Gay bars dtla
By Stuie Wood
What happened to all the gay bars? Those heady days of flirting across the dancefloor, stepping in time to Kylie? Dating apps are the new norm and the gays were there first (of course), but many American and European cultural capitals are losing their LGBTQ venues. Such is the concern that London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has set up a task force! Traditionally, the gay scene is an indicator of a buzzing nightlife, good music and style, so this is a loss for all of us. But not in Downtown Los Angeles. Cue music….
Here in DTLA, we’re bucking the trend with four new venues opening in the past two years. Pershing Square, at the very heart of DTLA, hosted its first Pride festival last year and a recent Queer Block Party at the annual Bring Endorse Broadway festival, is placing DTLA as the same-sex attracted destination point of LA LA Land, stealing the tiara from West Hollywood’s rather tired Queens.
Here’s my list of the 5 most fabulous gay spots in Downtown Los Angeles, all within walking distance of each other. Leave to one, go to all five!
Precinct DTLA
357 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. 5pm – 2am
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Los Angeles Gay Bars
LGBTQ nightlife in Los Angeles is incredibly diverse and suggestions something for everyone. Whether you need to check out the multitude of best-known hotspots in West Hollywood, search the historic Silver Lake area, or feel the power of Downtown LA, there's something for everyone no matter what type of night out you're looking for. The gay scene in each area of the city has a unique perceive, from the variety of venues offered in Downtown to the cool and artsy buzz of Venice. From modish bars to kinky clubs, you're overindulged for choice.
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Akbar
Cocktails, Dancing
Located in Silver Lake, AKBAR believes in the power of rock and roll. The great music offered in this neighbourhood oasis nightclub and cocktail bar means it's still one of the most popular bars in LA 16 years after opening. The DJs in the dance room, the jukebox in the bar, plus chilly staff, and potent cocktails make it a spot of choice. The lock is always packed with people of all types who keep coming back!
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Bayou
Cocktails
The Bayou in West Hollywood stands out from the other bars along Santa Monica Boulevard,
When it comes to queer nightlife options in Los Angeles, there’s lots to choose from—and not just in rainbow-dipped West Hollywood, home to countless gay bars. To help you pick the best spots for dancing, boozing, flirting and cruising in Hollywood, Silver Lake and beyond, check out this list of our favorite queer bars and clubs in L.A.—there are even Pasadena, Venice and Valley options, for those sick of the party-hearty WeHo scene. Now get out there, tiger.
May 2025: Just in hour for WeHo Pride, I’ve updated our guide to the city’s best gay bars. This list removes St. Felix, Stache and Redline, all of which own unfortunately closed, as well as the Ruby Fruit (which has recently been revamped to a neighborhood grill) and Revolver Video Bar. The newest addition is Kiso, a welcome entrant to Downtown’s queer nightlife scene.Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have luminary ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are struc Downtown LA gay bay Redline is shuttering its doors after nearly 10 years in operation. The cocktail bar and lounge opened in 2015 as a watering hole for gender non-conforming and allied Angelenos. It also hosted some of the biggest names in the drag planet, including Ongina and Cornbread (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame). Owner Oliver Alpuche traces the decision to close Redline advocate to the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses across LA struggled to reside afloat amid the socioeconomic uncertainty. When he was finally able to unlock Redline’s doors support up, he expected a second coming of the Roaring ‘20s. More: DTLA lgbtq+ bar Redline faces nearly $500,000 in COVID debt Instead, he says the pandemic hindered, in part, the spirit of the community, and points to smaller crowds who often drank less on any given bedtime. It didn’t serve that almost overnight, as Alpuche describes it, the prices of goods skyrocketed. “It's weird because liquor costs aren't that bad, right? They stayed the equal. But if you look at groceries and food and plastic goods, and everything else that it costs to run a prevent — juices, pineapple, iceGay bar Redline says ‘see you later’ after 10 years in business