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Mon-Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Yes, the books are real.
And yes, camping out at the Library on a Friday night can be both hip and fun! It is on the cozy smallish side like a dive bar, but it also has the rustic elegance that dive bars often lack. It's a good place to go when you feel like going "out" but don't want to deal with the fuss.
Park in the garage on Hope and 6th. Walk across 6th to get to the bar and it'll only be $5 with validation from the bar. Piece o' cake.
Happy hour is until 8: I vaguely remember deals on Stella, margaritas, cosmos... all around $4-5. I ended up just getting a glass of wine, my friend got a couple interesting-sounding beers, and we shared some peppered steak fries that were VERY PEPPERY (a very good thing)!! The bartender was quite a sweetheart; since we were sitting at the bar, every once in a while she would come over to us just to make sure we were okay and we never had to do a song and dance to get her attention.
I may not have been any smarter when I left the Library, but I was sure happier!
Overall, probably 3.5 stars, but marking 3 stars because of a rather lackluster happy hour drink selection.
The happy hour has four drinks on special -- stella, margaritas, cosmos, and an apple drink all in the range of $4 - $5. It is not the greatest menu if you're not a fan of beer or super sweet beverages. It would be a lot nicer if Library Bar had some regular well drinks on happy hour special. The price is right, but the selection is off.
I ordered a couple of well drinks, vodka sodas, and they were satisfactory. Each cost $7 which isn't too terrible for regular downtown prices. The pours were not super generous, but they were satisfactory.
The burger here was actually quite good. I ordered the hickory burger which reminded me a lot of the burgers at unami burger -- lighter and seemingly, more oily/juicy, than other burger joints. The fries were tasty and came seasoned.
A nice venue and the bartenders were nice and attentive which is a plus. It's a good after work spot, but like I said, their happy hour needs some modification.
Although my recent selections of the "Twilight" Series, "The Lost Symbol," and some other random chick lit would lead you to believe otherwise, I am a person who enjoys really good books. I think I may have mentioned this on numerous occasions, but there's little that makes me happier than curling up with a good book (even though I read so fast I finish it in 3 hours).
In addition to my speed-reading skillz, I'm also stoked to go to a bar that would have been PERFECT for our Clue Pub Crawl...except crawling to L.A. is a little much, even for a veteran like me.
This is yet another place that I have been to which would be perfect for a date...that I discovered on a non-date. Old books lining the wall (probably the complete Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, but no matter), friendly bartenders, the fact that you can get food (those roquefort fries at the table next to us looked amazing), candles in the fireplace (super, super, super sexy, for some reason), plus comfortable seating and affordable drinks? Why oh why are you so far away?
I really do love this place, for many reasons...one of which is the fact that the bathrooms are clean, which is not true in most libraries.
I definitely want to come back...first guy who brings me here on a real date- I'll read him a bedtime story. Just not a teenage whodunit.
A solid 3.5
The Library Bar doesn't have the best cocktails or wide selection of hard liquor (Whiskey or Cognac)...but there servers are pretty nice and accomodating.
I LOVE their steak fries (drizzled with pan drippings...OMG it's so good but heart attack waiting to happen) and grilled cheese sandwich.
I'm a happy camper just with those two and a glass of beer.
One downer...parking is a pain and expensive.
Came here after the Ray concert for some drinks with friends. I ordered two midori sours and they was way too much sour mix both times I ordered the drink. The atmosphere was pretty fun but maybe I was tired from the day but I wasn't about the vibe, we left after mediocre drink #2. I would come back to give this place one more try.
I was a little skeptical of this place due to its downtown location (i.e. parking disaster) and some of the recent less-than-stellar reviews, but I decided to give it a try anyway with a group of 19+ people on a Saturday night. For the first time in my life I felt the throb of the heart of LA i.e. the beating heart of people around you while you wait in line in the cold to get into a BAR.
