Here’s some great news to start the weekend with: L.A.’s most iconic cabinet of curiosities—a Downtown L.A. venue full of odd murals, tchotchkes and a giant tree—is back. Legendary nightlife venue Clifton’s Republic has officially launched its phased reopening today with a residency by circus burlesque dance troupe AirOtic, according to Eater.
As many Angelenos are well aware of, the intricately themed Clifton’s first opened in DTLA back in 1935 as Clifton’s Cafeteria, a 16,000-square-foot dining hall—perhaps best known for its cafeteria that didn’t turn away those in need of a meal. As its popularity waned, Edison owner Andrew Meieran bought the space and renovated it and relaunched it in 2015 as more of a nightlife-leaning venue.
The cafeteria portion closed once more three years later, in 2018, although some on-premise bars kept operating on and off. Then came a renaming, the COVID-19 pandemic and a number of reopening teases that never quite stuck.
Fast-forward to today and the space—including Pacific Seas, the extravagant tiki bar that locals flocked to when it first debuted in 2016—will finally welcome guests once more, starting with burlesque performances that will run through the end of June at the Gothic Bar (you’ll find that in the Cathedral Grove section). According to Eater, the dinner-drinks-and-a-show outing includes aerial stunts and dancing. You can buy tickets (which range from $60 to $250) to each show right here.
Speaking to the outlet, Meieran confirmed that the June reopening of Pacific Seas, already publicized on the venue’s website, will be followed by Monarch Bar, Gothic Bar and Forest Glen. And new on deck will be a roster of family-friendly programs that we’re sure will be just the thing to help keep the little ones stay busy in the summer months.