A speakeasy night in Pasadena →
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.5 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best speakeasies for a date in Los Angeles
Dinner first, then the unmarked door.
34 spots · Jump to the list
Half the fun is finding the door. These are the bars behind a phone booth, a freezer, an unmarked stairwell — small rooms where the drinks are made slowly and it stays quiet enough to talk. Most are small, so go early or book where they take reservations, and eat first: few of them serve much food.
This guide ranks 34 speakeasies in Los Angeles, from Long Beach to Pasadena and Hollywood. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people 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 speakeasy night in Long Beach →
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.5 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
10 1/4 Pasadena
4.9(21)Pasadena · $$
The Cellar
4.8(17)Pasadena · $$
The Dungeon
4.8(5)Pasadena · $$
Ladies and Gentlemen
4.8(5)Pasadena · $$
Secret Island
4.7(12)Long Beach · $$
R Bar
4.7(9)Koreatown / Mid-City · $$
Ladies and Gentlemen - A Cocktail Experience
4.6(20)Pasadena · $$
The Exhibition Room
4.4(19)Long Beach · $$
Tokyo Noir
4.4(9)Long Beach · $$
The Green Room
4.3(21)Burbank / Studio City · $$$
LP Vinyl Bar
4.3(12)Hollywood · $$
The Victorian
4.3(9)Santa Monica · $$
Apothéke
4.3(8)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Dirty Laundry
4.2(12)Hollywood · $$
Joliet Cafe & Bar
4.1(8)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$$
Arden Restaurant
4.0(26)West Hollywood · $$$
Roxanne's
4.0(20)Long Beach · $
Good Times at Davey Wayne’s
4.0(10)Hollywood · $$
Roxanne's Cocktail Lounge & Latin Grill
4.0(4)Long Beach · $$
The Georgian Room
3.8(24)Santa Monica · $$$$
Cold Shoulder
3.8(10)Mid-Wilshire / Miracle Mile · $$$
F&Bar
Glendale · $$$$
The Hoodoo Hut
Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$
The Wolves
5.0(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Showing 1–24 of 34 spots
Good to know
- What's the best speakeasy in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is 10 1/4 Pasadena in Pasadena, rated 4.9 out of 5. The Cellar and The Dungeon round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best speakeasies?
- Long Beach (5), Pasadena (5) and Hollywood (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable speakeasies in Los Angeles?
- Yes — 10 1/4 Pasadena, The Cellar and The Dungeon are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for The Exhibition Room, The Green Room and The Georgian Room, while 10 1/4 Pasadena, The Cellar and Cold Shoulder take walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a speakeasy night: dinner, then hidden cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.