However, once inside, this place is swanky as it is cool. The bathrooms are nice, wide and clean and the bartenders (at least the guys) are super nice and attentive. The first female bartender that took our order kept messing up, missing orders and dropped a whole glass of beer on me because she threw the glasses around after she filled them up. I think she was a little stressed but honestly you're working in this type of environment you must be used to it by now ...
They play non-hip hop which is nice.
Otherwise the drinks there were downtown LA prices and the bookshelves were nice. There's almost nowhere to sit unless you get in early and stick to it, but I still liked the ambiance and would definitely come back. They validate for the garage across 6th from them so good deal. They also serve food which I've seen seems to be good and they have amazing beers on draft (think Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat! MMMMM). Definitely a great nightowl spot.
Have come here several times with varying size groups in tow.
Love the fact that it's walking distance from my office.
Perfect spot for an after work drink or pre-concert/theatre cocktail.
If you are coming with a group, just call the bar and they will reserve one of the larger sitting areas in the back for you. Friendly bar staff, just didn't like that fact that even if you are sitting down at a table you have to get up and order at the bar. Not such a big deal when its not crowded but different story as it gets later and your motor functions/hand eye coordination is slightly impaired.
Delicious fries and sliders. Perfect for keeping your premium alcohol in your belly where it belongs. Stiff drinks and nice selection of draft beer. Also, extensive bottle beer list. which will have someting to please just about everyone.
Cheers.
been here several times and realized that it somehow slipped my mind to give this place the glowing review that it deserves!
GREAT food, some of the best bar food that i've encountered. pork belly skewers are a must and the sliders are completely yummilicious...good ratio of meat to bun (more like big hunk of juicy meat) that has a blend of spices to give it some wonderful flavor. i have to admit that these are probably the BEST sliders i've ever had. fries are good and crisp. decent and interesting wine selection and (even though i don't drink beer all that much) great beer selection as well.
the reviews about the cozy atmostphere is spot on. like many downtown hip hovels, there's less pretention with a more urban yet relaxed vibe of diverse hipsters and yuppies who seem to check their egos and snobbery at the door. shelves of books adorn the walls and the space is on the small side with top 40s rockish sometimes alternative music mixed in with classic rock tunes played within a good volume range that doesn't require screaming to talk to ur company.
a definite fav =)
Not a bad selection of bourbon, which is the first test.
Food: a little too much of the same type of thing. That is, I thought the bar menu kinda had the same schtick -- big and greasy. The pork belly skewers are the best of the lot, but the maple needs to be on the side. I wanted to boil my face after eating the chorizo sliders and grilled cheese. The exception to the big & greasy was the roasted artichoke, which was simply big & excellent.
Good juke box: could find things to listen to for hours.
Word of warning: I went on a recent Monday, which meant Monday Night Football. If you're not there to watch whatever is on the TV, you may have a problem. The TV is waaaay too big. Remember how your mom used to tell you not to sit too close to the TV? Not possible here. The TV is literally the size of the room. Great ambiance, but it doesn't feel much like a "library bar" on those nights, when a ginormous television covers up all the books.
After dinner, we came here for a little bit. We were first headed to The Standard, but there was line and cover so the first desk recommended this place and it was just a block away.
There was a good amount of people here, but we were able to get a few seats at the bar. We stayed there for an hour or more. By the end, it was packed. The bartender was friendly and helpful. The decor is pretty nice. Themed nicely. The people that did come in seemed like an older crowd. We were the youngest group in there, so it was kind of weird. Overall, this place is alright.
Small Dark bar/restaurant, with tables and banquets on one side and the bar on the other.
Several good macro-brews on tap and some good solid beer on the bottle list.
Food looked tasty. Kitchen closes earlier than the bar.
Drinks were decent, not amazing.
One wall has some books. I guess that is what makes it a library.
Not a bad spot. Nothing stood out to me, that made me love it or hate it.
