The Varnish

I love everything about this place! I actually ate at the French dip place at the front, and my waitress raved about this cucumber cocktail she had at The Varnish. Knowing very little about cocktails I literally told the bartender to include cucumber and surprise me, and he did not disappoint! Ambience inside this speakeasy is fairly dark but bright enough to be comfortable and intimate.

Great setting for an intimate evening. LA drink prices. Have never waited more than 15minutes for a spot inside. U can pregame at Cole’s lol the intimacy will set up a great evening every time. What speakeasies should aspire to be.

Best cocktail place in LA. Recommend letting the mixologists work their magic and surprise you. I also like hanging by the bar and watching the drinks made. They are creative and take time to make quality drinks. It a relatively small place and could have a wait. Put your name down and grab a drink at the Cole’s restaurant bar. I recommend taking some pickle back shots while you wait.

My friends been talking about how nice this place is forever. I finally had a chance to go. It is so nice. Lock and key is my fav spot to go to but now this is. I like small and cozy places, dark and nice just to chat. The downside is that it does get a little crowded after 10.
My fav is bartenders choice. You basically describe what you want to the bartender and he will make you a nice little drink. I basically said «gin, peach, fruity» and the drink was amazing.
[heart]

Came here as one of my stops on my unplanned bar hopping.
The Varnish is OK. Cute concept, I love a speakeasy. The drinks were OK, but sorta snooty. I wouldnt go out of my way to return. Its definitely a place you should visit, once. More if you like.

Your staff, top to bottom, is an absolute joke. Refusing someone based on an absolute judgement from someone at the door who goes by «security» is one thing. Standing by such a judgement despite clear evidence to the contrary is a clear sign of bad practices.
Anyone interested in a «speakeasy» has plenty of options downtown, all better than this hilarious excuse for a bar.

Dear Varnish staff– you’re in the hospitality business. Be hospitable!
Been here many times. Will not return. The staff were very rude to me and my party. There are just too many great bars in LA to deal with this kind of ‘tude for a night out. :(

I came here with a group of 7 on Saturday night. We put our name in to be seated with the host and waited about 20 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated, we were told only 6 of us could sit at a table and someone would have to go stand at the bar. Our party had to split up, 2 at the bar, and 5 at the table.
I was extremely disappointed with the level of customer service and the drinks (small and expensive). We complained to the manager about our experience. Instead of offering a solution or even an apology she asked us if we would just like to close out our checks and leave. I could see her and our server laughing about the whole situation and mocking our table from across the room which made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
A gentleman from another table approached our table to socialize with us. We invited him to sit our table to talk (at this point we only had 5 at our table so we thought it would be fine). The host told him he could not sit at our table and he had to sit with his own party or he would be asked to leave even after we explained that he wasn’t bothering us and we wanted to talk to him. I’ve never been to a bar where they don’t allow guests to socialize with each other! At this point my table and the table behind us were so upset with the way we’d been treated, we left. As we were leaving the host asked security to escort us out which was completely unnecessary.
I will never be returning to this bar and WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. The staff made me feel extremely unwelcome and uncomfortable.

