Branded by the ubiquitous mark of a dive, the light up “Cocktails” sign, Little Cave is anything but. It’s sort of like your dad’s basement bar, if your dad were Batman. Bar manager Todd Conner says the stylishly appointed cave, lit by glowing red orbs, was once in fact a cops and robbers’ hangout. Although we sampled the Cave on one of its more mellow evenings, Todd assures that Totally ‘80s Tuesdays and Punk Rock Wednesdays draw solid crowds, but ones he admits are dwarfed by Little Cave’s West Coast-East Side incarnation of bridge and tunnel crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.

There are several seating options, from the standard barside perch to an entire wall and a half-long vinyl upholstered booth, complete with a couple making out in the darkest corner. Drinks are moderately priced, with well martinis at $9 a pop, and beers on tap and mixed drinks going for $3-6 and $6.50, respectively. During happy hour, beers are $4 and mixed drinks drop to $5. Supposedly, the fancy wall-mounted digital jukebox is excellent, but it slumbered as a duo of urban cowboys played their favorite 45s of old punk, rockabilly and country and engaged in subtle volume warfare with Todd-the-bar-manager.

As the film Twilight taught us, all straight girls wish for a sparkly, nocturnal pale boyfriend. Perhaps the same is true for young men these days. Even if it’s only the lighting (and the liquor) that makes them shine, at Little Cave you just might find your iridescent, blood-sucking true love. Barring that, you can at least have a great martini.

Little Cave
5922 N Figueroa St.
Los Angeles
(323) 255-6871
Hours: Mon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.