Photo: Bar | Kitchen
Photo: Bar | Kitchen
BAR | KITCHEN
Last fall, a duo from the acclaimed New York bar Death & Company took over the management of Bar | Kitchen, located on the lobby level of Downtown’s O Hotel. David Kaplan and Alex Day (Death & Co’s co-owner and a former bartender, respectively) have created a lively hangout for locals and hotel guests alike, with an emphasis on affordability. Signature cocktails like the High Five (gin, Aperol, grapefuit and lime juice) are $10, and during happy hour (Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.) selected drinks are just $7. Don’t miss the $5 happy hour bar bites, such as the Crispy Pork Belly Tacos and the addictive Parmesan Truffle Tots. Bar | Kitchen has started to explore social drinking in its many forms with its Sunday Social gatherings, taking place every Sunday from 3 p.m. until late. The weekly event launched with punch specials and items from the happy hour menu.
Bar | Kitchen
O Hotel
819 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213.623.9904
www.barandkitchenla.com
Bar Centro | Photo: SLS Hotel
BAR CENTRO
Nothing is what it seems to be at first glance at Bar Centro, part of the foodie wonderland that is The Bazaar by José Andrés, located off La Cienega on the ground floor of the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. Cocktails are transformed at Bar Centro, where fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables go hand in hand with liquid nitrogen and organic emulsifiers to re-imagine classics and push the envelope with modern creations. Manhattans with cherry spherification, “New Way” Dirty Martinis (with olive spherification and olive brine air) and Margaritas with salt air are paired with caviar, “conservas” and other signature Andrés snacks.
Bar Centro - The Bazaar by José Andrés
SLS at Beverly Hills
465 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.246.2100
www.thebazaar.com
BLVD Bar | Photo: BLVD Hotel
BLVD BAR & CAFÉ
Located in the lobby of Studio City’s BLVD Hotel & Spa, the BLVD Bar is an intimate lounge with a look that matches the boutique hotel’s modern design. Mixologist Jesse Damron created the bar’s list of cocktails, named after famous LA streets. The menu favors vodka cocktails like the Wilshire BLVD (42 Below, Canton Ginger Liqueur, cranberry juice) and the Venice BLVD (42 Below, triple sec, lychee juice, fresh lychees). Other spirits are featured in drinks such as the Ventura BLVD (ROOT liqueur, Canton Ginger Liqueur, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, grenadine syrup and mango syrup).
BLVD Hotel & Spa
10730 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
818.623.9100
www.theblvdhotel.com
Cocktail Trolley | Photo: Casa del Mar
CASA DEL MAR
Guests of Santa Monica’s Casa del Mar can enjoy cocktails made to order by the roving Cocktail Trolley from 4:30 to 9 p.m. in the hotel’s Lobby Lounge. The Trolley’s mixologist will create drinks according to your personal tastes from the selection of liquors, mixers and garnishes featured on the cart. Or you can opt for signature cocktails like the First Glance, Ravenous Pineapple, Tea Garden Cooler and The Pink. And it wouldn’t be LA if there weren’t healthy options on the menu, so guests with restricted diets or who simply wish to eat healthier by watching their gluten intake, can opt for the new gluten-free cocktail and dinner menu that Catch features on Wheatless Wednesdays.
Casa del Mar
1910 Ocean Way
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.581.5533
www.hotelcasadelmar.com
FIG at Five | Photo: FIG
FIG
With the popular Santa Monica Farmers Market nearby, it’s no wonder that FIG Restaurant features such fresh and seasonal ingredients in Chef Ray Garcia’s bistro-inspired dishes. Globetrotting mixologist Charlotte Voisey created FIG’s opening cocktails, which are perhaps best enjoyed at the classic pewter bar. Stop by at Sunday Brunch for an excellent Bloody Maria, made with tomatillo, Gran Centenario Reposado Tequila and a bacon rim. Need more bacon? Try the “12 Eggs and Bacon,” made with bacon-infused Tru Organic Gin, lemon juice and egg whites. The restaurant’s FIG at Five happy hour features one of the best deals in town: every Tuesday-Thursday from 5-6 p.m., the entire FIG menu is available for 50% off. Yes, even the bacon-wrapped bacon.
