Downtown Los Angeles Retro Bars

[bradford]

I'm headed to LA soon for work and would like to experience someplace kind of retro while I am there.

No doubt this is because of the influence of films like Chinatown, The Big Sleep, LA Confidential and even Swingers, but I definitely would love to hit up some bars with that retro vibe. We will be staying and working in the downtown area and in looking at Yelp, it appears the types of joints I'm looking for might include The Edison, Seven Grand or The Library Bar.

I'm wondering if anyone here has been to those spots or if there are other places you would recommend?

Thanks!

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I've been by this place, but haven't been in:

http://www.smokehouse1946.com/

This place is something I remember from my youth. We have one in Springfield IL. Not 1930's retro, but at least OLD.

http://www.bobs.net/

Ha, finally found it. This should be all of the information that you need, and probably more than you wanted.

http://www.latimemachines.com/

Have fun, wear a Fedora, and take a lot of pictures...

Later

 

[Guttersnipe]

I really like the Frolic Room in Hollywood. It's mentioned in a lot of James Elroy's novels and was used for an exterior location shot in the LA Confidential movie (the scene where Wendell "Bud" White meets Lt. Dudley Smith in a bar, gets his badge and gun back and recruited to Smith's anti-mobster flying squad).

6245 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

 

[tonydi]

Dont forget The Formosa cafe, check it out on Wikipedia! Also Musso & Franks is a must.

 

[Tomasso]

You must check out Cicada in the Oviatt Building. The restaurant morphs into a club on occasion. And see if you can wrangle a tour of the penthouse while you're there. Scouting venues for upcoming nuptials should do the trick.....

 

[Gregg Axley]

Wow.....

 

[Oldsarge]

Triple Wow. Now there's a place that demands a tux . . . and a homburg.

 

[Alex Oviatt]

There is a new bar opening downtown called Salvage--everything in it has been salvaged from old buildings in Los Angeles--should be very cool. It is in the ground floor of the Roosevelt lofts on 7th Street, accross from Macy's. Should be opening any day now....

 

[John in Covina]

The Edison is an interesting and unusual bar, done in an old power generating system. The atmosphere is one where Gary oldman sitting at the bar dressed as Dracula would not seem out of place. It has an interesting anything can happen vibe. Near Cole's is a retro bar the name escapes me (might be a #) that was cool.

 

[John in Covina]

The Edison

http://www.edisondowntown.com/