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24 of the best bars and coffee shops in the San Fernando Valley

The Valley might be the best region for drinking in Los Angeles. And we don’t just mean booze.

Sprawling across 260 square miles with dozens of neighborhoods and roughly 1.8 million residents, the San Fernando Valley is home to the state’s first matería, a Middle Eastern cafe brewing sand coffee and a dedicated margarita bar from an award-winning beverage team, with plenty of neighborhood dives in between.

Our favorite places to eat and drink in the 818. From high-end sushi to burger shacks, tiki bars, dives and more.

A hub for film studios and its stars, the Valley has long attracted L.A.’s most ambitiously themed haunts, including tiki destinations and a barrel-shaped bar turned historic-cultural monument that recalls the city’s post-war fascination with programmatic architecture.

You can pair mariscos with nonalcoholic micheladas in Sylmar, tuck into an eclectic Jewish- and Japanese-inspired bar in Studio City masquerading as a restaurant (or is it vice versa?), stock up on coffee beans from the Valley’s only woman-owned roastery in Tarzana or sip wine in a lush setting where you can shop for plants at the same time. Here are 24 of our favorite places to drink in the Valley:

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Augustine Wine Bar

Sherman Oaks Wine Bars $$
Diners enjoy company and wine at Augustine Wine Bar
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
It took founding partner David Gibbs a year-and-a-half to rebuild his Sherman Oaks wine bar after a kitchen fire caused extensive damage and destroyed many of the prized bottles he’d been collecting for decades as a touring musician. The homey wine bar off Ventura Boulevard reopened last December with Gibbs joining forces with partners Nick Caballero, whom he opened Mirabelle Wine Bar with in Valley Village in 2018, and Dustin Lancaster, formerly of El Condor and Hotel Covell. The lengthy wine list features plenty of by-the-glass options (including vintage wines that rotate nightly) with many bottles priced under $100. The menu from chef Miguel Gonzalez, who was at the wine bar during its initial run, spans pairing-appropriate snacks such as Marcona almonds and oysters with Lambrusco mignonette, as well as large-format plates including ricotta manicotti, seared pork loin cassoulet and salted caramel pot de crème for dessert. Place orders and deliberate over selections with staff at the counter, then slide into one of the intimate booths for two or a window seat overlooking Ventura Boulevard.
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Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar

San Fernando Wine Bars $$
The Studio 54 wine flight and personal charcuterie plate at Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar in San Fernando.
(Lauren Ng / Los Angeles Times)
Long before the sun goes down, this downtown San Fernando wine bar-coffee shop — where the community is so tight-knit it’s hard to tell who’s an employee — is already putting on a show. Catch Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar on one of its vinyl nights to find a DJ table with a rainbow-colored disco ball, where ’80s records blast from a speaker and customers dance in the middle of the room. Earlier in the day, however, you wouldn’t expect such a joyous transformation — laptops are usually out at tables and bar seating, next to cold brews, matcha lattes and maybe an avocado toast or burrata pistachio sandwich.

One of the best parts of Bodevi is the space itself, decorated with colorful wall decor, leather chairs and houseplants. Bodevi has a boho-chic aesthetic that matches both its daytime coffee shop crowd and its eccentric evenings, when customers often drift to the back room for board games, beer and wine in hand.

Whether you go for a DJ set or a journaling session (check Instagram for upcoming events), accompany your evening with charcuterie. Bodevi offers two options: one charcuterie board and a smaller personal plate. It also has $18 wine flights — for the most variety, opt for the Studio 54, which comes with a light South African Champagne, a Portuguese white, a bright rosé and a 2021 Pinot Noir.
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Broken Compass Tiki

Burbank American Cocktails $$
A bartender serves customers around the busy U-shaped bar at Broken Compass in Burbank.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
If tropical drinks be thy treasure, set sail for Broken Compass. Filled with nautical bric-a-brac, thatched bamboo, low but colorful lighting and enough navy grog to drown even the thirstiest sailor, this tiki bar has quickly become a destination since its maiden voyage in 2023. It’s helmed by co-owners Walker Roach; Erica Abell, who serves as the chef; and Frank Howell, who steers the bar program. Together they’ve built a convivial themed space that feels and sips fun but takes its menu seriously.

