27 Best Bars in Los Feliz and the Eastside, Los Angeles

With swaths of fabric draped from the ceiling, this low-lit bar with a bohemian vibe is the perfect backdrop (and mood) for a date. Groups of locals also come through at all hours of the night, making for a good mix of people and energy. The bartenders pour drinks that are both tasty and potent. There's plenty of seating at the tables and stools along the central bar, and their outdoor patio has become the centerpiece for stylish twentysomethings to flock and socialize. 

It may come across kitschy with its log cabin theme (further intensified by signature cocktails like Scout’s Honor and Roasted Marshmallow), but Bigfoot Lodge is a beloved mainstay among Eastside denizens. Despite its first impression, it is every bit a low-key, unpretentious neighborhood bar that specializes in shots and beer and welcomes the occasional tourist that happens to stumble inside.

Echo Park is peppered with music venues, but if you want to be in the heart of the neighborhood's live music scene, you should head to the Echo. With a full bar and recurring theme nights, the spot hosts cutting-edge music from both up-and-coming local and touring acts as well as well-known bands.

Once an ambitious restoration project, Highland Park Bowl now serves as a massive throwback to its Prohibition-era roots, formerly an alcohol-prescribing doctor’s office and drugstore with its own bowling alley. Although the hooch-pushing doctor and druggist are long gone, the bowling alley remains, complete with the original pin machine. Revel in the nostalgia, but expect a wait for a lane on weekend evenings.

Meet some of L.A.'s best drink makers at Thunderbolt. Inspired by the American South, the cocktail bar offers a broad Madeira selection and snacky Southern fare such as fried chicken biscuits and chicken drumettes with a tamari glaze. But Thunderbolt’s biggest standout is its robust cocktail program with interesting and complex combinations of flavors. Standouts include the savory Fu Gwaa Falsetto (shochu and Oaxacan rum with bittermelon, manzanilla, and li hing mui) and the tropical Koji Killer (rum, pineapple, coconut, orange, and shio koji for an umami punch).

This local haunt is every inch a neighborhood bar, one that serves fast, cheap, and strong drinks; is inclusive of all people; and engages the local community through fun and unapologetically outrageous events like Craftaoke, Gaymer Night, and queer disco nights.

A cocktail lounge ideal for romantic evenings and much-needed gossip sessions with friends, this 2,200-square-foot-room maintains a moody brasserie vibe with its velvety arm chairs and foliage-draped ceilings. The Arroyo Club serves an interesting assortment of cocktails, such as the Midnight Kiss, which features rice-washed tequila, cinnamon, cold brew, and chocolate. Head to the back of the room for savory bar bites like beef or plant-based smash burgers and tater tots.

This laid-back spot is the embodiment of an unpretentious wine drinker's wine bar, complete with non-judgy staff. What else would you expect from a spot with repurposed furnishings and a vintage motorcycle mounted to the wall? There's a new menu of wine and locally sourced beer every week as well as delicious appetizers like the popular deviled eggs and charcuterie plate.

Latina-owned Bar Flores may look like any indoor--outdoor bar you'll find in sun-kissed Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, but the elevated cocktails served here are very Los Angeles. Margarita Wednesday is a must, and the back patio has a taco stand in case you get hungry.

This Highland Park outpost of an NYC institution started an arcade bar revolution in Los Angeles, serving elevated yet accessible (and more importantly, affordable) cocktails and American fare amidst rows of beloved retro arcade games and pinball machines. Barcade has built a community here, holding events like a pinball league to encourage loyal patrons to form bonds with like-minded individuals. You may want to block off the entire evening to visit or revisit classics like Pac-Man, Marvel VS Capcom 2, and Mortal Kombat 2.

Make this import from Seattle your last stop on a revelrous Saturday night. Grab a cheap cocktail then meander through the Mexican fiesta--themed bar that basks in a red glow. Foosball tables, a photo booth, and a vending machine full of kooky objects will give you plenty of ways to occupy your time.

This is hip local hangout spot offers a glimpse of the young professionals who have brought new life into Atwater Village. Aside from the occasional DJ and live music nights, Club Tee Gee also offers tons of dog-friendly outdoor seating options for summer day drinking and lazing about after a wander through the neighborhood’s farmers’ market. 

If you're looking for that everybody-knows-your-name vibe in L.A., look no further than The Douglas, where owners Dave and Johnny warmly wave to patrons, new and old alike, entering the front patio. The draft beers and hard kombuchas are affordable enough to keep you returning. Pair your beverages with casual, no-nonsense food, such as chicken wings (served with house-made blue cheese), crowd-favorite breakfast burritos, and homemade falafels. Be prepared to rub elbows with Dodgers fans on game night.

