The definitive guide to the Arts District

Tucked away behind a neon sign on East Seventh Street that merely reads “BAR,” this hidden gem feels part elegant cocktail den, part raucous patio party. One of the city’s best bars, ERB offers impeccably well-made L.A.-inspired cocktails, tasty bar bites (including one of the best burgers in town) and the kind of relaxed-but-cool ambience where you can finally let your hair down. We recommend the longtime favorite Yo LA Tengo, which combines mezcal, grapefruit, Aperol, ginger and lime, or the You’ll Rhubarb the Day, which involves, you guessed it, rhubarb.

The chances of you, a mere mortal, walking into this underground cocktail bar next to LA Cha Cha Chá on a weekend sans reservation are slim to none, but the Arts District outpost of this famous New York cocktail bar still has some of the best (and most expensive!) drinks in the city. Flavor profiles and vibes divide the menu under labels such as “light and playful” and “boozy and honest.” The majority of drinks run around $20 or more in some cases—the sky-high prices you’ll have to pay for time-tested techniques and a vast array of unique, hard-to-find spirits.

An old-school beer hall feel and plenty of room to spread out—and even bring your dog—have made Angel City Brewery the top casual hangout in the Arts District since 2013. A renovated mezzanine floor and well-lit ground floor bar with Art Deco touches add a bit of flourish to your standard brewery atmosphere, while community events like movie nights (Mondays), tacos and trivia (Tuesdays) and even morning yoga (Sundays) have made this brewery our favorite place in the Arts District to chill out and knock back a cold one, any day of the week.

If Angel City is way too full down the street (a common occurrence on weekends) and you’re in search of a casual vibe, Arts District Brew Co. definitely fits the bill for a casual drinks meetup. This tried-and-true brewhouse with a cavernous interior and Skee-Ball machines in the back corner is one of the Arts District’s many breweries, but its large shaded patio and full cocktail bar have made it our go-to destination for a laidback weekend gathering with friends.

The West Coast outpost of a British motorcyclist’s club, this gigantic warehouse offers a restaurant, full bar, café, private members club, event space, tattoo parlor, barber shop and even an apparel shop. Geared towards discerning SoCal riders (and longtime fans of Bike Shed’s original blog), this veritable motorcyclists’ lifestyle destination is also a hands-down great place in the Arts District for anyone to hang out, get some work done and grab some coffee and a delicious bite to eat—including some solid honey soy-glazed baby back ribs and plenty of vegan options. Come evenings, the eatery’s atmosphere transforms into a more casual bar.

The Arts District outpost of this third-wave coffee company helped catalyze L.A.’s coffee culture boom back in the early aughts, and the Santa Fe café still a solid place to get your fix of artisan-grade caffeine today and sit a spell on their small, shaded outdoor patio (for now, Stumptown offers no inside seating). Housed in a 7,000-square foot warehouse space in the Arts District, the building boasts a 60-kilo Probat coffee roaster, all the better to make drip coffee and espresso-based drinks, plus tea and seasonal specials.

This dive bar is a favorite for Arts District locals who come to play a few rounds of pool, down a couple well-crafted drinks and indulge in cheesy slices from Pizzanista next door. For those looking to challenge their drinking buddy to some friendly competition, there’s darts and table tennis in addition to pool. And if you’re hungry? Pair your Peroni with a piece of pizza (you can either order from the bar or pick it up at Pizzanista to bring into Tony’s), then head to the back patio for some fresh air under twinkling lights.

The first of two L.A. outposts from an international Swiss-based art gallery, this museum-caliber Arts District compound offers rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and modern masters; past shows include works by Amy Sherald (the artist behind Michelle Obama’s official White House portrait) and Jason Rhoades’s room-sized installations of Insta-worthy neon signage. Once occupied by a flour mill, the entire complex has become a cultural destination in its own right thanks to educational programs, a public garden, a thoughtfully curated book shop and on-site restaurant Manuela.

With more than 40 classic consoles, from Centipede to Ms. Pac-Man, L.A.’s first barcade is more than just a place to drink; the indoor-outdoor bar is a geek pilgrimage spot where you can play all manner of vintage games, including an entire section dedicated to old pinball machines. Though the line can get unwieldy and sometimes downright impossible later on in the night, earlier arrivals typically skip the hassle—so arrive before 8pm if you’d rather not queue up to get inside.

Two Bit Circus wants to be your Arts District weekend arcade hangout, though the $35 access fee (which includes that amount in game credits) might be a bit steep for some. The “micro-amusement park” on Mateo Street combines virtual reality, escape rooms, motion-sensing carnival-esque attractions, old-school–inspired arcade games and trivia, all wrapped up in a sort-of-steampunk aesthetic that’s as well-suited for a kitsch robot bartender as it is a virtual battle arena. Note: While it’s possible to walk in, it’s best to make a reservation, particularly for large groups.

It’s a scene straight out of Austin’s Eastside, where food trailers and outdoor imbibing reign supreme at this patio bar and concert venue. In keeping with that theme, a revolving lineup of food trucks crank out comfort grub while craft beer and draft cocktails flow from a 1950s Spartan trailer-turned-bar. But the block party doesn’t end there—the musically-inclined head inside. Once a restoration warehouse for vintage Woodies, the high-ceilinged space has been converted into a dark, industrial performance venue featuring a DJ booth and an intimate stage for up-and-coming talent.

