Met up with friends here and had a great time outside, but once I went inside, everything changed. The bartender, Robert, appeared drunk and became extremely aggressive toward me for absolutely no reason. He put his hands on me, got loud, and threatened me, saying, "If you were a man, I would drop kick you and throw you out." He also said he would get a woman "fatter and bigger than me" to drag me out. I've personally seen him behave aggressively toward women before, but this was my first time experiencing it myself. My friend has also told me he's kicked her and her friends out, only to apologize later when sober. Robert needs help and should not be drinking on the job or intimidating customers. Management needs to take this seriously. I will never return and would not recommend this place to anyone.o read more

Total local dive bar. About 1 dz bar stools. No tables inside. A few outdoor tables. Tall bar tender - he is excellent. Sorry forgot his name. Not expensive. No food. But they are ok with bringing in food from neighboring restaurants. Parking a bit tricky in that neighborhood, but late is better. read more

A charming cozy nook to tuck into on a rainy day. A stones throw away from the beach, this curious pub is worth a visit. Jukebox music and comforting decor surround the small bar and exudes a homey sensation. Bonus that bartender Loretta is a doll! read more

The Harbor Room - a bar with many bottles of alcohol - Bars Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

Service was very much angry from some personal issues that happened with the customers that left right before we got there as the bar guy was still outside when we got there and empty drinks were all over the bar. Those issues that happened with whomever was there before us, were taken out on my friend as he went to order a drink and was accused of being aggressive towards the bartender when the bar guy wasn't giving better detail on the bottles we were trying to see from the seating area as we sat down asking about them so my friend jokingly responded as "whatever tf that bottle is" after he kept asking multiple times what brand it was to just order it from the bartender that was not wanting to tell him what it was on the top shelf and then as a random response we were chased out of the bar as the bar guy drunkenly accused him right away as soon as other people walked in of trying to "swear at him" when he wasn't yelling nor aggressive about the comment about the bottle at all... he was just making a lighthearted statement about the lack of details the bartender was giving on the bottle when we walked in and the bartender took it as his main reason to not serve us as the people he personally felt more compelled to serve walked in after us. When we left we could hear him telling the next customers how aggressive he thought we were when that was actually the first bar of the night we stopped by just to hang before going back to the hotel nearby and was clearly stereotyping us as being rowdy when that was the opposite of why we stopped in there in the first place. Please do better next time and maybe not accuse current customers of being aggressive when other patrons walk in the room just to embarrass them whenever you don't feel inclined to serve them. If you don't wanna serve them due to personal reasons that are beyond their control, then please just say that openly and honestly from the jump instead of lying by accusing them of trying to cause trouble in a bar that literally only had 4 people left in it at the end of a Saturday night. read more

Great dive bar! We love coming here before a dinner at cantalini's. They make a great dirty martini and the bartenders are great. Make sure to bring cash as it's cash only, but drinks are a lot cheaper than many LA bars. read more

Harbor Room gets 5 stars. Third smallest bar in America, cheapest prices on the west side. Whoever the man with the monopoly style moustache is makes one of the best manhattans I've ever had. Best jukebox I've probably seen in my life. Wide selection of rock, soul, you know the classics you either heard in your grandpas 73 Chevelle over the 8track system cutting in and out. Or the music your dad blasted in the garage during the frequent breaks while cutting the lawn. My only complaint is some of the annoying regulars who treat the bar like a library and get a stick up their ass when you start talking. But hey I think they are near their expiration date and I'd be bitter too. read more

The bartender was really rude and kept asking me if I wanted to share shots with my friend "because they're really large" it made no sense as we were both pretty sober. read more

This place has hospitality like no other, the bartenders here are on point. My new favorite spot.

Can't believe we haven't been here sooner being 40+ year locals. Have now been here twice in less than a week and we'll be back often. Loretta will make you earn your keep but she's a doll and her drinks are awesome! You can't help but love her and her Manhattan's kick ass! Our new favorite spot. read more

The Harbor Room - Manhattan and Long Island. No complaints! - Bars Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

I was excited to take my friend here who had never been. The gray-haired, female bartender was so ridiculously rude to him for no reason. For some reason she just decided she didn't like him. so we left. Won't be back. The best bartender was Pete who I guess isn't there anymore. Goodbye, Harbor Room. read more

Fantastic service! I really loved meeting the locals that come in at midnight. Loved hearing about the history.

