Best cocktail bars for a date in Los Angeles
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
142 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 142 cocktail bars in Los Angeles, from Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood and West Hollywood. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Broken Shaker at Freehand LA
3.8(17)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
I|O Rooftop
3.8(11)Hollywood · $$
Cold Shoulder
3.8(10)Mid-Wilshire / Miracle Mile · $$$
White Rabbit Sky Lounge
3.3(12)West Hollywood · $$
F&Bar
Glendale · $$$$
No Rose
West Hollywood · $$
Mary
Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Marie’s Tek Tec
Long Beach · $$
Franklin Lounge
Hollywood · $$$
The Hoodoo Hut
Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$
SpareRoom – Hollywood
Hollywood · $$$
Old Man Bar
5.0(10)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
The Wolves
5.0(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
The Bellwether
4.9(26)Downtown Los Angeles
Tramp Stamp Granny's
4.9(17)Hollywood
Florentín Rooftop Bar
4.9(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$$
The Rendition Room
4.8(23)$$
VenTiki Tiki Lounge and Lanai
4.8(21)$$
The Paramount
4.8(16)Downtown Los Angeles
Sassafras Saloon
4.8(9)Hollywood · $$
Riviera 31
4.8(6)West Hollywood · $$
Hello Stranger
4.8(4)Downtown Los Angeles
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
4.7(26)$$
Banter Bar
4.7(15)Culver City · $
Showing 73–96 of 142 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Broken Shaker at Freehand LA in Downtown Los Angeles, rated 3.8 out of 5. I|O Rooftop and Cold Shoulder round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Downtown Los Angeles (7), Hollywood (5) and West Hollywood (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Broken Shaker at Freehand LA, I|O Rooftop and White Rabbit Sky Lounge are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for F&Bar and The Rendition Room, while Cold Shoulder, Old Man Bar and The Wolves 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.