Culver City’s motto may be "The Heart of Screenland," but we’re officially dubbing it "the Bladder of Drinkytown"
By Amir Kenan, Special to Metromix
While Culver City's soul has been in the movie biz for nearly a
century—"Gone With The Wind," "The Wizard Of Oz," and "E.T."
were all filmed within the city’s studios—its nightlife scene has
recently begun to flourish, with places to drink, be seen and be seen drinking. Keep your 8x10s handy—with all the nearby studios and roaming execs, there’s always the possibility
of getting discovered during a game of quarters with your drinking buddies.From futuristic wine bars, to divey sports bars, to “Hey,
shouldn’t this be in Hollywood?” nightclubs, Culver City’s motto may
be "The Heart of Screenland," but we’re officially dubbing it "the Bladder of
Drinkytown."
Naughty and nice bar-hoppers line up to do shots of Hell Fire (flaming cinnamon liqueur) and Holy Water (infused vodka) at this Culver City tribute to the '70s. The plush furniture and dark alcove wallpapered in images of an orgy encourage sinning, while the baroque cupids near the bar serve as a gentle reminder of heavenly retribution.
The concept at BottleRock is brilliant: Select from any of the 800 bottles on the shelves (or from the vast cellar) and drink it by the glass, with a two-drink minimum. The decor is New York-loft chic, with exposed ducts, hardwood floors and polished aluminum stools. If you want to nibble while you sip, there's a menu of small bar snacks to go with your vino.
Westsiders usually have to make a trek all the way to Hollywood just to get their groove on. But thanks to Carbon, Culver City is the farthest they need to go to listen to Timbaland’s latest and dance, bump and grind the night away. The drinks are stiff, the staff is hot, and the clientele is always out to have a good time. Take that, Hollywood!
It’s rustic wine bar meets "The Jetsons." Using futuristic imported Enomatic machines, which help keep wine from oxidizing, Vinum Populi lets customers sample as little as one ounce of any vino in stock. Though wine is the main attraction here, a menu of fun, wine-friendly foods, including homemade olive bread and a selection of Italian cured meats, is also available.
Back in the day, Cary Grant was a regular at this unassuming dive bar across the street from Sony Studios. Now the big stars here are the ones that take on the karaoke mic after chugging cheap, strong drinks at the bar. If you ask us, the real star at Backstage is the bar food. Who cares about an A-list bar crowd when you’re keeping busy with a heavenly plate of mac-and-cheese?
The Mandrake takes hole-in-the-wall to new heights with its blink-and-you'll-miss-it neon BAR sign. Don't worry: If you're thinking, "This can't be the place," you're right outside this dive. Owner Justin Beal decked the bar with wall-to-ceiling wood panels and mini-tree-ring tables he crafted himself. There's no dancing allowed, but the Mandrake's artsy clientele (from the cluster of surrounding art galleries) come for the low-key vibe and rotating art exhibits.
There's something about the Tattle Tale’s name that reeks of the kind of scandal that had them gasping in the '50s. But make no mistake: It’s a dive bar. A surprisingly well-lit dive bar—just like the patrons, who razz each other from their respective stools. The jukebox is a oldie-but-goody, but don't get sloppy with your selections or the natives will turn on you.
The Scarlet Lady Saloon suggests some variety of burlesque, or at the very least, a hint of the old west—a dusty, manly place, where a fella' might swagger up to the barkeep and order a rye. In reality, the wood-paneled room with a good selection of hard liquor oozes not the Old West but the Midwest of, say, forty years ago. Daytime drinkers nurse beers and watch the races until the light bleeds out of the sky, and the convivial evening shift of regulars trickle in for Monday night football.
Alteno Sports Bar is neighborhood dive bar lucky enough to sit in a prime stretch of Washington Blvd.—at the heart of the up-and-coming arts district, just down the road from the Helms Bakery furniture district. The interior is no-frills, but what this small beer bar lacks in ambiance, it makes up for with a ridiculously cheap happy hour from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. It’s more like a happy day.
Joxer Daly's in an Irish pub with a shot of American sports bar thrown in for good measure. The dark pub interior brightens significantly with the warm attention of the friendly bar staff, and UCLA students mix with an grab-bag mix of regulars, from nearby Sony execs to young marrieds taking a break from the kiddies. The pool table or deck of cards entertain early in the evening, with the live entertainment du jour—karaoke, comedy or an entire rock band rocking out—on the tiny corner stage.
Sports Harbour is a dive bar with the vibe of a super-fun clubhouse for enthusiasts of cheap beer, decent pub food and sports on TV every which way you look. That persistent clinking sound you hear between innings is the dudes playing quarters in the corner. For those not looking to drown their spare change, there's foosball, a shuffleboard table and video games galore (including Ms. Pac-Man, to dispel any "No Girls Allowed" rumors).
Vinoteque isn't just your average wine bar. It’s a place for wine lovers to drink, eat and watch live music. The wine selection is more than average too—their international list includes your usual French vineyards to up and coming regions like Croatia, Slovania and South Africa. Stop by for a glass alongside some pan-rustic tapas-style snacks and get to know sommelier Larry Lanzett. The venue also hosts nightly acoustic jazz and blues sets during the week and classical piano on the weekends. Eventually, the bar plans on hosting a Sunday brunch menu and opening retail space so wine lovers can shop while they sip.