Met up with one of my girlfriends here last Tuesday. Had a good time just chattin. Wasn't too impressed with the wine selection. They don't serve Reisling but one of the female bartenders has a concoction ready to make if anyone wants that substitute. Too bad I forgot her name. It tasted OK, she used a white wine (Chardonnay?) with (pear?) vodka, and some liqueur. I just thought that was nice of her to try to accommodate people's request. Too bad she left by the time my friend wanted another one and none of the other bartenders knew how to make it.
I like how there's real books, although there isn't much lighting for anyone to do any reading.
Good amount of people for a Tuesday night. One thing that irked me is how a group of 2 guys took up 2 of the long couches on one side--hello, share here! Other than that, the crowd was cool. There were 2 different groups celebrating birthdays so they were a bit obnoxious but they didn't stay long. A guy, Roy, came up to talk to me and my friend. He was cool, harmless, good conversation about random stuff.
Didn't take a look at the music selection on the jukebox so I can't comment on that. The location of the jukebox could've been more in the public eye though. Would've never seen it if I didn't use the restroom. For the most part, was a good amount of seating.
Didn't try the food but Roy said the fries were pretty good.
Overall, I had a good time and would come back. Would give this a 3.5
I'm a fan of the Library Bar: there's a good selection of books that you can quietly read in the corner. Really? Nah, I come here for the food, the drinks, the prices, and of course, the environment.
It's just one of those bars you like from the beginning and continue to like. A nice, quaint place to gather with your friends and talk as the place isn't big and offers many places to sit and options of what to eat/drink.
Hip-hip-HOOORAY!!!!! I mean, shhhhh...hooray! (whispered)
Came here last night for the second time for happy hour and left happy, which is always a good thing. They have some really good beers here! My friend introduced me to the tangerine wheat beer they have and it was fantastic. And they have Stella for $4 during happy hour, yay. Had the grilled cheese with a side of fries at the bar. Grilled cheese was a bit too greasy for my liking, but was still delicious with the tomato-y sauce. The fries were also surprisingly good for bar food. Cozy little bar with limited seating. Had a sizable crowd even on a Tuesday night watching a football game. Bartenders were attentive but parking was slightly painful (but that goes for all of downtown LA).
Great place for after work happy hour.
Much smaller than I anticipated, yet was very cozy and approachable. Unlike other overly-hyped concept bars that blanket Downtown, Hollywood, and West LA, Library Bar maintains the friendly, neighborhood bar atmosphere while making great use of limited space.
While it might be far-fetched to actually study and read in this bar, you might find yourself majorly relaxing here after work or somehow making some new friends, many of whom just want a nice, stiff drink.
If you like a stiff drink, they make them here. Don't take it lightly, but the pink-colored Cosmo packs quite a punch, and the bartender with the nice accent definitely knows how to treat good customers.
They do have some nice finger foods. My favorite is the sliders with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions, making for a salty and sweet flavor which is great which a dark ale like Arrogant Bastard.
For if you do want to seek a fun bar that looks nice as well, where some people might know your name, and where to take a sloshing study break, get your reading on at Library Bar. After a couple drinks, your worries about your midterms will just melt away.
My friend and I have been hell bent on getting out of Hollywood or the Westside, and doing places that are different. Downtown qualifies as different. It goes from pisshole to fancy pants in the span of 2 blocks. Library Bar is in a decently fancy pants part of Downtown, and its good fun.
Library Bar is small, so there can be a wait. As another reviewer mentioned, you might get the fratty crowd on weekends. I'll add that you also get the hoity toity USC crowds here and there, but its never so overbearing that I can't handle it. The place is small so it can be standing room only with seating at a premium. The standing room only thing is cool because it makes for good mingling. I do find the books on the wall amusing, and your English major friends will be tempted to pull a volume down, though you can't see anything in the low light.
Keep in mind that it can be hard to order drinks because the bar gets packed. However, when you do get your drinks, they will be nice and strong so you have no complaints!