Most of the tiki classics can be found here, but Broken Compass really shines with its original concoctions, which comprise roughly half the menu. Rotating boozy slushies and a monthly cocktail special keep things even fresher, as do the rum flights and nonalcoholic tiki drinks. Given the potency of these pours, be sure to fortify with Abell’s offerings: pu pu platters, kalua pork tacos, tonkatsu club sandwiches, poke nachos, and fries and wings in a veritable smorgasbord of seasoning and sauce options. To dive even deeper purchase ceramic tiki mugs to take home, or opt for Broken Compass’ new “Three Hour Tour”: a kind of passport program that checks off your drink orders each visit and culminates in discounts, swag and the ability to have your own black-velvet portrait hanging in the bar.
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Buvette

Sherman Oaks Wine Bars $$
Mackerel in olive oil with a baguette, marinated olives and pickles.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles)
This speakeasy along Ventura Boulevard specializes in sparkling wine so it always feels like a special occasion when you visit, with bottles being popped in the background. Here, you can explore Champagne, Champagne-method, rosé and unique bubbles by creating your own flight with three pours for $18. The bar also serves a selection of cocktails, with the menu divided up by house creations, classics, martinis, highballs and mocktails. The food menu is snacky and shareable wth charcuterie, tinned fish and a trio of sandwiches. The wine bar is sibling to Vintage Wine + Eats in Studio City, which has expanded seating and regularly hosts music and wine pairings and brunchy pop-ups.
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Canto VI

Chatsworth Wine Bars Tapas $$
Wine tasting at Canto VI.
(Canto VI)
Before opening his wine bar and restaurant in Chatsworth last summer, Brian Kalliel worked as a sommelier at Augustine Wine Bar and Mélisse. He sets his caliber for wines high, and delivers with an ever-changing selection through which he guides customers from behind the bar, engaging them in conversations on their tastes. Wine flights, by-the-glass options, a few rarer bottles with some age for the nerds: Kalliel has his audience covered. The dining room — serving wine-friendly snacks (including nicely composed cheese and salumi boards) and Italian-leaning entrees from Chester Hastings, formerly chef at Joan’s on Third — has distinct supper club vibes. Couples gravitate to the bar; larger groups land at dimly lighted tables. Ordering happens at the counter, which can be disorienting if the staff doesn’t make the process clear to first-timers. With a full house the place feels informal and occasionally a little chaotic and decidedly grown-up, largely due to Kalliel’s confident, hospitable ringleader presence.
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Carlito's Way Cocktails

Studio City Dive Bars $
A cocktail from Carlito's Way Cocktails in Studio City.
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Not much has changed since the Starlite Cantina closed and Carlito’s Way took its place last summer. It’s still a dive bar, though perhaps a bit divey-er, with mismatched bar stools and a nice-enough bartender who couldn’t care less if you stay or go. The pool table is gone, replaced by a couple of tables and chairs. It’s unpretentious in a way that makes you want to get comfortable along the back banquette, sip your drink, watch the Dodger game on the big TV and stay a while. There’s nothing fancy to see here, just a dimly lit, windowless room with drinks reasonably priced enough to order two rounds. That’s good enough for me.
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Chimneysweep Lounge

Sherman Oaks Cocktails $
LOS ANGELES, JULY 31, 2025 - The old fashioned at Chimneysweep Lounge in Sherman Oaks on Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
When new owner Cherrelle Majano reopened the Sherman Oaks bar in May after a 15-month closure, the goal was to change as little as possible. Most of the faces behind the bar are familiar. Trophies and photos from local teams the restaurant sponsors still line the walls, along with the same paintings that were gifted to the restaurant by a regular years ago. Originally opened in the ‘60s, supervisor and longtime employee Juan Cuadros says he and Majano are hoping to change the bar’s longtime reputation as a dive bar with a full list of specialty cocktails. But the Chimneysweep still has the simple, modest charm of your favorite dive bar. Only this not-so-divey bar has an extensive array of original libations like the Harvey Dent, an eclectic mix of Absolut Mandarin, orange juice and sour beer. And everyone is treated like a regular.
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Cosette Wine Bar

