Cocktail Rants and Raves: Hollywood Bars
By John Colletti, Citysearch Contributor
As CCO (chief cocktail orderer) of SocialDomain.com, I'm out almost every night. Over the past 10 years, L.A. cocktailing has greatly improved, with more small batch liquors and fresh fruits. Some bars really embrace this, others just squander the opportunity. Who's doing it right and who's giving us the shaft?
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S Bar
6304 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA
OK, S Bar, you've got so much going for you: A well designed space, a hot staff, an exotic cocktail menu designed by famed mixologist Ryan Magarian, and no shootings. But $14 to $19 a throw? For reals? I'd better get exotic liquors and expert bar staff, right? No, just the same old vodkas and whiskeys you'd find anywhere. Too bad, because they paid attention to their other ingredients. They even have the brandied cherries. Maybe it was an off night or an off bartender, and maybe I ordered a cocktail not on the official list. But for that kind of scratch, is it old fashioned to expect a bartender to know more than the 10 or so drinks that are listed? If I have to help you make it, shouldn't I get a discount? It's fine to train people, but it shouldn't be on my dime. -
La Cantina
6541 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA
I needed something quick and cheap, but got neither. I don't even know where to begin: The food is thoughtless, but the drinks are outrageous. They didn't have their cocktails priced on the menu, so I ordered the standard vodka martini and did that thing where I size up the place and get a number in my head. I was thinking $7, outside $9. Not even close! It's $14 for a teeny not-even-three-ounce martini in the junior tumbler. This isn't a club and it's barely a restaurant. This place only makes sense at happy hour (daily from 3pm to 7pm), when drinks and bar food are half-off.
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86
6533 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA
This is Rudolph Valentino's old Prohibition era speakeasy. There's Latin jazz bands and burlesque dancers, and a lively lounge (not club) crowd. I'll caveat this by saying it's still new, but so far the drink prices are wallet-friendly. My Stoli martini was $9. With service, I hope management stays the course. Winston's started off as a friendly neighborhood bar, too. So far, there's been no door drama and no bouncer attitude. The bartenders are knowledgeable and efficient. It's a pretty tight operation under the careful eye of Andre Dupont, the George Clooney-looking guy who actually calls you back when you leave a reservation request on their machine. You really get the impression they are glad to have you over. How often does that happen? -
The Room
1626 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Good times, smoking patio, stiff drinks under $12 and a totally chill mixed crowd. No fancy drink menu or attitudes--just a regular bar. And by that, I mean a bar one can regularly and reliably go and hang out. The Room's bartenders can make just about any known drink with proficiency. That's really what a bar does. That's what keeps the doors open. The flashy pyrotechnics will only get you so far. But I guess thats what the SBE 18 month bar recycle program is for.
