Crap, it's Christmas Day and you're already out of brandy and eggnog, what to do, what to do... oh, right, drink brandy and eggnog (or probably just, like, light beers and cheap whiskey) at any of these 20 LA bars that are all actually open on Xmas.
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Mr. C
Beverly Hills
It's like every other night you've spent at this hotel bar, just with more mugs of Italian mulled wine, freshly roasted chestnuts (yes, they're real things!), and expertly trimmed Christmas trees. Open 7am-2am.
Tanzy
Westwood
What’s better than ordering a hot-buttered-salted-truffled-rum at the bar before going to see The Gambler next door at the iPic Theater on Christmas Day? Being able to order another (and then another) from your seat in the theater on Christmas Day. THAT'S WHAT. Open 4-10:30pm
Backstage
Culver City
Cheap alcohol and day drinking. This is how photo booth Christmas portraits for next year's family Xmas card come together, people. Open 11am-2am.
Culver Hotel
Culver City
Don your finest Christmas sweater and warm up by the fireplace at this classy 1920s-era lobby bar. Open 2-6pm or later, depending on traffic.
Bar 107
Downtown
This is the one bar where you’re most likely to see Santa with a PBR tallboy in one hand and a karaoke mic in the other, though if it gets to that point in the evening, you should probably decline invitations to sit on his lap.
Golden Gopher
Downtown
Say "humbug, yo" to all those cheerful Christmas lights around town and lose a few hours in this darkened den of top-notch booze.
4100 Bar
Silverlake
Picklebacks? Yes. You will have Christmas picklebacks. Open 6pm-2am.
Bigfoot Lodge
Los Feliz
Why not celebrate one mythical dude (Santa) with another (Sasquatch). Open 5pm-2am.
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The Pikey
Hollywood
This British-style gastropub will be pouring pints and "Christmas Cheer" cocktails, like the hot spiced cider, plus there'll also reportedly be roast goose, Christmas pudding, and elves in (thank God) "fuzzy hats". Open 2pm-2am.
Sassafras
Hollywood
While, sadly, the traditional "Krewe of Jingle" Christmas parade won’t be stopping by this New Orleans-themed watering hole, you can still get your jingle on with the revamped bar offerings and refined, barrel-aged cocktails. Open 5pm-2am.
El Carmen
Mid-Wilshire
Milk and cookies are awesome. Margaritas and chips are awesomer. Just ask Curtis Stone.
Underground Pub & Grill
Hermosa Beach
Celebrate Jesus' 2014th b-day the way he would've wanted: by drinking cheap pitchers and throwing darts.
The Chimneysweep Lounge
Sherman Oaks
With enough Christmas lights to make Clark Griswold proud, The ‘sweep keeps the uber-cheap drinks and free popcorn flowing like a champ.
The Fifth
Valley Village
If you wanted to shoot pool, play Ms. Pac-Man or Galaga, listen to a great jukebox, and generally just spend Christmas Day drinking in a place that feels like the most righteous finished basement from the '70s, this is definitely your spot.
Harlowe
West Hollywood
Adding to the many reasons why this is one of the best new bars of 2014, this classy throwback-bar will be slingin’ on Santa's big day. Open 5pm-2am.
The Roger Room
West Hollywood
Perfect for escaping the holiday madness in a comforting dark corner, this cozy joint will be pouring five new winter cocktails, including the LA-noir-inspired Mulholland Fizz and The Long Goodbye.
Gas Lite
Santa Monica
Because your karaoke version of "White Christmas" sounds waaaaaaay better than Bing Crosby’s after a few drinks. Open 6am-2am.
Terrazza Lounge
Santa Monica
Though you’ll be gawking at insane views of totally snow-free Santa Monica beach, you can still get into the Christmas spirit(sssssss!) here with holiday-inspired cocktails like The Grinch, Spiked Apple Cider, and Candy Cane Crush. Open 11am-9pm.
Venice Whaler
Venice
Unless you want people to totally hate you, you’re going to have to stop karaoke-ing Christmas songs at some point. Today is not that day. That day is sometime in July. Open 11am-2am.
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Danny Jensen is a regular Thrillist contributor and will undoubtedly be finishing all of the eggnog. Send him boozy holiday wishes on Twitter and Instagram.
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1. Tanzy
10840 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles -
2. Culver Hotel
9400 Culver Blvd, Culver City -
3. Bar 107
107 W 4th St, Los Angeles -
4. Golden Gopher
417 W 8th St, Los Angeles -
5. Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles -
6. The Pikey
7617 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood -
7. Sassafras Saloon
1233 Vine St, Los Angeles -
8. El Carmen
8138 W 3rd St, Los Angeles -
9. Baja Sharkeez
52 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach (& other locations) -
10. The Chimneysweep Lounge
4354 Woodman Ave, Sherman Oaks -
11. Harlowe
7321 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood -
12. Roger Room
370 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles -
13. Gas Lite
2030 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica -
14. Terrazza Santa Monica
Ocean Ave, Santa Monica -
15. The Venice Whaler
10 Washington Blvd, Venice
The movie theater-adjacent Tanzy's brunch menu features get-in-my-stomach-immediately dishes like "bacon & eggs" ravioli, jidori chicken and waffles, and crispy chocolate Italian donuts. They've got quality Italian fare for any time of day however, and a wine, beer, and cocktail list that won't disappoint.
Housed in a 1920s flatiron building and once owned by John Wayne -- and is rumored to be where the Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz partied after filming -- the Culver Hotel is something of a Hollywood novelty. But its bar… isn’t. It’s a straight-out-of-the-20s speakeasy with a tinge of old-school Parisian boudoir. It’s dark, and only open after 8pm. This is not the place to see and be seen, but rather, the place to hide amongst the scene, with live music, craft cocktails, and paranormal activity from the ghosts of Hollywood past.
