Best-of list · City Guide
The definitive guide to the best bars in Los Angeles — from Silver Lake craft cocktail rooms to Beverly Hills hotel lounges and rooftop bars with.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
The best bars in Los Angeles are scattered across a city that takes an hour to drive end to end — which is why most people end up in the wrong neighbourhood for what they actually want. We've done the geography for you. The best craft cocktail rooms are in Silver Lake and Los Feliz. The best hotel bars are in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Downtown has changed faster than anywhere. Here's where we send people. For neighbourhood-specific breakdowns, our dedicated Silver Lake bar guide and Echo Park bar guide cover the eastside in full detail. For the Arts District, Bunker Hill, and everything within walking distance of the Broad, the dedicated Downtown LA bar guide covers all 12 spots worth your time.
LA's cocktail scene has always punched above its weight relative to its reputation as a wine and beer city. The bartender talent pool is deep, the produce is extraordinary, and there's a genuine culture of experimentation that doesn't exist to the same degree in New York or Chicago.
How we picked
Los Angeles rewards the curious drinker more than almost any other American city. The geography is a barrier, but once you commit to moving around it, you find a cocktail scene that is genuinely world-class in pockets — and genuinely interesting across the board. Our starting point for any visit: The Varnish for classics, Harvard & Stone for the neighbourhood feel, and whatever is happening at Here's Looking at You for something you haven't tried before.
Marcus covers the US West Coast, Miami, and Latin America for barsforKings. He has been navigating LA's neighbourhood bar scene for over a decade and knows which freeways to avoid on a Friday evening.
Last reviewed 2026-04-11 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.