A cocktail night in Glendale →
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMCocktails
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best cocktail bars for a date in Los Angeles
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
137 spots · Jump to the list
These are bars you go to for the drinks themselves — a considered menu, careful technique, a bartender who can make you something that isn't on it. They sit best in the middle of a night: after dinner, before dessert, or as the nightcap. Restaurants with a strong bar are on the restaurant lists instead.
This guide ranks 137 cocktail bars in Los Angeles, from Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood and Long Beach. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A cocktail night in Playa Vista / Marina del Rey →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
< 0.1 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 137.
Cocktail BarCapri Club
5.0(14)Glendale · $$$
Cocktail BarOld Man Bar
5.0(8)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
BarBaby Gee
5.0(6)Long Beach · $$
Cocktail BarBar Jubilee
4.9(15)West Hollywood · $$
Cocktail BarJim and James
4.9(8)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $
Cocktail BarNight on Earth
4.9(7)Hollywood · $$
BarGood Neighbor Bar
4.8(19)Pasadena · $$$$
Cocktail BarForce of Nature
4.8(18)Venice · $$
BarThe Rosegold Saloon
4.8(14)West LA / Brentwood · $
BarOr Bar
4.8(13)West Hollywood · $$
Cocktail BarThe Palm & The Pine
4.8(8)Hollywood · $$
BarThe Wicked Wolf
4.8(8)Long Beach · $$
RestaurantDescanso Beach Club
4.8(5)Catalina Island (Avalon) · $$$$
Cocktail BarDahlia
4.7(19)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
BarThe Exhibition Room
4.7(19)Long Beach · $$
Cocktail BarKuduowl
4.7(18)$$
RestaurantBike Shed Moto Co
4.7(15)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
BarTiki Ti
4.7(14)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $$
Cocktail BarGold Line Bar
4.7(12)
Cocktail Bar10 1/4 Pasadena
4.6(21)Pasadena · $$
Cocktail BarThe Green Room
4.6(21)Burbank / Studio City · $$$
Cocktail BarUncle Ollie's Penthouse
4.6(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
RestaurantThe Edmon
4.6(18)Hollywood · $$
Cocktail BarSpring St. Bar
4.6(17)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Capri Club in Glendale, rated 5.0 out of 5. Old Man Bar and Baby Gee round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Downtown Los Angeles (4), Hollywood (3) and Long Beach (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Old Man Bar, Baby Gee and Bar Jubilee are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Descanso Beach Club, Dahlia and The Exhibition Room, while Capri Club, Bar Jubilee and Tiki Ti take walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a cocktail night: dinner, then cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.