The best bars in West Hollywood

You see it on the coasters, you see it atop the foam on your drink: “YES.” It’s the unofficial ethos of Jared Meisler and Sean MacPherson’s high-minded cocktail bar, where it’s best to just go with the flow because everything off that order-by-the-spirit menu is going to be good. But first, you have to find it: Look for the neon “PSYCHIC” sign on La Cienega, then enter through a curtain to find a handful of seasonal cocktails in addition to classics-leaning drinks split into categories of sparkling, rum, tequila, whiskey, gin, vodka and even absinthe. The place fills up fast, so stop by early or late. It’s dimly lit and a perfect place to bring a date—or go solo and bring yourself on one.

Located in the old office of Marilyn Monroe’s talent agent, this tiny craft cocktail bar on the Sunset Strip serves impeccably crafted drinks named for nearby L.A. icons. There’s a clarified paloma rosé spritz inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel and a pisco and passion fruit ode to the Viper Room—and given the good-for-the-area prices ($18–22 for house specialties, $16 for classics), it’s no surprise Bar Next Door fills up nightly with drinkers enjoying the vintage reel-to-reel sound system and neighborhood watering hole atmosphere. Arrive early to claim a booth for you and a friend, or come later on to watch the youngish see-and-be-seen crowd collide with locals of all ages ending their night with a well-made nightcap.

There are countless gay bars in West Hollywood (you can find many of ’em included in our guide to L.A.’s best gay bars) but the Abbey consistently attracts people from every sexual orientation and every neighborhood of L.A. This is the neighborhood’s proudest and always-buzzing go-to—that, plus a little reality TV show, might explain the long lines on the weekends to get into this complex boasting multiple full bars, lots of dancing, an adjacent space (dubbed “the Chapel”) and a Gothic-meets-Mediterranean design for indoor-outdoor perfection, wherever you choose to perch/drink/brunch/dance. 

Housed in the old Gold Coast, this sultry gay bar—and daytime coffee shop—skews more cocktail lounge than high-energy nightclub. A glittering chandelier overhead and plush banquettes makes the act of sidling up with a friend (or a date) feel glamorous as hell. While the cocktails here run more expensive than the main Boystown corridor slightly further west, the crowd of handsome daddies and well-made drinks make Or Bar a great place to have in your queer nightlife arsenal.

Mother Lode is another one of those West Hollywood staples that has withstood the test of time. In fact this laid back bar built around a pool table and stash of video games has been around so long that it has come full circle: from “it” spot to out of favor to “it” spot again. Thanks in no small measure to the fact that it counterbalances its more stylized neighbors with a low-key, dive bar atmosphere, Mother Lode is experiencing a bit of a renaissance at the moment. Elsewhere in Boys Town, attitude and preening may best define the current posture of patrons, but not at Mother Lode. Here, the vibe, from the bartenders to the crowd, is casual and the only attitude allowed is “friendly.”

Imagine a sports bar but with heavy neighborhood vibes and a killer draft list. You’re in the Surly Goat now. With brewmaster Ryan Sweeney (Verdugo Bar, Der Wolf) at the helm, this craft beer bar more than meets expectations. Choose from over two dozen beers on tap and more than 40 rare and international bottles, and while you’ll find plenty of local breweries represented—Eagle Rock, Smog City, Ladyface Ale—and California breweries beyond L.A., you can also sip the finest from Bavaria, Belgium and beyond. Grab some brainy friends for your next visit, because Surly Goat also happens to host one of WeHo’s best trivia nights.

This West Hollywood bar-slash-club harkens back to the old-timey charm of the golden era of Hollywood. An old soda fountain replaces pop with booze, the floor is of French Moroccan tile, the beer taps are custom, the steel stools are repurposed, and everything is bathed in a sepia glow from the vintage light fixtures overhead. It’s the sort of thing the team behind Sassafras and Oldfield’s has down pat—that, and a solid post-prohibition drink program. Slick-haired mixologists serve sazeracs in bottles and old-fashioneds pour from the draft lines, so find your seat at the bar or on that verdant patio and stay awhile—at least before 10pm, when the entire joint turns into a sweaty mass of twentysomethings (and some thirtysomethings) dancing to Usher and Top 40 as the floor gets stickier and stickier.

Originally from Canada (there are locations in Montreal and Toronto), Apt 200 is the epitome of “if you know, you know” L.A. nightlife. Most weekend evenings, there's a line outside, the tables are occupied by bottle service and the dancefloor is packed to the brim, but you can also stop by earlier in the evening (the bar opens at 9pm) for a more intimate, house party-like atmosphere complete with a pool table. After 11pm, the vibe abruptly shifts when the DJs really start spinning.

Although there’s a pronounced Russian theme at this bar, the crowd here is as diverse as Los Angeles itself. Patrons come here mostly for vodka (you can order an excellent Moscow mule or martini here), but it’s also just as popular for its dancefloor. DJs spin almost every night, and local musicians, cabaret dancers and comedians make regular appearances throughout the week. The décor is heavy on the kitsch—expect plenty of communist memorabilia—but the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable in every other way.