Bar Caló

Walking up to Bar Caló on a busy night, you know immediately that something special is happening inside. The Echo Park tequila bar spills out onto the sidewalk with stylish patrons clutching cocktails, lounging on vintage velvet furniture that looks like it was lifted straight from a 1970s telenovela set. A crystal fish chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and the energy is unmistakably, fantastically LA.

This is first and foremost a tequila bar, which means things get loud, cozy, and you’ll probably spend the night pressed up against strangers in the best possible way. The cocktail program shines, particularly the Chavela—essentially a tequila old fashioned that you’ll want to order more than once. But what starts as “just a few drinks” inevitably turns into dinner once you catch a glimpse of what’s coming out of the kitchen.

The bar food here punches well above its weight class. House-made tortilla chips come out impossibly thick and crunchy, begging to be dragged through the aji feta dip or a chipotle peanut salsa that might ruin other salsas for you. The Oaxacan fried chicken arrives swimming in mole negro with tamarind crema, delivering heat that warms without burning. And the twice-baked camote—a massive sweet potato stuffed with chorizo and crowned with a poached egg—is as indulgent as it sounds.

Bar Caló isn’t the spot for business dinners or quiet conversation. It’s where you take your best friends on a Friday night, or bring a second date to see if you’re really compatible. It’s the version of Los Angeles that reminds you exactly why you fell in love with this city in the first place.