50 Best Cocktail Bars near Universal City

“These Burgers are bomb, the service is great, drinks a ++, and the icing on the cake is the gentleman playing all genres of music, on his guitar, AMAZING talent! Live music makes a whole bunch of difference!“

“Fresh food 100% recommend“

“Since Or Bar opened in the old Gold Coast space, it has become my favorite local place. Good drinks, great people. I love all of the staff here!“

“Farmhouse kitchen is the best Thai restaurant I’ve ever had. On top of the food being great and delicious, the presentation makes you want to order everything from the menu. Chef Bo was so nice to come out to our table and all I can say is she was a very nice, young & talented person. She even made me a special dessert for my birthday. Thanks Bo❤️ I highly recommend this place if you want an authentic, excellent and delicious food. In addition, the place is so full of life. The decor is amazing! I can’t wait to go back and try some of the fancy drinks and dishes on the menu.“

“While looking for a new place to have dinner with friends, I stumbled upon Girl & the Goat. They had great online reviews, so we decided to give it a try. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the service was impeccable. The roasted oysters were so good that I even ordered a second helping.🥳🥳“

“Was awesome to find a restaurant with my two favorites…GF and Southern!“

“Absolutely delicious food. Chulita Bowl was fantastic, hibiscus mimosa and latte were so good. Friendly staff too! Thanks for the wonderful brunch. 🙏🧜🏽‍♀️“

“Great food and cocktails!! 🍸“

“Hollywood's Best & Most Consistent Food & Drinks by far!“

“Amazing, always come here before the Kings games!“

“The little plates are yummy. I love the pita bread that came with the hummus (Salatim plate). The other plates were good also. I loved the bread pudding (I think it's better than the best cake). What I like the most about Bacari, besides the beautiful ambiance, is the friendliest staff.“

“I felt right at home here. What a great find in DTLA. Special thanks to Ian for the recommendations and surprises. Excellent from start to finish. The freshest and best ingredients. Especially enjoyed the burrata, freshley baked bread, tomoatoes, and the affogato dessert.“

“This place exceeded my expectations. The food, the vibe, and the service were all flawless. Will definitely coming back here again“

“Ended up here accidentally on a layover: Hands down, the best ramen I’ve ever had (springy, slurpy perfection), amazing cocktails (if you like gin the Japanese 75 is a must try!), and whatever the whipped cream, creme brûlée’d banana dessert was tasted like heaven. I even ordered another tonkotsu ramen to go (all the way to Florida) to bring back to my fiancé. They separated all of it, packaged it so it wouldn’t leak, and wrote directions on specific timing for heating up each item! Very impressive service. I’ll be back again!“

“Great service , great ambience, great margarita drinks overall, an awesome place with outdoor patio. Just beautiful.“

“When a restaurant takes their bread and simple salads seriously you know the rest of the meal will be excellent. That is this restaurant. Everything was excellent: freshness, flavors, choice of items on menu. The menu is small, but that just means each item has their full attention.“

“Booked a reservation here for my husband’s birthday and let me tell you all - It did not disappoint! We came in and brought us to our seats right away.

We ordered the tasting menu for 2. From the bone broth to the cafe panna cotta — SPEECHLESS, my husband and I loved every bit of it. The flavors were AMAZING.

Also they cook their steak warm red & at first I was hesitant because I love my steak medium well, but this one !! It was so soft and well-seasoned. So delicious!

