LA Wine Bars

This spot specializes in wines and tapas, but don’t think you’re just going to get a piece of cheese with some olives. Primitivo serves up rack of lamb, steak, short ribs, risotto, paella, etc… So you can feel free to imbibe in some of their many wines without getting tipsy too fast. Happy hour offers up glasses of sangria and red wine for under $5!

This sleek wine bar is an excellent destination for a weekend night, but don’t think that it doesn’t get packed and super loud because it’s a wine bar. If you’re looking for a more low-key atmosphere Tuesday nights are best—you can get any bottle of wine for $20 (the bar fondly calls this “Andrew Jackson Night.”) The bar also serves excellent small plates to go along with your vino.

This wee wine bar gets packed on the weekends, so get there early (or better yet start off drinking in the afternoon). They offer a good selection of wines and some highfalutin (but tasty) bar food to go along with it. They also have a good selection of beers—just in case you want to bring a beer-bellied friend along.

What’s great about Upstairs 2 is that they offer different sized pours of wines, so you can try several different types (you’ll want to, they have a HUGE selection) without having to be wheeled home in a wheelbarrow. The prices are reasonable, and the small plates are tasty, however they should probably refer to them as “very small plates.”

This hip spot attracts Venice’s cool crowds, as well as those looking for a good selection of wine and beer. But, the Otheroom is more for those seeking to unwind with glass of chardonnay or a craftsman brew—it’s not really for serious wine connoisseurs.

The cute little wine bar is hidden in a Hollywood strip mall, but that hasn’t stopped legions of fans from finding it. The ever-changing wine list always promises something good (you can order wine in 2oz, 5oz, or bottle quantities). And besides offering a nice selection of cheeses, charcuterie, and salads, Lou hosts Monday night suppers, where diners can get a prix-fixe, wine-paired dinner, as well as Tasting Tuesdays, where the bar pours a new flight centered around a particular theme.