The Institute for Contemporary Art Los Angeles, or ICA LA, is the relocated home and new name for what was once the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The Arts District warehouse facility offers tiny but well-curated exhibitions of contemporary artists designed to encourage discovery and a new way of experiencing the world—and admission is always free. 

Approachable, but challenging HIIT is the name of the game at Sanctuary Fitness, whose popular indoor-outdoor studio in the Arts District has given rise to offshoots in Pasadena, Koreatown and West Hollywood. A spiritual tilt (Sanctuary’s mission includes helping clients find “peace through perspiration”) means instructors emphasize kaizen, a Japanese philosophy focused on continuous improvement—so every little bit of effort in each workout counts.

Since 2011, Greenbar Distillery has offered an organic spirits tasting and distillery tour that might include bitters, rum, liqueur, whiskey, gin, tequila and vodka inside the company’s split-level Arts District warehouse. Founded by husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew, Greenbar strives to be eco-conscious: A tree is planted for every bottle sold, and labels are 100 percent recycled. Be sure to book your tours and tastings in advance; as of late, they don’t accept walk-ins.

Every Sunday, dozens of food, retail and drink vendors congregate at this open-air market in the parking lot of ROW DTLA in an eclectic mix of much-loved pop-ups and future shining stars. Look out for newer, buzzier additions each year and seasonal fixtures (like the summertime Ice Cream Alley).

This 12,000-square-foot warehouse harbors the go-to Downtown area climbing club, so it’s best to brush up on your Spider-man skills before tackling a V-level of your choice. It’s also worth noting that the Touchstone outpost is a bouldering gym, a.k.a. no ropes or harnesses while you climb. Don’t worry: The foam-lined venue is as concerned with safety as it is fun, but you should definitely know how to climb and—eek—properly fall before you propel yourself 17 feet off the ground.

L.A.’s indoor shooting range has the largest selection of guns in L.A. and is open seven days a week, but you might need a friend if you want to shoot off a few rounds—visitors who don’t own their own firearms must be accompanied by a second person. Never shot before? The club offers free safety briefings—although target practice is up to you.

Originally built in 1885, this Moorish-accented structure has worked a well-worn sense of history into its current occupant: a 250-person concert venue. Unlike the area’s many stage-within-a-bar spaces, a partition separates the Moroccan’s full-service bar and restaurant from its intimate performance hall. It’s an astounding amount of polish for a venue so small, but it’s no surprise coming from the team behind New York’s Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge, as well as Westlake’s Teragram Ballroom, with which the Moroccan works closely.

At the renovated train-depot campus of the Southern Californian Institute of Architecture, catch lectures, screenings and major exhibitions from architecture luminaries.

During the day, it’s easy to go well beyond the two hours of free parking at ROW DTLA, the upscale outdoor mall (formerly an American Apparel factory) with specialty clothing shops you’ve likely never heard of, picturesque floral boutique Jean Pascal and other highbrow artisan shops geared towards affluent shoppers with less-than-mainstream taste. By night, the complex is home to two Michelin-starred fine dining eateries (Hayato and Kato—both of which require booking weeks, if not months, in advance), with more reasonably priced daytime eateries like Pizzeria Bianco, Japanese fried chicken specialist Pikunico and local coffee chain Go Get Em Tiger open during the day.

Housed within ROW DTLA, the Arts District outpost of this Japanese-founded stationery brand located on the open-air mall’s outer flanks offers a bevy of objects where form meets function. Beyond aesthetically pleasing papers, pens and notepads, Hightide carries a limited but high-quality selection of apparel, household goods and posters with a distinctively urban Tokyo-meets-L.A. bent. Regular pop-ups also bring a rotating selection of small artisan goods from Japanese artists and curators—all within a few hundred yards of the mall’s parking lot.

This art-oriented bookstore on Santa Fe specializes in coffee table-grade art and architecture titles, but the expansive shop also sells children’s books, rare and out-of-print titles, travel guides and cookbooks alongside a selection of Moleskine notebooks, journals and planners. Despite the fairly highbrow selection, an experience here lacks the intimidation and pretension of other upmarket shops; the staff is generally friendly and helpful, and there’s something for everyone here.

Since 2014, this local apparel brand’s Arts District flagship retail shop has offered California-inspired boutique clothing alongside a well-curated selection of home goods, wellness products and other small luxury items. Owned and operated by Staci Woo and Mike Badt, the family-owned shop offers a unique shopping experience designed for leisurely perusing and wandering—and is an ideal spot to pick up birthday, housewarming or other special occasion gifts.

Just across the river in Boyle Heights, local textile shop Matteo offers carefully crafted home bedding and apparel using luxury threads for ultimate comfort. Their huge multi-level space has a main shopping floor, plus a staging area with dreamy bedding arrangements and a basement with an insane selection of goods including backorders, special collaborations and discounted one-offs. Keep an eye out for biannual sales when these luxury linens go for as much as half off.