Drawing Room is the dive bar of the locals. Located in a dimly lit nondescript strip mall a few blocks away from the major bustle of Los Feliz, it's easy to miss. Inside, Drawing Room is bathed in a red glow with Chinese accents such as a large gold-painted dragon and a list of Chinese zodiac signs tacked to the wall. In a neighborhood of increasingly trendy bars, the prices for cocktails cannot be beat here.

This bar's 1940s lounge decor makes it a favorite with folks in Los Angeles. Another reason to wander in is the Blood and Sand cocktail, self-proclaimed to be "the world's most tantalizing drink." 

A popular local venue for live bands, DJ sets, and burlesque shows, El Cid has been presenting flamenco performances since the early '60s. The Saturday flamenco dinner and show includes a four-course meal and a lively, engrossing Spanish dance performance. The seafood paella would be the showstopper if it weren't for the incredible performances stealing the limelight.

A small selection of constantly rotating wine and beer ensures that you'll get to try something new and interesting each time you visit. While the record player that sits by the bar serves as the main source of music, El Prado teems with young twentysomethings and locals with an endless stream of conversations that flow out to the front of the bar. 

The Hermosillo is the kind of laid-back pub every neighborhood should have, with an excellent selection of locally focused draft beer on tap, a rotating wine list, and mouthwatering bites like fried pickles and smash burgers. To add to its allure, award-winning Highland Park Brewery got its start in the pub’s back storage room and is still featured prominently on the menu.

Everyone could use a little more mezcal and tequila in their lives. La Cuevita has a lot of it, often in its collection of savory and sweet cocktails. This long-standing establishment—complete with free Taco Tuesday, a moody red interior, and papel picado that brightens the ceiling—has one of the most generous happy hours in L.A., making it the perfect place to start your evening.

You wouldn't expect old European charm in the hipster enclave of Silver Lake, but Bavarian style is served right alongside irony at the Red Lion Tavern, just as it has for more than 60 years. Grab a schnitzel and a bratwurst and wander the many rooms chockablock with German memorabilia, or head toward the beer garden for a large selection of German beers on draft.

Forget all your misconceptions about dive bars and walk into the Roost, whose comforting elements—a jukebox that comes fully loaded with Tom Petty, Springsteen, and the Allman Brothers Band; cozy leather booths; dimmed lights; and decent hearty food—will make you feel like you’ve flown back to your hometown for the holidays. The cocktails aren’t too shabby either, but do bring cash.

This Instagram-worthy cocktail bar is populated with the coolest locals. Chicken enchiladas and fajita bowls share the menu with roasted beef hummus and charcuterie. A true L.A. watering hole, The Semi-Tropic features many movie and TV show inspirations; it even was one of the filming locations for The L Word. The outdoor patio is a newer addition, perfect for those cool Southern California summer nights. 

Echo Park’s Short Stop is one of the few remaining dive bars in the area, still catering to those who want cheap drinks in a no-frills joint—especially local hipsters and Dodgers fans. There’s memorabilia scattered throughout as a reminder of what this once was—a police hangout. Today the Short Stop has become a legendary place for debaucherous celebration; the dance room fills with '00s hip hop and pop on any given weekend evening.

Rock bands, burlesque performances, comedy sets, and LGBTQ+ nights all have a home at this little dive bar. This small-yet-famous venue is a neighborhood spot in the best way possible, with cheap drinks and local talent deserving of their time in the limelight. There are a variety of signature cocktails and quite a few tequilas and mezcals on offer. If you come hungry, bring food in from the pizza place across the street or look for a restaurant pop-up in the newly updated back patio.

This unassuming spot feels less like a wine bar and more of a neighborhood watering hole where the servers take the time to chat with customers. But make no mistake: the wine selection is perfection and the snacks are delightful. 

It’s hard to decide whether the best thing about Verdugo Bar—which is a short distance away from Atwater Village in Glassell Park—is its selection of 20 craft beers on tap, its menu of refreshing and affordable cocktails, or the large beer garden furnished with picnic tables. Be warned: this place can get crowded, but it's the place to be on a hot summer day. 

Ye Rustic Inn has the vibes of a dingy, non-fussy dive bar, but it’s the wings that turns newcomers into regulars. Available dry or drenched in hot sauce, a plate of 12 (extra crispy recommended!) is perfect for two hungry travelers who want some nosh to go with the baseball or football games that the bar shows on their large TV. Ye Rustic Inn is also beloved for its early opening hours and being one of the only restaurants and bars around to open on major holidays; they even serve turkey and ham dinners on Thanksgiving.