Studio City French Wine Bars $$
A hand dips bread into a white bowl of cheesy French onion soup dip
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Take a break from shopping at Cosette, a hidden wine bar on the second floor of Rolling Greens in Studio City’s Shops at Sportsmen‘s Lodge. Sasha Hagenlock, the plant shop’s retail director, who happens to be a sommelier with experience at some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious institutions, is behind the verdant wine bar which offers more than 30 wines by the bottle and a dozen by the glass, with a focus on European labels and select California options. The food features a similar bent, with shareable small plates such as French onion soup dip, steak tartare and chamomile-poached shrimp cocktail. Bonus: You can scope out plants for your home while you eat and drink.
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Daisy Margarita Bar

Sherman Oaks Mexican $$
LOS ANGELES, JULY 31, 2025 - The frozen guacamole margarita at Daisy in Sherman Oaks on Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
The team behind Mírate — a Los Feliz restaurant and agave bar featured on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for two years running — opened this Sherman Oaks cantina that features western touches like tasseled bar stools and light fixtures, a jukebox and a mounted deer head. Led by Max Reis, the beverage program exclusively uses Mexican-produced spirits and puts a spotlight on the margarita, with 12 takes that span classic, market-driven and salsa-inspired versions, including a frozen guacamole marg that’s garnished with a tortilla chip and serves as the perfect summer cocktail. If you decide to venture outside of the titular drink, the Oaxacan old fashioned with mole bitters and michelada with All Day Baby’s legendary mix and carne seca, are worthy options. The food menu is ideal for pairing with the inventive cocktails, including a trio of tacos, a crab-topped tostada and large plates such as pollo asada over Wagyu tallow fries.
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Dia Natural Wine

Studio City Wine Shop $$
The shelves at Dia Natural Wine shop.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
The wine shop from Marissa Adele Rodriguez shines a spotlight on natural winemakers and is a great place to pick up a bottle, whether you prefer biodynamic and low-intervention options or are just starting to explore the world of natural wines, with staff always ready with a recommendation and many bottles priced under $50. Stop by the shop on Sunday when the farmers market is in full swing, or order a picnic with chilled wine and sandwiches from neighboring deli Ggiata. The wine shop offers daily $25 flights with four pours and hosts regular tastings, paired dinners and jewelry-making classes.
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Fox Fire Room

Valley Village Dive Bars $
The interior at Fox Fire Room
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
It’s often noted a key scene in “Magnolia” (1999) was filmed at this watering hole, and kinda sorta … so what? What interesting spot hasn’t been a film location in the Valley or Los Angeles at large? If you stumble upon this place one day while looking for a libation (like I did), the Fox Fire’s draws will be apparent upon stepping inside. With its paneled walls, red-leather seating, bar games and mean drinks, this might be the secret “Cheers of Valley Village and maybe for the general region. The staff keep it straight-up and the vibe is friendly, sincere, if still a hint on the edge. Whenever I’ve needed a stop on a drive or had a chance to catch a drink with someone in the Valley, I’d suggest coming here. Everyone who’s ever loved the Fox Fire Room will have their own version of this take. Of course, the entrance is through the back.
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Idle Hour

North Hollywood Bar
The facade of a barrel-shaped bar at night.
(Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times)
Driving down the boulevards of post-World War II Los Angeles, the Valley was still mostly blanketed with citrus groves, but shifting rapidly into suburban subdivisioning. The car was becoming the mode of life. Suddenly, a driver spots a building in the shape of an enormous whiskey barrel on Vineland Avenue. What’s that? Programmatic architecture in the post-war era sought to combine the needs of design and advertising in a world that was now being observed from a driver’s seat. Since 1941, with starts and stops along the way until a city historic-cultural designation in 2010, the Idle Hour has caught the eyes of drivers and offered a beacon for classic Valley-style bar culture at its finest. Drop in for a lively smattering of mixed scenes characteristic of North Hollywood’s openness. The bar offers draft beers and bottles, wines, and a slate of specialty drinks to get in that Valley bar-crawl spirit. Far from a “light” drink, the Rocketeer is the Idle Hour’s byebye tiki cocktail: strong, dark rums (Flor de Caña 12-year, Goslings 151), falernum, grapefruit juice, a house cinnamon syrup and tobacco bitters. And we have lift-off!
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Laidrey

