My Top 5 Los Angeles bars of 2012

After all of my years in LA, of course I've got my favorite haunts. Some, I recommend to everyone, and some I like to keep to myself.

The great thing about a city like LA: there's always new places opening up every week! I never get tired of exploring all of the different types of sights, people, shops, bars, and restaurants that Los Angeles has to offer. It is truly a massive melting pot, and there's always unique and surprising results... usually things that nobody has ever seen before!

So with that said, here are my favorite new nightspots of 2012...
(I know, I know, it's 2013 now, but I was too busy to make this post in December. January will have to do.)

Click on the names if you'd like to view their sites.


#5: Sassafras



Sassafras opened up at the end of summer 2012, and I couldn't wait to go. It's tucked out of the way on Vine (which sounds tough to accomplish, but really isn't), if you get to Santa Monica Blvd, you've gone too far south. A quick leap from the 101, it's a good location but it can be tough to park.
The website says the place is "a Savannah Townhouse in the heart of Hollywood," and that's just about the perfect description. The decor is vintage Southern, and though it's pretty over-the-top, I thought it was awesome. But then again, I'm a sucker for vintage, and I'm pretty smitten with historic Southern elements anyway. If you want to escape the traffic and feel like you're in New Orleans, this is the place to go. I had a Pecan Julep to drink, and it was a little strong... but I can't complain about that. The place is roomy, and has a nice patio smoking area covered in vines. Our group was at Sassafras on a Tuesday night though, I'm not sure if it gets crowded later in the week.

I liked that this place was laid-back and casual, but still gorgeous to look at. I wandered through the rooms for awhile just taking it all in. After 20 minutes at Sassafrass, you'd hardly feel like you're still in California - which is sometimes exactly the feeling I'm looking for.

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#4:Harvard and Stone

Okay, so I went to Harvard and Stone for the first time in late 2011. But I spent more time there in 2012, so I included it in this list! And it's too fantastic not to mention it anyway.
Harvard and Stone is in the East Hollywood/Los Feliz area, and I love that it's located right off the 101. The atmosphere is great: almost factory-esque with a retro Americana twist. It's so dark inside, and seems so "vintage" that it can come across as dirty, but that's not the case! It's just... rustic?
And besides, you won't care if you get a little dust on your boots when you see the dancers. That's right. As the stereo system is turned down, a live band will take the stage and retro-vixens suddenly appear on the upstairs balcony. These girls have amazing moves, and are dressed in Rosie the Riveter–style outfits that are a little bit saloon singer, and a little bit edgy lingerie.


The girls perform impromptu burlesque acts and even dance on the bar. The dances are always marvelous, never that icky strip-club feel. So every patron - male or female - is eager to watch the show!

I did read on one site that: despite the “gorgeous” surroundings and “amazing” vibe, early adopters sniff that the “cool crowd” moved on quickly “once the corporate clingers got wind of it.”
This is somewhat true... but everyone still loves this Harvard and Stone, even if it isn't THE NEWEST bar in town anymore. It's just so unique, fun, and perfectly located... even the so-called "cool crowd" can't really stay away. But I do recommend Tuesday or Wednesday nights if you don't want the place to be too loud, and if you don't want to feel smashed waiting at the bar for your drink.


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#3:The One-Eyed Gypsy


Now, this bright purple building may take you a little off the beaten path into the east downtown area, and bring you sort of close to skid row. But it's completely worth the trek! With a dark, yet playful 19th-century carnival vibe, it's seriously one-of-a-kind.


The drinks are delish, but the food is really awesome. Mac n' cheese, check. Sliders, check. But at the Gypsy you can go beyond barfood and get those fairground favorites you haven't had since the last time you rode the ferris wheel: corndogs and funnel cakes! Also, fried Moon Pies? I didn't have the guts to try the Moon Pie, but I'm determined to do it next time.

There's an ornate little stage area, and I hear that there are frequently live bands on most weeknights. The night that we were there it was just one guy and his acoustic, but it was good stuff.
More fun than the music, though? Skee-ball! There are two ancient lanes set up and you can actually win tickets! I have no idea what you do with the tickets, but that didn't seem to matter at the time. We had a blast getting them.
They have a photobooth as well, and who doesn't love that?

My friends and I can never resist the photobooths.



