The Chestnut Club

The team behind Black Market Liquor Bar, Scopa Italian Roots and Dama built this brick-walled cocktail room around a 400-bottle spirits list and a no-TV rule, with chesterfield leather booths and a semi-private back room that seats up to fifteen. Order a Martinique Negroni and a plate of ricotta on ciabatta from the bar-snacks menu. Trivia runs on Tuesdays and a jazz set on Wednesdays, with DJs taking over Friday and Saturday nights. The dress code rules out baseball caps, shorts and flip-flops, a formality that stands out on this stretch of Santa Monica.