Choose your location

usa

Europe

Venice

Tue / Oct 20

New York
Florence
Rome
London
Paris
More Cities
Close

Los Angeles
Neighborhoods
Downtown, Los Angeles, CA

Downtown, Los Angeles, CA

Choose a neighborhood

Collapse map / See photo gallery

193 Photos of Downtown

Expand map / See nearby venues and events

Expand Map
Collapse Map

Venues
Events

Includes: Little Tokyo and Chinatown.

Although the media has been prematurely heralding the resurgence of downtown Los Angeles for over a decade, it’s not until recently that the area truly started delivering on its promised potential.

For a long time, there wasn’t much to downtown LA other than financial office buildings and skid row, and a daytime scene of bustling lawyers and business lunches that gave way to a ghost town at night.

Today, the still up-and-coming region is home to many of the city’s most interesting and offbeat kitsch bars, good restaurants, and the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall, all of which attract a diverse crowd of artsy trendsetters, adventurous locals, bearded and flannel-clad hipsters, and students from nearby USC.

The often playful venues are full of character and authenticity, and run the gamut from flamenco clubs, burlesque shows, retro lounges, speakeasies, and mixology bars to thriving underground, alternative, and afterhours scenes. The atmosphere is remarkably unpretentious with a decided lack of velvet ropes, and at once laid back and edgy.

Also of note is the completion of the long-awaited multibillion dollar entertainment complex LA Live. Adjacent to the Staples Center – home of the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers – the venue offers a variety of bars, restaurants, shops, sporting events, live theater, and concerts for both day and night activity that have helped usher in Downtown’s prominence on the LA social scene.

Less

What to Do in Downtown LA

The Edison

20s / Absinthe / Artsy / Bar / Club / DJ

Party Earth Review Located in the basement of the Higgins Building – LA’s first private power plant – The Edison is a massive nightclub that combines 1920s luxury with a bit of history and industrialism ... more

108 West 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Liked By:

Pattern Bar

20s / 30s / 40s / Alternative Music

Party Earth Review An elegantly rustic bistro in LA’s Fashion District, Pattern Bar is a popular go-to for tapas during the week, creative cocktails at night, and a chic little party scene come ... more

100 West 9th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Liked By:

Fifty Seven

Artistic Professionals / Hip

712 S Santa Fe Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Liked By:

Bacaro LA

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient

Party Earth Review In a neighborhood better known for family-run pupuserias and taco stands, Bacaro LA brings a little piece of Italy to South Central in both liquid and edible form. With its proximity ... more

2308 South Union Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Liked By:

The Association

20s / 30s / 80s Music / Bar / DJ / Flirty

Party Earth Review With an entrance down a flight of stairs to the basement of a residential loft building – and marked only by a black door adorned with a brass lion’s-head knocker – The Association ... more

110 East 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Liked By:

Rooftop Bar at The Standard Downtown

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Burgers

Party Earth Review The A-listers may have moved on, but the ultra-mod Rooftop Bar crowning The Standard Downtown hotel still offers a swanky environment for sipping cocktails under the stars. A ... more

The Standard Downtown Hotel
550 South Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Liked By:

The Crocker Club

20s / Cover charge / Dance / DJ / Club

Reviewed by Ross S.

"This place means business. You must dress nicely. They wouldn't let me in with my hat on! I had to put it back in the car! Once you are inside you get ..." more

453 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Liked By:

Blue Cow Kitchen & Bar

20s / 30s / After Work / Bar / Beer / TVs

Reviewed by Jackie D.

"People: Because of its central location in the financial district, BCK attracts a lot of business professionals, both young and old, throughout the we ..." more

350 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Liked By:

Bar 107

20s / 30s / Budget-friendly / DJ / TVs

Reviewed by Laramie M.

" Most people will say, "You don't dance at a dive". This place is the exception. Unlike other bars that try to cater to all audiences and end up feeli ..." more

107 West 4th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Liked By:

The Varnish

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Artsy

Party Earth Review Marked only by a small drawing of a cocktail, the discreet entrance to The Varnish at the back of Cole’s restaurant lends an air of secrecy and forbidden frolicking to this updated ... more

118 East 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Liked By:

Colori Kitchen

All Ages / All Types / Casual

Reviewed by Brett C.

"My Take: Colori Kitchen is my favorite Italian restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. It’s a small hole-in-the-wall family operation that feels like a ne ..." more

429 West 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Liked By:

Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi

All Ages / All Types / Beer / Jeans

Reviewed by Fangyuan Z.

"The Ramen! Perhaps the top three ramen place in LA. You should go to this place only if you are a ramen lover or you are searching some simple refr ..." more

132 South Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Liked By: