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Best Bars in Downtown LA
Looking for the hottest bars in Downtown Los Angeles? Then you’ve come to the right place. This list should hopefully expose you to some of the hottest and most frequented spots in LA. Hopefully you’ll learn some new, amazing places to check that you didn’t know before. With over a hundred bars surrounding DTLA, the disctrict is home to one of the largest nightlife scenes on the West Coast. So without further waiting, let’s get to it.
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The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA
Originally built as the base of Superior Oil, The Standard, Downtown LA is Mid-Century California design par perfection. Located in the heart of booming Downtown Los Angeles, the rooftop pool and bar possess a stunning panoramic views of LA, an intimate rooftop garden bar, and a stellar 24-hour restaurant. There is bottle service and tables for reservations available. There is also a block of marble on the façade, covering the lobby, which asthetically pleasing and very impressive. Make sure to check out upcoming events at Rooftop at the Standard to see what’s happening this weekend!
Clifton’s Republic
Clifton’s Republic is arguably the coolest bar in California. This four story venue is an experience you will never forget. In the middle of the bar is a 50 foot fake Redwood tree, which immediately helps you find your way around the place. Every floor is themed, with plenty of room for dancing, lounging, or whatever else you may want to do. This venue is like Disneyland for adults and definitely the venue to go if looking to change things up. It’s an experience hard to describe, so we recommend going there and seeing for yourself.
The Reserve
Downtown Los Angeles has a ton of beautiful properties remaining from its twentieth-century youth. This bank vault is centered in the middle of Historic Core which has been converted into The Reserve. As one of L.A.’s oldest places, the building goes back to 1924, when the Hellman Commercial Trust and Savings was built into the ground floor.
The Reserve has a number of sub-lounges and dance floors for a diverse experience every weekend. From their uncommon location, to the handcrafted cocktails, to the inviting atmosphere, The Reserve is happy to offer a wide spectrum of indulgences in an intimate setting for your every desire including bottle service availible for reservation. Experience Hip Hop and Reggaeton each Friday night and Hip Hop, R&B and Throwbacks for Saturday’s turn up! Make sure to check out upcoming events at The Reserve to not miss out!
The Arsenal
The Arsenal is West L.A.’s premier bar – serving food, classic cocktails, spirits and tap beers to a diverse mix of local westside regulars. Located at the gateway of the Pico Corridor, the Arsenal is happy to service drinks, as one of the first bars to the Pico booming social scene.
Although not as elaborate at some of the other bars on this list, the arsenal is a staple of what a good, classic bar should entail. The place is joyful and unassuming. If looking to play it safe tonight and gaurentee an expected bar experience, Arsenal is a great bet.
No Vacancy
There are several things about No Vacancy that must stay a secret until you visit. No Vacancy takes its on the speakeasies theme very seriously in the best way imaginable– once you make it in, you’re not just in a hidden bar, you’re in another reality with wonders around every corner. Oh, and great booze. We wouldn’t want to spoil to much so make sure to see Upcoming Events at No Vacancy so not to miss out!
Seven Grand
Seven Grand, the extensive whiskey bar, features one of the most comprehensive selections of awarded whiskeys in the West, with bottles showcased in vintage cases. The location is favorited by whiskey enthusiants and anyone looking to get away from the usual option of drink found at the local club. If looking for something not only different but extraordinary, come here.
Break Room 86
Break Room 86 is one of the most innovative and creative bar/clubs out in DTLA right now. Enter into the loading dock off Ardmore then walk through an employee entrance. From there, you’re led down a shaded, glossy-walled hallway through the hotel kitchens and ice machines. The end of your journey is what was designed as the hotel employee break room, now converted into L.A.’s hottest ’80s bar. Break Room 86 is an awesome place to be and an unreal exeperience. You don’t want to miss out, so click here to see Upcoming Events at Break Room 86.
Down & Out Bar
If you want to wild night out on a weekend, the Down & Out invites you with open arms. Located under the Alexandria Hotel, this sports bar is one of the best places in DTLA to dance and drink the night away. Better yet, the dive has cheap drinks, good music, and a photo-op. When they aren’t hosting DJs, trivia, or open-mic nights expect to see a game on their TVs.
The Crocker Club
LA is known for its nightlife and The Crocker Club is one of the city’s finest institutions. The Crocker Club is found right in the middle of the Downtown Los Angeles art and bar scene in the Gallery Row district. The club is located in the Spring Arts Tower.
With the vault and other bank elements still intact, The Crocker Club is an artistic, gorgeous venue with various rooms and bars. The main bar is the original bank teller’s counter where VIP patrons with bottle service are given safety deposit boxes used to conduct their business. What was onece a vault now houses a bar room called “the vault”. They even have a ghost that hangs out in the “ghost bar” and shows up now and then. But don’t worry, he’s friendly! This room is secluded and has its own sound system and bar. You don’t want to miss out to click here to see Upcoming Events at The Crocker Club.