The best. !! Bartenders super cool. The place is a classic. Great jukebox. And reasonably priced drinks. !

*** 10' x 10' maximum but they serve liquor, burp. (lol) *** I swear this place should have its own movie made for it. It's that quintessential dive bar near the beach, y'know? The one where James Dean would make some kinda convoluted emotional soliloquy just before plunging off a seaside cliff in an old Chevy traveling 60 mph. *** 1 jukebox, 1 bartender, old patrons, drink up! *** read more

I witnessed the most racist experience I've ever personally seen in my life here. The bartender observed and contributed to a customer berating my black friend with racist epithets. Totally and completely inappropriate, unwelcoming and despicable. I am disgusted with this behavior and hope this place closes down immediately. read more

Top notch dive bar. Great drinks, good service, what more do you want?! Don't forget to bring cash!

Staff is not friendly or welcoming. From the jump seemed like they wanted us to leave immediately. Felt unwelcome right away.

One of the best small bars I have ever been to. I had an 8 hour layover so I took an Uber to this neighborhood and bounced around some great little spots. Sure beats the hell out of getting drunk at LAX. read more

Such a great find, thanks again Yelp. Seemed a lil small, maybe clicky(like some local bars are), but a nice surprise occurred. Rustic, friendly, great vibe, *good prices, and a bartender who told two men to turn off the sound on their phone cause it was very annoying( so glad to hear a worker do this, wish Lola was with me everywhere to do this). That sealed it GREAT! local bar. *Sierra Nevada, gin and soda, shot of Dickels=$18. read more

The Harbor Room - a bottle of beer and a glass of water - Bars Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

There is the song Shimmy Shimmy Ya by Ol Dirty Bastard, in which he states, "Ooh baby, I like it raw". I have no evidence to back this up, but I firmly believe he was singing about The Harbor Room. read more

This place is awesome thanks in large part to the bar tender! He makes it a fun spot. A different bar tender it would not be so good. Has a cheers vibe. read more

True flavor of playa. Local spot that does not disappoint. I love this place and the more times you go...the more accepted you are...haha, sort of. As you walk in you immediatly are struck by the people who turn around and stare at you. Don't stare back. you are the new animal and its their zoo. Just smile and walk up to the bar and sit (if there is a spot with out a glass) and order the best pour in the area. Mind your business and listen.You will hear great stories and feel the frost start to disappear. I wish The Harbor Room was everywhere, authentic and honest. Please don't change.. read more

Tiny hole-in-the-wall, cash-only, local regulars' bar with about a dozen stools in the entire place, and eight of those are pulled up to the bar. Besides the bar, there's a juke box and ATM in the space of about 300 square feet. I don't even remember if there's a restroom. We ordered two bottles of beer and listened to some lady tell everyone about how she got 86'ed from another joint for touching some four-eyes with her finger right on his forehead. She used coarse words that began with the letters "B" and "P" and "C" to recount her tale. Just as we were about to escape, the bartender came over to the window where we sat to tell us the history of the place. You could tell that the peeps at the bar were regulars and knew each other really well, which could be good, or very bad depending on circumstances. My phone battery was dead, so I got no pics of this place. You should try it out for yourself, but sit close to the door, and don't let lady-gal at the bar beat you up. read more

This place is truly a gem! Pretty much the smallest dive bar I have ever walked into, with a cool old bartender who makes amazing stiff drinks for cheap. The atmosphere in here is relaxed, with occasional weirdos, but I dig it. Its proximity to the beach makes it even better. PDR is a cool little area, that's very hidden and undiscovered for many people who have lived in LA/OC all their life. It's unfortunate though, because it seems like these kind of places will be pushed out in maybe 5-10 years to big money invested condos and apartments. I hope that's not the case, but it looks very possible. This little location does have a cool Juke Box in the corner as well, which adds some more character to the small intimate environment. By the way, they ONLY accept cash! read more

The Harbor Room is just that- a room. It's a small dive bar right by the beach populated by older locals looking for a stiff drink. There's a jukebox with some oldies and not much more. It an unassuming and dingy establishment and that's its charm and character. A great local treasure for a quieter drink. Cash only! The bartender has worked there for years and won't stiff you on your cocktail. read more