Zero Star!
Worst customer experience ever — surprised this place has so many stars.
Two tables (my table included,) a total of 13 people walked out last night because the unprofessional rude service!
It was astonishing the level of unprofessional behavior by their staff. We arrived with a party of seven and were told one of our friends had to be at the bar while the rest of our party sat at the table… they wouldn’t allow us to pull up a chair for «Fire Safety» reasons… but the table next to us were allowed to have a chair… funny enough the the table next to us (with the pulled up chair,) heard the whole ordeal and ending up walking out with us at outrage of the whole situation.
The drinks were disgusting — I ordered one of their «specialty» cocktails and it tasted like a combination of Everclear and rubbing alcohol. Returned it after gagging on one sip. I
Server was rude and unapologetic about our situation. He also lied to us and told us he was the manger. I snuck up to another worker in the bar and asked who was the manger. She claimed she was, but only after aggressively asking for my reason why. Don’t know if the servers were trying to protect themselves or what was going on… but we felt lied to, mistreated and disrespected. The woman «manager» was unapologetic about our situation and asked if we wanted the check to leave… I told her, we had high hopes and just wanted to leave with a positive experience, but she didn’t bat an eyelash or seem to care.
We wanted to finish our drinks, but left abruptly about another patron from the table next to us came over after hearing our dissatisfaction and wanted to know the reason (he turned out to be a restaurant owner from a place down the street)…he was told by the host to go back to his table and not harass us…
At this point we were like, «Are we in Kindergarten?» How dare they tell patrons not to interact! Maybe one of the signs posted should be,” sit in your seat at all times, no smiling, laughing or interacting with anyone but your designated buddies.“
They obviously angered the other table, and both our tables left! We did make some friends out of the experience, and the restaurant owner in the other party told us to come to his place anytime and get treated much better. So plus for that.
Never recommending this place to anyone! Avoid at all costs! And if the REAL MANAGERS ARE READING THIS… RECONSIDER YOUR SATURDAY NIGHT STAFF!

Dark and crowded hang out spot.
The entrance is through a restaurant. There’s a gentleman who will greet you. There’s either bar or sit down seating. Because it’s not a huge joint, it gets crowded so you’ll have to leave your name on a waitlist to even have a chance to stand at the bar for drinks.

Small drinks at a high price!!!
We came here for a drink after it was suggested to us during our prohibition tour day of down town. It’s a stylish hidden little bar at the back of a diner.
An intimate venue with décor fitting an age gone by, low lighting, nice ambiance and great music of old.
It’s a lovely little place and a nice novel attraction. We ordered cocktails, one of which was bartenders choice. The drinks tasted really good but sadly they were very small and very expensive. We’d liked to have enjoyed more drinks here but it’s far too expensive for what you get.
Never the less, worth a visit and a welcome change to the usual modern bar in LA.

Located behind Coles sandwich in la. Walk into a dark bar with a few comfy tables and seats. They have a few cocktails and a list of different etoh. Can also trust the bartender and get a bartenders choice. Describe your preferences and the bartender will shake something out for you.
We had 2 of those, one with bourbon and one with gin. Both were tasty.
Service was quite amazing. Even though they didn’t attend to your table often, they were friendly and helpful.
This place is smaller than I expected but still cool and dark.
Speakeasys are fun and transforms you into another world. Drink happy! And be safe!

One of my favorite bars in LA. It’s somewhat hidden, it’s inside Cole’s french dip restaurant. Once you walk in, go right past the hostess and there’s a little non descript door, walk through there boom! You’re at the Varnish.
The Varnish is a tiny little speakeasy with a few booths and a bar. You can put your name down and wait for a table, the only bummer is if you choose to wait for a table then you can’t wait at the bar with a drink, you just have to wait. I wouldn’t recommend this place for a large party, max 4 – 6 people to fit in one booth, and it’ll be tight. Also, it doesn’t allow for much moving around between booths.
My favorite is bartender’s choice always, you let them know what kind of liquor, flavors you want and they make it for you. My first time there my description was «gin, fruity but not too sweet» and I ended up with a nice blackberry gin cocktail which was perfect. Hubs gets valkyrie which is delicious and so grapefruitty, I also recommend that.
Another night I gave «gin (ya I like gin), fruity, not too sweet but said I’d like something with pineapple» and she bought out «The invisible gin» which is probably the best cocktail I’ve had in years. I was actually feeling slightly sick from eating too much and the invisible gin had gin, pineapple juice and ginger beer. Also a gorgeous tiny piece of sugared ginger as well. I just love the creativity of the bartenders and it’s seriously ruining me for any other simpler cocktails with liquor and mixer.
Also, I have a total girl crush on the blond waitress there, she’s always super attentive, provides great service and is always so put together, red lipstick with pin up girl curly hair ish, reminds me of like a woman in the 1940s style.
Don’t know about parking, I assume it’s shitty because it’s DTLA, I just lyft.

