The best bars for singles in Los Angeles

A cut and a cocktail are easily found at this New York City export that made its West Coast debut in Culver City, then cropped up in Highland Park. The hidden (literally) gems are a barbershop by day and a speakeasy by night, serving up some tasty libations. In Culver City, nearby locals like the hip Venice crowd mix with those simply looking for a quality quaff (and, hopefully, someone to share it with). In Highland Park, the vibe is laid-back and no-fuss, echoing this location’s cool, ’70s-inspired decor—which makes it an ideal spot to casually buy someone a drink.

Brent Bolthouse brings Hollywood to Santa Monica’s Fairmont Hotel with this indoor/outdoor bar and lounge. Think: tree house hideaway by the Pacific, clad with an outdoor fire pit, ocean views, a pool table, dart boards, a ping-pong table and pricey specialty drinks that set the mood (and get you in the mood) for a Baja getaway. It’s a fratty weekend house party on Friday and Saturday nights and on Sunday afternoons, but if you want to keep the sleaze factor to a minimum, aim for a weeknight visit.

The Moroccan tile floors might be slightly sticky, but there’s no better place in West Hollywood than Harlowe (for straight people, at least) to meet up, see and be seen and maybe go home with someone new. After 10pm, this place fills up most weekend evenings with folks from all over the city—and everyone, whether you like it or not, will be dancing to a throwback-heavy mix. The smallness of the space means that most of the bar turns into a dance floor, but there’s booths along the wall and a small patio outside if you want to take a breather. Tip: If there’s a huge line outside after 11pm, head to nearby Las Perlas instead—you probably won’t be getting in.

What do you get when you take a ’50s diner and convert it into a French-themed cocktail bar? The answer is Silver Lake’s most aesthetically ridiculous party room: The Friend Bar. With a pink tile floor, baby blue wall paneling, plants everywhere and a pinball machine at the door to greet you, the decorative theme is confusing but deliciously alluring. The drinks are strong, the disco ball is bright, and the space itself is a conversation starter for any fellow bargoer. Looking for something on the other side of town? Check out the Little Friend in Venice for a more Westside vibe curated by the same masterminds.

The nostalgia cycle has come for the ’70s—and this Arts District cocktail lounge from the team behind De La Nonna is right on the money with tasty, deftly made house drinks, live DJ sets and a singles-heavy crowd. On the weekends, Angelenos fill up the tiny dancefloor on weekends to soak up the party-hearty atmosphere under glittering disco balls. A nightclub, this isn’t—the space is just a tad too small for that—but dangerously delicious cocktails like the Donna Summer Dress and a hi-fi sound system make for a glamorous night out that just might make you want to get up and dance. Tip: For a more relaxed vibe, arrive early on a weekday—the Let’s Go opens up at 5pm, and offers $12 happy hour cocktails until 8pm. 

This cozy beer and wine bar in Echo Park offers a well-curated selection of (often local) beers, red, white, and sparkling wine, as well as small bites—think mixed olives, cheese and crackers. Exposed brick, a wood bar, and soft, yellow glass light fixtures give this place a comfortable feel without sacrificing style. The music here comes from an old-school record player and an ever-changing vinyl collection, which adds to that warm, homey feeling—however, the scene changes on weekends. A DJ booth replaces the piano that sits beside the bar and vinyl sets are spun by local mixing masters. For a change of scenery, there’s a small wood patio out back.

Walking down a section of Venice’s Lincoln Boulevard that’s home to little more in the evenings than Night + Market Sahm, you’d be forgiven for thinking you might be looking in the wrong place for a swanky cocktail bar. And yet, just as you begin to wonder if you’re totally turned around, the familiar sight of a bouncer appears and the Lincoln calls you home. Our tip: Arrive between 7 and 9pm and you’re likely to have space more or less to yourself, making getting a good spot to post up for a spell easier than ever. As the night unfurls, seating becomes increasingly scarce as a line begins to form outside.

“Just like how mama used to make it” is the sentiment behind the restaurant at Mama Shelter, a hotel in Hollywood. Though one could almost say that the restaurant is Mama Shelter—walk into the lobby of the hotel and you are immediately faced with a bar on your left, a smattering of tables on your right, and entertainment all around you in the form of a foosball table, TVs and more. However, the best place to hangout at this spot isn’t the first floor, it’s the roof. The 360 degree view of Los Angeles almost never gets old. While the crowds at Mama Shelter vary on weeknights, weekends are sure to be packed with Angelenos looking for the best rooftop view in the area, ready to clink glasses with any fellow admirer looking to strike up a conversation.

The Bungalow might be the Westside’s most (in)famous singles’ bar, but this boardwalk day-drinking destination has quickly become the grungier, slightly cooler alternative for young, thirsty and single L.A. professionals. On weekend afternoons, the sun-dappled indoor-outdoor space fills with people who want to party and just maybe meet someone they like—and they’re not gonna let a few watered-down tropical drinks stand in the way of a good time. 

For a mellower evening, you might actually prefer this Spot. The vaguely Western bar in the heart of Hollywood possesses a unique, oddly winning combination: breathtaking city views, live rock and country music and the rare L.A. crowd that genuinely, unironically enjoys dressing in theme. Weekly line dancing classes on Wednesdays draw country enthusiasts on the slowest day of the week, while Desert 5 Spot’s still-quite-flashy aesthetic appeals to out-of-towners and more casually dressed locals hoping to score drinks and a view without significant hassle.

