This is where all the cool kids go for drinks…read more You are - literally- at the top of a classic building in Long Beach. The vibe is upscale mellow. The drinks are crazy pricey. But , what the heck, it's very cool

I would like to start off by saying this place has an amazing view and the hotel lobby is…read morebeautiful. The staff, however, was just okay. My cousins and I got there around 9 p.m. on a Friday. It was steady, but when we went up for our first drinks the bar itself wasn't very busy--there were maybe two people in front of us and two behind us. I mention this because it matters for context. My cousin ordered two drinks, one for him and one for his girlfriend. We were talking and at some point I looked at his girlfriend's drink, which was already about halfway empty, and noticed a fairly large crack running across one side of the glass, right above where the remainder of her drink was. I said, "Hey, your glass has a significant crack in it," and she laughed it off and said she noticed and was just drinking from the other side. I told her she absolutely should not do that because there was already a chip near the rim and there could potentially be tiny pieces of glass in the drink. I also told her we needed to bring it to the bartender's attention because that's a legitimate safety issue. Someone who isn't paying attention could cut their lip or potentially ingest glass. By the time we went back up to the bar, it had gotten quite a bit busier. We explained what happened to the bartender and he asked if we got the drink there. We said yes and pointed out the female bartender who had originally served us. He asked what the drink was, walked away, served a few other people, and eventually brought us a replacement. We were completely patient. We understood that the bar was busier at this point, we weren't rude, and we weren't upset about having to wait. What bothered me was when he handed us the replacement and said, "Next time you need to let us know when it happens." That response really rubbed me the wrong way. It's not the customer's responsibility to inspect a glass before drinking from it, and obviously we would have said something sooner if we had noticed it sooner. Considering the bar wasn't particularly busy when the drink was originally made, I was also surprised that a crack that significant wasn't noticed before the glass was served. I did take a photo of the bartender afterward because I wanted to make sure I could identify the person involved when I brought the interaction to management's attention. I spoke with the person who identified himself as the manager and explained what happened. He said he would speak with the bartender, but the response also felt somewhat dismissive given that my concern was ultimately about customer safety and how the situation was handled. Accidents happen and glasses crack. Had the drink simply been replaced and the concern acknowledged appropriately, I honestly probably wouldn't be writing this review. It was the combination of being served a visibly cracked glass, being told that we should have notified them sooner, and then feeling like the concern wasn't taken particularly seriously when I brought it to management that ultimately prompted me to leave an honest review. Beautiful property and amazing view, but the way this situation was handled definitely left a bad impression.

The cocktails here are always so creative but what really impressed me is that they're actually…read moregood Drinks with interesting flavors lately often end up tasting gimmicky, artificial, or just... off. Here you can actually taste the ingredients they describe and somehow work really well together. And it's not just one or two drinks that feel unique and interesting it's basically their whole menu. Most recent time we went was when they had a guest bartender (Polo Chang). Some of the best cocktails I've had recently. I'm a huge fan of tea in cocktail his menu was amazing. We got way more drinks than we usually do that night because each one was better than the last. Only thing tho I really wish they kept their old menu. The drawings were beautiful and it had so much character while very easily communicating how each drink will look and taste. It went so well with the overall vibe of the place. But I may just be nitpicking because I have hard time reading the new dark menu in the dim light lolol I honestly would come here wayyyy more often if it wasn't for the very limited parking. Even with reservation it feels like never a guarantee we will make it there because we may or may not be able to find parking. If you are lucky to be nearby highly recommend uber.

