Where to Drink Cocktails Right Now in Los Angeles

This West Hollywood newcomer in the former Soulmate space, from famed Southern chef Sean Brock’s, has a 12-item menu devoted to SoCal’s microseasons. Behind the bar, lauded barman Jason Lee is mixing up produce-forward drinks like the Bonny Melon (Pisco, strawberry gin, hazelnut-miso orgeat, and melon), the Eggplant (rum, allspice, roasted eggplant, toasted coconut cream, and pineapple lime), and the Seaweeds (gin, vodka, seaweed, cacao butter, white aperitifs, and rhubarb) to go along with the local, seasonal menu. Adjacent to the restaurant is a hi-fi listening lounge, inspired by Japanese kissas (coffee shop/jazz clubs), the perfect place to sip on one of Lee’s immaculate creations.

Culver City’s design-forward destination is a portal to modern Paris, with a striking neutral interior by celebrity designer Jeremiah Brent and decadent bites like duck confit “cigars” and sea bream tartare topped with caviar and crème fraîche. Equally opulent is the cocktail menu, which features not one but two Champagne cocktails (a nod to the restaurant’s massive selection of French bubbly) and the Midnight in Paris martini, made with gin, vodka, Lillet, and Meyer lemon. Très chic, indeed.

Formerly the Moon Room, the newish bar above The Benjamin in West Hollywood (known for its burger and martini) features creative craft cocktails from experienced barmen Jason Lee and Chad Austin. The wood-paneled space, complete with Art Deco-era light fixtures, mirrors the glamour of the restaurant below. The cocktail menu is divided into sections like Classics, Bright, and Unexpected and features signatures like the Inherent Vice (a non-frozen spin on the Miami Vice) or the savory Everything Gibson (everything bagel-infused Junipero gin, garlic, onion, poppy, sesame, and dry vermouth). Pair them with snacks like deviled eggs or steak tartare for the ultimate nightcap.

Valley favorite Oy Bar from chef/owner Jeff Strauss is a cult hit for a reason, with fusion-friendly odes to classic bar foods. Pair your Reuben Quesadillas and deep-fried Roman artichokes with seriously impressive cocktails from bartender Eddie Gonzalez like The Bitter Cowboy (mezcal, Campari, amaro, and mole bitters), a Yuzu Highball, or the OyBar Spritz with amaro and white vermouth. Affordable prices and a dimly-lit, unpretentious vibe would make Oy a standout anywhere, but especially on an unassuming corner in Studio City.

Located above the reincarnated icon Tail o’ the Pup in West Hollywood, Lucky Tiki was once Jim Morrison’s recording studio, but the vibe these days is full Polynesian, complete with a grass-skirt-lined bar, carved wooden bar stools, a beaded doorway, and heavy tiki theme-appropriate decor throughout. If you can snag a table (they do take walk-ins if you can’t book in advance), make sure you can find the buzzer located inside a pickle barrel just before the stairs. Once inside, order up show-stopping drinks from GM and bar director David Ray like The Ghost of Jim Morrison, which is made with rum and a blackberry shrub, served with flaming rosemary; or an Elvis in Hawaii, a take on the King’s favorite sandwich in drink form.

The ever-evolving area between East Hollywood and Koreatown is now dotted with notable restaurants including Etra, Bar Etoile and Ggiata sandwich shop (who arguably started it all). The latest addition to the pack is Bar 109, from chef Brian Baik, which focuses on innovative cocktails and chef-level bar bites, a preview of sorts to his soon-to-open fine-dining concept, Corridor 109, just behind it. Snack on smoked fish dip and hot dogs while you savor top-notch drinks from bartender Kayla Garcia (of the lauded Kumiko in Chicago), including the Ichigo Punch (strawberry, basil with vodka, mezcal, clarified milk, and junmai sake) or the booze-free Coconut Swizzle with coconut creme, chrysanthemum, and Villbrygg wildflower ferment.

No reservations; more info here.

The newest hotspot from chef Evan Funke (Funke, Felix), this tucked away cocktail and aperitivo bar behind Mother Wolf is the place to be on late nights in Hollywood. The menu highlights handheld Roman street food classics like cacio e pepe arancini, fried squash blossoms filled with ricotta, and the chef’s signature garlicky sfincione (a type of focaccia), plus an array of wood-fired pies. Paired with cocktails like the Spritz Bianci (Italicus, Cocchi Americano, orange bitters, Prosecco, and lemon) and the La Gioventu (El Tesoro blanco tequila, centum herbis, aloe liqueur, bitters, cucumber, and lime) dining here feels like a Roman holiday without leaving L.A.

The sequel to Los Feliz’s Mirate, barman Max Reis is behind the impressive cocktail menu at Sherman Oaks’ Daisy, which is devoted to the beloved margarita (“daisy” in Spanish) as well as an impressive collection of tequilas. The margs here are broken up into three sections: Cantina (classics), Mercado (more inventive), and Salsa Bar (riffs that integrate seasonal produce). Not into margaritas? Not to worry: there’s a whole section of “Not Daisies,” which highlights other classic drinks like palomas, gimlets, and whiskey sours.

Santa Monica’s ever-evolving Main Street has another sexy new contender in Coucou, a cozy French-inflected bistro from the owners of the space’s previous incarnation, Chez Tex. Start with a platter of oysters with an aperitif like a Kir Royale or an Aperol Spritz, then move on to classics like steak tartare and mussels paired with classics like a White Negroni or more daring choices like a Hippies in Paris (Citadelle gin, raw turmeric, ginger, galangal, and lime). And for those Westsiders on the hunt for an Espresso Martini after dinner, look no further—they’ve got you covered here.

This new American bistro in South Pasadena from the chef behind Highland Park’s Hippo is known for its spin on classics like burgers, fried calamari, and tuna crudo. On the cocktail front, Varnish alum Wolfgang Alexander leads the bar program, which features takes on classic drinks like the Pork Pie Hat (a version of an Old Fashioned made with apple brandy) and signatures like Take the “A” Train (Cognac, Cynar, orgeat, lemon, and nutmeg). The cocktail style Alexander brings to Cannonball comes from the school of legendary barman Sasha Petraske, that spun off such concepts as the erstwhile Varnish, as well as PDT and Clover Club in New York.

Chef David Kuo’s Taiwanese restaurant in the heart of Mar Vista is known for its spicy wontons and XO fatty noodles. It’s not unusual to see the bar packed every night of the week, partially for the aforementioned noods, but also for the ever-rotating, inventive cocktail list. In a playful ode to L.A. geography, some of the drinks are named for various neighborhoods, like the gin-and-yuzu-forward Little Tokyo or the Venice Canals (Bianchetta wine, Eldest Daughter vermouth, American Grand bitters, chamomile, and Prosecco).

Echo Park’s Bar Bacetti, adjacent to local favorite Bacetti, showcases Italian-inspired cocktails that pair beautifully with aperitivo snacks. Stop by every day from 3-5 p.m. for a free snack to go along with your drink (in the Italian tradition). The menu leans amaro-heavy, with inventive Negronis, spritzes, and vermouth-forward concoctions like the now-famous Sbagliato (a Negroni derivative) made here with Cocchi Rosa, Mazzura, vermouth, Prosecco or the vermouth and soda. Non-alcoholic drinks like a Shakerto or Quasi-White-Negroni are also available to go along with bites like Roman-style pizzas, gnocco fritto, or chilled octopus in a spicy tomato sugo.

No reservations; more info here.