Though there's a pretty strict "no dance music" policy at this red and gold painted dive bar, the dance floor still gets a pretty good workout. Once you down the cheap well drinks during happy hour, you're sure to get in a few moves yourself, forgetting all about the random unicorn statue and deer heads.
The Golden Gopher, a DTLA dive with a rare, dual-liquor license grandfathered from 1905 (yes, it survived Prohibition by selling "near beer" and "medicinal" bitters), was originally dubbed Golden Sun Saloon and owned by none other than former President Teddy Roosevelt. Nearly a century later, in 2004, it became the Golden Gopher, but its character and history still live within its dark, exposed brick walls. The Bar Keeper -- from the same team that runs the Silver Lake location -- operates the liquor shop side of the Gopher, where you can on-site purchase liquor to go. But stay a while, and enjoy a pint of beer in one of few LA bars that have stood the test of 100 years' time.
Step into the log cabin-like interior of Bigfoot Lodge and escape into the wilderness of... Atwater Village. The roaring fireplace, tree stump tables, and hunting lodge decor will have you certain you’ve left Los Angeles (don’t worry, you haven’t). Bigfoot’s got live music, tallboys, and rustic-style cocktails that adhere to the campfire theme, like the Roasted Marshmallow with actual burnt marshmallow, and the Scout’s Honor with Irish cream liqueur. Once you've got your drink, cozy up to the fireplace and forget that you’re actually nowhere near the woods.
Formerly a dive bar on Sunset Blvd., The Pikey is a spacious old English-style tavern with dark wood-paneled walls decorated with British paraphernalia (Union Jacks, a coat of arms), red leather booths, iron chandeliers, and suspender-sporting staff. The menu offers elevated pub fare from a former chef of New York’s similarly-themed Spotted Pig, featuring authentic English dishes like Welsh Rarebit, chicken liver, and Fish & Chips. It's supported by inventive craft cocktails, and -- true to British pub form -- pints of beer.
Authenticity comes in all shapes and sizes. At Sassafras Saloon, it comes in the shape of a one-time Savannah townhouse that was deconstructed, transported (from Georgia), and resurrected smack in the heart of Hollywood. Sure, the draw may be the live music and Southern-style cocktail proffer -- house-brewed sarsaparilla and barrel-aged beverages among them -- but the various (and plentiful) antebellum tchotchkes solidify the saloon’s down-home feel. Sassafras will take you from one southern corner of the country to the other as you sip your Sazerac in the parlor, underneath the portrait of Frederick Douglass.
El Carmen is a colorful, tunnel-like cantina in Beverly Grove with luchador-lined walls, lit by strings of Christmas lights (year round). The Mexican cuisine is simply an afterthought, given the nearly 10 page list of over 400 tequilas on offer -- blanco, reposed, anejo, and the lesser-known muy anejo. Taste your way through the agave with a flight or in a classic cocktail, and soak it all up with authentic Mexican dishes like a three cheese quesadilla, a heaping bowl of nachos or chilaquiles with mole. Weekday happy hour features the best of the menu and cocktails at a portion of the price, and it’s called Hora de Fiesta -- that means party hour, and that’s when you should go.
This South Bay mini-chain is a go-to for bros and beach goers alike for its sports bar-meets-Mexican restaurant vibes. The loaded menu features hearty tacos and burritos with an emphasis on seafood, plus burgers, tortas, and fajitas. A drinking hub above all, Baja Sharkeez doles out party buckets and pitchers of tropical drinks, margaritas, and mojitos, and naturally, has a killer weekday happy hour. The beach is within walking distance, so if you load up on one too many super-sized margaritas, you can walk it off as the sun sets over the Pacific.
The Valley may be home to an influx of great dive bars, but not much beats The Chimneysweep Lounge, a beat-up classic with a game room, free popcorn, and cheap drinks by the roaring fire. The Sherman Oaks watering hole may be small, but its bar is full, its game room stacked, and its TVs powered on with round-the-clock sports coverage. Stop in for a beer and a game, stick around for the billiards (and karaoke, depending on the night).
This WeHo haunt sports a sophisticated interior with antique decor, brown banquettes, and an intricate, handmade tile floor, plus a killer cocktail program designed by beloved NY bartender Dushan Zaric. Sip on innovative cocktails like the Aye Poppy (Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, Grand Poppy, house-made strawberry basil syrup, lemon, and egg white), alongside a cheese & charcuterie board, while you salute Hollywood's Golden Age -- the theme of this classy spot.
Since its opening in the early days of the speakeasy craze in LA, The Roger Room has retained all of its class and charm. Order up the Four Aces, a house favorite with vodka, basil, green grapes, and ginger liqueur, or the Japanese Maple with whiskey, egg whites, and maple syrup -- then settle into a booth beneath the hand-painted carnival mural and be prepared to stay awhile.
Gas Lite is a special place, mainly because every night is karaoke night. But if singing isn't your thing, well then you can always watch other people make a fool of themselves. That's always fun too...
Squirreled away inside the Casa Del Mar Hotel, this Italian resto and lounge slings seafood-focused dishes like steamed mussels with blood sausage while pouring Sicilian Smashes (Amaretto with bourbon, citrus, mint, and bitters). Out of the panoramic window, you'll be staring out onto gorgeous views Santa Monica beach.
A Venice landmark, this beachside spot has been serving up market-fresh dishes and high-quality craft cocktails since the '40s. Be sure to try the fish tacos, or split some of their small bites or an artisan pizza with your group -- a group you should also convince to join in the Whaler's Monday night karaoke. While you're there, you'll want to head up to the second-floor patio bar for some gorgeous ocean views, particularly at sunset.