A cocktail night in Downtown Los Angeles
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
35 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 35 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.
Cocktail bars in Downtown Los Angeles
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Hello Stranger
4.5(4)Downtown Los Angeles
Far Bar
4.4(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Library Bar
4.3(25)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
The Count's Den
4.3(9)Downtown Los Angeles
Greenbar Distillery
4.2(19)Downtown Los Angeles · $
Broken Shaker at Freehand Los Angeles
4.1(10)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Mr. Wanderlust
4.0(25)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
LOST - DTLA
3.2(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
LA Speakeasy
Downtown Los Angeles
18 Social
Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Golden Hour
Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Showing 25–35 of 35 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Downtown Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Hello Stranger, rated 4.5 out of 5. Far Bar and Library Bar round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Downtown Los Angeles?
- Yes — Far Bar, Library Bar and Greenbar Distillery are all $$ or under.
- 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.