This is that date night drink spot — alluded to in my Kazu Nori review.
* Be prepared to wait for a booth/​table to open up. They’ll post you up at the bar in the meantime.
I’m drowning. Intoxicated.
I want to break the spell, that you’ve created
You’re something dangerous, a contradiction.
I’ll play along, give me that friction.
* Monday evenings with that live piano player. Great background tunes and masks any intimate conversations from pesky eavesdroppers.
They’ll bring the dranks to your booth. But it’s still BYOP and BYOS. This wicked game.
* Small booths make it easy to cozy up and break any initial tension.
Oh don’t be shy. Do like new lovers do.
* Dim lighting provides nooks of darkness. Ensconce to them with your nouvel amour.
«Go get a room!» Let’s make it yeah, we’ll cause a scene.
* Lyft & Über at the ready on 6^th street.
Got me up all night, constant drinking & listening to piano songs. Just avoid the temptation to get that extra last drink.

After being recommended by a friend, I came by on a Saturday night around 11, only to be confused by lack of signage after triple checking the address. We were in the right place, but where was this place?!?
My friend and I walked into Cole’s French Dip, where there was a bar and plenty of open seats, so we initially thought that this was it. But I scrolled through the pictures on Unilocal and it didn’t really look right, and that was when I noticed a door at the back of the Cole’s seating area, where a couple people just opened it and walked in. So a lightbulb and an «Aha!» went off in my head, and we proceeded to that door. Right at the entrance, we were greeted by a friendly man with an iPad in hand, who said that the wait to be seated could be up to an hour, and we could put in a phone number and receive a text when our spot was ready. So we said why not, and went to another bar across the street to kill some time.
About 20 minutes later, sure enough, I received a text from The Varnish saying that they were ready for us. However, my friend and I were working on finishing our drinks and nachos (lol) at the other place, but the text said to reply back with any changes in plans, so that’s exactly what we did! I replied with, «Will be there in 20 minutes», and when we went back, the same man at the door happily brought us to our booth. The place itself is small, and there was a live jazz band playing when we walked in. We ordered drinks off the specialty menu, and I believe I ordered the Valkyrie, which was citrusy and very refreshing. Specialty drinks are $ 14, and standard bar drinks are $ 9; for the environment and the great service, the prices weren’t too bad!
Sadly, the jazz band finished playing at around 12:30, and after that there was some soft music playing. But still, the ambience was great, and a couple even got up and started dancing in the open space that the jazz band occupied. Adorable!
A great place for a chill night with a couple of friends. Loved it so much, and I’ll definitely be back!

Forget The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it’s all about The Bartender With The Pineapple Tattoo.
My friend and I ate a fair French dip at Cole’s and proceeded through the side door to The Varnish.
The dimly lit space was instantly appealing. It wasn’t too late so I was able to squeeze in at the end of the bar.
I had two drinks. I have no recollection of the names (haha, quality drinks, right?) but they were soooooo perfectly made and The Bartender With the Pineapple Tattoo (on his forearm) was mesmerizing to watch as he made his beautiful creations. Plus he was super chill, friendly, and nice.
He made it a great experience. If I sat down at a table, I probably would be writing a very different review.
Anyway, forget Batman, Spider-​Man, TGWTDT, just find Mr. Pineapple and have him make you some special drink because you deserve it. ;)

It is said that the term «speakeasy» came about because when the crowd inside the concealed bars got too loud, bartenders didn’t want officials to discover their hideouts so they would tell people to «Speak Easy.»
Dimly lit. Great mixology. Intimate feeling. Live piano. Vintage look. Speakeasy feel.
If you appreciate any of these traits, you have to stop by the Varnish. Located in the back of Cole’s restaurant. Parking is not that easy, but remember you’re in DTLA. Depending on the night of the week, you can score metered street parking.
Once inside the Varnish, there is no hanging out at the bar, and seating is first-​come-​first-​serve. Drinks are well made — period. They have a fine selection of spirits. Bartenders have a great knowledge and can recommend a drink for you, especially if you are indecisive. Live piano music (and sometimes accompanied by a bass player) that is pleasant to the ear.
Overall, a great experience. Don’t confuse this place with your typical «pick-​up» bar playing live DJ music. And, don’t come here if you are looking for a craft beer. You can go next door to the Black Sheep, which I also recommend.
Enjoy!