Tarzana Coffee
An iced latte from Laidrey Coffee Roasters.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times )
This micro-roastery from Gacia Tachejian was the first in Tarzana when it debuted in early 2022. The cafe has since expanded to locations in Encino and Agoura Hills, but it’s only at the original location that you can watch as beans meticulously sourced from female-led farms in Rwanda and Timor are roasted — all of its seasonal coffees are single-origin, fair trade and grown in micro lots. The beverage menu features classic espresso drinks alongside signature creations such as a date shaken espresso and a latte that balances two espresso shots with 20 milligrams of CBD, local honey, cinnamon and choice of milk. The breakfast burritos — veggie, bacon or Korean BBQ — are hailed as some of the best in the Valley.
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MacLeod Ale Brewery

Van Nuys Brewery $
A beer flight from MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
Beer lovers in the Valley will mention a few places that have had a role in their understanding of the craft brew scene, and for many that would include MacLeod Ale Brewing. Open since 2014 on an industrial street in Van Nuys, MacLeod developed a following with its British-style ales but like other businesses was hit hard by the pandemic. A Valley friend recently responded with a shrug when I mentioned going, as if they hadn’t thought about it in a while. Turns out, MacLeod has expanded its family- and pet-friendly space and is now serving pizzas and bar snacks along with its house brews and guest taps. The Van Ice is an American light lager that does the job nicely, and the 11 is the anniversary imperial brown ale with a bold toffee flavor. I winced at the thought of a house hard seltzer, but the beertender told me to be open-minded and rewarded: OK, yes, the Kester Kooler, a Kool-Aid hard seltzer, indeed tastes like fruit punch flavor with bubbles. Seltzer lovers should be swarming for this, I said.
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Mate Conmigo

Northridge Argentinian Coffee Teahouse $
Facturas and an iced mate with strawberry puree and lemonade.
(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)
Owner Gabriela Simoni wanted to bring a piece of Argentina to Reseda when she opened Mate Conmigo — which claims to be California’s first matería — in a Reseda strip mall seven years ago. At the cozy cafe that Simoni runs with her children, every guest is greeted like family, from the Argentine abuelitas who stock up on facturas and cañoncitos to locals who drop in for espressos before work. You can sip yerba mate the traditional way from a gourd with a metal bombilla straw and get endless refills for just $5, or try it over ice with fruit or as an oat milk latte for a lighter flavor. The empanadas are a highlight, golden, fluffy and stuffed with ingredients like ham and cheese or mozzarella, marinara and basil. The matería has shelves stocked with Argentine pantry staples if you want to bring your yerba mate habit home, plus plenty of seating with comfy couches if you want to settle in for a study session.
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MichexGod

Sylmar Seafood Restaurant $
Micheladas on a table with a bowl of avocado-topped mariscos, a fish taco and octopus taco at MichexGod in Sylmar
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Given its inland clime, the Valley can occasionally feel like a furnace. Good thing there’s MichexGod on those hot, wilting days. Cool down and quench your thirst at this cult-favorite michelada shop, which serves bright, bubbly nonalcoholic micheladas made with a zesty house miche mix. You can customize them with a rim of chamoy — the tropical notes of the watermelon and mango options especially hit the spot on warm days — or add a botana, which fits a tray of ceviche or aguachile around the top of the cup. The mariscos are just as much of a draw here, with generously portioned cocteles, molcajetes, ceviches, tacos, quesadillas and more all filled with bright and refreshing seafood.

