Gallery Bar

 

2

95

H. M.

Los Angeles, CA

Valet costs $6, with validation, not including tip. (Negative)

Last call is at 1:15. As 2:00 approached, they didn't give me any notice, such as a 5 minute warning. Most bars ask you to finish your drinks around that time. Here, the lady simply took my drink away. No ifs, ands, or buts. (Negative)

My gin and tonic tasted like crap. (Negative)

Older crowd (probably late 20s to mid 30s). (Neutral)

The music was bad. (Negative)

The leather couch had an odd odor. (Negative)

They had a limited selection of alcohol, relative to other bars. (Negative)

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Elite '08

31

242

Yuki M.

Cypress, CA

They serve Guinness but in tiny litlte glasses so that's already minus 2, but they serve Guinness so that will keep me from going any lower.

The Gallery Bar is narrow and long like many beach homes. You feel a bit cramped but it's supposed to be that way so it's excusable. I sat in the back, tucked away in one of the booths recessed into the wall with a tiny glass table in front of me, blocking off the rest of the world.

Room is dark and furnished alike. If you take a good look at the walls and ceilings, you'll see that it's been redone many times and is again in great need of another redo. Band aids are found all over the Biltmore, but nothing is really fixed. As nice as the lobby looks, the rest of the hotel is a dump, and the Gallery Bar does a good job of hiding its old and decaying insides.

Nice place to sit and chat and if you drink enough, you won't care about the peeling paint or the strangely out of place statues.

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3

5

Aaron S.

Los Angeles, CA

The Gallery Bar is the finest old style Hotel Bar in Los Angeles. In New York or Chicago or San Francisco you'd have a number of choices for places like this. In Los Angeles, it's all there is. Greg the bartender will listen sympathetically if he isn't mixing drinks. He's a master of friendly conversation. What's more he's an intelligent, professional, career bartender, not someone waiting for a callback or a script to be picked up. He knows when to listen, when to talk, and when to stay on the far end of the bar.

The drinks are pricey and expect to meet hotel guests who didn't realize that downtown LA isn't the epicenter of LA hip, but if you want good drinks in a classic bar with beautiful 20's decor, there is no better in LA than the Host of the Coast.

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Elite '08

36

235

Kelly P.

San Francisco, CA

Stopped by here for a drink before a show at the Sports Arena. It was Saturday night, so the crowd was a mix of hotel guests plus pre-show goers who couldn't make it into the private party at the standard hotel bar. We were pretty under-dressed to be seen in this place, although no one seemed to care and they were playing soccer on the plasma, so it was cool.

Space is elegant, fancy, grand, Rococo style (that's my best art history minor guess), and so over-the-top and old school you feel equally important as silly for coming here, but it's a good time. Comfy leather couches and big fancy chairs and small little nooks to settle in while getting your drink on.  

Bartenders are great, and know how to make a strong drink. And for $10+ they better be damn worth it. I recommend the white russian, mine was excellent. Next time I'd hanging in downtown LA I'd go back here to try their Bloody Mary.

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7

62

Gregg F.

Canoga Park, CA

Although I love the design this bar, it's too mellow and seriously too expensive for my tastes. I went here with a group of my friends for my 22nd birthday celebration and it was ridiculous. The staff gave us the cold shoulder thinking us too young to want to drink at this classy establishment and led us to ditch the live Jazz and work our way over to the Millennium Biltmore's other bar, the Grand Ave. Sports Bar.

A for design
F for everything else.

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Elite '08

26

246

Marcy C.

Redwood City, CA

This bar is tucked away in the Biltmore hotel. Supposedly it is the last place that Elizabeth Short -aka The Black Dahlia-was seen alive. They have a Black Dahlia martini on the menu. Of course I HAD to order it. It was only $14. Note use of sarcasm there. Only. Fourteen. Dollars. Good lord. It was syrupy, sweet and orangey but strangely bitter at the same time.  Not terrible, but not a hit either.

I also tried the Zen Tini which was Zen green tea liqueur, Absolut Citron and lime juice and OMGBBQ it was the best drink EVAR. I've got to go out and get me some of this mysterious Zen liqueur from BevMo and make these myself at home because one of these cocktails set me back $16.

The bar itself is comfortable & the bartender was friendly. He stocked all 3 of us with little cups of nuts-pistachios, cashews, peanuts, almonds etc...all the better to salt you up and make you thirsty for ANOTHER $16 cocktail of wonder.

If you are using someone else's credit card this is a GREAT place for a drink. I loved the decor, which dates from the late 20's, and on Fridays and Saturdays they have live music (latin Jazz) which is actually tolerable.

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24

81

Katherine K.

San Francisco, CA

a decent bar where i did not feel out of place drinking alone.  greg the bartender took good care of me, made me a delicious concotion out of soco and chambord, and regaled me with tales of his travels.  their gin martinis are good, as their "well" gin is tanqueray.  however, if you don't have money to burn, you probably won't feel okay paying $26 for two drinks.

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