all the way from Las Vegas, where it once adorned a genuine casino floor, a perfect touch for a venue that pays its respects to the old guard as it welcomes the next.
The Conga Room
800 W. Olympic Blvd. - Los Angeles213-749-0445
Owned by a group of high-profile celebs, including Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rodriguez and Sheila E., the Conga Room's new location at L.A. Live continues to draw big name performers in the world of Latin music.
Cole's
118 E. Sixth Street - Los Angeles213-622-4090
Cedd Moses continued his tradition of taking the old and making it new with the $1.6 million renovation of Cole's. Throughout the renovation process, Moses took every effort to preserve the century-old history of the location, which includes introducing the french dipped sandwich to the hungry masses. Cocktail rockstars Eric Alperin and Sasha Petraske created the drink menu, which features tasteful reinterpretations of classic cocktails such as the original Cosmopolitan and the Hemingway inspired Death in the Afternoon.
Bar Delux
1624 N. Cahuenga Blvd. - Los Angeles323-461-6800
This Cahuenga Corridor whisky bar is a true throwback. You won't find any gimmicks here that you wouldn't have seen in the 1920s. The Kristofer Keith-designed interior is all about art deco, with crystal chandeliers, huge velvet curtains and leather chairs.
Bar Centro at the Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd - Beverly Hills310-246-5555
It's all right there in the name, really: it's a bar (one long table, actually), located in the center of culinary-artist Jose Andres' big new experiment, the Bazaar. As the most alcohol-centric component to the three-headed monster that is the Bazaar, Bar Centro is the best place to sample Andres' most creative cocktails. The guy's known for playing with his food, but luckily he plays with his drinks, too. Expect fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits, as well as liquid nitrogen and organic emulsifiers. Before you bust out your old chemistry books, emulsion is the mixing of two unblendable liquids. If you're thinking "black and tan," you're on the right track, but take it to the next ten levels.
Remedy Lounge
800 Wilshire Blvd - Los Angeles213-489-1406
Owners Gabriel Morales and Jill Bigelow offer classic American appetizers and an upscale list of wines, bars, and cocktails for that post-work rendezvous.
ESPN Zone Restaurant and Sports Bar
1011 S. Figueroa St., ste B101 - Los Angeles213-766-7070
You'll feel like you're walking around Sportscenter, without having to look at Chris Berman. While the Lakers, Clippers or Kings handle business at the Staples Center, you're across the parking lot at L.A. Live handling a smokehouse burger and a giant beer.
Lucky Strike Lanes at LA Live
800 Olympic Blvd. - Los Angeles213-542-4880
For its L.A. Live location, Lucky Strike brought more of the big screens, atmospheric lighting and designer art that has made their lanes so successful, from the original Hollywood location to Canada. Get things rolling at one of the gorgeous 18 lanes by the lounge, or take your game exclusive at the Luxe suite, where you'll have four private lanes and a separate bar. If only beer pong were this sexy...
What other people are saying...
Trey from Culver City - March 29, 2009 at 4:17 PM
I'm going to have to become an alcoholic, just to keep up on all the good bars in this town.
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