Though MichexGod doesn’t serve alcohol, it does for select events and pop-ups; keep your eyes on Instagram for calendar updates. If you’re hoping to sip these miches with a crisp beer, be sure to take home bottles of the house-made mix, as well as the signature chamoy available in the restaurant’s full range of flavors.
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Night on Earth

Hollywood Hills Cocktails $$
A bartender behind the neon bar at disco-inspired cocktail bar Night on Earth
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Straddling the border of Studio City and the Hollywood Hills, Night on Earth is a cocktail disco that brings serious boogie to the Cahuenga Pass. It’s flashy in its neon lighting and DJ sets, but the drinks still somehow manage to steal the limelight. The new bar from the Thunderbolt team injects nuance and modern technique into the classics and party drinks of decades past, resulting in a carbonated-to-order spin on the porn star martini with pisco and cacao; an espresso martini featuring chamomile tequila, espresso, lemon and blueberry; and a nonalcoholic kalimotxo variant made not with red wine and Coke but red verjus, house-made “Coke” cordial and phosphoric acid.

It’s always somewhat of a party at Night on Earth, but especially drop by for mini-martini Mondays, where the smaller-sized versions can be found for as little as $5, and for the daily happy hour with specials like $10 glasses of wine, $9 well-spirit cocktails, and a free slice of pizza from the adjacent pizzeria with the purchase of any full-size drink.
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OyBar

Studio City Jewish American $$
Crispy potatoes in a skillet with Wagyu-brisket gravy, cheese curds, pickles, scallions and sumac, plus a negroni on table
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Is it a restaurant? Is it a bar? Does it matter? Chef-owner Jeff Strauss doesn’t much concern himself with the delineation of what this destination-worthy neighborhood spot is, and that’s what makes it great. With low lighting and wood paneling it feels like a dive bar, but the cocktail and food programs are highly ambitious. Oy Bar crosses cultural borders, too, dabbling in global flavor along with occasional Jewish nods for dishes like everything-bagel-inspired onigiri with cured salmon and miso butter; massive pastrami-packed quesadillas with jalapeños affixed to their external cheesy crusts; and skillets of “Joutine,” or Jewish poutine, which coats fried potatoes in brisket gravy, cheese curds and pickles.

The cocktails are just as globetrotting, with options such as a refreshing riff on mango sticky rice made with toasted rice, rum, coconut milk, mango, Thai-spice bitters and pandan, and the wild Lightworks, which combines tequila and mole bitters with Italian liqueur and pickle brine. Like Strauss’ offerings, Oy Bar is always evolving and eclectic. Head to the back on select nights to find Vey — Oy’s new back-patio counterpart — for cocktails and binchotan-grilled small-plate specials.
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The Rendition Room

Studio City Italian $$
Pouring the Classic Martini into a glass with a twist
(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Scott Warren is a character among characters. He blurs through his small dominion, a speakeasy with a hidden entrance in the back of Vitello’s, a Studio City institution since 1964. Warren speeds from bar to table, delivering cocktails and food (delivered to him from a window connected to the kitchen), shouting conversations with regulars across the room, addressing the men as “brother.” He has a list of two dozen smart, intricate cocktails that he mixes in a fury. Mention “martini” and he may start pulling bottles of artisanal gin he recommends, though he’ll ultimately defer to your tastes with graciousness. Vitello’s also has an upstairs lounge called the Velvet Martini, but I prefer the namesake cocktail in Warren’s company, tempered with a straightforward Caesar and a plate of lasagna big enough to feed two.
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Shadow Grove Brewing

San Fernando Brewery $
The exterior of Shadow Grove Brewing.
(Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
This microbrewery and taproom is a suitable anchor for craft beer lovers in the northeast San Fernando Valley, and worth a freeway detour near the junction of the 5, 118 and 405 freeways. Shadow Grove Brewing leans into the mood of a darkly enchanted forest, with blackened walls, repurposed wood everywhere and a hand-drawn mystical-glen style to its signs and labeling. The beers themselves could stand confidently beside any at a solid brewery you know in central Los Angeles: my favorite off a flight on a recent weekend evening was one of Shadow Grove’s calling cards, the Coven, a West Coast IPA with Strata, Mosaic and Motueka hops, “originally brewed by the women of Shadow Grove.” A mug club, classic film screenings and an active darts scene generate a local sense of community.
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Tiki No

