Oldfield's Liquor Room

On our list of the best cocktail bars in Los Angeles.

Named for Barney Oldfield, the early-1900s racing driver buried nearby, this 1933 Group bar puts a U-shaped counter against floor-to-ceiling white subway tile, with wood tables and antique chairs along the walls. After dark the room runs on candlelight, and the back booth is the one to ask for. Bigfoot West, under the same ownership, sits about 450 feet down Venice, which makes the two easy to alternate. The house drink is the Oldfield's Hemingway: rye with maraschino liqueur, grapefruit and lime.