Library Bar
Library Bar has remained a downtown drinking staple for many, but it’s after-work scene is the best time to attend. The fun, library theme is definitely there, but not in a way that makes you sad, bored or stressed to be there. They have strong beer and an expansive cocktail list ($5 margaritas), and an above-average bar food menu if you want to eat a grilled cheese and feel good about it.
New Nightclub On The Record Coming to Park MGM Las Vegas
On the record, twin-brother L.A. nightlife impresarios Mark and Jonnie Houston are coming to Las Vegas with their new nightlife concept, On the Record.
Known for creating multilayered entertainment spaces — such as Good Times at Davey Wayne’s, Black Rabbit Rose and the carnival-themed, politics-tinged Madame Siam Sideshow Emporium — that blend drinking, dancing, design, socializing and cool hidden “speakeasy” entrances, the fraternal twins have been considering Las Vegas for years. But a space in Park MGM (formerly the Monte Carlo), a resort developed in partnership between MGM Resorts and Sydell Group, helped seal the deal.
“Sydell made the intro to MGM Resorts, and we were courted by them for three years,” says Mark Houston.
The duo’s popular Break Room 86 is located inside Sydell’s Line Hotel in Koreatown.
“As avid visitors, we said, ‘Why not do Vegas?’” Mark says. “There is a demand for something new and to add another layer that the town doesn’t have right now.”
“In the past, when Mark and I went to Las Vegas there haven’t been a lot of [nightlife options] that appeal to us — we go to nice dinners, see a Cirque show, get a massage, do a little gambling,” says Jonnie. “There was nothing that drew us — it was the same nightclubs. We want to create an immersive experience to take people out of the norm. We want people to go out and have a good time.”
At 11,000 square feet, On the Record, situated across from the Park MGM theater (where Lady Gaga will also debut her residency New Year’s Eve), will be the largest venture to date for the Houstons but small by Las Vegas mega-club standards. But the brothers are quick to point out that they aren’t trying to compete with such hotspots as Marquee and Hakkasan (averaging around 50,000 square feet). “I do love those places for what they are and I do appreciate them,” Jonnie says. “What they do is amazing, and they are great at what they do.”
Divided into three main spaces but offering multiple experiences, On the Record will incorporate the hallmarks of the Houstons’ existing venues and is sure to lure Hollywood fans as their L.A. spots do (Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Pattinson, Billy Idol).
“[The norm right now in Vegas is] one big room with one DJ, bottle service — and if you don’t have a table, you may feel pushed aside. We want to create an experience where everyone feels important,” Jonnie says, adding that OTR will allow partiers “to escape and explore so you are not stuck in one room.” He compares it to “the best date I have ever had…. Every place you go a different piece of magic happens.”
“The entry of the space is a fully functioning record store,” says Mark. “As kids, we went to Tower Records and picked out records. On the Record is nostalgic and driven by our experiences. You had to work for it; vinyl had a raw, gritty vibe versus a download.” He adds that there will be a hidden entrance from the store into the club, a design that’s “something we haven’t done before.”
Inside will be a main room with hidden VIP areas and a reservation-only “speakeasy within a speakeasy,” which Mark calls the “jewel box.” The outdoor patio does not face Las Vegas Boulevard.
“[The vibe is] ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s — it is a journey,” Jonnie says. “Within the rooms there [will be a mix of ] DJs and opportunities for bands to bend their genres.”
As with their L.A. spots, the brothers will design the space themselves and curate found items that work with the theme. On the Record will offer bottle service and other types of communal imbibing like punch bowls. Food will be served by a yet-to-be named partner and the cocktail program will be a combination of their team and other mixologists.
“When I go to L.A. and see them doing such a good job of creating a vibe and an experience that is different, then that’s what gets me excited,” says Sean Christie, president of events and nightlife for MGM Resorts International. “I supported them to build infrastructure in Las Vegas so that we can have the best of both worlds, which is their creativity, their unique spin on the way they see the world, the types of places they do in L.A. — and then combine that with the expertise that I have related to nightclubs and Las Vegas.”
Over the last decade, Christie created some of the desert city’s most well-known and profitable nightclubs for Wynn Las Vegas — such as Blush and Encore Beach Club — and later served as executive vp business development for Wynn Resorts. He joined MGM Resorts in early 2018.
“I think the things that have really worked in the last 10 years are entertainment-driven concepts driven by DJs, artists or famous people — names that cause people to buy tickets, prepay for tables and make their itinerary based on a calendar, much like you would decide to see a live show,” Christie notes. “But I found myself sitting in Break Room 86 and I was having a lot of fun and I thought it could work. It was unexpected, and I’m a hard customer to please. We’re inundated so much with technology, and because of things like vinyl — lo-fi things — [On the Record] evokes a certain amount of nostalgia and imagery that hits your soft spots.”