Around Dahlia
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.7 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Best cocktail bars in Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
A cocktail night in Downtown Los Angeles
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
33 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 33 cocktail bars in Downtown Los Angeles. 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.
Around Bike Shed Moto Co
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMCocktails
Around Uncle Ollie's Penthouse
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.9 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.3 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
Cocktail bars in Downtown Los Angeles
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 33.
Cocktail BarDahlia
4.7(19)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
RestaurantBike Shed Moto Co
4.7(15)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarUncle Ollie's Penthouse
4.6(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarSpring St. Bar
4.6(17)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarDeath & Company
4.6(7)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
BarApotheke
4.5(22)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$$
Cocktail BarCaña Rum Bar
4.5(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarApothéke
4.5(8)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarAPOTHEKE LOS ANGELES
4.5(8)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarSteep After Dark
4.5(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
BarMitsi
4.4(8)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
RestaurantÜCA
4.2(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
BarLas Perlas Mezcal Bar
4.2(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarBar CDMX
4.1(23)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarBroken Shaker at Freehand LA
4.1(17)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarThe Let’s Go! Disco & Cocktail Club
3.7(23)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Cocktail BarMary
Downtown Los Angeles · $$
BarThe Wolves
4.7(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Live Music VenueThe Bellwether
4.6(26)Downtown Los Angeles
Live Music VenueThe Slipper Clutch
4.6(16)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Rooftop & Cocktail BarFlorentín Rooftop Bar
4.6(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$$
Cocktail BarDeath & Co Los Angeles
4.5(22)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Live Music VenueThe Paramount
4.5(16)Downtown Los Angeles
DistilleryThe Obscure
4.5(15)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Downtown Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Dahlia, rated 4.7 out of 5. Bike Shed Moto Co and Uncle Ollie's Penthouse round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Downtown Los Angeles?
- Yes — Bike Shed Moto Co, Uncle Ollie's Penthouse and Spring St. Bar are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Dahlia and Apotheke, while The Wolves takes 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.