Cheers to Unique Bars in LA We Love
Written By: Jeff Cooper & Yasmin Yahyapour Themed bars in LA
It’s easy for people to pretend they’re someone else after they have had a few drinks, but to pretend they’re in a completely different time or place might take a little more than heavy pours! Themed bars and restaurants are popping up all over Los Angeles, and they let diners and drinkers step into another time, place, or mindset before they even order their first round.
Highland Park Bowl
The Study
For those of you bookworms out there who enjoy a nice drink while reading your favorite novel, look no further. The Study is on our list of themed bars, for its most well known and incredibly unique setting. Enter into a library, with bookshelves from the floor to ceiling! But wait, there’s drinks and music playing? Previously known as Hemingway’s Lounge, The Study is a premiere hot spot in Los Angeles known for its hipster chic vibes and tasty drinks!
Native Knowledge: One of their popular cocktails includes the Gatsby, which uses whisky and blueberry flavors!
6356 Hollywood Blvd, 1st Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.469.0040
Redwood Bar & Grill
This pirate themed bar has been around Los Angeles for ten years now. Stop by during their lunch for various daily specials. They were once rated for having the best burger in LA! That doesn’t mean their other menu items aren’t fantastic such as fish and chips, mac and cheese, and even vegan burgers as an option. The pirate theme is included in their atmosphere, with dark wood, skulls and paintings of old ships. Redwood has a music venue where local LA bands perform in the evening.
Native Knowledge: The drink orders are also pirate themed such as the Treasure Island, Aztec Idol and the Moby Dick! Drink up me hearties yo ho!
316 W 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.680.2600
Tiki-Ti
Drinks, drinks and did I mention drinks? With exactly 94 options of drinks on the menu, Tiki-Ti does not disappoint your cocktail desires. This family owned and operated bar is Hawaiian themed, and comes with many facts to know prior to visiting. For starters, they do not serve wine and beer to stay compliant with the originality of the bar. It’s not a bad idea to check out their drink menu as well before visiting—their drink menu can be viewed based on alcohol or alphabetically.
Native Knowledge: It’s hard to say what drinks are best, since they are just so many to choose from. But some of the crowd’s favorites include Ray’s Mistake, the Scorpion, the Blue Margarita and the Bloody Tiki. Just remember, this place is cash only!
4427 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.669.9381
Themed bars in LA
Townhouse Cocktails
This dive bar in Venice just celebrated their 100-year anniversary! Known as one of the oldest bars in Los Angeles, Townhouse has a lot of fun live entertainment and drinks to go around. The Del Monte is their entertainment basement, featuring burlesque nights, Hot Jazz Saturdays, live DJs and comedy.
Native Knowledge: Happy hour is daily from 5-8 p.m.! Make sure to try the Moscow Mule and their Old Fashioned.
52 Windward Ave
Venice, CA 90291
310.392.4040
Guest Room at Estate
Stop at Guest Room lounge for a blast from the past. This bar, located in the upstairs portion of Estate Restaurant, has a very intimate speakeasy theme. The atmosphere is cozy but classy, showcasing black and white photos of Prohibition era bars. The space is open Thursday through Saturday night, and hold jazz themed nights too.
Native Knowledge: The Whiskey Sour, Mob Rule and Devil’s Candy are fan favorites.
1519 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310.394.7722
Themed bars in LA
Saddle Ranch Chop House
Driving down the famously swanky sunset strip, it’s hard to imagine that by stepping into a restaurant, you can be taken into the Rockin’ West — but Saddle Ranch Chop House does just that! The brand’s flagship restaurant maintains a genuine country rock feel, serving up hearty portions of quality, and consistent food to its loyal customers. Steps from the swank, you can roast marshmallows on one of the restaurants three outdoor fire pits, or stay inside to enjoy sports on the large projector screens. The bar opened in 1999, and some of the most loyal customers have nameplates engraved onto the surface of the bar top — reserving their preferred seat, which lends to the genuine feel of the restaurant. Themed bars in LA
This restaurant is not a normal “country bar, ” Saddle Ranch Chop House serves up some serious star power. Not only well known for its stint on the restaurant’s own VH1 reality show in 2011, Saddle Ranch’s location means that celebrity sightings are nothing out of the ordinary. Jack Black stopped by to hop on the venues famous mechanical bull, which was filmed for an upcoming movie. You never know what you’re going to get when the sun sets on Sunset Boulevard. Saddle Ranch Chop House is the original late night Rock n’ Roll party spot! Stop by for good food, great drinks, and a true blue country ambiance that’s not just skin deep, and maybe you’ll find yourself roasting a s’more alongside a Hollywood A-Lister.
