Los Angeles is home to many bars where one can find a great drink. Similarly, Los Angeles has a great number of restaurants where one can find a great dish. Bar & Kitchen, located inside the O Hotel in Downtown, excels at both and is a fantastic addition to the lineup along Flower Street.
The pedigree of the bar staff is impeccable, whose collective experience range from NYC’s Death & Company to Portland’s Clyde Common. The beer and wine lists aren’t as extensive as other spots, but they’re both thoughtful and well-curated with an eye toward providing good value. Happy Hour in particular is quite a bargain, including bottles of Deschutes Mirror Pond or Black Butte for just $4.
The cocktail menu rotates frequently, showcasing the staff’s extensive repertoire for classics and originals. Light options such as the PDX (which combines aperol, dry vermouth and juice) allow drinkers to ease into the evening before delving into cocktails with bigger, bolder flavors such as the Smokescreen (which combines Islay scotch and green Chartreuse).
Because Bar & Kitchen has to function as part of a hotel, both the food and the drink menus must please a wide range of visitors. That isn’t to say that they’ve settled for a low common denominator; on the contrary, all of Bar & Kitchen’s drinks and dishes are familiar without being boring. A flatbread topped with eggplant, feta and pine nuts (available on the happy hour menu) takes the notion of a pizza and elevates it just enough to feel different and playful. This also applies to their legendary “crack tots”, tater tots topped with parmesan and a touch of truffle oil.
Like the drink menu, the food menu at Bar & Kitchen frequently rotates, enhancing the restaurant’s “replay” value. Some dishes have found long-term residency on the menu, such as the shrimp and grits with chorizo ragout. This entree stays true to the Southern classic, but with a slight Spanish twist that adds a lovely layer of savory spicyness. In addition, no matter the season or whim of the chef, one of the best deals is Bar & Kitchen’s three-course dinner menu, which provides an appetizer, main course and dessert for $32.
Bar & Kitchen’s location makes it a great addition to any Downtown bar crawl. The vibe and decor are modern but comfortable, and is the sort of spot where it makes perfect sense that Kid Cudi is playing on the stereo while Breakfast At Tiffany’s is being shown on the projector. Most importantly, the drinks and food at Bar & Kitchen are offered at a tremendous price point and rotated with such regularity that it’s easy and fun and visit again and again.