10/10 no notes. We are definitely coming back!!!“

“The food is phenomenal!! Everything is amazing“

“exelente servicio y muy rica comida“

“Saltie Girl is still top 5 in LA. Always relaxed, very inviting, the courses were served timely. Oysters were delicious, love their mignonette, crudo full of flavor with a hint of spice, and caviar service unmatched. Love coming here for a mid-day wkd Spritz. Our server was very kind, friendly, and checked in on us attentively. I know every time I come here is always a positive experience.“

“Great service, tasty food, and amazing views. Good brunch spot.“

“Always a great experience and meal at Orto, strongly recommended!“

“Beyond expectations! Best meal & service in at least 10 years. I’ll be back!“

“Just tried MIRATE Restaurant the food was amazing! Definitely worth checking out if you love great flavors.“

“Great atmosphere friendly staff and amazing food 😎“

“Great atmosphere, food and drinks!“

“The quality of the food was not good at all. My steak was overcooked and heavily seasoned I had no choice but to send it back. The waitress took so long to come back and check on us after our food arrived by time she came back my friend already finished his meal. They need to revamp the menu and get a better chef. This is a very average place for steak. The music place was great though. I would skip the restaurant and convert into a night club!“

“One of my favorite places in the world. I met so many friends there❣️🍹🗿🔥🤩😎💖ALOOOOOOHAAAA💋“

“myself & wife called in without a reservation Sunday evening, Had a beautiful meal in a very busy and friendly place our waitress Tamera was absolutely awesome friendly and gave great recommendations for us being from England helping with menus information highly recommended 5 star June 2025“

“A perfect stay!! Celebrating my husband’s 60th! From the time we arrived, the service and attention to detail was impeccable! The entire staff was so welcoming and went out of their way to make sure my husband was enjoying his birthday celebration. It was our first stay at the Maybourne. It will be the only place we stay from now on. Thank you so much to the entire staff for making our stay so special.“

“สนุกสนานอาหารอร่อย บรรยากาศดีมีระดับ“

“Atmosphere was great! Service was fabulous. Drinks were tasty! Margarita Pizza lacked cheese but the Sweet Cheeks was amazing 🤩.“

“My brother and I had the most amazing night of superb jazz and food this past Sunday, entertained by Betty Bryant and ensemble. Her fingers moved like liquid gold on the keyboard and her compositions were witty and mesmerizing. The word that kept coming to mind as they performed was "subtle." The music was powerful, but so discrete as to be gentle and gentile. Woodwinds, Bass, and Drums - all played with the kind of delight that makes everyone love the performers as well as the music. As for food, one dish stood out particularly: the creamed spinach with blue cheese. Please tell Chef I would love that recipe! I'm back home in Tennessee now and plan to attempt to copy it, but having the authentic recipe to serve to friends when we entertain would be over the top! Can't wait to visit my brother in LA again and return to Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, Etc. Just wow! And Thank You!“

“Being from out of town, I had been driving around for hours trying to find a place to eat late that wasn’t a dive or a loud party spot. I finally found Big Bar and ordered a salad and an old fashioned. It was busy and late, but the bartender didn’t seem to know how to make an old fashioned (there was no cherry or muddled orange) and the dressing in my steak salad seemed mostly oil and not much flavor. I think it was supposed to come with a roll I never got. I didn’t complain because I was just happy to be in a cozy spot and out of my car! The ambience was nice though, and staff were friendly enough. Not very impressed by other stuff. I would give it another chance if I’m in the area later.“

“This place has been on my list for a while now and I finally got to try it out last night! Ultimately, much ado!

Couldn’t get a reservation so showed up with a couple friends and waited at the bar for about 45 minutes for a table at 7:30 on Wednesday. So I would say be prepared to wait, as it seems like is a well-known thing (one reason I delayed trying it).

At the bar, we were able to get the Vandell martini which was super good and fresh and tasty. standing at the bar was kinda odd cause you’re kind of in a busy hallway of sorts. However, the bar is super beautiful and the art is really cool and all the glasses were very pretty stacked up; decor was awesome.

We got to the table and it was a very beautiful wooden booth and that’s kind of where I just felt like it wasn’t ultimately worth the wait. generally for a place like this I guess I just thought the service would be a little different or faster in terms of like cleaning dishes away or just being friendly but definitely wasn’t that kind of energy. oh and everything was just super loud. I don’t know what the deal is with the space, but it was just really hard to hear and was just a very high volume.

