This is a very intimate (meaning small) bar with a seating capacity of about 14-17 people. There were about several groups of 2 and it felt crowded. You can find patrons getting very close. This lounge is definitely for the grown and sexy. The bar is a challenge to squeeze up to because their are people sitting at this dimly lit bar that highlights the fresh ingredients like sprigs of rosemary and thyme. No one wants to move because the Mixologist is a showman.There were countless amounts of fruits such as cherries, oranges being tossed into cups. Each creating a symphonic aroma in the air. It really helped create this speakeasy mood. Mysterious and discreet. Unfortunately, it took too long to order and the seating was scarce. So, I walked out on the drinks. This bar is one of many in the hotel and there is no need to wait longer than 10 minutes to order and receive a drink. I'll be back to try their savory concoctions. So, I'm rating atmosphere. read more

My absolute favorite place for drinks in LA. Hidden in a dark corner past the lobby of historic Roosevelt Hotel, this place is an absolute gem. The bar itself is small, with maybe 4-5 seats at the bar and 4 small tables scattered around the room. When you walk in, you'll see an assortment of fruits, veggies and herbs/spices in baskets sitting atop the bar. There is no real menu here. You can tell the bartender what sort of liquor, flavors, fruits, etc you enjoy and they'll craft something special just for you! I've enjoyed some of the best drinks of my life in this establishment and my girlfriend will tell you the same. At $16-18 per drink, it's a little pricey but well worth it. Besides, take a trip to New York and you'll stop complaining about drink prices for the rest of your LA life. read more

Library Bar - Bartender's take on an old fashioned using Lagavulin 16. Smoky. - Lounges Near Me - Hollywood, California

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Hmmm....Interesting. Sometimes a place goes so Hipster and Trendy that it ends up sucking. Thats this place. My friends and I walked in and were surprised at how small this place is. Its small, dark, and a little pretentious. Tried to order a drink from the "mixologist" and that shit took like 20 minutes. I understand that making a drink here is an art form and I can appreciate that up to a point. I should just tell you what flavors I like and you do your magic. They should have a guide for newbies or something. Or a f-ing mood ring for them to read and then make your drink. It would probably be easier. Go to The Spare Room upstairs. Way better. read more

It is hard to find a good bartender. Yes, it is super hard to find a good bartender! If you want an amazing mixed drink that you can see, taste, smell, cheer, and drunk then this is your place. This bar doesn't have a menu. You tell the bartenders what you feel or want to drink then they will make it for you. You can see herbals, mint leaves, berries, and fruits on the bar counter. If you don't know what you want then ask the bartender to recommend his/her specialty. Drink costs $16 per drink but definitely worth it... love the bartenders, highly respect the time and effort that they spend to make my customized mixed drinks. will come back again again. read more

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First Impression: Small. Pretentious. Crowded. A friend and myself ventured there because of all the positive reviews and I was raring to jump on the "mixologist" bandwagon and have me a tasty "drank" or two and just chillax and people watch for the evening. Well, after hiking from the Hollywood/Highland parking lot, which is now 10 bucks to park at night, we entered the hotel and found The Library. There was no room to sit and no room at the bar to order a drink. Fine. We waited patiently, for about 10-15 minutes. Then, this dried up blonde marches in, whispers to the bartender, and all of a sudden, she's having drinks made out for her. WTF! Of course my friend says something and the bartender lets us know we'll be after the blonde. Gotta love this post-racial society. So anyway, the blonde figures out she just cut in line like she's on the school yard, and offered to order for us. It works, we order to pretty looking creations. Another 15 minutes later and we finally get our drinks. Second Impression: Watered Down. Small. Overpriced. I didn't even get half a buzz from the drink I ordered. So the fugg what it has dragon fruit. Was that worth $16 bucks? I say , hells no! A little glass with a ice block the size of a glacier was all I got for my money. That on top of the blonde acting like me and my friend were her new BFFs, and her other bar locals acting like we were all friends and they were going to buy us drinks (which the of course skipped out on), and I was too through! By the time I had 2 drinks and paid for parking, I was out $43 bucks. With again, no buzz. The Roosevelt can keep it's library and hotel full of ugly people trying to act like young Hollywood. It was boring. Stuffy. Loud. And, did I say, boring? I'm so glad I'm a grown ass woman. read more

