Staycation is all I ever wanted and bopping around various hotels in your City of Angels is the perfect way to explore during these hot summer months.  Whether you’re indoors enjoying air conditioning that you don’t pay for or taking it to a rooftop bar for that cool sunset breeze; here’s a quick little list of Hotel Bars to make you feel as though you teleported away to a new level of comfort.

  

Cara Hotel – Cara Bar – Los Feliz

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or their famous Aperitivo (happy hour), the Cara Hotel is as hot as it comes!  Their delightful patio is as romantic as it gets with pale linens and soft twinkle lights that adorn the bright space.  The lemon pasta with 24-month-old aged parmesan is to die for, as is their Bufala mozzarella and passion fruit scallop crudo.  Parking can be limited in the area, but their helpful and friendly valet service sets the level of care high!

Kimpton Everly Hotel  – Ever Bar – Hollywood

Ever Bar is as modern and sleek as hotel bars come. With its floor-to-ceiling windows, cool color tones, and contemporary seating that serves comfort all around, this bar is the perfect location for business meetings, dates, or solo nights out.  Specializing in creative riffs on classic drinks, their cocktail menu continues to crush year after year.  Highlights include a grown-up version of “Sex on the Beach” with peach jam and honey vinegar, or my favorite, the “Midnight Forest”, a rye-based drink infused with blueberry pepper Averna. Their bar bites range from buffalo cauliflower to a brisket burger; to their tantalizing mains like the Farmer’s Cheese Smoked Trout or the Harissa Scented Mussles proving Ever Bar is here as a staple of contemporary Hollywood.

Mama’s Shelter – Mama’s Rooftop – Hollywood

With stunning views and fantastic cocktails, Mama Shelter is perfect for grabbing a drink while you gaze upon the beauty of Downtown LA or the famous Hollywood sign!  For hotel food, Mama Shelter doesn’t disappoint.  The Crispy Tofu Bao Bun and the Short Rib Tacos are surefire standouts! If you’re just looking to snack and sip, the whipped white beans and grilled flatbread pair well with the “Bermuda Triangle,” a rum-based drink with Luxardo liqueur and amaro that explodes with flavor in your mouth! 

Pendry Hotel – Bar Pendry – West Hollywood

If you’re looking to show off for your date, take them to the #ChamPendry Vending Machine at Bar Pendry; a signature Moet and Chandon vending machine that gives you cool and crisp bubbles anytime day or night.  Continuing to wow year after year, Bar Pendry cocktails exhibit various plays on historic drinks, from a “French 75” to a “Vieux Carre,” to modern-day favorites such as their “Black Fig and Walnut Manhattan” and the “Yellow Chartreuse Naked and Famous.” Though the small bites are limited, their hummus and artisan cheese plate are perfect for those moments in between meals where a fabulously mild nosh is deeply desired and enjoyed.

Waldorf Astoria – The Rooftop by JG – Beverly Hills

Walking into The Rooftop at the Waldorf Astoria is like descending into one of Jay Gatsby’s lavish parties.  It exudes wealth and glamor, making it the perfect place to impress on a first date.  Their menu boasts a fortune of flavors that range from Latin America to Southeast Asia, paired with fresh fair from California to make up their light and brightly flavored bites.  From lobster burgers, and octopus appetizers, to pumpkin seed-encrusted salmon; the food is as gorgeous as the views you’ll enjoy over Wilshire Blvd.  Sip on your ginger margarita or even their mojito mocktails, though beware that dining in Beverly Hills comes with a price tag that is well deserved from time to time.  

Shutters on the Beach – Living Room & Terrace – Santa Monica

If you’re looking for quintessential beach vibes that come with California Dreamin’, The Living Room at Shutters nails the vibe.  Meet a friend for a beverage, relax and read, or just enjoy the view as you sip on your evening drink.  While the menus are quite standard for hotel food and drink, the “Banana Bread Spritz” and the “Barrel Aged White Mezcal Negroni” are not to be missed.  So sit back, relax, and daydream that this is your everyday life as you enjoy the sunset over the shoreline.