These atmospheric speakeasies are some of the city’s best-kept secrets.
LessTucked away behind 800 Degrees Pizza, this speakeasy is a throwback to the 70s. Its retro interiors and disco anthems spinning from the eclectic vinyl library offers the psychedelic refuge we need right now. When times allow, you can also sink into a plush sofa and soak up the surroundings with a live performance.
Wander through the iconic Cole’s French Dip and step through an obscure oak door with a picture to find L.A.’s oldest public house. You’ll find yourself in this refurbished storage room, clad with wooden panels, intricate tiling, cozy leather-seated booths and dimly-lit lanterns, with the most acclaimed cocktail craftsmen in the brewing up potent libations.
This trendy barbershop secretly houses elegant speakeasies with locations in NYC and Chicago and two outposts in L.A. — one in Culver City and another in Highland Park. Here, you can have your grooming done day and sip on cocktails in a swanky setting by night.
This unique speakeasy from NYC now has two locations here in L.A.! Get your hair cut by day and great cocktails by night in a swanky space.
At this unique spot, an old refrigerator door acts as a portal to a 70s-themed spot that’s like stepping into the Foreman’s living room. Every available surface is filled with vintage trinkets and collectible paraphernalia, including old soda cans. In the backyard decked out with garage sale items you’ll find an old trailer that serves great drinks. It has all the retro nostalgia you could ask for to make you feel at home in the heart of Hollywood.
Behind classic industrial walls in Venice, you’ll find this incredibly intimate space with chic Mid-Century furniture and tiki accents. Old Lightning can host just 25 people and to be one of them, you’ll need to enquire with staff at Scopa Italian Roots (where this cocktail den is hidden) or make a reservation via email. Note, that when you enter you will have to fully submit to a bygone era—which means giving up your phone.
Often described as a Boogie Night’s-style bar, Adults Only is an elevated dive bar scene where guests walk into a fake video store on the Hollywood Strip, through a gallery lined with old-school VHS tapes and movie posters illuminating with a red glow. The rest of the space is an ostentatious mashup of decor, consisting of boudoir accents, decorative sofas, stained glass, and billiards rooms.
The famed NYC-based hotspot brings its lauded world-class cocktails to L.A.’s Arts District. Head down a staircase into a sleek subterranean den where the bustling 3rd Street above can hardly be heard. You’ll have two indoor rooms to enjoy, the Standing Room with just 8 cocktails or the main glowing main room with elegant brass accents illuminated, romantic amber lighting, a full menu and 25 seasonal cocktails centered around local agricultural bounty.