Thunderbolt

Mid-century-modern Historic Filipinotown cocktail bar with a back patio under bougainvillea, a closed-loop ingredient program, and one of the most sustainable bar operations in America (Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2025). Mike Capoferri's room is intentional, calm, and rum-deep without being tiki. Best for an early-evening drink before dinner in Echo Park or Silver Lake.

Order: the Koji Killer, a texture-forward frozen Painkiller with an umami punch.

The Lucky Tiki

The 1933 Group's hidden tiki temple above Tail o' the Pup features a program envisioned by beverage director David Ray. Occupying the former studio where the Doors cut *L.A. Woman*, the space invites guests to buzz the pickle barrel and climb the stairs into a world of re-imagined tiki classics. Amidst fishing-float lamps and bead curtains, the menu pairs vintage 1940s research with modern theater.

Order: the Lucky Tiki Old Fashioned, a coconut fat-washed masterpiece served from a smoking applewood treasure chest.

Marvito

Marvito is the ultimate Mexican-Americana hideout in West Hollywood, a "psychedelic honky-tonk" meets elevated dive bar that feels like it's been there for decades. It's the high-energy, tequila-drenched sibling to Marvin, trading white tablecloths for kitschy charm and a "dad rock" soundtrack. Walk-in friendly and unpretentious, it's the kind of spot where the regulars stay for one more and the vibe is always low-stakes.

Order: a crispy beef taco. A tequila-based Negroni.

Vandell

Los Feliz's hottest cocktail-bar reservation since opening December 2025. Freezer door martinis, vintage spirits, and a moody red back room with its own bartender. République alums Vay Su and Shawn Lickliter run the program; it's already a Tales of the Cocktail nominee. Best for a date or a quiet seat at the bar; lines down Hillhurst on weekends.

Order: the Smoked Tomato (mezcal, smoked tomato, basil, lime leaf salt) and the Vandell Martini.

Mírate

The two-story Los Feliz Mexican fine-dining room with one of LA's most considered agave programs. Over 250 mezcals on the back bar, a glass-walled rooftop patio, and a bar program that earned the room's reputation as much as the kitchen. Best for a pre-dinner drink upstairs while waiting for your table.

République

République is the crown jewel of La Brea, a cavernous French-Californian "cathedral" housed in a historic 1928 stone building once owned by Charlie Chaplin. By day, it's a bustling bakery where the line for Margarita Manzke's pastries (especially the Kouign-Amann) stretches out the door. By night, the space transforms into a moody, candlelit dining room that balances a high-end à la carte menu with a rigorous, world-class cocktail program (run by bar manager Thomas Eslinger) that has anchored the neighborhood for over a decade.

Sunset Tower Hotel

Sunset Tower Hotel is the 1929 Art Deco landmark on the Strip where Old Hollywood glamour is played absolutely straight. The Tower Bar, with the legendary Dimitri Dimitrov as maître d', remains the city's canonical power room: a place of high-stakes industry deals, a strict "no photos" policy, and regulars who have occupied the same tables for decades. It is the ultimate "if these walls could talk" destination, where the lighting is low and the martinis are cold.

The Hollywood Roosevelt

The 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival on Hollywood Boulevard, original site of the Academy Awards, with three drinking rooms inside one hotel: the Tropicana Pool (Marilyn Monroe's first photoshoot location), the Spare Room (cocktails plus two vintage bowling lanes), and the Library Bar (low-lit, leather-armchair, classic). The hotel for a guest who wants the cinematic Hollywood experience without renting a Bel-Air mansion.