I've been wanting to check out Tokyo Noir for the longest time, the exclusive 25 seat speakeasy…read morebar/izakaya that specializes in Japanese cocktails. I was able to make a late dinner reservation for Saturday night about a week prior - reservations are definitely encouraged, as the bar was full the entire time we were there. Gaining access to the speakeasy was actually not that difficult, just ring the doorbell of the ornate floral door, beneath the lone lantern in the alley behind El Barrio Cantina. Parking though was a nightmare. I only realized when paying the bill that the two establishments are one and the same, and I could have very likely parked in the designated spots for El Barrio customers. The whole bar is a mood - lighting is dim and you don't get to see much beyond your table, which is good for those seeking privacy. One thing to note is that because the dining space is so small and intimate, it does get quite loud. The appetizers we tried were all good, with izakaya flare as promised. The charred edamame was extremely addicting, smothered in garlic soy and just the right amount of spicy from chili arbor. The Okonomi corn dog was a clever spin on okonomiyaki, bonito flakes and all. Finally, both the Yuzu and Wagyu rolls were fresh and perfect size bites of their respective fishes. I wish I could have sampled their entire cocktail menu! All the drinks sounded novel and unique, and featured their specially cut crystal clear ice. My Yuzu Strawberry blended the smokiness of the mezcal with the tangy sweetness from yuzu and strawberry perfectly. And the Peated Highball I ordered as my nightcap has to be my new favorite drink, adding a boldness to the Japanese cocktail staple. Only reason I took a star off my review was the abrupt service. Our waitress was not subtle about needing our table for the next reservation, asking to clear our plates when there was still food on it, and closing our check early to the point that the bartender had to come and charge us again for our last drink. Despite that, still strongly suggest checking out Tokyo Noir. Long Beach sadly doesn't have many speakeasies, but the ones that are here are at the top of their game.

This place is honestly a joke…read more We waited in line for almost 2 hours while security kept people outside for no reason -- and when we finally got in, there was so much open space inside. It wasn't even close to full. They're clearly holding people outside on purpose to create fake hype, which is honestly pretty messed up. You're telling me dozens of people are stuck waiting forever while there's plenty of room inside? It's giving manufactured crowd and poor management. To make it worse, they stopped serving drinks and turned the lights on at 1:15 AM, way earlier than literally any normal bar. So after wasting hours in line, you barely even get time inside. And it somehow gets worse -- at 1:35 AM they were literally kicking people out of the restroom. We weren't even allowed to finish or wash our hands before being rushed out. That's not just rude, it's straight up unhygienic and disrespectful. Overall, completely overhyped, disorganized, and not worth the wait at all. Don't fall for the line -- it's fake.

This review is only for their salsa/bachata dancing night and the bar…read more The bungalow has weekly salsa/bachata nights that include free dance lessons from 8 to 9:30. The instructors are great and the crowd is fun diverse (in terms of age, background, and experience dancing). The djs are also awesome play a lot of good music. The vibe is fun and high energy. It's nice to see a place that is filled with dancers of all skill levels just having fun and learning to dance. The venue itself is beautiful. They have a large open air dance floor that overlooks the marina as well as a smaller dance area inside near the pool tables. The decore is classy and elegant overall. On salsa nights they have drink specials in addition to the regular drink menu. Lastly I once lost my key fob there and someone returned it to their lost and found. I'm forever grateful to whomever returned it and the staff at the front door / lost and found. Overall it's an awesome place to come out and hang out and dance.

Always good vibes at this place, it doesn't feel like a typical hotel bar, the drinks were…read moreexcellent and the music was good too.

Super cute lounge with a cool jazz band. Enjoyed the snacks along with my old fashioned. The drinks…read morewere great and loved the decor. I didn't wanna leave, but my hubby wasn't feeling good. So we had to leave early. Definitely will come back again especially since we were provided with good service.

It's a IYKYK kind of place here. We didn't know about it as we were here meeting some friends for…read moredrinks. They made all the reservations. Honestly thought it was the bar that we came inside. First impression, why did we need reservations.... Since we didn't know the hidden entrance. Well, it's a cool concept once we entered. There's a dress code so be advised. What I found out was the entrance of the speakeasy was through a phone booth that next to the pool table of Roxanne's bar. Once reservations is made, you'll received an email with a password to enter. Enter phone booth and to connect to the inside and they'll open the door for you. We had the first reservations I believe they opened at 7pm. We were the first group to arrive. As it was my first time, we had ordered bar food and were waiting for it inside the main bar. So half an hour was used from our time limit. The speakeasy, dark and moody but perfect for the place. Special crafted cocktails by the bartenders which were great. They also have food as well, found out later. We did try the meat pie, which it was just ok. Basically an empanadas, the pickle veggies accompanied it was my favorite. It was good but nothing major to rave about. The drinks were quite nice and tasty. What they offered on the menu did have a load of good choices. Tables scattered throughout as well as bar seating. There's a piano which maybe used for live music. Overall, the moody speakeasy vibe was great. Friendly staff and bartender made some great drinks. What we had to snack on, the meat pie was just ok. They're very strict with the time limits. Once it's reached they'll let you know.

