The 11 Best New Bars in Los Angeles: Summer 2018

Cure what ails you at this apothecary-inspired bar north of Chinatown. Like at its Manhattan location, the prescription-themed drink menu is categorized according to the purported healing powers of each cocktail’s ingredient, whether herbs, botanicals or fruit. Pick up your prescriptions for Aphrodisiacs, Stimulants and Euphoric Enhancers from the lab-coat-wearing bartenders.

The Drink to Drink: The Greenseer combines eucalyptus-infused tequila with mezcal, honeydew, spirulina, lime, habañero bitters and micro bull’s blood.

Know Before You Go: For next-level bottle service, order the decanter service for your entourage. Instead of plain booze, house-infused spirits—such as rosemary vodka, thyme rum, sage matcha gin, and eucalyptus and spirulina tequila—are poured.

Chic imbibers luxuriate in a Belle Epoque setting of creamy marble surfaces, vintage mirrors and carved oak panels at this new bar and bistro by the hit makers behind L.A.’s Jones and The Roger Room. Up front is a beautifully composed Parisian brasserie-style bar and dining room, while those seeking an intimate corner can escape to the enclosed garden patio in the back. But the piece de resistance is bartender Brittney Olsen’s cocktail program of classic sparkling and signature cocktails, making every occasion a party.

The Drink to Drink: The Death in the Afternoon is a classic, and here it’s made with the bar’s house-made absinthe and Champagne.

Know Before You Go: If you don’t want to rely on being able to nab a first-come, first-served seat at the bar, reserve a table seat in the dining room just for drinking—no judgment, no dinner upselling.

It’s summer vacation 365 days of the year at this new Boystown bar that, even though it’s 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, inspires its bargoers to dress down in their best swimming trunks, thanks to beach-themed décor and an endless summer vibe. The 3,500-square-foot beach house bar affords ample opportunity to see and be seen with floor-to-ceiling glass sliders and a split-level design offering views of the downstairs main bar. It’s a good thing the cocktail menu, by Aidan Demarest (The Edison), is figure-friendly with low sugar and fresh juices, even offering kombucha cocktails such as a mint kombucha spiked with Nolet’s gin.

The Drink to Drink: Go on vacation in your head after drinking the Waikiki slushie, which is served in a 20-ounce mug with white rum, Licor 43, coconut syrup, pineapple, mango purée, lime, a pinch of cayenne and 23-year-old Ron Zacapa.

Know Before You Go: Save money on drinks two ways: at the aptly named Pregame happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m., with half-off frozen drinks and $10 Boilermakers or at the late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight with two-for-one cocktails.

Tait Forman of the Arclight Cinemas family combines his love of cocktails and cinema in this swank new West Hollywood bar. Step inside, and you’re in 1930s Hollywood, replete with muted pastels and Art Deco–inspired light fixtures and banquettes. With the help of Proprietors LLC, the cocktail consulting group behind Death & Co and The Normandie Club, the movie-inspired drinks menu spotlights innovative variations of classic cocktails, such as the Deconstructed Dirty Martini served with olive leaf soda on the side.

The Drink to Drink: The Sing Sing, a stirred take on the Singapore Sling, with rye, Lillet Rosé apéritif, Heering cherry liqueur, Giffard Caribbean pineapple liqueur, Bigallet China-China amer, clarified pineapple juice and absinthe

Know Before You Go: Not to worry, teetotalers and designated drivers—each category of the cocktail menu starts off with a nonalcoholic offering that’s just as delicious and Instagrammable as the other drinks.

The second Blind Barber location in L.A. boasts the same “barbershop up front and hidden bar in the back” layout as its Culver City sister. However, the new bar-bershop, which takes over the historic Frank’s Camera Shop in hot-hood-of-the-moment Highland Park, is actually inspired by the party house in the film “Boogie Nights.” Clean midcentury style is funkified with colored lights and ’70s-style décor. But the cocktail menu features 10 very modern house and classic cocktails, as well as a seasonal drink menu, which is freshened up twice a year.

The Drink to Drink: Snag rum cocktail the Golden Ticket. It first kicks you in the mouth with ginger heat, then soothes with honey, coconut and a smooth egg white finish.

Know Before You Go: Hungry? There are 13 delectable grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from. Go for an umami bomb with taleggio, aged parmesan, mushrooms and truffle oil, one with Spanish chorizo and Iberico cheese or a dessert-like Nutella and mascarpone sandwich.