Tucked away inside Cole’s, a great sandwich spot/​bar that holds its own, is a gem of a speakeasy that is The Varnish. A relatively small bar with an old school vibe comprised of a nice, dimly lit bar area, a fair amount of booth seating, a cash register that looks like its from the 1920s-​1930s and awesome bartenders. Drinks are about $ 11 – 15.
Upon entrance, you’ll likely be put in line to wait for a table/​bar service. Good thing is they’ll text you when a spot opens up. I waited about 15 min for a text and didn’t try for booth seating. My friend and I both opted for the Bartenders Choice, where the bartenders craft something based on your likes and interests.
Overall a great place to hang out and grab some craft cocktails if you can snag a spot!

I must admit I wasn’t exactly excited to check this place out. My best friend wanted to check out some «secret bars» that she read about on thrillest. She settled on varnish not knowing much about it I tagged along. I wasn’t sure what to expect or even where it was located.
We made our way towards Coles in search of Varnish. Upon arrival the guy at the door said Varnish had an hour wait for a table, but there was a possibility we wouldn’t wait that long since it was just us two. He checked our licenses and we walked through Coles to get to Varnish. As we got to the second door there was a man waiting with a tablet and said it would be an hour wait for a table. We put our name on the list and he directed us to the bar menu in tow.
They had two bartenders one making drinks for those who were already seated and the other for those of us who were waiting for a table. My excitement started to build and I couldn’t narrow down what I wanted. Well deciding wasn’t an issue thanks to bartenders choice. The bartender asked me what I like I said no preference I’ll drink whatever. Best decision ever! I wish I could remember the names of the drinks. They were both strong, but not to the point where it was undrinkable.
The price wasn’t too bad either $ 14 per drink. I would definitely visit again, but try some drinks on the menu next round. If you’re looking for an old school speakeasy vibe look no further than Varnish.

I think the novelty of this place may be its main draw. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool and Mickey made me a great McKittrick cocktail. It definitely has that tucked away speakeasy feel to it with dim lighting, old world fixtures, and some tasty cocktails. There are just other speakeasies that I’ve liked more. That being said, I would come back and try them out again.

Ça me fait bizarre d’écrire un avis sur un endroit ou y a plus de 800 avis: D.
Alors c’est vrai que The Varnish, c’est du haut standing en terme de cocktails — et croyez moi, les cocktails, ça me connaît :). En me rendant a LA Downtown, j’ai pu profiter de retrouver une amie américaine que je n’avait pas vu depuis quelques années. Ni une ni deux, on se décide a aller boire un verre et je vois son visage s’illuminer «Oh wait, I’m gonna take ya to a place… It’s so cool!». Ok, prête a suivre le guide!
On arrive devant chez Cole’s, et la derrière, se cache «The Varnish». Ma copine m’explique vite fait, c’est un peu le style prohibition: tu vas dans des endroits un peu cachés a l’ancienne. L’endroit est vraiment trop original. Effectivement je me sens revenue un temps en arrière: tout en bois, des banquettes agréables, et un petit son jazzy qui sort. Il y règne une ambiance mystique que j’adore. Puis ce son jazzy, c’est vraiment un autre monde. Je suis hors du temps.
On prend nos commandes, et je me souviens plus du nom exact de mon cocktail, mais comme a mon habitude j’ai pris un mélange vodka, cranberry et citron qui était divin. Mais mais mais… Trop de glaçons ! J’ai l’impression d’avoir bu un demi cocktail :(. La décoration du cocktail est jolie et il donne envie d’être dégusté. Le seul truc qui m’a un peu rebuté c’est cet ajout massif de glacé.
Sinon c’était 5*. Direct.