This place is beautiful! Such a contrast with the front bar (not talking bad about Roxanne's just a…read moredifferent vibe). Had the steak and frites and the charcuterie board. Great selection and was very good. Drinks were unique and interesting. They had a great live band playing and I had such a great night. There is a time limit but they were very courteous about letting us know when we reached the limit.

This has become my home bar. It's a great spot for locals to hang and make friends, but also I've…read moremet lots of people who drove from LA to have a Long Beach day, which is fun. Definitely worth it! The vibes are unmatched. It's a unique blend of "top notch cocktail crafting" and "beer and a hot pretzel after work." You can dress up, you can dress down, it's very 'just be yourself' which I love. I've literally had caviar AND hot dogs there in the same night at an event. They know how to blend high/low. Incredible knowledge and ingredients but not snooty patootie. Super inclusive and fun, with cool popups and events happening all the time. It's a full bar so you can get any cocktail you would normally order if you're keeping it simple, or beer, wine, boilermakers, etc. There's a span of offerings and price points, so something for everyone. (Also really good N/A cocktails!) The menu is super inventive and creative! And the cocktail menu changes out every so often so there are new things to try. This area is vintage vibes and Baby Gee speaks it fluently. Really cool decor, curated by the owners who design everything from the playlist to the cocktails to the invention of never-before-seen flavors and shapes of jello shots. Try the Baby Gee appletini while you're there. Mezcal, tequila, sake appletini you ask?? Yes. Trust. And get a hot dog. Do it.

I really wanted to love this place. The vibe was fantastic...great music, a stylish ambiance, and…read morean impressive selection of specialty craft cocktails. It's clear the owners put a lot of thought and creativity into making their cocktails the centerpiece of the experience. That said, the execution didn't live up to the concept. The menu appears to rotate regularly, and while the drinks were certainly unique, most of the cocktails we tried were hit or miss. At roughly $22 per drink, I expected more balance and refinement. One cocktail started with flavors reminiscent of an Old Fashioned, but after the initial sip, the combination of bitters and fruit syrups created an unpleasant cough syrup like finish. We tried a mocktail as well, and it was mostly ice and soda water, with what seemed like a collection of syrups doing most of the heavy lifting. The drinks were creative, but many of the flavor profiles felt disjointed rather than intentional. The biggest issue, however, was the bar service and sanitation practices. I watched a bartender place a cucumber garnish into a glass using his bare hands, touching the entire garnish in the process. He then continued to take credit cards, cash, and other items before stuffing ice into additional drinks with his bare hands. Whether or not this technically violates health code standards, it certainly wasn't appetizing to watch and left a poor impression. Parking is another challenge. There is no dedicated parking, and unless you get lucky, expect to park several blocks away and walk. Overall, the atmosphere is a lot of fun and the cocktail menu is ambitious, but the drinks didn't justify the price point, and the sanitation concerns were hard to overlook. I wouldn't rush back, especially given the cost and parking difficulties.

Didn't have food here that we saw, just a bar as far as I know so I will be rating on that. We…read morestopped in to check it out never been before. Very young crowd, very lively! We had a great time, drinks were good, staff was friendly as well. Very cool looking place. Also had games which was fun!! We stayed for a few drinks then left but honestly a very cool place to check out if you're I. The area!! Highly recommend!!

The Blind Donkey is located below the hotel we were staying at so we couldn't pass up an…read moreopportunity to check it out. We stopped by on a Wednesday evening which is also karaoke night so the energy was high and the place was PACKED. It was fun, but super hard to get a drink because there were only three bartenders working. By the time you made it through the wall of people to the bar, it was so loud that it was almost impossible to communicate your order. People were living for karaoke and it definitely seems to be on a regular rotation for some of the patrons. The Blind Donkey is definitely a place that you need to check out if you are in town and want a fun evening.

Great vibe, seating, service, and drinks!…read more Sounds like they have fun themes other days of the week too

The owner is always so cool and makes you feel so welcome- like part of the family. The bartender…read moreis also amazing and very attentive- no matter the side of the crowd he makes sure patrons are taken care of. The vibe is welcoming and vibrant- when I go there the owner makes sure my friends and I have a great time. Great people, great music, great drinks and convo!!