The arched ceilings, dark wood bar, and rich, warm interior make The Wolves a great spot for date night, but the relaxed atmosphere means you can leave the tie at home. Grab a Bulleit Rye Manhattan and see if you can get seated in the balcony section; it’s the only outdoor spot of its kind along Spring Street and makes for excellent people-watching while nibbling on some frites and smoked duck wings. There’s also a performance space in the back bar, where you can catch anything from live music to vaudeville.

The brainchild of Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf, this Highland Park hang is a vinyl lover’s utopia: Wolf’s personal record collection numbering in the thousands frames the sleek walnut bar. Start with a BLT (Bulleit Bourbon, lemon, and tonic) at happy hour by the bar, where the sun pours in through a large front window and a DJ spins some of the house’s music collection, then find a seat in Gold Line’s back lounge space as the evening continues and the party heats up. 

In a town where the newest club can close before you’ve found its restroom, The Airliner is something special: in 2023 it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Its latest incarnation opened in early 2020, and is now three spots in one: an Art Deco-inspired first floor, an upstairs performance space, and a new outdoor patio behind the building. Elevated bar bites like the Airliner Burger and the spicy Peruvian chicken wings pair nicely with a bourbon lemonade — or skip the mixers and sip Bulleit Rye on the rocks. 

Bars with a view in Los Angeles tend to be the ones nearest the ocean, but 71 Above’s city view is unmatched. The bar and restaurant sits almost 1,000 feet above ground level, near the top of the U.S. Bank Tower, making it one of the highest restaurants west of the Mississippi. Order a Bulleit Rye Sazerac and take in the view: Despite being miles from the shore, on a clear day, you can still see the sunset over the ocean. 

Open the unmarked door at the back of Cole’s French Dip and you’ll enter The Varnish, one of downtown LA’s first nouveau speakeasies. The room hasn’t changed much over its 13 years of business, and neither has the spectacular quality of the cocktails. Order a Rye Sazerac or, if feeling a little bolder, give your bartender the types of drinks you like and let them surprise you. Settle in to hear the bar’s house band, which plays music from across genres, and finish off the night with a French dip from the bar.