Feeling thirsty? California girl Sandie Ward gives us the inside word on LA’s cocktail scene.
Every now and then, you just want a drink that gives you wings. Cocktails encompass power, culture, femininity and a hint of danger – all in a glass, smashing! For me, the perfect cocktail has to be daring and visually appealing, with no limits on the fun factor. Of course, a beautiful drink should be savoured in the company of beautiful people… What better place than the City of Angels?
Some of my favourite cocktail bars in LA include:
1. Chateau Marmont
Luxurious Chateau Marmont is the perfect place for schmoozing with celebs, their ear-pierced bodyguards, industry insiders and foodies in the know. Enter off Sunset Boulevard through a lurkage of limos and pimped out SUVs into a world far away from the bustling traffic below.
It’s here that I met actor Oliver Martinez and chatted about his film Unfaithful. I asked why the director had him killed and carried out in an oriental carpet by Richard Gere. He laughed and replied: “I didn’t like that part either!”
The high quality drinks at this upscale bar are all throw-backs to the golden era of the famous cocktail which I love. Try the French 75 cocktail with a hint of elderberry – it is to die for. Be prepared to turn off that iPhone and clear your schedule after just one sip. The vibe at this place is phenomenal and the bartenders know how to pour a drink. The best spots are on a sofa in living room or outside on the patio.
2. The Little Door
Step behind the little Mexican wooden doors into a hidden secret garden with outdoor space open to the California sky at The Little Door. Candles light up the wooden bar which is handsomely stocked with French aperitifs and spirits.
This intimate space has such a romantic feel you’ll swear you escaped to a hideaway somewhere between Cannes and Nice (which is why celebs love it.)
Order a glass of champagne or a few cocktails to get the night started then treat yourselves to Chef Nicolas Peter’s simple menu of appetizers and entrees, which capture the rustic Mediterranean essence of the region.
3. Bar Bouchon
You used to have to journey across Napa to enjoy Thomas Keller’s French bistro but a Bar Bouchon has recently opened its doors in LA too, located across the courtyard from the Beverly Hills montage. Get here early, sit at the bar, and let the bartender do the rest. It’s that simple. You know the drill: order a plate of chilled oysters and wash it all down with a crisp glass of champagne.
After dinner, head downstairs to Bar Bouchon, which serves a variety of French wines and cocktails. Libations outside on the veranda are enough to melt your molars, and their lychee martini transported me to a state of island bliss. Patrons can hear each other talk, so go ahead, flirt with the bartenders and settle in with a good drink. Always classic, always in style.
4. AOC
Open only in the evenings, AOC is an upscale modern bistro wine bar and restaurant offering only organic or sustainably-produced wines. Out of the carefully-curated collection on 150 wines, 24 are available by the glass. But be warned: once you taste their specially mixed cocktails, your run of the mill Cosmopolitan will become blasé.
AOC is a concept based on terroir – French for a sense of place or territory. This territory on 3rd St delivers world-class tapas plates as chef Suzanne Goins serves up high-quality food on dozens of small plates, each one yummier than the next.
Shabby or chic, hair up or down, sipping cocktails with friends here should whet your appetite.
5. Jose Andres Bazaar
Housed in the SLS Hotel, The Bazaar at Bar Centro is the kind of sexy, playful place to enjoy their reinvented “salt air” margaritas and caviar cones.
Making a good drink requires a bit of care and the bartender got mine just right with the perfect amount of olive and lemon. Oh, and enough booze so that you could taste it. Bartenders who use more than the average amount of alcohol are always rock stars in my book.
The cocktails are created with fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables, along with cool modern tools like liquid nitrogen and organic emulsifiers to give a unique spin to classic cocktails.
One of the most popular cocktails is the LN2 Caipirinha, which is a frozen nitrogen concoction made with Brazilian cachaca, fresh lime, and sugar. This innovative take on the classic, national drink of Brazil is served tableside, so you get to see the mad scientist bartender at work. Most entertaining!