Vandell

Leave your uncomfortable shoes at home because Vandell is worth the wait. With an all-star roster including Shawn Lickliter and Vay Su (Double Dragon Bar) as well as the team behind Donna’s, Bar Flores, and Lowboy, Los Feliz’s newest bar is handling its superstardom surprisingly well. Once you’re inside, you understand why people don’t want to leave.

The vibe: Even with waits of 30–60 minutes on the weekends, you can add yourself to the waitlist for a table in line and return later (to the seething jealousy of those still outside). The bar area accommodates standing-room-only servers, an uncommon luxury that placates line-weary guests while enabling faster turnover. 

Striking the balance between a neighborhood bar and a destination spot, dimly lit alcoves with mid-century charm hum with activity. The bar includes a quieter side room (the Red Room), the main dining room seats six at a time into wooden booths, and yet another room off the entrance offers bistro tables for smaller parties/date nights. 

The food: Though it’s predictable American fare (pre-open, I prophesied much of the food menu), Vandell doesn’t slouch when it comes to execution. The anchovy toast flies to tables on repeat, pickle haters down the just-messy-enough cheeseburger with no substitutions, and even an oft-boring dish served across the city, hamachi crudo, crackles with new life.

The drink: These are the drinks you won’t mind paying 2026 prices for. Somehow, they’ve improved an Old Fashioned, made Scotch feel delicate, and avoided leaning on sugar to cover their sins. Even the non-alcoholic cocktails, like the Pandan-forward Milk Punch, leave a lasting impression, extending the night as a feature rather than an afterthought.

Time Out tip: Limited reservations are released a week in advance on Resy, but they disappear faster than base-price Beyoncé tickets.