Vandell: Los Angeles Bar with Unique Cocktails, Vintage Spirits & Engaging Food

Vandell, a new Los Feliz bar, defies LA's abysmal vibes, consistently packed with millennials. It features unique cocktails like a banana alcoholic drink and smoked tomato, vintage spirits, an engaging food menu, and distinct intimate areas.

Vandell’s Ambiance and Clientele

The vibes in Los Angeles, we’re told, are abysmal: no one is functioning, no one is going out, and everyone has relocated or is relocating away. If you walk into the brand-new bar Vandell in villagey Los Feliz, you would never know it– it’s perpetually packed with prosperous millennials and the periodic zoomer (possibly on an initial date with a millennial).

Unique Drinks and Vintage Spirits

The banana alcoholic drink seems like the smoked tomato’s inverted, a lavish mix of bourbon, Oloroso, white miso, and chai. It’s instead thick and caramelly but, many thanks to the miso and spice, does not tip into saccharine.

Check out the spirits listing for amazing vintage choices, like Gordon’s gin from the 1980s, IW Harper bourbon from the 1970s, or Braulio from the 1960s. And if you see something interesting on the rack that isn’t on the listing, constantly ask about it.

Vandell’s food menu is engaging yet short with strong flavors to stand up to the kicky beverages. The ubiquitous-in-Los-Angeles hamachi crudo obtains a welcome lashing of leche de tigre, while the Caesar has a charitable dash of yuzu in the dressing.

At the bar, so you can chat with your bartender regarding the obscurities taking place back there (carbonators, ice shaping, unusual spirits). Yet there are also 3 separate areas in the little area: Bench bustles, the front room is fit for groups, and the back really feels darker and much more intimate with two-tops– perfect for day night.

Without context, it appears like the “Market Fresh” menu refers to food: beverages have been named after a main fruit or veggie component. The smoked tomato mixed drink is the victor with mezcal, basil, citrus, ginger, and chili– the consolidated effect both crisp and tasty, like a michelada with Hattori Hanzō sharpness.