Most nights of the week, this Silver Lake institution hosts an irresistible mix of live music, stand-up comedy and dance parties (including Motown-themed Funky Sole on Saturday nights). The eclectic programming attracts a creatively-inclined crowd of twenty- and thirtysomethings (and often older—this is L.A., after all) that’s always ready to mingle and have a good time, and the cocktails are cheap as well. The venue’s hidden patio is also a great place to strike up a conversation with that cutie you spotted from across the room—and if all else fails, you can always duck out onto Sunset Boulevard.

From the team behind Silverlake’s Psychic Wines, Cafe Triste is an equally buzzy sister wine bar with plenty of natural wines, beautifully plated bites and gorgeous floral arrangements. This unassuming space in Chinatown has transformed into a designer’s art project, elevated with blue hue lights, a partition made of glass blocks and an open kitchen hemmed in by imperial red ceramic tiles. The list of light-bodied wines by the glass are full of aromatic, crisp flavors–ideal for both aficionados and newbies and perfectly suited to the seasonal bar bites. More than anything, the tiny bar is a sight to behold, particularly on the weekends. Behold the high entropy of late-twenty-something musicians and multi-hyphenate creatives prone to stopping mid-conversation to swivel around and see who's making an entrance. Ah, so this is where to go when you’ve graduated from El Prado!

This apothecary-themed bar is the sibling to New York City’s, which racked up acclaim through detail-driven, botanical-toned drinks in a dimly-lit setting. Here in Chinatown, the vibe, atmosphere and menu are all similar, with a few unique drinks for good measure. Don’t miss out on the side patio—one of the cutest in the city—nor the live programming, which can include bands, DJ sets, burlesque and even private cocktail classes. As the bar has expanded its programming, with residencies and guest DJs weekly, it’s becoming obvious to those looking for a good time any day of the week that this is one of the spots to be at for mixing and mingling.

If you like tequila, then you’ll love Las Perlas, a fun, colorful bar in Downtown (and West Hollywood) that’s serving one of the city’s most comprehensive selections of tequila and mezcal. This watering hole attracts more of the Varnish crowd than that of Cabo Cantina. While you can always play it safe and order a margarita, we encourage starting your South of the Border evening with the creative cocktails. It can be sleepy early during the week, so stop in on weekend nights when tequila lovers, from locals to cocktail geeks, pack in—especially for live DJ sets, which always lead to tequila-fueled dancing.

When first approaching the orange door to E.R.B., it’s hard to know what to expect behind it. The concrete exterior of the downtown Arts District haunt seems intentionally nondescript, but inside, the bar is not only bustling, but bright: The large, elegant space is bathed in soft light, illuminating its features—and all its guests—in a way that feels warm, flattering and inviting. Out back, a spacious patio offers ample seating for drinking, dining and stargazing (or eye-candy–gazing) through the twinkle of overhead light strings. This place is a party on weekends, when groups of friends descend on the patio—come with your own crew, then make eyes at the other tables.

What happens when a dive bar meets pinball arcade? You get Walt’s Bar, Eagle Rock’s very own funky destination, which feels like the kind of cozy but colorful Midwestern dive you’d sneak into in the late ’70s. Serving California beer and wine—but not above a can of Hamm’s—Walt’s is an ideal, low-key place to meet other solo flyers. You might find them perched at the bar or at one of the vintage machines, training for the Wednesday night pinball tournaments. If you’re confident, maybe you can challenge them to a game—the loser buys the next round.

To enter Break Room 86 is a bit of a doozy. Start by heading to the back side of K-Town’s Line Hotel, where you’ll most likely discover a line already forming. There you’ll be led through the hotel’s back corridors into a scene outfitted with a DJ booth made out of boomboxes, an old Pepsi vending machine that opens up into a karaoke room (one of four)—as well as vintage arcade games, because duh. Throughout the night, performances by breakdancers and a convincing Michael Jackson impersonator materialize on a hidden stage behind the bar. In the corner of your eye, you just might spot a replica of the phone booth from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Most outstanding, indeed

Heavy-handed pours and a digital jukebox have made Club Tee Gee an all-around great dive bar, but this Atwater Village watering hole is also a great way to connect with other folks who just love to dance sans any kind of pretension. Almost all the live music events, including the country-oriented Two Step Tuesdays, are free, and the spinning disco ball and covered patio make for the ideal indoor-outdoor space to get your groove on, then cool off outside—and just maybe meet someone cool enough to go back next week with.

Beneath the canopy of glowing paper lanterns you’ll find an eclectic crowd kicking back with glasses filled to the brim. The beer-focused bar is walking distance to Dodger Stadium, so Melody Lounge's regulars range from pregaming baseball fans to neighborhood denizens. With dozens of beer available on draft or by the bottle, it’s easy to ask someone what their favorite is or for a suggestion—and now you’re deep in conversation with a new crush. Though DJs spin quirky jams so loud it’s difficult to maintain a conversation, strike up a chat where you can about brews or baseball and then head to the intimate dancefloor to get to know each other a little better.

Right in the middle of Downtown, this seemingly divey bar always encourages passersby to stop in after a glimpse at its glowing sign above the bouncer. Don’t be fooled though, this is no dive bar! The loose dress code means no sneakers or caps, making it a dedicated spot for some of the classier folks in Downtown looking for a drink (if those are the types you’re looking to flirt with). Prices are reasonable, the jukebox is stocked with oldies-meets-Coachella, and an old-school arcade (think Pac-Man) allows for friendly drinking games. On a Friday or Saturday night it can get crowded and you may have to push some elbows to get to the bar, but towards the later side of the night things start to mellow out and the ambience gets cuter and more lowkey. Plus, a super cute photo booth in the corner makes for a sweet moment at the end of a meet-cute.