Welcome to Kang Town, where you'll find the latest West Coast restaurant reporting, analysis, and industry intel from me, your LA-based correspondent, Matthew Kang. |
|
|
|
In case you missed my newsletter last week, I’m out on parental leave for a few weeks. Today, you’ll be hearing from Esther Tseng, an Eater LA contributor and the academy chair of the USA West region for the World’s 50 Best Bars. The organization released its list of North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2026 in late April. The list only included two bars in LA, which pales in comparison to other cities. I know LA is home to some amazing bars, so I reached out to Tseng to get her take on what’s going on here. — Matthew
|
The Problem Is Sprawl Esther Tseng
On a recent trip to New York City, I noticed something about the city’s best bars. In Greenwich Village, Angel’s Share is one block away from Employees Only and four from Sip & Guzzle. Bar Snack and Schmuck are separated by one block. It’s just a short jaunt north to Martiny’s or a few blocks south to Superbueno and Double Chicken Please. These bars all lie within one square mile, and all — plus some more for a total of 13 in New York — were just named in North America’s 50 Best Bars for 2026, including four spots in the top 10.
For a Los Angeles-based writer who loves her city and whose beat includes bars, it’s hard to describe this concentration of lauded NYC watering holes with anything other than envy. Just two LA bars, Mírate in Los Feliz (No. 28) and Daisy in Sherman Oaks (No. 44), made the list this year, and they’re operated by the same group.
All of the bars on the list have stellar cocktail menus and captivating atmospheres, but it’s undeniable that “location, location, location” is important too — especially when it comes to recognition by awards bodies. In Mexico City, which had the second-highest number of spots on the list, all seven winning bars were located in or near one neighborhood, Roma Norte. The winners in Toronto, Chicago, and Vancouver, which each had four, weren’t so close to one another, but they did surround their respective downtowns.
In LA, we have so many wonderful third spaces at which to imbibe all over the city. Their cocktail programs compete among the best in the country. We have drinks by some of the most creative bartenders at the top of their game, who utilize ingredients from arguably the best farmers markets in the world.
Yet, they fly under the radar because of our sprawl. Car culture and prohibitively expensive rideshares make bar-hopping impossible for all but the wealthy. Tourists — and visiting bar industry folks who vote for awards and lists — face huge challenges navigating and understanding the city. Downtown LA has been especially hit hard by office vacancies due to COVID, wildfires, writers’ strikes, and the downturn of the entertainment industry, contributing to the closure of bars like the award-winning Varnish.
|
|
|
|
The Baja Slaw Margarita at Daisy Margarita Bar. Photo credit: Matt Egan |
If you look at 50 Best’s extended list of bars ranked 51 to 100, newcomer Vandell (No. 68) and Thunderbolt (No. 92) are walking distance (or a short car ride away) from Mírate. Like closely packed bars in other cities, these spots help generate interest and recognition for each other by sharing spillover traffic and creating a strong, local community based around good drinks.
But take Damn, I Miss Paris in West Adams, a cozy bar with immaculate vibes paired with impeccable classic and signature cocktails that pay homage to SoCal. Or Not No Bar in Santa Monica, which offers a host of market-forward drinks paired with pizza and vinyl. And Bar Next Door in West Hollywood (No. 100 on last year’s list), which serves up balanced but unexpected drinks with a side of Hollywood history. They all offer innovative beverages in inviting spaces, but they don’t get the same kind of overflow from other craft cocktail bars nearby.
Sprawl isn’t the only thing holding bars back. Another issue is that a lot of LA’s top-notch cocktail programs are located inside restaurants, like Morihiro, Kato, Pasjoli, and Darling by Sean Brock. But their identities as restaurants overshadow the drinks, often causing customers and awards voters to overlook them.
In my experience, LA bars also tend not to host guest shifts from visiting bartenders as much as bars in other cities. This kind of cocktail cultural exchange is a critical part of building recognizable brands and close relationships, which boost bars to the top of award lists. Guest shifts are costly, but bars elsewhere have accepted them and worked them into marketing budgets (often supplemented by brand sponsorships). Thankfully, I’ve been seeing them more on the West Coast in recent years, and hopefully it’ll increase visibility for the bar scene.
These issues aren’t just important for awards or tourists. They’re also obstacles to creating local community and engagement with LA’s third spaces, dampening interest among Angelenos in visiting new spots or consistently patronizing neighborhood businesses. Amid all the closures LA has been bombarded with, bars need all the support they can get.
So visit your favorite bars more often during the week (and try nonalcoholic drinks on nights where you prefer to stay sober). Check out guest bartenders from out of town. Go during DJ nights or other special events. Hit a second stop for an aperitif before dinner out or a nightcap after. LA’s bar culture has so much to offer, and it’s up to us to keep it alive — world rankings be damned. Note: Esther Tseng’s opinions are entirely her own. She does not speak on behalf of the World’s 50 Best Bars organization. |
Tell me more Got a tip for me? Need restaurant recommendations? Let me know your thoughts by replying to this email or sending a message directly to kangtown@eater.com. And who knows, your comment could be the spark for my next newsletter. |
|
|
|
Forwarded this email? Get Kang Town straight from the source — subscribe here. |
|
|
|
|
