The oldest bars in Los Angeles

Predating the Santa Monica Pier itself, this now-kitschy sports bar has been a beachfront institution for over a century—in fact, it’s so old-school that they didn’t even get their first icebox until 1913. It’s not necessarily a spot you’ll seek out for the mixology, but enjoy the sunshine, ocean breeze and sense that you’re hanging out in a spot that's hosted 100-plus years of Angelenos who came before you.

Officially designated as the region’s oldest bar in continual operation, Alhambra Cocktail Lounge first opened in San Pedro in 1904 and has existed in the current form since 1936. These days it’s a true, unrestored dive bar (think: old-timers slurping bloody Marys and Budweisers, and décor that won’t be winning any design awards), and of course it’s got a bit of a tough reputation. But if you want a taste of how things used to be, this might be the spot.

Slinging drinks in Downtown L.A. since 1905—and in a building rumored to have once been owned by Teddy Roosevelt—this bar is so old that the liquor license it holds is of a type that no longer really exists in the city anymore, allowing for both normal bar sales and retail sales of full bottles to take away. It was that very license, along with the decades of history, that caught the eye of Cedd Moses, founder of Pouring with Heart (formerly 213 Hospitality); he took over the bar and reopened it in 2004, taking a chance on bringing some of the first craft cocktails to the still-transitioning neighborhood.

King Eddy Saloon was already a throwback when Charles Bukowski was famously stationed by the bar, which opened its doors for the first time in 1906. It has shuttered and risen again multiple times since then, including a 2014 update by Nighthawk restaurateur Jeremy Fall, followed quickly by a sale to yet another new owner in 2015. And yet the Skid Row dive keeps on coming back. 

We may never be able to know for sure if there’s truth to the legend that French Dip sandwiches were invented here, but we do know that Cole’s P.E. Buffet (as it was originally known) has been serving them on this spot since 1908, along with the booze to wash them down. The P.E. in the old name stood for Pacific Electric, because the train company once had a terminal in the building Cole’s calls home—but when it shut down in the 1960s, Cole’s future looked dark. In 2007, Cedd Moses once again swooped in and dusted the place off, reopening the original bar and café, and adding the speakeasy-style cocktail den the Varnish in the back.

Originally known as Menotti’s Bar, this drinking den predates Prohibition. When the 18th went into effect, the boozing went underground, literally, into the space now known as the Del Monte Speakeasy. These days you can still head down there to get a vintage feel with cocktails, stand-up comedy and live jazz, but they’ve thankfully upgraded from the rope-operated elevator used back in the day.  

L.A.’s famous Scotland-themed pub wasn’t always so. In fact, the Tam’s history dates back to 1922, when the population of all of L.A. was only 580,000 and the asymmetrical, tudor-style building was a restaurant called Montgomery’s Country Inn. But it only took three years for the space to transition into the Tam O’ Shanter Inn, which is when the party really got started: Scottish brick-a-brac perched on the walls and shelves, and silver-screen celebs like Mary Pickford and Fatty Arbuckle hung around the bar—it even became the meeting and drinking place of Walt Disney. Today, that magic’s still there with scotch galore, a dark wood bar and plenty of stately-meets-kitchsy decor to keep your eyes busy.

An institution in Long Beach, this tavern has been serving guests since 1924, but it may not be the drinks that keep patrons coming back over the generations. They’re particularly well known for the apothecary jars of neon yellow pickled eggs that still bob around, reminding us of the bar snacks of yesteryear. They’ve apparently gotten the trick to making them down after nearly a century, because they now even market a mix so you can make your own at home when you can’t pay a visit to the wood booth and oil painting bedecked bar.

This Manhattan Beach dive bar has been a staple for locals since 1927. Nondescript and proudly showing its age with initials etched into its wooden booths, Ercole’s keeps regulars happy with its legendary burgers, which some like to swear are the best in L.A. A dubious claim, but you can hardly argue with thick, juicy beef (fresh from next-door gourmet deli Manhattan Meats) and toppings piled high. With a crowded pool table in the back, classic tunes from a jukebox and a diverse crowd evenly split between salty old-timers and bro-y surfers, there’s definitely no lack of character.

Back in 1930, when the original pueblo of Los Angeles was restored into the Olvera Street district we know today, El Paseo Inn was a happening spot. And when the first post-Prohibition liquor licenses were issued in L.A. in 1933, El Paseo secured permit number four. Before becoming El Paseo Inn, the building it now occupies was originally used for wine-making, starting around 1870. A city-designated landmark, El Paseo has served margaritas and classic Mexican dishes to Cesar Chavez, two U.S. Presidents and countless tourists.

This old school jazz-club-turned-dive-bar lays claim to the title of the oldest live music venue in California, and continues to host music to this day. Open from 8pm to 2am nightly, it's one of the most laidback ways in Santa Monica to drink and soak in some tunes.

We can’t tell you for sure when Frolic Room first started serving the Hollywood set because the rumor says it was sometime during Prohibition, when it was carved out as a speakeasy accessible only through a secret door. What we do know is that it opened to the general public as a fully legit business in 1934, and it’s been a favorite of celebrities and dive-bar enthusiasts ever since.

A staple for more than 80 years, the Mint continues to host an array of live music in an intimate setting. The club boasts that artists from Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder to LMFAO have played its tiny stage at critical moments in their career, and we’ll have to look the other way on that last one on account of history. Even if you’re not stopping by for a show, the bar and lounge space lets you whet your whistle while you soak up the recording industry lore.   

Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, John Wayne and even Marilyn Monroe: the Formosa Café in West Hollywood has seen them all. Though its origins aren’t entirely settled, this Golden Age watering hole’s roots definitely go back at least to 1939. Today, you’ll find both a more than century-old trolley car embedded inside the Formosa painstakingly restored by the preservation-minded 1933 Group, plus new, snazzy interiors, plenty of on-theme tiki cocktails and mediocre Chinese American cuisine.