The Tar Pit

Campanile owner/chef Mark Peel has hooked up with master NYC mixologist Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club) to open the Tar Pit, a posh cocktail lounge where postwar era–inspired libations, with names like the Palm Frond (mint, vermouth, and lemon-infused gin) and the Jamaican Firefly (rum, lime juice and homemade ginger beer), are served in an elegant Art Deco setting. From the piped-in piano standards to the Black Dahlia-esque servers, it all evokes L.A. supper clubs of the 1940s. Thankfully, for the over-35 set, the crowd feels older, too—it's that rare L.A. joint where elegant women and their silver-haired beaus feel right at home sipping Gin-Gin Mules over throwback dishes like Steak Diane and Shrimp Louis. The only drawback is that the cocktail prices ($12 to $17 a pop) are a potent reminder of the present.

609 La Brea Avenue; 323-965-1300

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