Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
270
the
Mission Cantina
right next door, and in between the two is the purple-velvet
Wine
Room,
a hidden spot for wines b y the glass and actual conv ersation without having to
scream over some loud soundtrack—same o wner (George Abou-Daoud, who also owns
the Bowery down the street) and building, but separate entrances.
5936 Sunset Blvd., Hol-
lywood.
&
323/469-2100.
www.delanceyhollywood.com.
The Dresden Room
Hugely popular with L.A. hipsters because of its longevity ,
location, often-overlooked cuisine, and elegant ambience, “the Den” was pushed into the
mainstream of L.A. nightlife thanks to its inclusion in the mo vie
Swingers.
But it's the
timeless lounge act of M arty and Elayne (the couple has been per forming there up to 5
nights a week since 1982) that has pr oven that, fad or no fad, this place is always cool.
Sidle up to the bar for a blue glass of the house classic, B lood and S and—a space-age
margarita of sorts.
1760 N. Vermont Ave., Hollywood.
&
323/665-4294.
www.thedresden.com.
El C armen
Opened b y L.A. r estaurant-and-bar impr esario S ean M acpherson, the
man with the mescal touch, El Carmen conjures the feel of a back-alley Mexican cantina
of a bygone era. Vintage Mexican movie posters, vibrant Latin American colors, and oil
paintings of masked Mexican wrestlers decorate the Quonset-hut interior, while an eclec-
tic jukebox offers an array of tunes fr om Tito Puente to the Foo Fighters. The busy bar
boasts a gargantuan list of mor e than 100 tequilas and a small menu of tacos and light
fare.
8138 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles.
&
323/852-1552.
Father's Office
This offshoot of the tiny original Santa Monica bar that has one
of the best burgers in to wn opened to much fanfar e in 2008, but this is definitely a 2.0
version. The space is much bigger with a fantastic patio filled with communal picnic
tables; the bar has double the microbrew and Belgian beers on tap, plus a state-of-the-art
wine tap system and cocktails made with ar tisanal spirits and mix ers (don't even bother
asking for a Cosmopolitan); and the meaty burger topped with blue cheese, ar ugula and
caramelized onions r emains. What is similar to the original: The no-reservation policy,
which means y ou might just hav e to shar e y our table with strangers; no ketchup on
premises (people have been known to bring their own); and no substitutions. The burger
remains, as does the tiny shopping car t of sweet potato fries, but don't miss the seasonal
and daily specials written on the blackboards.
3229 Helms Ave., Los Angeles.
&
310/736-2224.
www.fathersoffice.com.
Firefly
Opened by Jeffery Best, a veteran of the Hollywood club scene, this dream
of a bar and restaurant is the meeting place of choice for H ollywood clubbers and those
hipsters who live in Silver Lake and Los Feliz. Flavored by '40s noir (think Bogie in
The
Big Sleep
), this is a sexy and simple nightspot wher e visitors can r ecline on comfy cush-
ions, warm up b y the fire pit in the middle of the r estaurant, or relax at the patio with
its cabana-like tables enclosed by drapes. DJs offer up a pumping mix of soul and ambi-
ent sounds, and who knows what could happen in those coed bathrooms?
11720 Ventura
Blvd., Studio City.
&
818/762-1833.
www.fireflystudiocity.com.
Glow
Finds
Yes, it's at the M arriott Hotel in M arina del R ey, but I kno w what
you're thinking and you're wrong—this place is swank. How swank you ask? Playboy.com
recently ranked it as one of the top 10 lounges in the U.S., joining the ranks of notable
nightlife hot spots such as the Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, and
the Palms Pool and Bungalows in Las Vegas. It's an outdoor venue that literally glows in
shades of deep amber as y oung L.A. hipsters and surprised hotel guests lounge in semi-
private booths and or der bottle ser vice from the lithe staff . Check the w ebsite and y ou
get it.
4100 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey.
&
310/578-4152.
www.glow-bar.com.
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