Copa D'Oro

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Arya C

Joined 2 years ago

One of a kind cocktails/ Beautiful ambiance/ Great food!. BY FAR one of my favorite lounges in all of Los Angeles. Food and drinks aside, Copa D' Oro has an amazing ambiance that's impossible to overlook. From the moment you walk in this place, you get a sense of it's intimate feel. The location is perfect, right at the heart of Santa Monica, around the corner from the promenade.

There's a chill vibe on the weekends with music that's not too loud (a nice change from the typical bars / clubs where conversations are nearly impossible).

It's a classy lounge, but not pretentious.

Cozy, but not too small.

The drink menu is one of the most unique that I've ever encountered and it definitely keeps things interesting, encouraging me to try new things.

The perfect compliment to their drinks would be their amazing paninis.. particularly the "parma & peppers" panini (with fresh prosciutto di parma, roasted red peppers and mozzarella) -- My favorite panini of all time!

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YolandaEvans

Joined 3 years ago

Crafting cocktails on the Westside. If you want to be the master of your own liquid concoctions, then make a pit stop at Copa d’Oro in Santa Monica for a little choose your own boozy adventure. Step up to the plate or rather the bar and play the part of mixologist for a night in which you can either create a masterpiece or botch the batch . No need to fear as with master Mixologist Vincenzo Marianella and the rest of his crew including America's top bartender winner Joe Brooke in control, we have no doubt you’ll be able to create something somewhat drinkable.

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eat see play

Joined 3 years ago

Vintage cocktails, great happy hour. There's a renaissance in the world of cocktails and I'm all for it.

The cocktail, more specifically what's dubbed a Vintage cocktail (a beverage composed of alcohol [duh], any kind of sugar, water and bitters) was created as a response to the changing times, gaining notoriety during prohibition to cover up the rough and crude taste of bootlegged liquor and that was just the beginning. (Okay, history lesson is over!) Today, with the long standing legalization of alcohol (thank god) this realm of beverages has been re-engineered for a new generation and, at one modern bar in particular, Copa d'Oro.

I've never been a fan of the syrups or juices mixed with hard alcohol, mai tai, appletini, lemon drop... you get the point, the flavors, syrups, fruit juices were always too sweet, orange juice always too bitter and still to this day, just a way to cover up the alcohol. So for the past few years, I've been sticking to my dirty goose martinis - its not sweet and few bartenders get it wrong. But now, at Copa, I'm not sure what my drink of choice is and trust me, that's a good thing.

A much welcomed change from the previous dark, dingy Bar 217, the decor is now dimly lit, classy and calm. Vincenzo, is the man behind the 40+ drink menu and a master in the art of cocktails, instead of covering up the taste of alcohol he articulates flavors that compliment one another, resulting in drinks that are refreshing, unique and delicious. His arsenal of ingredients includes: spices, such as rosemary, thyme, fresh and organic fruits and vegetables from the local farmers market and the use of traditional throwbacks like bitters, coca cola (with real cane sugar, aka Mexican cola). The only problem... figuring out what to order next.

They don't have the standard premium vodkas and tequilas, so no Gray Goose, etc. They do have their own special premium labels. Drinks range from $9-$15. The food is limited to 5 or so sandwiches that I have yet to try.

On weekends its standing room only and yes, expect a line, good for groups of up to 10, 15 is pushing it on the weekdays, happy hour is 5-8pm with $5 drink specials.

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Kaitlyn918

Joined 4 years ago

Great Happy Hour. I really dug this place. As a rule, I dig any place that serves pb&j sandwiches on their bar menu. That aside, I enjoyed a delicious $5 cocktail, the Jackrose, at Happy Hour. The atmosphere was great, they had an artist in house painting on the spot! Very cool. Will definitely come back.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This golden Santa Monica nightspot from restaurateur Jonathan Chu (Buddha's Belly) and mixologist Vincenzo Marianella (Providence) is luring Westsiders with do-it-yourself, farmers' market-fresh cockt. In Short
Ditch that drab vodka soda and saunter into this welcoming low-lit lounge where the ordinary cocktail is a thing of the past. Feel like something unusual with a peppery twist? Tell master mixologist Vincenzo Marianella what you want and he'll shake up something to satisfy your libation libido. (Like red bell pepper with ginger beer, agave nectar, mint and a squeeze of lime.) Fresh fruit juices like pomegranate and passion fruit are splashed over herbs and melded with kumquats and blood oranges. Along the wood grain bar, neighborhood locals sample sour cocktails infused with apricot brandy and almond syrup. Soft R&B keeps the vibe light, while couples take their Bikini martinis to chocolate leather banquettes and booths lit by red glass candleholders. Spotlights reveal exposed brick walls and the occasional glimmer of glass chandeliers hanging above the private tables, but this place is strictly casual--no velvet ropes included.