Up and down the coast, these bars pair vibrant menus with mixologists’ refreshers
Words by ANDREW BARKER and S. IRENE VIRBILA
Where to Stop for a Spritz in Palm Springs
The new BAR ISSI at the Thompson hotel in downtown Palm Springs, designed by Fettle, sports a vivid palette, curvaceous banquettes, and wallpaper with dancing crocodiles. The menu is more sedate, filled with easygoing dishes you might find on the Italian coast. Nibble on oysters and crudo, squash blossoms with ricotta and lemon, crispy octopus with smoked paprika, or shrimp linguini sparked by Calabrian chili. A wood-fired pizza oven turns out seasonal pies, and mains include roast chicken, branzino with preserved lemon, chops and steaks, and proper shoestring potatoes. Be sure to order the Italian spritz of Prosecco with blood orange juice and cardamom. 414 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 442-334-2405; thebarissi.com. S.I.V.
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Carlsbad’s Newest Culinary Victory
For years natural wine bars have been sprouting in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, London, and Athens. But beach cities north of San Diego? Not so much. Now comes LITTLE VICTORY WINE BAR in coastal Carlsbad from former Bestia bar manager Jeremy Simpson and wellness entrepreneur Kirsten Potenza, owners of Little Victory Wine Market in Encinitas. And what a sweet little spot it is, specializing in wines from organic grapes and made with minimal intervention. The couple search out bottles from small producers in California, Sicily, Austria, Alsace, even the Canary Islands. Visitors can nosh on farmhouse cheeses, artisanal cured meats, pickles, and trending tinned seafood. In the kitchen is another husband-and-wife team: chefs Elliott and Kelly Townsend of the popup Long Story Short fame, who have trained in Italy and Denmark. The menu includes local bluefin crudo perfumed with passion fruit, green garlic risotto with Roman-style artichokes, maybe black cod with turnips and miso butter. Fish comes from the fishermen. Produce from the farmers. For dessert? Can’t pass up that burnt Basque cheesecake. The vibe is warm and convivial, a bit Parisian, a bit Nordic — with a patio. Wed.–Sun., 4–10 p.m. 505 Oak Ave., Ste. B, Carlsbad; littlevictorywine.com. S.I.V.
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Fruits de Mer in Montecito
Austin oyster bar CLARK’S, from chef and owner Larry McGuire, is making the move west to Montecito. The menu courts seafood lovers with fat crab cakes, classic New England clam chowder, lobster rolls with drawn butter, California sea bass — and, of course, oysters and more oysters. Settle in with a martini and steak tartare accompanied by hand-cut shoestring fries dusted with rosemary. Or go for broke with a giant plateau de fruits de mer, which is definitely more of a two-martini affair. A pan-roasted black Angus burger with Gruyère and sauce gribiche deserves its place on the menu. It’s SoCal, after all, so grab a spot on the patio under one of the umbrellas. 1212 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-974-0655; clarksoysterbar.com. S.I.V.
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A Silver Lake Rest Stop
The new BAR SIESTA is a delicious partnership among Lucía Flors and Carlos Leiva of Siesta Co. and Heather Sperling of vegetable-centric Botanica restaurant. Start with a Manchego and ham-flecked croquette that’s perfectly crisp on the outside and molten within. Then a wedge of egg-and-potato tortilla, patatas bravas with aioli, or toast heaped with tiny conserved clams and fennel in a spicy sofrito. King trumpet mushrooms are cooked in amontillado sherry. Gently spiced morcilla comes with lentils dosed with Asturian cider. There’s more, including olive oil ice cream and classic turrón (almond nougat). Walk-ins can snag tables on the sidewalk or, if very lucky, a spot at the bar. 1710 Silver Lake Blvd., L.A., 322-284-8325; barsiesta.co. S.I.V.
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Hollywood’s Roman Resurgence
Want to spend an evening somewhere lush and somewhat private? BAR AVOJA is a secret bar tucked at the back of Mother Wolf, Evan Funke’s celebration of all things Roman. Velvet curtains, russet leather sofas, and soft lighting give the bar a cosseted feel, far removed from his exuberant Hollywood restaurant. Here, the allure is all about savoring Italian spritzes and complicated cocktails. Italians never drink without having a snack, so you’ll want the golden arancini, cacio e pepe, Funke’s signature focaccia, and a plate of marinated Cantabrian anchovies or a grilled octopus skewer. The wood-fired Palermo pizza is topped with onion sugo, caciocavallo cheese, wild oregano, and breadcrumbs. Then there’s Funke’s tribute to Wolfgang Puck’s famous smoked salmon pizza, which subs trout roe for the caviar. 1545 Wilcox Ave., L.A., 323-505-1077; baravoja.com. S.I.V.
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Killer Cocktails and More in West Hollywood
NO ROSE, the new bar on the ground floor of The Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, is the kind of place where you slip in for one drink and wind up staying for three more. The room glows with flattering light over low-slung banquettes, marble tables, and a crowd that looks like it arrived straight from a fitting or a writers’ room. The bar team shakes and stirs with the swagger of people who know exactly what they’re mixing. Signature drinks play with convention; the ambitiously named Best Damn Espresso Martini in WeHo has a rum and brandy base and lives up to its name and the No Rose Negroni deftly swaps out the gin with Monkey Shoulder Scotch and Singani 63. The menu is tasty and satisfying — think buffalo chicken wings, spicy bao buns, Caesar salad, and halloumi and wagyu skewers — leaving no need for a separate dinner res. DJ sets start at golden hour with vinyl soul drifting into disco as the night the night moves on. An ideal spot for a first date or post-premiere drinks, and with an extended range of tequilas, liqueurs, and aperitivi, you could be in for a long night. 1135 N. Alameda St., L.A.; lapeerhotel.com/west-hollywood-restaurants/no-rose. A.B.
Portions of this story originally appeared in previous issues of C Magazine 2025.
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