1/17/18 Update: Via social media today, Tom Bergins released a new statement regarding its closure: "We could not be more grateful and humbled by the outpouring of appreciation and support. Please continue to join us in sending us off proper, however long it takes. Check Facebook and Instagram for updates on closing and limited schedules, upcoming Vestry events, as well as news about events to mark our farewell St. Patrick’s Day."
Order another round of those famed Irish coffees while you take a final look at the ceiling and walls, all plastered with paper shamrocks scribbled with the names of regulars—some as famous as Cary Grant—because Tom Bergin’s Public House is closing its doors, as early as this Sunday. The city’s oldest Irish pub, a.k.a. “The House of Irish Coffee,” is sadly shuttering after 82 years of service.
“Five years ago we embarked on a beautiful and ambitious journey to carry on the legendary traditions of one of L.A.’s most iconic establishments; a journey with formidable hurdles and soaring success,” current owner Derek Schreck wrote last night on the pub’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. “However, we face harsh realities of the demands of both our little Irish cottage here, and also the marketplace at large.”
Tom Bergin’s will sadly not live to see another St. Paddy’s Day, for which it’s become known. This week, the pub will remain open with abbreviated hours until the food runs out, with its last day of food service on Sunday, January, 21; following that, Tom Bergin’s will open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 5pm to midnight, until there’s no booze left to pour.
Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Schreck rescued Tom Bergin’s after it had abruptly shuttered in 2013. Under his proprietorship the iconic watering hole received numerous upgrades, including a revamp of those storied paper shamrocks, an overhaul of the food menu and a modernization of cocktails, thanks to beverage director Brandi Boles. Schreck’s most notable contribution to the stalwart may in fact be Vestry, his speakeasy that sat under Tom Bergin’s pitched roof and offered more than 200 bourbons and ryes. When Tom Bergin’s begins its gradual closing, Vestry will also cease operation.
“To all of you who have made Tom Bergin’s the unique and significant institution it is, it has been our pleasure to serve you," Schreck says in his statement. “We offer you our sincerest and warmest thanks, and many, many, many, many good tidings.”
When the lights switch off for good and the Irish coffee withdrawals set in, we offer you this recipe video to turn to, in which Schreck walks us through the pub’s drink of choice.
Tom Bergin’s Public House is located at 840 S Fairfax Ave, open this Tuesday through Thursday from 5pm to midnight; this Friday and Saturday from 11am to midnight; and this Sunday, its last day of food service, from 11am to 11pm. The pub will serve drinks only on the following Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays—from 5pm to midnight—until product is gone.