Best cocktail bars for a date in Los Angeles
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
140 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 140 cocktail bars in Los Angeles, from Downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills and 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.
The Count's Den
4.3(9)Downtown Los Angeles
Belles Beach House
4.3(7)Venice · $$
Melrose Umbrella Co.
4.3(6)West Hollywood · $$
The Thirsty Crow
4.3(6)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$
Desert 5 Spot
4.2(23)Hollywood · $$
Greenbar Distillery
4.2(19)Downtown Los Angeles · $
The Roof at EDITION
4.2(15)Beverly Hills · $$$
The Peppermint Club
4.1(22)Beverly Hills · $$
Broken Shaker at Freehand Los Angeles
4.1(10)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Mr. Wanderlust
4.0(25)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Frolic Room
4.0(12)Hollywood · $
Bar Lis
3.9(13)Hollywood · $$
Harriet's Rooftop
3.7(26)West Hollywood · $$$
Boardwalk 11 GASTROPUB and Karaoke
3.4(17)Culver City · $
LOST - DTLA
3.2(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
LA Speakeasy
Downtown Los Angeles
Above Sixty
Beverly Hills · $$$
18 Social
Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Golden Hour
Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
The Kibitz Room
West Hollywood · $
Showing 121–140 of 140 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is The Count's Den in Downtown Los Angeles, rated 4.3 out of 5. Belles Beach House and Melrose Umbrella Co. round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Downtown Los Angeles (8), Beverly Hills (3) and Hollywood (3) have the most spots in the top 20.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Belles Beach House, Melrose Umbrella Co. and The Thirsty Crow 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.