The Roost, nestled between Atwater Village staples The Bigfoot Lodge and The Griffin, seems specifically designed for drinking with a capital 'D'. The fact that it opens at 10 in the morning should be some indication what to expect. The $4 mixed drinks, easily the cheapest in the area (if not all of LA), are stiff as a board, designed to knock you back into the wall - their shots can seem intimidating to casual drinkers. The decor is flawlessly dive-y: red lights, red leather booths and fake wood paneling. The most prominent decorative element? Empty bottles, lining the walls, like a frat-house living room.

Everything seems to dare you to drink more. The jukebox is filled with woeful country, shit-kicking rockabilly and early British invasion. A popcorn machine serves up free, salty-as-a-sailor snacks; designed to dry you out, making you long for one more whiskey sour, constantly luring you back, creating an endless loop between its warm tastiness and the bar's welcoming embrace (the back wall, amongst the alcohol, are several bizarre rooster statues: an attempt at a more cohesive theme?). Despite the proximity to almost every hipster hotspot, the Roost seems to refuse all attempts to make it trendy, even on the weekends when it fills up with the Bigfoot Lodge's overflow of musicians and artists.

The Roost
3100 Los Feliz Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 664 7272