If you're looking for an upscale, nice place to get really amazing drinks for a SMALL group, this is it. I recommend going, just for the drink-experience. It's about $17 per drink. - You go up to the bartender and give them a general flavor palette of what you're going for, types of alcohol you're thinking of, etc. and they build a drink from entirely fresh ingredients. I don't know how they knew, but when my group each got our drink, we immediately pinpointed a main ingredient that we all had been talking about earlier on our drive there. One of them was a lavender berry bubbly mix (for 'something fruity and sweet'), another was some tomato, basil, and peppers with whisky (for 'savory with vegetables and whisky'), and mine was rosemary grapefruit (for 'sour with a hint of sweet'). All of us thought our individual drink was DELICIOUS. It's a good sign when we tasted each other's drinks and loved our own personalized drink the best. (The only sad thing is... we went another round with entirely new drinks and flavor palettes, but we were so impressed by the first round that the second round's flavors, while they were impressive, didn't blow us away.) read more

Easily my best bar experience ever. A friend of mine was staying at the Roosevelt and caught wind of this mixology bar. Greg was our mixologist. (Side note: Potentially the best-looking man in Los Angeles.) We were feeling a little budget-conscious, and weren't there to get hammered, so at $16 a pop, we decided to split all our drinks. We just wanted to see what the guy could do with what amounted to the garden in front of him. He asked us a couple of questions and ended up making us some strawberry/whiskey/sage thing that my friend immediately hailed as the best drink he'd ever had. I had to agree that it was damn good. For the next drink, we asked him to make us his masterpiece. "You want The Yellow Bell," he said. He took two glasses, filled one with what I'm assuming was 151, set it on fire, and poured it back and forth to get it boiling. (The mini chemistry lesson he offered was pretty sweet too.) He then made us some jalapeno drink, put a piece of yellow bell pepper into it, poured the boiling/flaming liquid on top of it, and instructed us to let the pepper roast for about a minute. The resulting drink was something I can only describe by saying, I'd forgo most other things in life if I were allowed to drink one daily. So unbelievably fresh and unique. He asked what we wanted next and we both kind of grimaced. "You guys a little worried about the price?" he asked, without an ounce of judgment. "Don't worry, I'll make you a mojito on me." And so appeared in front of us the freshest mojito on the planet. Overall, the price is steep but well worth it. All of the liquor used is top-shelf, and the drinks are works of art. The mixologists are so friendly and unintimidating; we talked to Greg for quite awhile, and of course the setting of the Roosevelt will make you feel nice and fancy-pants. The bar itself doesn't even feel like a bar; it feels more like an interactive cocktail museum. Just a really nice treat; would be awesome for a date, or a place to take someone visiting LA. read more

Having grown up in the suburbs of LA but having moved away before ever being able to enjoy LA as an adult, I missed out on tons of great LA dining/drinking opportunities. So on a recent trip back, I was glad that my gf (better versed in LA locales than I) took me to the Library Bar. This is my type of bar. Dark and small, you'll want to get in quick with your order because it does take a while for the lone mixologist to make you your cocktail. With a bar stocked with eclectic options, you can order to your heart's delight and desire. As we only had one for one drink, I went with my tried and true Manhattan. And as you would imagine at a bar like this, the drinks are mixed and poured perfectly. If there was any fault, it would simply be that it's not easy to get a drink or the attention of a server/bartender. Perhaps I was expecting actual table service when I should've known that's not what Library Bar is all about. But ultimately, that didn't take away from the ambiance or the drinks. If I was in LA more often, I'm sure Library Bar would become a frequent favorite. read more

This is my favorite bar in Los Angeles. That being said, please don't come here. I like it not crowded. The bartender, Matt, is phenomenal and really passionate about what he does. How he comes up with his crazy concoctions is beyond me, but standouts like his Shiso Gimlet (my fave) and a violet grappa that he made himself still linger in my mind long after I've finished the drink. Totally worth braving the hellhole that is Hollywood to get here. As was mentioned in previous reviews, this isn't the place for you if your favorite drink is red bull vodka. A fantastic, mindblowing cocktail experience can be had for the incredibly reasonable price of $15. This is Hollywood, and in a swanky hotel, and drinks at nearby "dive" bars run about $10, so do yourself a favor, shell out the extra $5 bucks and enjoy something delicious. Tip: Park at Hollywood and Highland, get validated from one of the shops there, and then come drink here for a bit. And then don't stay too long so the rest of us can get our drink orders in, too. read more

The only place to go on this stretch of Hollywood blvd. Award winning cocktails, and bar food to die for. I had a tequila cocktail and the burrata -- which was the perfect light afternoon meal. I'm a cheese snob and this was the best burrata I've had! read more

Swanky, modern with black and red motif - weird zebra cowhide mirrors. Great that it's in the Roosevelt. Cool that it's pretty well hidden so not too crowded (especially given that it's so small). The drinks were great, but cost like $14-$16 each and were mostly filled with a giant ice cube. I'd like to see that ice cube tray - who thought of that? Anyway - I figured out quickly - order without ice and get ice on the side. They still don't give you a full glass, but you do get twice as much as with the ice cube in it. Nice place to check out, but I was bored in like 10 mins and on to somewhere else. We didn't sit at the bar - so if you go, I guess that's the place to be to watch and talk to the bartender. read more

3.5 stars. Had a drink and a snack inside the Library Bar. Now I've said that french fries could quite possibly be the perfect food and it's pretty hard to find fault with any. The fries at the Roosevelt are exceptional. Shoestring fries (I think $12-15!) come drizzled with truffle oil, some sauteed mushrooms and parmesan cheese. Freakin' sublime. I forgot about everything else. I'm still feenin' for those fries and it's been a week. I paid $17 to valet my car so I guess I had me some $30 fries, sigh. They also serve a $70 burger, but I'm good with the fries, thanks. read more

The Library bar is like a Choose Your Own Adventure for Alchy's. My husband and I were on a weekend trip in LA. When I searched on Yelp for handcrafted cocktails this bar popped up. We walked into the Roosevelt Hotel and meandered around trying to find this specific bar, there are several in the hotel. We almost got a drink at the other bar thinking that was it, but after checking out the menu there was nothing really jumping out at me. We decided to go somewhere else, and as we were leaving the Library Bar had caught my eye. We had found it! We then walked into a small dark room which had a speakeasy feel. There are maybe about 6 lounge tables and a small bar. We had lucked out and were able to grab two seats at the bar as two others were just leaving. As we sat down I noticed a wide array of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. From kumquats to cilantro, they had it all. I asked for a drink menu and the bartender told me they don't have one, you just tell them what you like, and they create something for you. I asked for a cucumber, mint, basil concoction, and my husband asked for a melon drink. Both drinks were fantastic, the flavors really worked together and were so good we really wanted to order two more. Choose Your Own Alcohol Adventure can be really fun. What stopped us from ordering seconds (even though we really wanted to) was the price tag. Each drink was $17, so it's fun for one, but quite exorbitant if you plan on having seconds. We could hear a lot of other patrons making the same comments, so this is more of a novelty. I would still recommend it as the drink was really good, but only for one. read more

I love Matt and his spectacular drinks. Just love them!!! It's so nice to be able to trust your bartender completely ... takes the work out of going to a bar because working / thinking is the last thing I want to do when I'm at a bar. Come Wednesday nights for farmers market night. It smells bloody fantastic in there. The air is scented with fresh herb, fruits, and veggies Matt just bought that morning at your local farmers market. Seriously ... go! read more

Ridiculous!!! $13 for a whisky sour...$15 for a cosmo?! ridunkulous!!! The drinks weren't strong enough for that price. For that price, you need to give me half the damn bottle! read more

This place is not to be missed. It might be easy to walk right past this place. There's no flashy sign, no indication at all that this place is here. Just an open door in the Roosevelt Hotel. I don't think I've ever had a drink quite like the ones I had here. Do yourself a huge favor. Don't order off the menu. Don't order you usual. Let them create you something. Like a cocktail with balsamic vinegar for example. Don't judge! Have you had one before? I didnt think so. I never had either. I am going to have to come back because this was really something speical. Something I don't think you can get anywhere else. Stop by and try something new. If you don't like it, then you can wander over to the Tropicana Bar downstairs. read more

Went there last night with a friend, wow, what a cool place! It's the perfect mix of drinks, ambiance, decor and crowd. All drinks are custom made, I suggest asking the waiter for his recommendations; had two drinks, both gin-based and they were AWESOME! There was no music but a crowd creating a nice little background of chatter. I can't wait to go back. PS: For those single ladies out there, one of the bartenders is H O T :) read more

I have several "mixologist" friends and frequent many cocktail bars in Los Angeles. That said, I can say hands down I never seen this caliber of artistry from anyone save Matt. The last drink he made me yesterday evening was pureed strawberries, 25 year old balsamic vinegar, Hendrick's, topped with a foam made with St. Germain. I almost had a stroke it was so good. The only drawback is now NOTHING anywhere else will ever taste nearly as spectacular. read more

Pretty amazing experience...as long as you don't mind paying $15+ for a cocktail. Seriously--think of it as an experience and not "just a drink" and it will go down easier. We stopped by for just one before hoofing it down to the Frolic Room...we were playing tourist all the way from the LBC and The Roosevelt was at the top of our "must see" list. The vibe is Hollywood cool. It's the kind of place that can easily make me feel OUT of place... but I was intrigued by the virtual farmers' market set up on the bar. The oh-so-handsome bartender was so excited to talk about all the fresh produce and such assembled and ready for cocktail making that there was no way we weren't NOT going to have a drink. Stepping up to the bar and telling the bartender what flavors/spices/fruits/vegetables I like or don't like made for a shared experience. Even the hipsters sitting nearby wanted to geek out with us and tell us what their drink featured and find out what special ingredients ours had. The girl next to me made me taste hers (nope, didn't know her). There was a lot of passing around of drinks for that purpose. My friend even got her drink served with a slice of yellow pepper in the shape of a heart, and oh yeah--it was on fire! I guess I should mention the drinks weren't just for show. They were amazing. Each one made special for each person's taste. Just don't embarrass yourself by trying to order a Mai Tai or a Jack and Coke. Put yourself in the hands of the oh-so-handsome bartenders, tell them you like it spicy--or that you have a thing for kumquats--and let them make you something special ;) read more

My boyfriend brought me here for a date night and I loved it. It's actually pretty perfect for a date. There are couches in the library portion of the bar and the music allows you to keep a conversation going without yelling. The cocktails were cleverly named and delicious! The beer was worthy of a thumbs up as well. Atmosphere is so cool, very vintage. Didn't get a chance to try any of the food, but I saw a few people come in and only order food; must be good. I'd love to come back again. read more

While I'm not much of a fan of the main restaurant at the hotel, I love this bar! Also, if you can snare one of the limited seats at the bar in the restaurant, grab one. They are super comfortable and the models/bartenders are fun to talk to. That said, I love to come to the Library bar either as a start of the evening (loosen up) or later if I'm hungry. I normally get dirty martinis which as hard as it is to believe a lot of people can't make well -- except for the Roosevelt! Also, I'm not big on sweet drinks, but every once-in-awhile I get a craving for an apple martini and the Roosevelt may have the best Apple Martini in LA. Aside from the interior (historic gothic?) and the mainly attractive people who hang out here, the bar menu is GREAT! You have to get the Kobe Sliders --- uhh, I won't share them so I tell friends to "order your own". Oh, the Valet is convenient on a side street and will cost you (but sometimes I haven't had to pay, not sure why). Unlike some places in Hollywood, you won't have to wait long for your car. read more

Last night was great as always. Best mixologists at the Library bar in Los Angeles bar none..... Excellent ambience, very cozy, great crowd. My kinda deal. Get there early for better service and drinks. It gets super crowded. Awesome for great conversations with smart folks........ read more

Sure, The Library Bar is on the expensive side, but welcome to Los Angeles. If you're going to be paying $15+ for a cocktail, then this is the place to get it. I've been here several times, and while Matt has made a few of my drinks Chris has made the majority of them. Both Chris and Matt are exceptionally nice and incredible mixologists. If you don't like what they've made for you they will happily remake it to your liking (that said, I personally have yet to order something that I haven't liked). Some of my personal favorites include the One & Only, the Panty Dropper, and the Red Fairy, but just tell the bartenders what flavors you like and they'll go from there. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, just ask for something crazy and see what you get. Don't go here if you're looking to party or get wasted, but it's definitely a great place to explore some interesting mixtures of flavors, hang out with a few friends, and spend time with some awesome mixologists. read more

The famous Roosevelt Hotel, this bar fits perfect into the design and what the Roosevelt means. Ive come to like Lobby bars and lounges and the Library Bar falls into the likings. Its a small bar that is relaxing, intimate and relaxing. This is place you come with friends after a hard days work, when you just want to have a drink before you head home. The drinks were great. Im not sure if its the freshness of the ingredients or how the bartenders mix is up but the drinks were good. read more

Went for a birthday party and ... not too shabby! It's like the inside of a gloomy estate, but the bartender (or really, the mixologist) will make you whatever you want, with a little guidence on what you like. T he ice cubes are big blocks that fit exactly into the glass, which is really cool. SC had a red bell pepper martini which she really liked, and the mixologist was happy to accomodate everyone else as well, with drinks that were a bit more off the beaten path. read more

I've had the honor of visiting the Library Bar inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and this quaint little cocktail lounge absolutely did not disappoint. Matt, the main bartender, is a busy guy! Between dealing with the rude Hollywood crowd and running back and forth, he makes sure he gets every drink right and has always asked me (and anyone at the bar) whether my drink tastes good. Thankfully, I have yet to disagree. I've tried his Whiskey Sour and Sidecar both are as delectable. Please appreciate cocktail mixology at its finiest. They are serious about their craft. read more

Pretty small, but very cute! We walked around looking for this place for about 15 mins. Then we finally walked into this little gem. I was shocked that the night happened as the reviews read. Arrive early if you want a table, because of its size, it becomes crowded quickly. I'm sure I counted 15-20 people inside and it felt tight. The drinks will run you about $17+ each. But they are made well! The BF got an Old Fashion. I would probably the best Old Fashion I've ever sipped on. They added herbs to the drink that gave it a twist. Any who, You might catch celebs here too. I would gladly come back to visit Library Bar. read more

I wasn't terribly impressed with this place. Yes they do make craft artisan cocktails with the freshest produce in town. But the 3 drinks i tried here simply did not taste very good. I think they tried too hard to be original & novel with their creations, often overlooking how everything would taste together. My friend got a drink that she couldn't take more than 2 sips of (WAY too sour) so she had to bring it back to the bartender to add more strawberries. @ $20/ cocktail (inc tax & tip) I expected much more. Not sure if I'd return here just to drink, but people watching @ the Roosevelt is always fun. read more

L-O-V-E! This place is super tiny! Probably the smallest bar I've ever been to. It's the size of my room, pretty much. But I think that's its charm. That and of course the incredibly unique drinks with fresh herbs. And on top of that, they have zebra rugs and hints of zebra everywhere. FAB. read more

Such a nice intimate place to have a fantastic cocktail. You basically tell them your liquor of choice and your preferred style of beverage. I got a whiskey cocktail and a sweet vodka cocktail. I was thrilled with both of them. Yes the prices are on the more expensive side but you are definitely paying for the ambiance and skill required to make cocktails like this read more

Not all that. Small hole in the wall, two drinks $35, which most of it was ice. Cozy atmosphere. The angle is that they use fresh fruits and herbs for their drinks. read more

"I'm going to the library" ! The Roosevelt's little gem, been to the Roosevelt one too many times just not to the bar but pretty worth it. Definitely a must go to spot in LA read more

This is a really interesting place. The best way I can describe it is a really cool, swanky, seedy joint. It is an old school hotel lobby with leather couches and seats strewn about the area, and the lighting is dim but it sets the ambiance and fits in with the overall of the place. There was a bar in what I would call the front corner of the lobby. There are no servers so you have to walk up to the bar to order a drink and because there are no servers the bar was a few people deep when we visited. The bartenders are on top of their game though and you do not have to wait long to have your drink in your hand. There were quite a cast of characters there when we went which made for great people watching, and honestly what does one expect from Los Angeles. The prices were average for a big city a mixed drink roughly $15 and an average glass of wine between $8 and $15. This is a pretty cool place to stop in for a drink. I'm sure there's a lot of history behind the actual location as well. If you are in the area I highly recommend popping in here enjoying a cocktail. read more

Matt makes the best market driven cocktails in Los Angeles. He really handcrafts each drink. Be prepared to have some patience. But you will be rewarded. Try the Last Tango in Modena, which includes strawberries from the farmers market, gin, aged balsamic and a St Germain foam. Prices are steep but its the Hollywood Roosevelt, so thats the cost of doing business. Very worth it. If you tell Matt what you like, he will make up a drink for you. read more

Library Bar was delicious. Although the drinks are pricey, they are well worth it. The bartender, Matt, is friendly and attentive. The Sunday ambience is great for a first date, a late night/evening chat with a friend/ or a moment to yourself -- they have amazingly comfy chairs. Inspired by the farmer's market, many of the drinks Matt Biancaniello makes are beautifully blended with fresh fruits/herbs. I highly recommend the "Last Tango", the Shiso Gimlet, or the Habanero Mojito. Matt isn't just a bartender, he is an artist that skillfully mixes his palate of flavors into tasty masterpieces. read more

I don't know what the big deal is about this place. I thought it was more going to be like... If I told the bar tender what type of drinks I liked, they would make up a recipe on the spot kind of going by my description. It was closer to... matching an existing cocktail to what I described. I COULD DO THAT BY READING A MENU. They gave me strawberry basil lemonade which I drank at another bar for half the price. IN fact the next bar I went to had the exact same thing in the menu =_= I asked her to make it less sweet/use less agave syrup but it was still super sweet. She wouldn't even customize an EXISTING popular cocktail to my taste... URGH. IT was so not worth 20 dollars, i could've gotten the same thing from a nice bar around my apartment for like 10. It is a tiny place too, the ambiance is.. eh. read more

Killer little spot with awesome bartenders making some of the most interesting drinks out there. Tucked into the corner of the Roosevelt lobby, Library Bar is a gem. We walked into to be greeted by a bar that looked like the farmers market had just dropped off a variety pack of fruits, veggies and greens. I was beyond impressed by the attention the bartender took to exploring our preferred flavors and making a drink that was sot on for each. My personnel cup of joy was a hearty, savory wonder that tasted like a liquid shrimp cocktail, sounds weird but I loved it. Our friend ordered what basically was an arugula salad in a glass, not my style but he loved it. If you are looking for a truly unique drink in an intimate setting, Library Bar is your ticket! read more

Amazing place and atmosphere. Sage (the bartender.. not bad on the eyes either) asked my friend and I to let him know the type of liquor we liked as well as what we were feeling like. Of course I went with my rum and had my mind on the beach and let him know i was feeling tropical.... People when i got my drink let me tell you... Holy moly, he hit it right on the mark... Perfect drink.... I was instantly taken back to a breezy perfect day on a soft sandy beach with a baby blue ocean for miles on end. Don't be surprised if your drink is a bit over $16... I honestly thought it was well worth it and will be returning! Thanks for the Drinks Sage!! :) read more

Really small, intimate bar about the size of a medium bedroom - tucked away on the second floor/Hollywood street level of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There are about 5 barstool seats at the bar and two long couches/seating areas along the walls and that's it. You can hardly squeeze in here on weekends. A fun drinking experience: fresh ingredients (fruits, herbs) line the bar and you can tell the bartender what flavors you like and they'll create you something on the spot but not necessarily a "full" bar - they were limited on types of vodka and soda mixers. Good spot to grab an intimate drink and try some new (pricey) cocktail creations but not somewhere you'd hang out to party or socialize. read more

Nice little bar off to the side of the lobby area. The bar itself was super dim, but you could tell it was nicely decorated, which made it seem like a hideout - pretty cool. Service took forever, although I'm pretty thats directly related to the fact that all of the drinks are specifically tailored to each of the guests' tastes... so I guess it's pardonable. I had "the whole enchilada" made with mezcal and it was utterly divine. I liked that they had a basket of fresh ingredients from which the bartenders were grabbing to make the drinks. One weird thing though, my friend wanted something with guava in it and the guy was saying they don't have any guava despite us staring at one inside said basket. We probably should have pointed that out but for the sake of expediency and the fact that it was quite busy, we just went with it. She got a bourbon drink of some sort and it was just okay. Prices are really steep though - again probably due to the customized nature of the place. Plenty of seating was available in the lobby, with a server walking around. Next time I'll probably just sit down right away and get the server to take my drink order instead of waiting at the bar itself. read more