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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.
All Ages / All Types / Breakfast
Reviewed by Kristen D.
"This place has great sandwiches the only down side is the line. There is always a line here but the food is worth it. This place is historic and a LA ..." more
1001 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
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
20s / 60s Soul / Balcony / Bar / DJ / EDM
Party Earth Review Despite a décor so classic and sophisticated that it was chosen as a setting for the show Mad Men, Broadway Bar doesn't shy away from getting down and dirty on the weekends. Rowdy frat ... more
830 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Artists
Party Earth Review Housed in an airy converted warehouse that looks like LA’s answer to New York’s Flatiron Building, Angel City Brewery serves up a mix of German-style hops and laid-back ... more
216 South Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Ambient / Ambient Jazz / Beer / Bar
Reviewed by Andrea A.
"Hidden in the vast sea of Los Angeles lives a rare and magnificent beast: Blue Whale. Known and revered by the truest jazz disciples, Blue Whale is a ..." more
123 Astronaut East South Onizuka Street, Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA 90012
20s / 30s / After Work / Dinner
Reviewed by Gor G.
"All you can eat sushi spots tend to get a bad rap. You expect them to have a limited selection or worse, poor quality fish. Zip Sushi had neither. Ni ..." more
744 East 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
20s / 30s / 40s / Artists / Blazers
Party Earth Review Though the name may look like a misspelling of a facility for the destitute, Pour Haus is actually a casual wine bar where just sitting down earns guests a complimentary taste of cava ... more
1820 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
20s and up / 30s / 40s / After Work
Reviewed by Phillip C.
"As a motorcycle rider in LA i often like to take nightly rides from my place in Hollywood to downtown and LA Cafe is my late night treat. Truly a 24 h ..." more
639 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
20s / Bar / Budget-friendly / Café
Reviewed by Shabnam F.
"Elton Keung, the founder and owner of Boba 7, was a good friend before he graduated from USC. 6 months after he received his diploma, he opened this l ..." more
518 West 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Breakfast / Family / Groups / Lunch
Reviewed by Rachel E.
"My Take: At first glance, The Original Pantry Cafe doesn’t make much of an impression. Located a couple blocks away from the glamour of L. A. Live an ..." more
877 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Anything goes / Breakfast / Café
Reviewed by Xiaoxiao M.
"I found this place for a friend’s reunion, and it turned out to become one of my favorite restaurant/caffé Downtown. I have been this place for severa ..." more
451 South Hewitt Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
20s / 30s / 40s / Ambient / Bar / Casual
Reviewed by Natalie P.
"While USC has plenty of options to curb your appetite, if you're in the mood for a refined lunch Moreton Fig is the place to go. The atmosphere sets t ..." more
3607 Trousdale Parkway
Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Los Angeles, CA 90089-3108