Low-key Los Angeles Bars
Day Note:
Downtown and Eastside
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Footsie's
Contact:
- 323 226900
Location:
- 2640 North Figueroa Street
- at San Fernando Road, Highland Park
- Los Angeles,CA90012
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Map
Description:
Here's your opportunity to step onto the time machine. The decor, music as well as the drink prices belong to the 70s - and no one's complaining about that! Just don't forget to put on your dancing shoes before you head down to Footsie's because the rock music is too good to hold still to. Otherwise, take a pick from the jukebox or catch a game of pool. This place offers the perfect formula for a rocking time.
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Hop Louie
Contact:
- (213) 628-4244
Location:
- 950 Mei Ling Way
- Los Angeles,CA90012
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Description:
This is an unpretentious and reasonably priced place to get drinks. The crowd varies from almost no-one on some nights to packs of hipster "emerging artists" on nights when there are gallery openings on nearby Chung King Way. The bartenders will not try to be your best friend (which I consider a plus) and the jukebox is good. The scene is much more down-to-earth here than at Mountain Bar (the hipster haven across the way).
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Bar 107
Contact:
- (213) 625-7382
- visit website
Location:
- 107 4th Street
- (cross-street Main Street)
- Los Angeles,CA90013
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Description:
Bar 107 is to Downtown LA what Tiny's is to Hollywood: the token punk bar of the area. Not goth, industrial or cosplay, but just your good old, stripped of niceties and pretenses punk bar. The décor is cheerfully artless, with a full-length mirror wall pasted with local fliers on one side and a mile-long bar on the other. The demographic is certainly weighted towards early-to-mid-twenties. The vibe is rowdy and restless, and some nights do get sardine can-packed. Old TVs suspended up top tend to flicker out some adorable, god-awful 80s classic. Drinks are cheap and substantial, and prices are refreshingly low. If you need a change of pace from more chic and sophisticated downtown haunts, stop by here any night. - Kate Sobol
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King Eddy Saloon
Contact:
- (213) 629-2023
- visit website
Location:
- 131 East 5th Street
- Los Angeles,CA90013
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Description:
At one a hub for of alcohol distribution through tunnels beneath downtown during prohibition, the King Eddy Saloon in the King Edward Hotel holds Los Angeles's oldest standing liquor license. This low-key bar is the oldest and most authentic dive bar downtown. It is right next top Skid Row and has some cheapest alcohol prices around.
If you like dive bars this is the place for you. If you are for something a little upscale, downtown offers plenty more stylish and trendy nightspots that you can check out.
Other low-key, more divey joints in downtown Los Angeles included Hanks Bar and Bar 107. -
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Hank's Bar
Contact:
- 213 623 7718
- visit website
Location:
- 840 South Grand Avenue
- Los Angeles,CA90017
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Description:
Frequented by everyone from local businessmen to politicians to policemen to hipsters, this is purported to be the oldest bar in downtown Los Angeles. It has been around since before World War II and remains a highly respected spot on the Los Angeles map. The bartenders mix a mean martini and just about anything else you might desire. There is a reason this place has stayed popular for so many years, because of its combination of atmosphere and great drinks.
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Gold Room
Contact:
- +1 213 482 5259
Location:
- 1558 West Sunset Boulevard
- At Echo Park Avenue
- Los Angeles,CA90026
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Description:
A classic drinking establishment, this place has got some serious whiskers and a unique vibe. On better nights, you will be served by two motherly buxom waitresses, who look like they could just be visiting from the islands, slinging drinks with precision under the watchful eye of a Latino manager, who is a distinguished old-timer sporting a handlebar mustache and a three-piece golden watch chain. The clientèle is likewise gem-studded with a few singular characters. In keeping with the general quirkiness, the ceilings are adorned with the subtly flickering scene of a starry sky. Drink prices are startlingly low. Complimentary peanuts are dispensed generously. On a few nights, Gold Room shows its appreciation to perpetually thirsty customers by serving them free tacos fresh from the kitchen. - Kate Sobol
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Little Joy Cocktail Lounge
Contact:
- (213) 250-3417
- visit website
Location:
- 1477 West Sunset Boulevard
- Los Angeles,CA90026
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Description:
Local band flyers and photocopied want ads greet customers walking through the angular entryway, which obstructs the goings-on inside from street view. Bud Light lampshades hang over tattered tan-vinyl booths up front. Two pool tables in the back are perpetually lined with quarters--don't be surprised if the eight or cue ball are missing. Cute bartenders serve reasonably priced drinks, but don't expect top-shelf liquor. Jukebox variety favors '80s new wave and '90s indie rock, and DJs often set up in the back corner, where they spin everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Siouxsie & the Banshees. Little more than a hole-in-the-wall, this unsuspecting venue has become a prime post-9pm destination for an unusual mix of the artsy, just-turned-21 set, longtime locals and gay and lesbian crowd.
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Club Tee Gee
Contact:
- (323) 669-9631
- visit website
Location:
- 3210 Glendale Boulevard
- Los Angeles,CA90039
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Description:
This is a friendly dive bar that has been around since 1946. It is an unpretentious, neighborhood type of place. The decoration is reminiscent of a basement from the 70's. Overall its a chill place with a diverse clientele and it's generally not too crowded.
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Drawing Room
Contact:
- 323 665 0135
- visit website
Location:
- 1800 Hillhurst Avenue
- Los Angeles,CA90027
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Map
Description:
This tiny, often busy bar features a jukebox you won't be able to keep your quarters away from. The crowd is very diverse and friendly. Never has been or ever will be a terribly cool spot, which might be one of its positives; only the locals know about it and they like it that way. Plus, its great Los Feliz location (one of the last great neighborhoods in L.A.) makes it a wonderful diversion from the more familiar trendy path. Bring your cash, as credit cards are not accepted.
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Ye Rustic Inn
Contact:
- 323 662 5757
Location:
- 1831 Hillhurst Avenue
- Los Angeles,CA90027
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Map
Description:
This is a bar that perfectly serves the hip Los Feliz area. This casual two-room watering hole is a comfortable spot that's welcoming to both the aging regulars and the on-their-way-to-Hollywood younger crowd. The main room has a long, beaten-up bar filled with the kind of extras you only see in an Oliver Stone film. The back room offers booths for a more private night out. You can't build this kind of place—it has to age like fine wine.
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The Smog Cutter
Contact:
- +1 323 660 4626
- visit website
Location:
- 864 North Virgil Avenue
- Los Angeles,CA90029
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Description:
Although the neighborhood isn't great, Smog Cutter is certainly safe enough to hang in for a night. The crowd is a nice mix of regular locals and those who know how to find a safe bar with friendly prices. The karaoke machine offers its own brand of entertainment, although that's not always a good thing. Don't be fooled by it's rough exterior - this is a great place to forget your troubles. The bar does not accept credit cards, so keep some cash ready.
Day Note:
Miracle Mile and Westside
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Frank N Hank's
Contact:
- (213) 383-2087
- visit website
Location:
- 518 S Western Ave
- Los Angeles,CA90020
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Description:
A local Koreatown bar serving cheap drinks and food for the masses. Go relax after work or play and enjoy shooting some pool, playing darts or just sit back and enjoy the music and company around you.
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HMS Bounty
Contact:
- 213 385 7275
- visit website
Location:
- 3357 Wilshire Boulevard
- Los Angeles,CA90010
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Description:
Walking into this long-time haunt is like stepping back in time. Although the place has been open since the 1930s and hasn't changed all that much since, no one's complaining. The nautical theme is evident in the decor. The small menu (fish & chips, sandwiches, etc.) and the crusty regulars, are as friendly as they are devoted to this watering hole. A slightly younger crowd fills the place on weekends. This is a really fun place that's definitely not like every other place out there.
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Frolic Room
Contact:
- +1 323 462 5890
- visit website
Location:
- 6245 Hollywood Blvd
- Los Angeles,CA90028
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Description:
The "divest" of the dive bars, this tiny hole next to the famed Pantages Theater has been a Hollywood legend for decades. Used frequently in films for its authentic broken down feel, the bar remains good-natured about its appearance. Don't be dismayed by the shabby interior, however. The bartenders are always friendly and the crowd is made up of Hollywood musicians of many varying levels of success. And despite its "flannel shirt" appeal, don't be surprised to see a really famous face or two drop in once in a while.
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Coronet Pub
Contact:
- 310 659 4583
- visit website
Location:
- 370 North La Cienega Boulevard
- Los Angeles,CA90048-1925
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Description:
This place is quite an anomaly, considering the surrounding area and its proximity to the Beverly Center. Located next to the Coronet Theater, its your basic dive, only a really popular one. Nearly every night draws a crowd from all parts of town, including theatergoers from next door. There's a strip club right across the street, which doesn't serve alcohol, so some young men travel back and forth during the night. Most know, however, that once you get a table here, it's best to hold on to it.
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Cinema Bar
Contact:
- +1 310 390 1328
- visit website
Location:
- 3967 Sepulveda Boulevard
- Culver City,CA90230
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Map
Description:
Take a break from all the hustle bustle and enjoy a drink or two at the classic Cinema Bar. Since many years, this pub-cum-lounge has been delighting the city locals with some great country music and awesome drinks. The classic wooden interiors give it a very beautiful and timeless appeal. Watch out for the 'Tip Of The Jar'—a live music extravaganza held every Wednesday night, which features some of the best live country music bands. Because of all this, and more, The Cinema Bar is still considered as one of the best Country music nightclubs in the city and even after all these years, is frequented by a number of faithful locals.
