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Recommend genuine cocktail bar in Los Angeles?

post #1 of 13
10/25/10 at 1:04am
Thread Starter 
So, can anyone recommend a good authentic cocktail bar, or one where such rules for a cocktail bar are enforced for a given time?

I enjoy most bars from dives to gimmicky joints serving up food, but I need to find more places where the bartenders know what goes in a sidecar or a ward 8.

Typically, cocktail bars will not allow groups of more than 4 in, don't serve food, don't allow the gratuitous use of cell phones and other gadgets.

Need to entertain some east coast people soon who will not put up with espn zone and the likes. Need more help, thought some of you here can help, thanks.
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post #2 of 13
10/25/10 at 1:21am
Depends where you're staying. Los angeles is huge - help us narrow it down. Plenty of good resources here.

Ive herad the edison bar in downtown LA is great, hell just check out their site:
http://www.edisondowntown.com/main.htm

On the off chance youre in long beach, the madison is a nice place but I cant speak to the bartenders since Im just a beer/jager shot/wake up with random girl kinda guy.
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post #3 of 13
10/25/10 at 2:35am
Thread Starter 
Yea, I know of the edison, that is closer to what I am looking for. The owner of that joint owns a bunch of downtown bars with some having great mixologists, so I also know about Seven grand et al. Actually, The edison seems to be the only place people are quick to mention when I asked this same question around, hence my search here.

I am a native Angeleno who admittedly is still learning the ropes to the higher-end night life, by which I mean nothing in Hollywood or hipster bars. I am just at the point where chain restaurants aren't cutting it for certain occasions, and where bars and grills will not do either. Such certain occasions are more frequent now as I am getting older and trying to establish myself.

I guess I mean "the greater Los Angeles area" which means next to nothing heh, but Long beach is in my view a city unto itself, having its own mixed various areas etc.
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post #4 of 13
10/25/10 at 3:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bringusingoodale View Post
So, can anyone recommend a good authentic cocktail bar, or one where such rules for a cocktail bar are enforced for a given time? Typically, cocktail bars will not allow groups of more than 4 in, don't serve food, don't allow the gratuitous use of cell phones and other gadgets. Need to entertain some east coast people soon who will not put up with espn zone and the likes. Need more help, thought some of you here can help, thanks.
Is that really the definition of a cocktail bar? So, the Pegu Club back East isn't a real cocktail bar because they also serve food? And, Milke & Honey isn't a real cocktail bar either because they serve food as well? I probably could have given you some places but it doesn't sound like they would have meet your expectations of a authentic cocktail bar.
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post #5 of 13
10/25/10 at 3:18am
Cole's downtown too. It might be the same owner as Edison.
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post #6 of 13
10/25/10 at 1:35pm
try the Varnish in downtown los angeles. It's a speakeasy enviroment.
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post #7 of 13
10/26/10 at 12:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire. View Post
Is that really the definition of a cocktail bar? So, the Pegu Club back East isn't a real cocktail bar because they also serve food? And, Milke & Honey isn't a real cocktail bar either because they serve food as well? I probably could have given you some places but it doesn't sound like they would have meet your expectations of a authentic cocktail bar.

You are right, I did not mean to exclude good establishments based on this criteria. I was speaking from my experience, because usually people are quick to recommend bar and grills or fine restaurants with a dinky little bar at the side.
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post #8 of 13
10/27/10 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baron View Post
Cole's downtown too. It might be the same owner as Edison.
No, that owner for the former is the same one for Milk & Honey. But, Cole's is the name of the french dip place (I favor the original, Phillipe's over Cole's), and Varnish is the name of the bar in the back of Cole's.
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You are right, I did not mean to exclude good establishments based on this criteria. I was speaking from my experience, because usually people are quick to recommend bar and grills or fine restaurants with a dinky little bar at the side.
The Varnish and Edison seem like they best fit your original criteria, but here are some other choices: The Tar Pit by Mark Peel. Its one of those hybrid restaurants/cocktail bar, where the cocktail bar is just as important as the food. And, with Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club as one of the original owners, you don't have to worry about the quality of the cocktails. Tiki-Ti. With so many cocktail bars trying too hard to recreate this sense of history that veers into preciousness, Tiki-Ti is the real deal. For almost fifty years, its been a family owned bar with a lineage that stretches back to the Don the Beachcomber. The drinks are fine- they were making their own syrups before this cocktail renaissance in the past few years- but somewhat limited in that their drinks are mostly rum based. If whiskey is your poison, then you might want to give Seven Grand a shot since I think all their drinks are whiskey-based. And, if you want more of a farm-to-table cocktail style approach, you should try Santa Monica's Copa d'Oro.
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post #9 of 13
10/27/10 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
^^
Thanks, some new information there.

It seems it is getting harder to find these sort of places that don't cater to club going people in their late 20's or that are trying to create "an atmosphere" which means: gimmicky hipster paradise. Nothing wrong with these places, but alternatives are always a welcome.

If my search by word of mouth yields nothing, and once I start randomly checking Yelp, which was what I wanted to avoid and ask you guys here, and still conclude that these types of establishments are rarer than I thought, then who knows, this might be a good business venture

SF members who wear jacket and tie drink 10 percent off. Heh.
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post #10 of 13
10/27/10 at 4:19pm
You might run into Saltricks and douchefriend at Edison hahaha
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post #11 of 13
10/27/10 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nahneun View Post
You might run into Saltricks and douchefriend at Edison hahaha

it would probably be impossible to pick them out of that crowd
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post #12 of 13
10/27/10 at 6:36pm
Edison is great, I felt a little young though (23). A hidden spot is the library bar at the roosevelt hotel. The mixologist there is truly deserving of that title. He gets fresh ingredients from the farmer's market and creates custom drinks based on what you like and he has some extremely good signature drinks that he makes for people. Really great place. Gets packed early and you have to wait awhile, but its worth it.
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post #13 of 13
10/28/10 at 4:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bringusingoodale View Post
If my search by word of mouth yields nothing, and once I start randomly checking Yelp, which was what I wanted to avoid and ask you guys here, and still conclude that these types of establishments are rarer than I thought, then who knows, this might be a good business venture

Alcohol + cars are a dangerous combination, and probably why LA's cocktail options are more limited than NYC and SF, cities with more extensive public transport system.
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