Having lived around the corner from this nice little dig it is realy a cool little bar. Nice selection on beers and staff pretty knowledgable
of products.
Very good place to take a 1st time date for some intimate feeling
and low key vibe.
The Library Bar was the first DTLA lounge that I really liked. When my cousin had a pub crawl for her birthday awhile back, I never realized that DTLA was an awesome place to bar hop. The first stop was Library Bar. This was my kind of place. Very relaxed atmosphere. Young professionals and artsy patrons. We had a reserved spot in the area that looked like...you guessed...a library. They serve food and their beer selection is not bad. We ordered the sliders and fries and had some beers. Pretty good. They also have tv's so you can watch the Laker game as you chill at the bar. Very cool lounge to chill with your friends and catch up on life.
I think they should convert it into an actual library. Weeknights it is so peaceful in there that I go in to meditate and catch up on important paperwork.
The drinks and the food are simply okay. Why people rave about either is beyond me- In fact, the fries, the 2 times I've ordered them have not been salted at all and the grilled cheese is just a grilled cheese with some tomatoey stuff on it. I guess it's not bad, but I've had better.
Meh.
Though my recollection of my time here is a bit foggy thanks to some absinthe from a yelper friend o' mine, I do recall having a very nice evening here. It was packed, even on a school night, but once we found seats, it was all good.
The place is super cute and dark and the lighting is fairly flattering for those swilling the booze. Definitely worth a pop in if you are doing the Downtown bar crawls.
This place is a really nice low-key bar to go to.
I went here on a Monday night for my birthday.
I was surprised by how crowded it was. It was a Monday!
My friend constantly raved about this place.
Given the name, I thought it'd be more.....library like. It kind of looked like my living room. There was only one large wall with a bookshelf packed with books. I noticed most of the books were movies (i.e. Lion King..what the heck?).
Pretty random stuff.
Anyway, its a nice change from the bars like The Standard Rooftop Bar which is right across the street.
Drinks here were about $7 each. Not bad.
There were no glitzy Hollywood crowd here.
Its pretty dim too so it gives that....cozy feel.
I do agree that it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be.
I haven't tried any of the food, but I'm more than willing.
There appears to be a back porch area but I didn't venture outside.
So I wanted to check this place out because I thought the theme was really interesting and unique. Parked at the underground lot across the street for about $10 dollars.
Went into the library bar and some random guy walks up to me to check ID which i assume was the bouncer. He was kinda rude but whatever we went in. The place was playing sports on the big screen and like everyone said, THIS PLACE IS TINY!!! It's almost the size of a living room to be honest.
This place is dimly lit and there weren't that many people and it seemed really mellow. I didn't end up ordering anything and ended up going somewhere else because it was so dead. I'll give this an udpated review if i ever try this place again.
I find any "concept" in any bar to be completely superfluous to the reasons why I would go to a bar which would be: 1) to drink and 2) have a good time. However, Library Bar doesn't take itself too seriously and really just comes off as a casual, relaxing space to have a drink.
Reasons why I enjoyed Library Bar:
-Good music. During the time we were here, roughly two hours, the Smiths played on the jukebox about 5 times
-Decent beers
-Good lighting and ambiance
Reasons why I'm ambivalent about Library Bar:
-It's quite small and can get crowded; we were there early on Friday evening and it wasn't too bad, but by the end of the night it was packed
-I'm not quite sure about the people who come here. We spotted an open spot at the bar and sat down; about 15 minutes later, this drunken d-bag whispers into my ear that I stole his girlfriend's seat. WTF? There's no reserving of seats at the bar when there's a full house. I ignored him, to which he slurred, "that's OK you can sit there till my girlfriend comes back." Whatever. Also, one of the guys in our party was hit on quite uncomfortably by a completely drunken buffoon. Case in point, we would be chatting about something, and that guy would come up to us, put his hand around my friend, and say, "I want to hear this story." Awkward turtle.
