Sometimes spaghetti and meatballs goes best with a Galliano-spiked Screwdriver served in a tiki mug. BarToni's gets that. Roosting in the formerly dark and dingy back room of Little Toni's, an old-school Italian joint straight out of The Godfather, the bar is a suburban cocktail oasis. Head bartender Alex Barbatsis is whipping up inconspicuously strong Grasshoppers, Echo Park Swizzles (a play on the Queen's Park swizzle), and one of the best negronis in the city: Tears Dry on Their Own, a mezcal negroni that Barbatsis calls his "desert island cocktail." Stop by during happy hour (Mon-Fri 5-7pm), when you can get a free six-inch pizza when you order a specialty cocktail.
There are a few common themes that run through nightlife in North Hollywood. Strip mall bars are aplenty. Your neighborhood watering hole is probably a tiki bar. And the majority of your drinking will probably take place in dives. That's not to say that there aren't upscale cocktail bars, but going out in this neighborhood is centered around great beer and umbrella drinks, a casual atmosphere and plenty of pool tables. Check out our guide to the best North Hollywood bars for your next Valley bender.
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