This place was fun, completely casual and non-pretentious in my opinion. Granted, I went last March, so maybe it's become over-run with a different crowd. Still, I don't think anything could really spoil the odd-yet-silly-yet-mysterious air that the Gypsy is becoming known for. Definitely my new favorite spot in the downtown area.


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#2:Edendale

Edendale in Silverlake also has a great location, and close to the 5 Freeway. (Warning though: parking sucks atm because of some weird construction going on out front for the next few months.)




You may be able to tell by now, but I'm big on ambiance. Good food and great drinks can be found all over LA, but if the lights are annoyingly bright or the vibe is dull or, dare-I-say it: "club-goer," it just ruins the whole experience. I like a place that's nice to look at, interesting, with good music, where I feel excited yet also relaxed. Not too loud, not too quiet. Edendale achieves harmony in all of these areas, and has that certain something to it. Also, when you include a large and pretty outdoor smoking area? That always helps.

The feel comes across as 1920s, with photos of silent film stars framed on the walls. I especially loved the large vintage movie poster of Theda Bara as Cleopatra. The bar is really huge, usually with several bartenders, so you don't wait long for a drink.

Oh, and this is another spot that has a photobooth as well. Bonus! (I'll spare you another strip from me and my girlfriends. This time.)

The food is delicious, and there is a separate dining room for those looking for more of a "restaurant" evening rather than a lounge option. All of the drinks I've ordered were tasty. I loved the "Dark and Stormy" especially, and not just because of the name.



^I posted this photo of us because we're at Edendale. Also, I wanted to show off our outfits... Sheana's gold sheath is to die for, and I don't get to break out my red fringe Agent Provocateur slip dress very often! I had to share.

Perhaps because this place is a bit of a hidden gem, I've never had trouble finding a table for myself and my usual 4 or 5 girlfriends that I'm with. Ever since we discovered Edendale, we've been back once every few weeks at least.


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#1:Pour Vous



Pour Vous is the new favorite for several reasons, but the first of those reasons is that I love having a drink right across the street from one of the oldest movie studios in the world. I'll admit it. That alone gets me going. But there's more to Pour Vous than sitting on glamorous soil, of course...

Located at Melrose & Gower, just outside of the Paramount Studios lot, this place is definitely smaller than the rest, but may be the most charming. First off, I should mention that Pour Vous has a pretty strict dress code. This can really irritate some people, but at the same time I also get that they are trying to create a pleasant and classy aesthetic. And for the lovely decor and spectacular entertainment Pour Vous provides, I can see why they ask that their clientele shine themselves up a little as well. And I love an excuse to dress up anyway.

As the name might suggest, the decor and over-all theme is sophisticated, vintage French. The bartenders look like they've stepped out of a chic time machine, with white dress-shirts, bow ties and perfectly combed hair. And they make some bubbly and delightful drinks too, even if they are a little too "frou-frou" for some folks. (Get a vodka soda already?)

Another perk: the smoking area. I don't smoke, but almost all of my friends do, so a comfortable or even pleasant smoking area is something I can appreciate. Not only is there seating in the outside smoking area, but this seating happens to be inside of a vintage trolley car. Oh là là!
What a cool idea. And it adds a little more space to this relatively small lounge.

But to me, the absolute best thing about Pour Vous is the entertainment. There is usually at minimum, a pretty decent DJ playing some fluid tunes that make you feel upbeat without being invasive. However, on most nights there will also be a live band performing intermittently throughout the evening, accompanied by beautiful burlesque dancers that are lowered out of nowhere from the ceiling! (Sound familiar? Pour Vous and Harvard and Stone have the same owners, the brilliant duo Mark and Johnny Houston.)


These little dance numbers are really stunning, as the girls are usually wearing corsets embellished with crystals, or dancing with feathered fans. After their song is over, they rise back up and disappear into the domed ceiling that they came from.

C'est très magnifique. And with no cover charge.

* * * * So! That's my list of 2012's discoveries.
I hope I've inspired some of you to try one of these wonderful locations the next time you are in the neighborhood!

I found more than these five places that I love over the last year, for sure. But I think I'd frequent these establishments most of all, which is why I made them top on my 2012 LA Nightspot-Meter.

Did any of you discover some great new bars or restaurants in your area?

Until next time - cheers!

xoxo