Came here on a date...it was cozy and nice.
This place is a nice stroll from my place and I enjoyed my cocktail. I had some girly thing that had pomegranate juice in it. We also had some yummy appetizers... artichoke, fries and I think he had grilled cheese too. He must've enjoyed his drinks too because he got a little TOO uninhibited. Next time I hope to come here with someone who's less of a lush! :D Or with someone who's at least more my-kind-of-fun when he's tipsy... ;)
My question about this place is does anyone ever actually take a book off the shelf and read it? :) Yes, there ARE actual books in bookshelves along one of the walls.
Plenty of my friends raved and ranted about how great this place was. Honestly, nothing special or great about this place. The Edison is much better.
I've heard good things about this place so decided to get a group of friends to come here on a Saturday night. We arrived at around 10, and it wasn't too busy. We found seats at the back corner - very cozy, music volume was very decent - which meant we didn't have to shout in each others' faces in order to be heard. We stayed there for a couple of hours, and the place became progressively packed as time went on, by the time we left there was a line outside. We ordered some fries to munch on, which were very good - not too greasy, crispy and well seasoned. Simple yet memorable. The beer and wine selection was decent.
Very chilled hang out place!
great little downtown spot, minus the fratty crowd that descends here on the weekends. it's small, so during peak times you can expect to do a lot of standing (especially on those pesky weekends that i mentioned). but if you're lucky enough to snag some space on one of the comfy banquets, it'll be hard to leave. combine that with some arrogant bastard on draft, a yummy grilled cheese/tomato soup combo (apparently the fries are delish but they're fried in pork fat which is delightful to some but icky to me- hey, at least they let you know!), and you will be done for the night. this is usually where i end a night downtown because of the low key vibe.
and ps- the books on the wall are real. if you get a hankering to read huck finn, by all means, pull it off the shelf. i just probably won't talk to you. i fucking hate huck finn.
LOOOOOVE this bar!!! What we usually do is get our wrist bands at the Standard which is right across the street, head over to the Library Bar to get a couple drinks and chillax (and get our parking validated) till the Standard gets bumpin' and we can skip the line :) Perfect plan for a thursday night.
The Library Bar has just my kind of vibe. Relaxed and yet classy. The drinks are averagely priced but STRONG as heck. It's a perfect place to hang out with friends AND meet new people. Is there really a place as great as this? Also their selection of drinks is Goldilocks perfect. Not too big, not to small. Bar ambiance is not too sleazy, not untouchably pristine. Just right! I'll definitely be back for more!
I guess all my fave happy hour bars are not good places to go after 9 p.m. What's up with the line at 12:45 p.m.? A line? Are you kidding me?
This ain't no Hollywood bar.
Goddamnit! I wanted the pork belly skewers! I thought they served until midnight but apparently the… Read more »
Ok i don't wanna be that guy but when I see ppl post things like ."quaint" , "Cozy" " I wanna read the damn books on the wall" .. This has got to be the 40+ early dinner and a movie crowd, You step in after 10p, I hope your not claustrophobic because you can barely move. Martini? forget about it unless u wanna give some douche that walked over from the standard a vodka bath. 3 stars Bcuz I know someone that works there .. otherwise i'll pass.
Downtown LA has come a long way. One of the great things about the "new" downtown is all the great bars. The Library is not one of them.
While it's been done before, on first glance, I do like the backdrop of the library, with all the books and casual seating. Otherwise this place felt too clean and antiseptic. It lacks character and lived in charm. Not to mention the staff here has attitude and I'm not sure why. It's a bar located next door to Wolfgang Puck for christsake. Lighten up.
Totally happy here at happy hours!!!
$5 STRONG and yummy cocktail drinks~ I wanted to put on my schoolgirl outfits after two! haha...
