This Culver City cocktail bar takes its name from "Barney Oldfield," a man who lived a near-mythic life racing cars and starring in automotive-inspired stage and film works and later buried in the neighborhood. For all the excitement in Barney's life, Oldfield’s offers a subdued, neighborhood-bar experience on the corner of Venice Blvd. Locals congregate comfortably around a smartly-designed bar with pockets for small groups to mingle over the pared-down cocktail list, representative of 1933 Group's (Thirsty Crow, Big Foot Lodge, La Cuevita) dedication to post-prohibition drinks.
Vitals
Good for: Happy hour runs from 5-9pm daily, when cocktails are $7 and wine and beer, $5. There's plenty of seating inside or, if you don't mind the buzz of traffic off Venice Boulveard, opt for the outdoor area. If a case of late-night rotgut is doing you in, order up a ham and cheese panini to recover.
The scene: Is hit or miss: might be tame and good for reading Raymond Carver, or it's jamming with a younger crowd sporting loose clothing and mustaches.
Drink this: Barney was once banned from racing so in his honor try The Outlaw ($10), which is a refreshing mix of Milagro Reposado, jalapeño, honey, fresh grapefruit, lime and cilantro. Or opt for bartender’s choice, which on the night of our visit, a happy marriage of gin and Aperol with a twist of lime: a perfect nightcap at $10.