The Alcove's older, cooler cousin

Big Bar (4/5) What’s not to love? It’s the Alcove for the 21 and over set. Great ambiance, Alcove’s very LA menu and 3 drinks later, you’re too buzzed to be bothered by the $14 price tag per cocktail.

Delicious & potent, cucumber infused martini

Big Bar is located in the former specialty foods store right next to the Alcove. The diminutive space makes the most of its minimal square footage by having the bar run the full length of the space. This means you’re likely to find a spot at the bar. The close quarters also makes it easy to spark scintillating convos with your neighbors like “why do these drinks cost so much,” and “did you see the new Selling LA?”

Tasty bbq sliders

Aside from the beautiful surroundings and the Alcove’s seemingly perpetually sunny patio, the bar staff is amazing. They’re always chatty and eager to suggest new drinks to add to your repertoire. Best part, since Big Bar’s located a block from my office, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump from their awesome early-bird happy hour. Needless to say, not much work gets done. Yelp.

Big Bar, 1927 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, 90027, (323) 644-0100