The Varnish

The Varnish

118 East 6^th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 [hidden in the back]

For those who read my last review, I gave a fairly graphic image of my ideal bar.  For this review, I’ve chosen to discuss a bar that matches that ideal almost perfectly:  The Varnish.

The Varnish is essentially a modern-day speakeasy – a modern take on those clandestine establishments where alcohol was served illegally during Prohibition.  In order to be done well, a modern-day speakeasy should, at a minimum, satisfy three general requirements:  it must be hidden; it must have a Prohibition-era theme; it must offer expertly-crafted classic drinks.  [Requiring a password is a plus.]  And by almost any standard, The Varnish is done well.  Really well. 

As for being hidden, The Varnish is essentially a bar-inside-a-bar, and is accessed by walking from the street level on 6th down a short flight of stairs into the partially sunken Cole’s French Dip restaurant and bar, past the hostess, kitchen, bathrooms, and several tables of patrons, to a plain unmarked black door in the back.  There is no bouncer standing outside.  There is no sign.  The door looks like nothing more than an unassuming broom closet.  If you didn’t already know the bar was there, you wouldn’t find it.  [Years ago, when I first discovered The Varnish, I took a date here, and as I was opening the door, she gasped, “No way, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”  No way?  Yeah way.]

In other words, The Varnish is hidden behind a broom closet in the back of a restaurant behind a bar. 

As for the Prohibition-era theme, The Varnish resides inside the recently restored Cole’s – the oldest existing restaurant in DTLA (est. 1908), the original inventor of the French dip sandwich, and recipient of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s coveted Preservation Award recognizing outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation.  Cole’s itself is nestled within the hollow of the Pacific Electric Building (est. 1905), which served as the main terminal for the Pacific Electric Red Car trolley lines during Los Angeles’ heyday in the early 1900s.  [By the way, the term “varnish” was a railroad expression for passenger trains in the days of wooden cars, which were varnished after painting to provide an elegant finish befitting the high level of craftsmanship typical of late nineteenth-century passenger equipment.  Not surprisingly, the original railway tracks now lay beneath The Varnish, and the same level of craftsmanship has been devoted to the bar.]

Immediately upon entering the bar, you’ll feel transported back to a time gone by – the room is dimly lit by the original glass lighting fixtures; the bartenders are dressed to the nines in vests, ties, garters and slacks; drinks are made with old-fashioned block ice (not cubes); and the small tables and rail car booths sit atop the original penny-tiled floors.  [Cole’s even utilizes the original 40-foot mahogany “Red Car Bar” that was frequented by thousands of Angelinos taking the trolley to and from work some hundred years ago.]

In other words, when you step into The Varnish, you’re stepping back in time. 

And as for quality drinks, The Varnish was created by the nationally-renowned mixologist, Eric Alperin (2011 American Bartender of the Year), and the bar has repeatedly won awards for being the “Best American Cocktail Bar” – a place where you can order drinks like The Highlander, The Bee’s Knees, and Coffee Cocktails. 

In other words, the drinks are good.  Really good. 

Additionally, one of the best aspects of The Varnish is that it’s located in the bustling, up-and-coming area of Los Angeles’ Historic Core – a neighborhood that fell into serious decline after WWII, but recently attracted significant investment and revitalization after the Los Angeles City Council passed the Adaptive Re-Use Ordinance in 1999, allowing the old and unused office buildings to be converted into apartments and lofts, with the purpose of attracting new residents who would bring vitality to the City’s urban core.  As a result, The Varnish, while intimately tucked away in the backroom of a historic landmark, is also centrally located among an increasing number of new, hip bars and restaurants (such as Mignon and The Gorbals).  In bar owner Eric Alperin’s own words, this location was deliberately chosen because it’s an area of Downtown that has an “NY vibe,” with “more of a walking life.”  As more residents flock to the Downtown area, Alperin’s words continue to ring true. 

All in all, The Varnish is a truly timeless experience.  Fortunately, Prohibition is over and this review shouldn’t tip off the authorities to any illicit activity in my favorite watering hole.  So definitely add this bar to your list for 2012.  Just remember to keep your list in your bootleg.