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Los Angeles’ best bars for craft cocktails and A-list design
From glamorous old Hollywood haunts to trend-setting neighbourhood hangouts, these hotspots serve excellent drinks in an atmosphere unlike anywhere else
West Hollywood has no shortage of great places to party, but prior to 2023, it lacked a truly exceptional cocktail lounge. The remedy, courtesy of Rob Novinger and Stephanie Schestag-Muriano, is the chic, French disco-inspired Or Bar. The space is exquisitely designed, from the exterior hand-painted black-and-gold mural by Londubh Studio to the stunning, custom-made 3,700-piece crystal chandelier and the walls filled with elegant art, including a Ken Price original silkscreen print. Little wonder they took home last year’s John Chase Design Award from the City of West Hollywood. By day Or Bar serves first-rate La Colombe coffee, which they also put to good use at night in their signature Espress-Or Martini.
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The black and gold, crystal-adorned oasis brings out foxy and fluid figures with its disco sounds and sultry sights. Come for door royalty Constance Cooper on Friday and Saturday nights
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After taking over the legendary Gold Coast space, Or Bar has become a go-to drinking spot in West Hollywood. Yes, the craft cocktails prices are egregious even for Weho, but we appreciate that Or Bar is more than just a four-walled room filled with Britney remixes and 24-year-olds standing around on Grindr. People here are truly hanging out, and if you can believe it, talking. The place skews loungey, but not in a tacky, bottle service kind of way. There are plush, comfy banquettes, and a giant, amoeba-shaped chandelier over the bar. It’s retro, kitschy, and gives off the energy of a well-attended dinner party in Palm Springs.
The Infatuation
LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE
Up until recently, West Hollywood had essentially two options for public libations: upscale hotel/private clubs or old-school Santa Monica Boulevard gay bars, with requisite pounding music, G-stringed go-go boys making it rain, and randy, rowdy crowds spilling into the street, margaritas in tow.
EATER LOS ANGELES
In mid-December, a West Hollywood newcomer emerged inside the former Gold Coast Bar, located across the street from Connie & Ted’s called OR Bar (or means gold in French). The bar is a welcome addition after Southern California lost many historic queer bars over the last three years, including the 40-year-old Gold Coast in 2020 and Flaming Saddles, Oil Can Harry’s, and Rage.
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Orbar, West Hollywood
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EATER LOS ANGELES
Across the street from Connie & Ted’s is Or Bar, which resides inside the former Gold Coast. “Or” translates to gold in French, and the room positively radiates thanks to a 3,700-piece crystal chandelier in the middle of the room with black and gold colors throughout. Twists of classic cocktails prevail at Or Bar with coffee drinks available during the day.
THE INFATUATION
Taking over the legendary Gold Coast space, Or Bar is the latest in an exciting batch of new queer spaces to open in West Hollywood—in fact, it’s our favorite of the bunch. Yes, $18 craft cocktails are egregious even for Weho, but we appreciate the fact that Or Bar is more than just another four-walled room filled with stale Britney remixes and 24-year-olds standing around on Grindr.
weho times
The City of West Hollywood welcomes a new gay bar. OR Bar WeHo, located at 8228 Santa Monica Blvd., is having a soft opening this week on Thursday, December 15, 2022, from 6pm-12pm. Co-owner Stephanie Schestag tells WEHO TIMES there has been no press release announcing their opening and that they may stay open later “depending on how the night goes.”
LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE
It’s early on Thursday night—just 7 p.m.—and OR Bar’s happy hour is winding down. Co-owner Rob Novinger, who opened the bar with Stevie Schestag and George Kotsiopoulos, is tucked into a low-slung couch with a group of friends celebrating a birthday girl who’s sporting a punk rock hair ‘do and a neon green sparkling blazer—stolen from Liberace’s closet. “She’s a friend of mine,” says Novinger, his perfect teeth gleaming against the dark walls and upholstery. “She and her partner are well-known muralists; they painted the outside of the building.”
the pride
West Hollywood welcomed a new gay bar in the city this month.
OR Bar WeHo, located at 8228 Santa Monica Blvd. inside the former Gold Coast Bar space, had its soft opening on Dec. 15 and was highly anticipated in the community.
PUB CLUB
A “modern cocktail lounge” is now the home of the previous Gold Coast location in West Hollywood, CA.
Or Bar is inspired by French disco-era decadence reminiscent of the chic nightlife scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. A press release describes it as “a modern cocktail lounge with a decadent, disco-flavored vibe.”
TIME OUT
When it comes to gay bar and club options in Los Angeles, there’s lots to choose from—and not just in rainbow-dipped West Hollywood. To help you pick the best spots for dancing, boozing, flirting, and cruising in Hollywood, Silver Lake and beyond, check out this list of our favorite gay bars and clubs in L.A.—there are even Pasadena, Venice and Valley options, for those sick of the WeHo scene. Now get out there, tiger.
WHAT NOW
Gold Coast Bar joined the many other longstanding bars that have recently closed, including Flaming Saddles and Rage. Or Bar is paying homage to the previous tenant with its name, with Or translating to “gold” in French.
Q VOICE NEWS
Former “Fashion Police” co-host George Kotsiopoulos is a co-owner of Or Bar, a new West Hollywood gay bar that has taken over the space once occupied by the venerable Gold Coast.