Native Knowledge: Recording artist Drake even took to the karaoke microphone recently to sing one of his songs with a lucky patron.
8371 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323.656.2007
Themed bars in LA
Rusty Mullet
Take a walk down Hollywood Boulevard and suddenly you will see the shiny corrugated walls of Rusty Mullet. Let loose and enjoy the trailer park aesthetic in the heart of tinsel town. Decor is inspired by a 1990’s backyard barbecue; the type of place where you fit in best with a mullet on your head and a cold Budweiser in your hand. The bar is decorated with graffiti and bar stools that remind you of an old-school auto shop, with a trailer park spin that feels miles from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. Large open windows along the two street-facing sides of the restaurant let all of the action from the Avenue of the Stars come right into the bar, where locals and tourists alike enjoy the old-school feel. Come here for a cool drink, laid back vibe and for some of the best people-watching you’ll ever see in the heart of Hollywood. Themed bars in LA
Native Knowledge: Don’t miss a list of over 50 different $5 shots and $3 Budweiser all day every day!
1708 N Las Palmas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.533.0765
Themed bars in LA
Now Boarding
The newest bar on our list, Now Boarding serves up a genuine sip of the golden age of flying. From the outside, Now Boarding is a modern and simple black façade, but when you enter the bar, you take a flight back in time! Booths have blue and white airline style seats and jagged mid-century chandeliers hang from the ceiling. You instantly feel like you’re on the set of “Mad Men.” The bar recently hosted a viewing party for the show’s final episode! The bar has quickly become well known for its Thursday night tradition, The Romp, which features stellar live music and DJ sets sure to get you movin’! Enjoy specialty cocktails without pretension. Skip the 405 traffic and land yourself at Now Boarding; West Hollywood’s best spot for vintage minimalism and quality libations, and the only bar where you can blame your bad dance moves on turbulence!
Native Knowledge: Your favorite drink will be the DB Cooper, named for the only man to ever fully execute an airline heist in American history.
7746 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.848.8447
Themed bars in LA
The Edison
What do you do with a 100-year-old power plant flooded with eight feet of water? Drain it to create one of Downtown Los Angeles’ most celebrated and stunning supper clubs. Located in the bowels of the Higgins Building, and only accessed through a door almost hidden in an alley behind the building, The Edison is not to be missed! The original electric generators stand as homage to an industrial era now passed, what once was utility is now decor. The venue takes a modern twist on the 1920’s steampunk aesthetic and serves 1200 people on any given weekend night. Reserve a table to enjoy The Edison’s full American gastro pub menu, and stay late to enjoy an aerialist or burlesque show. The Edison fully embodies the growing Downtown bar and restaurant scene, with Angelinos and tourists alike flocking to the venue to enjoy live music and the stunning ambiance. The venue is dimly, but elegantly lit with vintage style Edison bulbs, and sprawls over 6, 000 square feet. The venue is a hot spot for celebrities — make sure to look inside the original coal furnace to see a discreet “wall of fame” where celebrities are invited to sign the brick wall.
Native Knowledge: On some of the cement columns you can see the original water marks left from before the abandoned basement was drained.
108 W 2nd St #101
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.613.0000
Next Door Lounge
Shh, do you want to know a secret? The craft of mixology is alive and well at Next Door Lounge, a prohibition style bar that maintains a genuine early 1900’s feel. Once inside, customers can enjoy live music Tuesday through Friday and a full menu of good eats. The care that goes into making each drink is great to watch — even the bitters used to flavor the specialty cocktails are made from scratch! The bar manager and mixologist, Zach, made drinks with care and talent. He gets to know his customers preferences before making suggestions on what to order. The venue is well known for its dapper staff and Hollywood Murder Mystery Dinner Parties, which fill up quickly! Book ahead and enjoy a night out, but in a former era! Don’t miss: bar munchies are top-notch, and the salty spaghetti sticks are not only addictive, but are the perfect mate to any of the lounge’s amazing thirst-quenchers.
Native Knowledge: To go along with the Prohibition theme, you can enter your phone number on the lounge’s website to receive a password granting you a free appetizer!
1154 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.465.5505
Jeff Cooper works full time as a REALTOR based in Orange County, and loves exploring and enjoying everything Southern California has to offer. He has his MS in Health and Strategic Communication and enjoys writing about food, travel and real estate. Jeff always takes time to make the most of where he lives, when he isn’t with clients, you can find him cruising up and down Pacific Coast Highway or enjoying the beach with friends. He’d love to get in touch with you to talk real estate or to chat about anything Southern California has to offer!
