The Best Places to Drink and Stay in North Downtown

Frank Gehry designed the building, and the tenth-floor lobby faces his Walt Disney Concert Hall across the street, so the views start before you check in. This luxury hotel in Downtown L.A. holds a Forbes Four Star and runs like an urban resort: rooftop infinity pool, a spa, a public art collection, and two José Andrés restaurants on site. Rooms lean mid-century modern with marble bathrooms and enough tech to feel like a spaceship.

1. Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Four Star
2. Michelin Guide Selected Hotels
3. Time Out The 17 best hotels in Los Angeles

1. Esquire House Pickle-Brine Martini · The Best Martinis in America

1. Michelin Guide Selected Hotels
2. Time Out The 17 best hotels in Los Angeles

1. Michelin Guide Selected Hotels

1. Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West

An unmarked door at the back of Cole's opens into a dimly lit cocktail bar where jazz plays low and Victorian oil lamps glow against wood-panelled walls. The late Sasha Petraske was a part owner, and the room feels exactly like something he'd have built: serious about its classic cocktails, quiet enough to hear the ice hit the glass, and a little too good at making you lose track of the hour.

1. Difford's Guide 4.5 stars · Difford's Guide

Every bottle behind the bar at Las Perlas comes from south of the border, which means no vodka, no whiskey, and no gin to tempt you off the path. It's a cantina-style mezcal and tequila bar on Sixth Street, candlelit and maximalist, with Del Maguey mezcals and rare 100% agave pours listed by region and paired for the curious. The kind of place that makes an argument without ever saying a word.

1. Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide

Three antique pool tables on tartan carpet greet you at the top of the stairs, which sets the tone for this whiskey bar doing a convincing impression of a Scottish gentleman's club in downtown L.A. The black walnut bar runs nearly the full length of the room, with shelves so tall the bartenders use a rolling ladder to reach the rarer Scotch, Japanese, Irish, and bourbon bottles, several hundred in all, including single-cask and collectible pours.

1. Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide