For some reason, it's difficult to explain why El Prado gets 5 stars ....you know how when you really, really like someone, you may not be able to put your finger on what it is exactly about them in particular that makes your heart flip flop but they just do? I guess that's how it is with me and El Prado. I just really, really like it. This place has a ton of character. There are so many amazing places in LA to explore that I don't frequently return to the same spots repeatedly but El Prado is an exception; they keep me coming back for more. I'll try and make my case: First off, they have a sign out front that reads: Wine, beer, snacks, records." Seriously, what more could you want? Space: It's like hipster east side meets the 1970s. The walls are a mix of wood paneling and exposed brick that house a cozy single room with a bar to your right and one of those tiny shelves lining the entire length of the opposite wall so that you have bar stools lining the periphery of both sides. The bar itself is relatively nondescript and there are 3 chalkboards behind the bar explaining the wine, beer and munchy options. Stacks of records line the shelves behind the bar...so pretty and inviting. It's just a perfect place to sit down and spend a few hours with a friend or a date or a group of friends. It really reeks of character. Crowd: typically hipsters, I'm assuming locally from Echo Park and Silver Lake. There's a wide range of ages and everyone seems friendly. A lot of people think the term hipsters is synonymous with pretentious but there's not a drop of pretension at this bar. Menu: Small but rotating wine selection so the menu has been different each time I've went. The selections appear to be carefully made by someone who knows what they're doing. They tend to offer more atypical wines; wines you can't get in the grocery store although I really wish you could. My last favorite glass I had was a white wine from Hungary. It was so delicious, I took a photo of the menu so that I could hunt down the bottle online and order it. They also have a small rotating selection of beer that all sounds good, again the choices are heavily weighted from eastern Europe. I always get wine so I can't personally attest to it but I've sat by many an individual that have ordered multiple rounds of a variety of beers. The munchy options are good but average; cheese plate, ect. Service is very good. The bartenders are always looking around to see who needs another round and if it's quiet and somewhat empty, they take requests for music and are generally very friendly. Their knowledge of the wines seems to range however. So if you're looking for a lesson in wine drinking or to learn details about some wine country, you might be disappointed. Parking: street and it's easy to find a spot. Prices: average. read more

A nice lil' cozy bar with nice music and nice beer and nice wine and nice people and nice lighting everything you need read more

nice cozy place for beers and wine. bar food includes cheese plate, walnuts, olives and chips. perfect spot to hit up before hitting echo/echoplex. records played all night long from elvis costello to bloc party. no cover, street parking, takes cc, and great staff. read more

Chill spot to grab a beer. I came here before heading out to The Echo across the street. I'm not sure if they rotate their beer, but I'm going to assume they do. Service is decent. The only con would be their food menu isn't really a good menu and it's most definitely overpriced. read more

El Prado - dimly lit @ElPrado - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This bar is heavenly, one of my faves!

It's quiet, calm, and dimly lit. Had some great wine here. Walking distance to a yummy pho spot so I love to go back and forth.

They've got vinyl spinning behind the bar, but it's not a DJ scene at all... it's like hanging out at your hipster friend's house, and he throws on a record and y'all get back to the real business at hand - drinking cheap but tasty wine. There are a few tables where a larger group can sit, but since the place is kind of like a long, dark alley with barstools on either side, it seems more like a place to come with just one or two other people. The bartender had some sort of 6th sense for when we needed something, and stayed out of our way the rest of the time. Music was low enough for conversation, but loud enough to keep it private. I wish they had more food, but with Elf Cafe right down the street, I can imagine just making a night of this strip of Echo Park. read more

Pretty little bar, warm atmosphere, nice bartenders who could ask for more? A nice little place to pre-game it before dancing the night away to funk music. read more

Dropped into this place tonight for something a little different with some friends. The vibe was very mellow and only a few people at the bar on a Saturday night. Depending on what you're looking for, I enjoyed this place because of the chill vibe and not having to fight for a drink. On this night, they had some Cat Stevens playing behind the bar and a nice bartender who was more than happy to give us recommendations from the list of craft beers on draft. I would have liked the option of ordering a cocktail which is why I'm giving 3/5 stars. It's a beer and wine bar so I can't hate too much. I'll be back. read more

Came in on a quiet weekday with a couple girlfriends. We had a couple glasses of wine, a cheese board, and a hummus plate. It was perfect, just what we were looking for! Our bartender was very sweet. Loved the ambience with dark wood, dim lighting, and a cozy little booth in the corner we hid away in. I will definitely be back. read more

El Prado - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Nice little watering hole! Mellow, good music, bartender is cool, and the beer and wine selection is smart. I'm having an El Segundo Wallet Dropper DIPA and it's great. It's not too steep at $7 and this place is comfortable. I'm a happy camper. read more

El Prado - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My friends and I were waiting for a table across the street at Masa of Ecko Park. We had some time to kill. It worked out and the server was good. They only served beer and wine. Definitely a trendy place and lots of hipsters. Good experience. They had velvet curtains we had to walk through at the front door, which I thought it was pretty cool. People were friendly. I don't mind going back. read more

Love this place! They had a great piano player on Sunday, and it's one of my fave spots in walking distance! Great Grenache.

El prado is a great date spot. The vibe is hip and chill. Music was r&b on vinyl. Be sure to drink Rioja if it's in the menu that day because 1. It's a Spanish wine bar and 2. Rioja is the shit. Im Spanish tho, so I'm bias. read more

This is a cool spot. The DJ plays pretty good music to lounge too. They don't have a lot of beers but that doesn't really matter in my opinion, who needs a two page beer list? They had about 8 different beers that I had never heard of before and I tried most of them and they were all really good, ranging from $5-11. My friend was the wine drinker for the night and she liked all the white wines that she tried. Its a lot nicer than I thought, the crowd was cool. Only thing I didn't like was the space, its not very big and all the seats are bar stools so after a few hours it would be nice to be able to lean back. Its narrow and long, but I'm looking forward to going back. I wouldn't suggest going with a group of people, 3-4 max. I went on a Tuesday night and it was busy, from what I hear its better during the week and usually pretty busy. read more

Slightly pretentious, but it does have an excellent selection of beers, ales, ect.. Cozy - if there is no crowd then its a good place to take a group of friends read more

Came here for a beer, stayed for a nice Vinyl Record Listen and Excellent Knowledgeable staff. Awesome little spot with plenty of seating and a great atmosphere. I tried a few different beers they had which are all craft brews and none of that garbage PBR/Bud/Coors/etc. Now the important part, the beers. Great selection. Always Cold, Always Served with a smile. Always how you want them. Will definitely come here again. read more

Wine wine wine I love wine here it goes down, down into my belly. I used to live next door to this place when I was just starting to enjoy the finer things in life. Like the records they play, the wine they serve, and the dim vibe they have. I totally dig it! Great place for a classy night cap after Masa or any other eatery in Echo Park. read more

Gluten free beer!!! Woohoo! Love this place, music on a record player, nice bartenders, lots of wine and beer, (no liquor) yummy cheese plate, just a cute little bar. I always have fun there and can find seating after no more then 15 minutes. read more

Such a great vibe. Delicious olives, great assortment of beers. And the fact that the bartender just put on Springsteens Darkness on The Edge Of Town on LP, gives this place a 5 star rating. read more

El Prado - LPs - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I have been here a few times but could not remember the name. I was here recently with my girlfriends and I finally remembered! I love this place! Pleasant ambience, great wine always good mix of people and music . The perfect place to come for a chill night out. I wish there were more places like this! read more

Cute little wine bar and definitely a date spot. Dark enough that the light can cast a nice contour on your face but not dark enough that you'll lose your date and end up holding hands with a stranger. Some corner booths, cozy, wine, beer, intimate, you get the vibe. Just make sure you keep your eyes open and not fall asleep. read more

If you are a hipster, you will love this place. If you are not a hipster, you will also love this place. This seems to be a rare combination, and so is El Prado. It's stylish yet laid back, and has an excellent selection (no liquor, just great beer, cider, and wine. and cheese!). Despite being packed, we never had trouble getting the attention of a bartender. The place looks pretty fantastic too, with an entire wall of chalk board for the menu, and a huge, hand-hewn wooden bar. and good music is always being played on their record player. Prices were... well, it's LA. Prices were reasonable for LA. read more

Decent bar. Crazy on weekends. If you are looking for a good selection, of good beers and wines for not too bad of a price, this is the place for you. They also carry brew from the EagleRock Brewery, which is great too. The record player is always playing something to enjoy with the drinks as well. And its classy for being on a corner in Echo Park, and you lose most of those losers who just want PBRs everywhere or say they don't have any money for bills cause they spend it all on getting drunk or smoking pot. Awesome bar though. Just packed is the only downfall. read more

I think this place is lovely. I came here last Sunday when I was in a very bad mood. Not bad like I want to fight somebody, or scream or throw things - but bad in a sulky way. It was a little before 3 pm, I had walked into a few other restaurants, not really feeling the vibe, when I caught a glimpse of their sanwich board. I poked my head in to find a nice small space, with wonderful music and some soft incense in the air. I let the bartender, Adam, choose my wine and ordered a cheese plate. Within 30 minutes I felt better. Not only was my server super nice and personable, but the other customers had even started chatting me up and it really lifted my spirits. Drinks are aptly priced, ambiance is good, and service was exceptional. I sincerely look forward to coming here again read more

This is my first review, and it's fitting that it's for El Prado. I love this joint. It doesn't hurt that it's within walking distance, and that they have pretty delicious beers on a constantly rotating menu. The staff are all friendly, though the only names I can remember are Adam and Matt. Adam's there most frequently during my visits. He's a good dude; down to earth and knows his stuff. The vibe inside is chill. The bar is dark and long, with candles and dim hanging lanterns. The walls are bare brick and the beer and wine menu is scrawled on the bar-length mirror. They've always have some kind of unique foliage going on which is a nice touch. The staff choose records out of a pretty solid collection. This is important, as it limits douchery greatly, and keeps the grooves consistent throughout the night. It does get a bit loud when it's crowded, and the long narrow space gets easily congested. That's my reason for 4/5 instead of 5/5. Been wanting to check out Record Club which Origami Vinyl (across the street) puts on every Tuesday. I'll add to the review once i hit that. read more

I stumbled across this very nice wine bar while waiting for a show in Echo Park. This is a fairly simple place with eight wines uncorked, eight beers on tap and a record player for the ambiance. They also have a couple bottled beers and cider available for people that want something different. The choices of wine were very nice especially considering the price, and the Belgian beer I tried was creamy and delicious. Fortunately, I got there early and was one of few people in the bar. I could hear the records clearly, could sample a few of the wines before committing to one, and even got to talking with the bar keep. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The drawbacks were few, but a little annoying. They had a limited snack menu. While the cheese plate included some really nice aged goat cheese and hard salami, I wish there were a few more filling options. Also, after peeking in on the place after the show, I could definitely understand how the size of the place could be a problem. I mostly recommend the place for a nice early drink and maybe a small snack. read more

Chilled here before rocking out at a show across the street at the echo. Good service, sweet selection of wines and ales. Atmosphere here is really awesome with the exposed brick, wood bar, incense, and vinyl recordings. read more

A cute, small bar. Nice atmosphere: good music and good/interesting selection of drinks. Very dim lighting. The street parking sucks as usual in that corner, but would visit again. read more

What a lovely spot. They have great brews and a turntable! I love listening to random, hand selected LPs while sipping a tasty beer. The staff are friendly too! read more

Absolutely the worst service I've ever had. I came with a small group of friends to have a post-dinner glass of wine. When we decided to have a second round, one of my friends returned to our table with drinks after 20 whole minutes, frustrated because the bartender had told him she was "not on duty", and so he'd have to wait to get a drink order. Only after serving her friends and chatting it up like she was just another bar patron did she stroll over to take the order. The icing on the cake is when my other friend accidently knocked over his wine glass (still only round no. 2, so not due to intoxication). I approached the same lax bartender who was having an in-depth conversation with her friend at the bar, and before I could utter a word to ask for some napkins she turned to me and said "Look, I know you broke a glass, but I'm talking to my friend here. We'll grab it in a sec." What the f@#$!!!! I told her that we actually spilled wine and needed napkins, and only then did the dumbass realize that she had a job to do, and immediately started scrambling to fling nearly every bar napkin in sight at me... I want her fired. Anyone know the manager? (Hopefully it wasn't her, but I can't imagine a place as cool as this being run by such a dipshit.) read more

This place is right across Masa of Echo Park so when it's a busy weekend, you can just put your name down at Masa and walk here to grab a drink while you're waiting for your table. It's pretty small/tight so ideally it would be perfect for just two people to sit and lounge around. I came here with my husband and two other friends while waiting for a table of 9 at Masa and ordered their Plum Sour. It was pretty good and if you're not really sure about the taste of something, the bartender will let you try it out before you order it, so don't be afraid to ask. They also have a good selection of wines and other beers, a few snack items, and that's it. It's a pretty simple place and sometimes simple is always better. read more

Great local bar. Wine and beer only. They have a cheese plate that could be improved, but one doesn't go here for food. You go for atmosphere highly recommend!! Dark, moody atmosphere, great date spot. read more