Employees Only LA: A Cocktail Legend From the West Village to West Hollywood

We’d like to introduce you to somebody. Moving here Sunday from New York. Great-looking. Even by severe local standards. And their Sazerac skills precede them. Meet Employees Only LA, the Manhattan-born, globally expanded speakeasy named one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, opening Sunday in West Hollywood looking just like this. Like so many Gothamites before it, this celebrated cocktail destination took one look at our rents and decided to double the space of its original West Village location. Despite its origins, everything about this elegant haunt whispers timeless Hollywood, from the Casablanca-white block of a building to the staged neon “Psychic” sign to its warm inner wonderland of tinkling pianos and polished mahogany, ash and cherry woods. The three real psychics giving readings help sell it. You could imagine Clark Gable chastising a drunken Errol Flynn after a clumsy midnight pass at Carole Lombard here. But you’ll be more likely to squire a date to a leather banquette to try Dushan Zaric’s renowned cocktails from the gracefully curved bar. Start with something from its long list of aperitifs and reputable cocktails. Or find the fireplace-strapped secret adjunct named Henry’s Room past a hidden wall to get drinks from a New Orleans-specific menu. Take the Café Cabeza, for example, which is served with piping hot beignets. Or if you’re seeking a drink made specifically for LA palates, you’ll dally with something new like Distance & Elegance (bourbon, chamomile-peppercorn syrup, St. George Bruto Americano, lime) or spin a wheel inside a box and take whatever the bar makes for you. Dinner will be prepared by Commerson/Daniel/Pastis/Balthazar vet Sascha Lyon. He’ll make you dishes like bone marrow poppers, pan-roasted halibut and wood-fired pizza that pair to your cocktails. It’s nice that they share your “drinks come first” philosophy.