Bar
North Hollywood, CA - August 08: From left - Singapore Sling, Chief Lapu Lapu, Zombi, Blue Hawaiian tiki drinks at Tiki No bar on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 in North Hollywood, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
When I used to live at what I described in shorthand as “that crazy intersection in North Hollywood,” I’d often visit this clandestine tiki bar on Lankershim Boulevard, drawn in by its cheap drinks, unpretentious karaoke nights and, of course, the decor — a bamboo bar with totem-pole columns, leather booths under thatched roofs and blowfish light fixtures that glowed neon. The flaming scorpion bowls didn’t hurt either. Now that I’m older with a more discerning palate, its classic tiki cocktails, including a coconut mojito and Singapore sling, hold up better than I remember. These days the bar is hardly a secret, but still stands out among the Valley’s long-standing tiki haunts.
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Tonga Hut

Valley Glen Cocktails $
Tonga Hut, a tropical bar founded in 1958, is in North Hollywood
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Walking into the Tonga Hut just as it opens, a first-time visitor might momentarily feel transported to a darkened, hushed museum. The inside is a pristine snapshot-in-time of the ideal postwar tiki bar: low lighting and low leather booths, spotlights on prized pieces of tiki memorabilia. A wall inside holds carved plaques naming regulars who’ve joined the “Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard,” a distinction bestowed on anyone who tries all 78 cocktails from a classic tiki recipe archive at the bar in a year or less. Opened since 1958, making it the oldest continuously operating tiki bar in Los Angeles, Tonga Hut excels at making this throwback drinking culture a nostalgic yet polished cocktail-lounge experience. The drinks are tiki lore bliss. Go for classics like a Navy Grog, Mai Tai, the Zombie (a 1934 recipe from Don the Beachcomber) or my personal go-to, the Dark and Stormy.
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Tony's Darts Away

Burbank Bar $
Fried pickles, disco fries and a vegan chicken sandwich with two beers at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The craft beer is ever flowing and rotating at this brewpub mainstay, which has kept Burbank well imbibed since the 1970s. But it wasn’t until 2010, when beer empresario Tony Yanow purchased the bar, that it gained its focus on pouring local and showcasing only California’s microbreweries. Yanow also gave the menu an overhaul, offering all of the bar-food classics but done vegan; every item on the menu can be ordered plant-based, with many options for meat and dairy for the omnivorous and the vegetarians too. Wash down wings, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, sausages, brunch, watermelon “poke” bowls and more with pilsners, IPAs, sours, porters, whitbiers, lagers and beyond. And be sure to stop by for events such as keg tappings, vegan chili cookoffs, tarot readings and spelling bees.
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Yala Coffee

Studio City Middle Eastern Coffee $
Sand-brewed coffee is prepared at Yala
(Shelby Moore / For the Times)
Honoring the Iraqi and Armenian heritage of co-founder Zain Shammas’ parents, Yala Coffee is one of the best coffee shops in the Valley. Opened last year, Yala shines in its signature drinks, like the floral apricot espresso tonic with apricot cardamom preserves — cardamom is a common thread throughout the menu — and the “Evil Eye” espresso or sand coffee topped with cardamom cream, a brown sugar rim and a sphere of coffee grounds in the center.

“Middle Eastern culture is so deep-rooted in hospitality ... they treat guests like their family,” Shammas said. “We just set out with the intention of making sure that everyone that came in would feel that.”

Current seasonal offerings include the antico affogato, or sand coffee topped with Antico Nuovo’s pistachio ice cream, the Bahrain cold brew with orange blossom infused sugar and the TikTok-famous fig & vanilla matcha latte — muddled figs and homemade vanilla bean syrup balance bitter matcha with floral sweetness.
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