Bars that made noise in 2008

By Charlie Amter, Los Angeles Times staff writer Bars in Los Angeles had a banner year in 2008. Despite a recession, no fewer than 20 new nightspots debuted around town, largely as a result of plans set in motion in 2007 by owners during a nightlife renaissance in neighborhoods such as Hollywood (where the scene exploded this year). It remains to be seen which of these lounges, bars and clubs will remain hot into 2009 -- Angelenos are notoriously fickle when it comes to which spots they deem worthy from month to month. But the following new-ish destinations are the ones we think made the most noise in 2008, for better or worse.

By Charlie Amter, Los Angeles Times staff writer

Bars in Los Angeles had a banner year in 2008. Despite a recession, no fewer than 20 new nightspots debuted around town, largely as a result of plans set in motion in 2007 by owners during a nightlife renaissance in neighborhoods such as Hollywood (where the scene exploded this year).

It remains to be seen which of these lounges, bars and clubs will remain hot into 2009 -- Angelenos are notoriously fickle when it comes to which spots they deem worthy from month to month. But the following new-ish destinations are the ones we think made the most noise in 2008, for better or worse.  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

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Laurel Tavern

Laurel Tavern

The word “gastropub” entered the collective vernacular of mainstream bar-goers in 2008 (see the continued success of Father’s Office and Melrose Avenue’s Village Idiot). And although Laurel Tavern’s owners insist their bar is not technically a gastropub, it certainly feels like one. Call it an updated take on the pub; whatever, it has been packed with Studio City locals since it launched in October. It seems night owls are flocking to low-key yet inviting spots such as this one, where the prices are right, and the vibe is somehow recession-appropriate (without seeming drab).  (Lori Shepler/Los Angeles Times)

The Association

The Association

Another late entry to the class of 2008 is downtown’s The Association. Opened in early December, this smart pub has already won over loft-dwelling hipsters in the area with its dim lights and low-key design. Co-owned by The Room’s Ashley Joyce, the Association aims to inject a bit of San Francisco’s burgeoning cocktail culture scene into downtown via a stellar drink menu heavy on classics. Here’s a feature we wrote on the lounge shortly after its opening.  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Stinkers

Stinkers

Few local bar openings have proved as divisive as Silver Lake’s Stinkers. When the truck-stop-themed watering hole debuted in November, message boards all over the Eastside lit up with angry hipsters decrying the post-ironic lounge’s mere existence. Our own Jessica Gelt weighed in on the bar in November, and caused quite a stir when Stinkers’ merits were “discussed” via a lively comment thread over at Laist.com.  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Foxtail

Foxtail

2008 was the year Foxtail officially made the transition from restaurant to full-on nightclub. While many may have been unaware Foxtail even served food (the second-floor lounge portion fared much better than the under-attended ground-floor restaurant), the nightclub made a splash when it debuted in March.

“Due to the overwhelming popularity of Foxtail’s upstairs nightclub, we have decided to morph the overall Foxtail concept into an upscale lounge and dance club on both floors,” an SBE press release said in September before the transformation was complete in October. Hot nights here are now Tuesdays and Fridays.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The Kress

The Kress

Notable for its sheer size (38,000 square feet), Mike Viscuso opened this four-story dining and nightlife mecca in Hollywood earlier this year. Since summer the Kress has been winning over bar-hoppers thanks to a rooftop deck with arguably the best views in town (drinkers can take in close-up views of the both Hollywood sign and downtown). And while the ground floor pan-Asian restaurant hasn’t turned out to be the hit owners had hoped, the venue remains in demand with private party bookers, who love the multiple floors the space affords guests (see our photo gallery of an MTV pre-VMA celebration here).  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Conga Room

Conga Room

Another new bar notable for its design is downtown’s reborn Conga Room. Arguably the only new bar at L.A. Live with any sense of style (sorry, ESPN Zone), the updated Conga (formerly on Wilshire Boulevard for years) dazzled drinkers when it debuted in December with inspired design. Mixed crowds have already taken in several world music and jazz gigs here since the grand opening, and even endured a teased Prince gig that never materialized. Here is how the Times’ Reed Johnson saw it earlier this month in a Sunday Calendar feature.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)