The Mandrake Drinks for Art

Dr. Pelter

A nondescript watering hole located on Culver City's gallery row, The Mandrake is as close as you'll get to to New York's Lower East Side without driving the extra 15 minutes to LAX and hopping on the next Virgin flight cross-continental.

As the only bar in Los Angeles whose decor can accurately be described as "the modernist cube deconstructed, analyzed, and reassembled in the form of cocktail napkins and framed Raymond Pettibon prints" without a hint of irony, this reasonably priced saloon caters to the wallets of up-and-coming artists, writers and curators that stumble in and out of it every night of the week. You can expect well designed mixed drinks at prices that will ward off starvation just that much longer. Eight dollars scores you any one of their classic and classy specialty cocktails. Regulars recommend the Moscow Mule (Vodka, ginger, ginger-ale and lime with a crush of sugar-in-the-raw to calm it down a bit), the Bloody Mary served with the bar's own amazing mix (though any real artist would have the Bloody Maria; tequila in leu of vodka), or the happy hour special of a shot and beer for five bucks.

A rotating calendar of DJs, screenings, and events keeps the clientele (and staff) guessing, but even a night on the back patio is rarely boring. The wait for a drink sometimes drags during busy weekends. Fortunately any of the people sitting around you are willing to chat--though they may insist on carrying on an intelligent conversation. The place has a reputation of being pretentious, but nowhere else in LA can you find world famous artists, curators, collectors and historians mingling with packers, patrons and interns at a place and price anyone can enjoy.