This 45-year-old Marina del Rey watering hole just received a major overhaul. Bought by beer-loving restaurant group Artisanal Brewers Collective last year, the iconic pub got a refresh by the same designer behind gorgeous L.A. bars Seven Grand and The Walker Inn. Bar bites have also been upgraded to mushroom pâté, bouillabaisse and even the veg-friendly Impossible burger. Naturally, macro beer has been traded out for local craft brews, with an eclectic selection gracing the 16 rotating taps.

The Drink to Drink: You can’t go wrong with any of the handpicked local craft beers on tap. For suggestions, ask the savvy beertenders.

Know Before You Go: For those who were worried about the racing turtles, they now only hit the track once a month instead of weekly. And turtle fans can now visit the adorable athletes in their new herpetologist-approved sanctuary located in the back patio where they chill between races.

Why go to a bar just to drink when this new Highland Park neighborhood spot makes it easy to also catch a show at its adjacent sister music venue Lodge Room? Before a concert, grab a cocktail and take in the beautiful midcentury-modern details of the restored historic Masonic Temple. The craft cocktail menu offers eternal summer classics like a Mint Julep and Mai Tai, as well as specialty drinks with unusual culinary ingredients such as chlorophyll mint cordial and pomegranate molasses.

The Drink To Drink: The Carmen #SIX, a spicy blend of tequila, pamplemousse, lime, yuzu, jalapeño and agave

Know Before You Go: Line hack! If you plan on seeing a show, you can skip the box office line downstairs and check your ticket in with your bartender or server, then head directly to Lodge Room from the bar.

The team behind one of the best bars in the world finally opened up an outpost in L.A. And despite locations in New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Miami, co-founder Dushan Zaric calls it the best Employees Only yet. With its next-level SoCal-inspired cocktails, a full-service restaurant and a speakeasy bar in the back featuring premium cocktails, he’s not wrong.

The Drink to Drink: The Hope Monkey is a crushable cocktail of makrut-lime-infused Gin Mare, lime cordial and house-made absinthe bitters. The danger lies in how easy it is to put away.

Know Before You Go: To gain access to Henry’s Room, the hidden New Orleans–inspired bar in the back, make a reservation on the Resy app. But make sure to book a seat at the bartender’s table, the best perch for watching and engaging with the bartender.

Three Filipina women wanted to create a gin joint in L.A.’s Historic Filipinotown, and with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $39,000, they did. The 1,000-square-foot bar, in a welcoming environment with a Beaux-Art-style tiled ceiling and gold walls, boasts 24 gins and four genevers, as well as Filipino-influenced cocktails with ingredients such as pandan, calamansi and tapioca.

The Drink to Drink: The Diamond & Pearls cocktail, made with green-tea-infused gin, coconut, pandan, calamansi, sago and matcha powder, always turns heads when it arrives at the table in its blue fish vessel.

Know Before You Go: Adventurous drinkers should ask for the Ginebra San Miguel, a Filipino sugar-cane-based gin. Even though you probably never heard of it before, it’s the best-selling gin in the world.

The new Los Angeles outpost of New York’s NoMad Hotel houses four bars by James Beard–award-winning barman Leo Robitschek. Eager drinkers can enjoy his well-crafted cocktails at the downstairs Coffee Bar and The Mezzanine restaurant and bar and up on the roof at the pool bar. The Giannini Bar is adjacent to the high-ceiling hotel lobby and offers an extensive 35-cocktail menu of Robitschek’s creations.

The Drink to Drink: The Pico & Robertson, a heart-warming mix of coconut-infused bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse liqueur, Punt e Mes aperitivo, blanc vermouth and sea salt.

Know Before You Go: Even though NoMad is known for its large-format cocktail explosions, couples can go in on cocktails made for two, like a Zombie served in a skull vessel, or Cocktail No. 3, which arrives in an impressive copper rooster.

Joining the slew of new cocktail bars opening up in the recently renovated Hotel Figueroa is Rick’s, the new poolside guest-house-style bar located opposite Veranda restaurant. With its own entrance off the alley across from L.A. Live, it has hotel bar polish without your having to hustle past hotel guests and the concierge. The two-level alfresco bar, which overlooks the iconic outdoor swimming pool, is ideal for cooling off during warm summer nights, especially when sipping on tropical-inspired cocktails featuring ingredients such as macadamia orgeat, kumquat marmalade and guava cordial.

The Drink to Drink: Beverage director Michael Lay’s personal favorite is his take on the Mojito, the Joe’s Mojo, made with Caña Brava three-year-old rum, fresh lime, mint, tamarind and pressed cane mojo.

Know Before You Go: The bar features a unique rum and agave collection boasting hard-to-find items. Just ask the bartenders about the selection and they’ll happily turn you on to something you’ve never had before.