Super cute lounge / bar. The service was great! The drinks were really good as well. And their…read morechicken salad sandwich was delicious!!! Love the ambience here! Would definitely come back!

Small cute bar. Pretty detailed and diverse cocktail menu. However we tried some and they were all…read morereally sweet. Staff was nice to hold my jacket I'd forgotten behind for a week. Check hours before visiting and go early on Friday/weekends. Gets busy.

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.

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.

Seamlessly comprising of a trio of unique atmospheres, Midnight Oil's…read moreHao Peng You Hand Laundry evoked the San Francisco Opium Dens of the 1850's and their Tiki Lounge concept is punctuated with "Creature From The Black Lagoon" memorabilia then there's the main room or Apothecary Room which has 1970's Martial Arts flicks on loop. The epitome of consistency is the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken and Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice With Chicken and the pleasant surprise was their Pan-Fried Radish Cakes. The menu is diversified enough to warrant another visit which I hope isn't too far in the future.

Midnight Oil is easily one of the coolest spots in Long Beach right now. I love that you get three…read moreentirely different vibes and spaces all inside one building. ​ ​Great service, amazing music, and killer food. You can spend your whole night here and never get bored. It's literally a bar crawl under one roof!

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.

Your hao peng you (good friend) on Yelp is sending you a sign to check this hidden gem out! ;)…read more As someone of Taiwanese descent, I always get SO excited discovering Taiwanese restaurants and bars, which are admittedly a bit hard to find if you're not in East LA. We stopped by late Saturday night and were able to snag an immediate walk-in at the bar at Hao Peng You, which is the intimate speakeasy portion of Midnight Oil. The decor definitely reminded me of my grandparents' house in Taiwan, with vintage, ornate wooden chairs, dragon/lion statue carvings, and even a historic century old marital bed that had been repurposed into a booth. The drinks were also VERY unique, with my favorite being Hua sheng (literally meaning peanut), which was crafted from a nostalgic childhood peanut milk drink. All our cocktails were crafted very well, to the point where I thought they were a bit on the lighter side since I couldn't really taste the alcohol. This section does get really busy though and only had one bartender who is making/serving drinks and taking orders, so do expect a bit of a wait. Overall, highly recommend checking out this vibey vintage Taiwanese-inspired speakeasy (that my inner history nerd was so excited about), and I'll definitely be back to try their food items as well as their two other bar/restaurant concepts!

The atmosphere is cute and definitely a vibe, but it's pretty pricey…read more The drinks weren't bad, some were good, while others had a stronger alcohol taste than I personally prefer. As for the food, it was pretty mid and took a long time to come out. The popcorn chicken especially disappointed me since it didn't taste like Taiwanese popcorn chicken at all. It was more like chicken nuggets?? Overall, I wouldn't recommend coming here for the food. The bathroom was also a bit dirty. Drinks: * Hua Sheng (3/5): Nutty aftertaste, but the alcohol flavor was pretty strong. * Salty Plums (4/5): My favorite out of everything we ordered, super refreshing. * Jasmine Milk Tea Coma (3/5): My second favorite, but I wish the strawberry flavor came through more.

Visited Viaje on a Sunday afternoon for "social hour" (happy hour) and stayed for FIVE HOURS! It's…read moredifficult to find a restaurant with amazing ambiance, service, food AND cocktails, but Viaje cracked the code. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar and received AMAZING service from the bartenders Bailey and Randy. Both gentlemen were extremely knowledgeable about tequila and took the time to understand our preferences, pick a cocktail off the menu for us and then explain each cocktail in great detail. Give these guys a visit and I promise you'll be in a good hands! Cocktails/food we tried and I highly recommend: "Hasta el cielo" - The cantalope in this drink is so insanely refreshing, especially right now in this summer heat! "Paloma Blanca" - You'll be disappointed with every single Paloma after experiencing the Paloma Blanca. They mastered their in house clarified grapefruit soda. "Moda Chicali" - My spirit of choice is gin and it's hard to find a cocktail that isn't cucumber and mint. Viaje nailed it with this one!! It's a perfect balance of light and sweet. It almost has a lychee taste to it, even though that's not an ingredient! "Pelon Divino" - If you enjoyed eating pulparindo as a kid, then you'll love this cocktail. I'm not usually a fan of mezcal, but the smokiness is so smooth and almost needed to balance out the tamarindo. Probably the first time I've truly enjoyed a mezcal in my cocktail! "Taco de Pork Belly" - INSANELY GOOD. Pork belly was so crispy and juicy. The pico de gallo was perfect. And the handmade in house blue corn tortillas were DELICIOUS. "Taco de Camaron" - Also delicious. Shrimp was juicy and seasoned well. "Carnitas" - This was recommended to us by the staff and it did not disappoint. The meat fell off the bone and was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The black beans were also soooo flavorful and the perfect texture. This dish was enough food for two people to share if you started your evening with appetizers. Viaje is the perfect place for a solo meal, date night or meeting up with some friends for dinner. I will 100% be back and will be telling everyone I know about this restaurant. Keep it up Viaje!

This place really fooled us. The food was a 2-star experience, but the service was absolutely…read more5-star. The staff was attentive, friendly, and on top of everything, and the restaurant itself is beautiful. We knew it wasn't a traditional Mexican restaurant, which was perfectly fine, but unfortunately the food just didn't deliver. The ceviche was served in what tasted like a cold tomato soup, garnished with microgreens, cilantro, and other greens. Great presentations but the flavors just didn't work for us. The carnitas were the biggest disappointment. They were served more like barbecue ribs and were very tough. They definitely weren't the tender, flavorful carnitas we were expecting to enjoy with tortillas. The chips were good, and management stopped by to check on us, which was appreciated. I really wish the food had matched the level of service and atmosphere. We didn't want to chance it with dessert so we skipped dessert and after dinner drinks.

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.