Downtown Boozin' at the LA Auto Show
Cars and booze go together like (drink responsibly, kids!) bread and butter, so clearly those attending the week-and-a-half-long LA Auto Show Downtown at the Convention Center are going to need various reliable watering holes. As it happens, Downtown LA is in the midst of a creeping renaissance, which means there are a number of almost walkable venues ready to indulge your every whim. Dark and mysterious? Check. Bright and sporty? Check. Offering liquid refreshment in support of Jalopnik's coverage, we got your number -- from divey to upscale and whiskey to wine, the following downtown Los Angeles bars are as close to stumbling distance from the Convention Center as you're going to get.
Seven Grand
515 W 7th St, Second Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014
If you happen to be a whiskey lover with an appreciation for sportsman's lodge decor, this might just be your idea of heaven. In addition to the plaid carpets, real … wildlife mounts, a 150-year-old billiards table, and smoking patio, you'll find over 125 premium whiskeys, rare ryes, and small batch bourbons to wet your whistle. They're so serious about their selection, they've even laminated the menu. [link]
Hank's Bar
840 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tucked away on the ground floor of the Stillwell Hotel, this dive is retro because it's, well, really old. Battered booths, stiff drinks, free popcorn, and a funky … jukebox make this narrow neighborhood bar a favorite spot for downtown workers, local film crews, and loft residents alike. [link]
Grand Avenue Sports Bar
506 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Should you feel the need to steal away from the Auto Show on Sunday for a football fix, this is your place. Located at street level in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, … you'll find 17 overhead monitors broadcasting sporting events, tons of sports memorabilia, billiard tables, and bar grub like buffalo wings and burgers. [link]
Golden Gopher
417 W 8th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
This casual lounge features vintage video games, an eclectic jukebox, and "offsite" liquor sales so that you can keep boozing in your hotel room when they kick you out. … That's right -- it's a cross between a liquor store, a dive bar, and an arcade. There is a God. [link]
Casey's Irish Bar & Grille
613 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017
You'll encounter no pretense as you descend below street level into this sunken bar on Grand. What you see is what you get, and what you get is a large, well-lit Irish … pub with a patio out front, good beer on tap, a menu full of items like fish and chips and bangers and mash, and a few plasma TVs set to sports. [link]
Library Bar
630 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
You're at the LA Auto Show because you're the literary type, right? And of course, by literary, I mean the sort of person who appreciates a fine beer -- perhaps a Chimay, … or maybe a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. You understand that life is all about balance, that for every convention center crammed with gas guzzlers and muscle cars, there must be an intimately swanky lounge crammed with specialty cocktail guzzlers and screenwriters. This book-lined bar on 6th is just the ticket. [link]
