Why Listening Bar-Themed Restaurants Are Suddenly Everywhere in L.A.

At some restaurants, like Venice’s RVR, it’s a subtle nod (stacks of vinyl everywhere, vintage record players visible as decor), and for others it means building out a space adjacent to the main dining area to create a more immersive listening experience (e.g. The Airliner’s new, tricked-out listening room). 

It’s no secret that some version of Japanese aesthetic has been captivating Angelenos for decades (see: our many matcha bars, ramen shops, Cal-izakayas, et al.), which could be part of the reason why chefs are tapping into yet another Japan-born trend. But a more likely motivation is that in the post-pandemic era, the demand for third spaces has surged, making the listening-bar concepts feel both timely and welcome for stir-crazy Angelenos. And with newer spots like Chinatown’s Café Tondo, exclusive members-club Living Room, and Silver Lake’s Seco all offering day-into-night-into-late-night type experiences, it seems like more than ever, many Angelenos are just looking for a place to hang out and vibe, at any hour of the day.

When all-day-cafe/restaurant Companion opened in Venice in 2024, owners Nick and Dakota Monica wanted to create an inviting place where guests could feel at home, quite literally. “The whole design is based on a living room. We always envisioned it as a third space,” says Nick Monica. After visiting a variety of hi-fi bars in Japan, the Monicas were struck by the reverence for music and hushed intensity the spaces created. Upon opening, they installed a movable DJ booth, equipped with Technic SL 1200s and a Pioneer mixer, lined the restaurant with a vinyl collection 1500 deep, and consistently brought in DJs to curate the selections. “We could have just opened our home and it would have the same effect, but doing it here is even better,” Monica says.

Nearby at Only the Wild Ones, owner Heather Tierney saw an opportunity to turn an unused space adjacent to the Venice location of her spot Butcher’s Daughter into a wine bar during the pandemic. Initially a casual wine-focused pop-up, the goal was to bring the community back together after months of isolation. “Everybody was looking for a way to get out of their houses,” Tierney says. “It was a time when the neighborhood really needed it,” she adds. 

Earlier this year, the pop-up evolved into Only the Wild Ones, which features small plates with a plant-based focus, natural wines, and of course, music. “There’s something about natural wine and hi-fi that goes so well together because they’re both zero intervention,” says Tierney. “And it’s the old-school way of doing things, in both cases.” Tierney and crew have been bringing in DJs like the crew from the erstwhile hi-fi bar In Sheep’s Clothing, along with locals and vinyl collectors from the neighborhood to man the decks. 

Beyond creating a neighborhood gathering place, some owners are excited to help invigorate L.A’s nightlife scene, which has struggled after various blows, including the pandemic and January’s wildfires.

“We’re excited to be part of the movement to reignite the nightlife in L.A.,” Airliner chef/owner Vinh Nguyen tells us. The Silent H chef took over the historic Airliner bar in Lincoln Heights in 2023, and as since transformed the upstairs space, previously a storied underground music venue frequented by the likes of Tyler the Creator, Thundercat, and Flying Lotus, into a listening room. “We built it to recreate the inside of a speaker box. It’s meant to house premium sound quality,” Nguyen notes of the plywood design which houses vintage Klipsch speakers (Heresey, Cornwall, and Klipschhorns AK3 for you A/V nerds) and a massive subwoofer.

The bar was also the site of the infamous club night Low End Theory, which was a staple in L.A.’s underground nightlife scene from 2006-2018. With the new listening room upstairs, and Nguyen’s innovative Asian-inspired bar downstairs, The Airliner has become a destination for Angelenos once again.

What nightlife looks like in L.A. in 2025 has unquestionably changed since before the pandemic. At Bar Benjamin, the recent upstairs addition to popular Hollywood restaurant The Benjamin, vinyl nights have evolved organically since the cocktail-focused spot opened in May. Partner Jared Meisler explains they installed a formidable sound system complete with handmade Maxville speakers and turntables and just let the party play out, often on Thursday nights, but whenever notable friends want to spin. “It was just another fun thing to do at this place that we love,” he says. 

Nightlife tastes are cyclical, Meisler explains, and with the clubby days of the 2000s behind us, sharing a drink while listening to records better suits the current mood. “I’ve been at this for a very long time. What people are in the mood for changes over the years,” Meisler says. There’s something very interesting in a listening party because much like everybody shares in the music when they’re dancing, it offers a similar focus. People are still chatting but there’s an attention to this one thing,” he adds.

Just down the street in West Hollywood, legendary Southern chef Sean Brock opened new restaurant Darling, his first-ever spot in Los Angeles, with an adjacent hi-fi listening lounge in late August. The chef was adamant about incorporating a listening bar theme when it came to the design of the restaurant. “My biggest goal for the listening bar at Darling is for people to discover new music,” says Brock, a vinyl collector and music lover. “Our goal is to play music that you have never heard before and now can’t live without,” he adds. 

As Los Angeles’ nightlife scene continues to evolve, the rise of listening-bar–inspired restaurants feels like both a nod to the past and a glimpse into the future. They’re not just places to eat or drink — they’re spaces to slow down, listen, and connect. Whether it’s a hi-fi hideaway in Lincoln Heights or a vinyl-lined lounge in Venice, L.A.’s new wave of music-centric destinations are reimagining what restaurants can both look and sound like.