FIG Restaurant
Fairmont Miramar
101 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.319.3111
figsantamonica.com
The Spare Room | Photo: Thirsty in LA
HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT
Cocktail enthusiasts could spend an entire weekend drinking at the various bars inside the Hollywood Roosevelt. Just off the central lobby, the Library Bar features the farm-to-glass mixology of Matt Biancaniello, who sources fresh ingredients from local farmers markets and even has his own bee colony. There’s no menu at Library Bar, just put yourself in Biancaniello’s hands omakase-style as he crafts a cocktail especially suited to your spirit and flavor preferences.
Also located in the Roosevelt’s lobby is Public Kitchen & Bar, which features an eclectic American menu from Executive Chef Tim Goodell. The re-imagined dining hall features a three-sided, marble topped bar with creative cocktails, a moderately priced 100 bottle wine list, beers on draft and by the bottle, and an assortment of cured meats and cheeses.
Facing Hollywood Boulevard is 25 Degrees, Goodell’s sophisticated, playful take on the classic burger joint. 25 Degrees is open 24 hours and features two happy hours: the first from 3-6 p.m., and a late night one from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Specialty cocktails include the refreshing Watermelon Smash (Plymouth Gin, fresh watermelon, mint) and “Spiked Shakes” like the Salty Caramel: bourbon, butterscotch, vanilla bean ice cream and Hawaiian red sea salt.
Located on the hotel’s Mezzanine Level, The Spare Room is a gaming parlor and cocktail den where the stylish board games are as handcrafted as the drinks. Enjoy the signature Spare Room Snap cocktail (rye whiskey, gingersnap liqueur, lemon juice, nutmeg) and bowl a few frames in the vintage alley in your rented bespoke Esquivel Shoes.
Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.466.7000
thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt
Rendering: Hotel Bel-Air
HOTEL BEL-AIR
Back in the 1970s, Dale DeGroff (aka “King Cocktail” and the man recognized as one of the founders of the modern cocktail renaissance) was a bartender at the the legendary Hotel Bel-Air, which re-opened in October 2011 after a 24-month, multi-million dollar renovation. The updated Bar & Lounge has kept its famous clubby vibe and added a glamorous new design, featuring a central fireplace, grand piano and wood paneled walls that evoke the Golden Age of Hollywood. The Bar has been expanded to the outdoors with the addition of three garden alcoves, separated by doors that can remain open or closed for the desired level of privacy.
Hotel Bel-Air
701 Stone Canyon Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90077
310.472.1211
www.hotelbelair.com
The Mixing Room | Photo: JW Marriott
JW MARRIOTT AT L.A. LIVE
Located on the lobby level of the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE, The Mixing Room takes the staid hotel lobby bar to a new level, featuring craft cocktails like the Rooftop Passion (Herradura Silver Tequila, Velvet Falernum, Passion Fruit) and the Sweet Reserve (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Grapefruit, Honey), along with innovative small plates and a lush, urban setting.
JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE
900 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213.765.8600
www.lalivemarriott.com
The Polo Lounge | Photo: Beverly Hills Hotel
POLO LOUNGE
The famed Polo Lounge at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows has been a power dining spot and watering hole for generations of Hollywood’s movers and shakers. Sip a house cocktail or a classic Gibson, listen to jazz on the patio, and it’s easy to imagine yourself closing that blockbuster multi-picture deal. For its Spring Menu, the Polo Lounge saluted the nuptials of William and Kate with the Royal Wedding cocktail: Bombay London Dry Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Honey Syrup, Lemon Juice and Chilled Introspection Tea.
Polo Lounge
Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows
9641 Sunset Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 276-2251
www.beverlyhillshotel.com/the-polo-lounge
The Tap Room | Photo: The Langham
THE TAP ROOM
The Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa features The Tap Room, a nod to the original hotel bar that opened in the 1930s just after Prohibition ended. The Tap Room offers classic and handcrafted cocktails from a menu created by consulting mixologist Ben Browning, who also did Bar Centro's cocktails. With a name like The Tap Room, the bar naturally features a selection of artisanal beers on tap, as well as an eclectic wine selection and top shelf spirits. Don’t miss Browning’s Uva Bella (gin, muddled grapes, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, lemon juice) or go with a classic like an Old Fashioned, an ideal cocktail for the stylish and sophisticated setting. The traditional bar food menu gets an upscale twist, featuring globally-influenced small plates such as Lobster Corn Dogs, Smoked Salmon Tartar, Kobe Beef Patty Melt Sliders, Buffalo Rings and a Sausage Panini.
The Tap Room
The Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa
1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91106
626.585.6415
pasadena.langhamhotels.com