We got some more drinks which were all excellent including the old-fashioned and another martini and the vesper - the drinks were definitely the highlight. We got the fries, the crudo, a citrus salad and a pea hummus. and in terms of what was best it basically went in that order. The fries were super thin and crispy and excellent, and the crudo was very fresh and delicate. The citrus salad was good at first, but it got kind of soggy because it was just a lot of fruit in there and the pea hummus was something that if I made it at home, given the texture and flavor, I would think I messed up the recipe but still, it wasn’t super bad per se.

Altogether it was all fine and it would be fine to go there and eat and have some drinks but just the wait was pretty wild and then paired with the service in terms of bartenders and servers (dude at the front desk was super nice and helpful) and the lackluster nature of food served at many spots across LA, I just felt like it doesn’t add much to the landscape in terms of the revolutionary hype around it, and probably won’t go back unless a friend really wants to go.“

“I recommend Botanica to everyone. They use fresh hand picked ingredients and the food is delicous! Their cocktails and desserts are so yum. I picked up some chile oil and pickled local veggies for gifts for my friends! Chef Zarah and the staff are best. Will definitely be returning soon.“

“Amazing location! Easily the best prices around. There isn't food, just occasionally popcorn, but they don't advertise food, especially since they are surrounded by fantastic restaurants. An absolute must visit if you are in Hollywood.“

“My favorite place wonderful food, desserts and coffee“

“Great crowd around the pool table! Right between a dispensary AND a Japanese infused, vegan hotdog joint!“

“The food and the atmosphere are AMAZING“

“We enjoyed the drinks as well as the food and the ambience 👍🏽😎“

“I just want to say that ADAM that works here is truly a gem. He is the sweetest and kindest person and I wish there were more people like him in the world. I love you Adam! You made my night! Thank you Adam for making my experience so amazing and unforgettable! Also, obsessed with the potstickers here !“

“loved! Ho see the boys working behind the bar!!“

“We stopped by for cocktails after dinner on a Friday night and expected more of a party vibe from their Instagram, but it was actually relaxed and laid-back.

The cocktails were excellent, especially if you like sweet and sour flavors, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable for a bar from the Thunderbolt team. We only had the hot dog, but it was delicious too. The bartender was genuinely kind and made us feel welcome.

The only surprise was that it’s tucked away in a strip mall, but don’t let that stop you. Definitely a spot I’d come back to for great cocktails.“

“We catered a Christmas dinner for 8 with Il Moro and all the food was delicious! We especially loved the melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, divine vegetables and pasta with olives dishes. We will definitely be back!“

“Cool dicey bar feel with great drinks and fabulous bartenders! Loved it when it was Oyster Bar, and still loving it as Oy bar!!!“

“We had an absolutely fantastic experience at Casita! Brittany, the concierge, and our server Delilah provided exceptional, warm, and professional service that truly stood out. The food was not only delicious but also incredibly flavorful, and the atmosphere was simply stunning—inviting, elegant, and perfectly suited for a memorable evening. We can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed every moment. This was an experience to remember, and we’re already looking forward to coming back soon!“

“One of my girlfriend's favorite spots. Plenty of seating, but it definitely gets busy. We started with the guac and chips, and the taro chips were insanely crunchy and so good. I ordered the Tremendous Burger, and it definitely lived up to the name. Juicy, flavorful, and one of those burgers I'd happily order again. The pizzas looked delicious too, so I'll definitely be back to try one. The whole staff was super friendly which made the experience even better“

“Delicious cocktails !! Thank you Avalon hotel“

“Had a great experience here. The vibe and overall atmosphere was calming and quiet. Not say there weren’t any customers, there were plenty, but just a very nice place to hang and have some cocktails and chat. Would recommend, and the bartenders were super friendly and chill, and knowledgeable about the drinks and flavor profiles.“