We ordered some appetizers with our drinks... the roasted marrowbone was okay, the fries were average, but the pork belly skewers were OUT OF THE WORLD good! (we ended up eating 3 orders by the end of the night) Perfectly crisped and caramelized... coated with spicy miso sauce, how did they make it this good? I wanna know how...
Would definitely come back for more happy hours. What a charming, cozy place to grab a drink or two =D
This Place is soooooo siiiickkkkk. I went there and had a great time with a large group of friends. It's at a great location and the decor is super cool. The only reason i didn't give it 5 stars is because of the service. It's a bit on the slow side. Enjoy
Very cute! But also very small.
The actual "library" theme only extends to one wall of bookshelves with comfy armchairs. The rest of the bar looks like, well, a bar. Dimly lit, crowded (you won't find a seat after 10pm on weekends!).
Crowd is mostly casual, though some are dressed for the Standard/other nearby bars. Drinks are fairly priced.
This place is alright. It has a nice atmosphere and it's comfortable. It's also kind of dark in there, which people like beccause it works out to their advantage while trying to pick up other patrons. It's also good for happy hour and hanging out after work.
haha came here because we got dragged here by a bunch of guys we met at the bar at the bonaventure. For some reason we were really tipsy and they hyped this place up. So we walked, which seemed forever because we were all in heels, down to this spot only to be disapointed.
I'm sure its good, if this is your type of spot, but none of us were feeling it. Not our cup of tea. We literally used the bathroom then made our way back to the bonaventure.
it was hella crowded, but i had fun here. bartenders are cool (one of the dudes had a cool accent) and they have a good selection of whiskey (have you ever gone to a bar and gotten blank stares from the wait staff when you ask for a woodford reserve?). polite crowd (nobody wanted to kick my ass when my fat ass accidentally bumped into them). be sure to get your parking validated if you parked at the structure right across the street!
The Library Bar is a tiny bar in the heart of LA and its really just a comfort zone. My coworkers and I come here often for happy hour and a relaxed atmosphere where we can just hang out. I dont really like to scene on Friday or Saturday nights as it gets VERY claustrophoic in here. They only have two main areas in front of the "library" where you can gather with friends. The rest is a huge lovely bar.
The bartender is very nice and makes some strong drinks. During happy hour they serve Stellas for $4, margaritas for $5, cosmos $5 and an apple martini for $4. They now also serve food which they didnt before, french fries, pork belly, bone marrow, burgers, etc. My coworkers have tried them all and love them. I though the steak fries were a bit too greasy for me but hey its bar food.
I would recommend this place for happy hour and a small group of friends.
Strolled in last night solo and was served promptly while I waited for my "date." Before he arrived I was approached by a dude who asked if I was waiting for someone. I told him I was and he said that was too bad (FOR HIM) and returned to his predatory perch.
I had two of the drinks on the happy hour menu, the Stella and the Manhattan. The Stella was $4 which would have been a steal if it had actually been served in a pint glass. No such luck. I don't think there was much more than half a pint in the glasses they serve them in.
Fared better with the Manhattan, it got me so wasted that after my date left I contemplated chatting up the skeezy dude who had tried to hit on me before but he had by then slimed his way elsewheres.
We also tried the "Sliders" which were okay, the beef was a little like sloppy joe beef but it could've used some better seasoning.
All in all a decent place with a obscenely long happy hour but until they serve them Stellas in pint glasses I can't become a regular, it goes against my morals.
LOVE.
I have lived in LA since December.
I have pledged to check out the downtown scene since December.
It is now mid July, and I finally made it. WORTH the wait. Great, laidback vibe (and lighting! you know how I feel about lighting!), decently priced, strong drinks, and a clientele that feels more relaxed that a lot of LA bars. Plenty of seating, not too loud, small but cozy, etc etc etc etc.
Also, fun story: met a pair of REALLY ridiculously drunk/funny-but-not-on-purpose UCLA grads who couldn't hold their liquor. Ohh, UCLA.
WIN.
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