I love this little spot! Always a good crowd and good drinks (shout out the bartender)! And the music on the Juke Box is my favorite. :)

Possibly the best Dive Bar I've ever been to. I'm always looking for a hole in the wall to have a few beers at and chat with the bartender with not too loud of a crowd and this is just that. (Unless it's late night on the weekend when the douche bags come in). Steve, the bartender, has been working there for more than 35 years and he's a fuckin gem. Short and to the point. If he doesn't like you, you'll know. Give him respect and it will be reciprocated. Plus he has a stiff hand so I'd recommend getting on his good side. A lot of locals come here and are on a first name basis which I love. This place is really tiny with only about 8 spots at the bar and some stool seating surrounding. CASH ONLY so ATM is present. Truly authentic and one of the best. read more

They are very racist here. My fiancé and I came here for a drink after dinner, and we instantly didn't feel welcome. When showing our proof of vaccinations, the bartender didn't look twice at him even though he has an accent. But when showing my proof of vaccination asked me if I was from this country. She then proceeded to ask me where I got vaccinated as well as taking at least 7 min looking over my card and making me pull out my drivers license twice. There were already comments made when we first entered and glares cast our way. We immediately left after and went across to Mo's. Which has great food and drinks for a killer deal during happy hour. read more

The Harbor Room is just what you'd expect from a great dive bar: dim lighting, boozy, friendly regulars, a charmingly gruff bartender and - most importantly- seriously stiff drinks! My date ordered a makers mark and much to his delight, Steve, the wizened bar man, poured him about a third of the bottle. It is connected to the neighboring Italian restaurant via a small hallway. That's über convenient for those buzzy munchies. read more

DIVE DIVE DIVE I love this little tiny bar. Its old school, in Playa and a fun place to step in for a sec. Always interesting characters. Cash bar Next to a really great Italian Restaurant Hidden, mellow, interesting. Go here if you like that kind of thing read more

Ok- my friend Dawn and spent a beach day at Playa Del Rey and decided that Saturday at 12:30 was the perfect time for a Bloody Mary. We went to a local spot called Harbor Room and had one of the best Bloody Mary I've ever had! Loretta the bartender was amazing, cool jukebox and chill atmosphere. Definitely worth checking out;) read more

The Harbor Room - The secret Bloody Mary ingredient - Bars Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

I don't even know how to begin this review. My night started off having a private 5 course dinner with wine pairings, prepared by a personal chef in Beverly Hills, to drinking cheap gin and tonics eating peanuts out of an old tequila bottle, in the tiniest divy~ist old ass bar in a hippie dippie beach community. The patrons are bitter old drunks that don't hide the fact that they either want to kiss or kick your ass. I couldn't quite figure out which they wanted to do with mine. The bartender was a lovely quiet tall white haired man that you know has a treasure of stories... or maybe not. The Harbor is definitely a place to forget memories, not make them. Be aware of the barfly, dear gents. She might be buzzin behind your ear all night. Another perfect Sunny evening. read more

SO this is the coolest little dive in town, in fact it is the SMALLEST bar in LA County, and the 3RD smallest in the US by Square Footage. Cheap drinks, not the best house liquors, but definitely worth it for quick cocktails while waiting for a table at the Italian place next door. Bartenders name is Steve and he has been there 35 years. Very Cool, Highly Recommended. read more

If you love a good dive bar like I do, look no further if you're in the PDR area! This place in TINY but has great service and strong drinks! Definitely a place for locals but welcoming to all passerbys! Just remember to bring cash or else you'll end up using the ATM and having to pay a service fee! Stop by if you're in the area! read more

This is the dive bar that dreams are made of... Its teeny and dark, cash only, and you pay as you go. The man behind the bar slings you your drink, takes your cash, and leaves you be. It's perfect. Possibly my favorite place in the state of California. read more

This place is a cool dive bar, not the average bar you would expect to find in California. Very quaint and great for hanging with locals. I met a cool crowd of locals and got to know some guys and it was a great time! Just be cool when you go! read more

The Harbor Room - Bars Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

Best chicken sandwich in town with the fresh made bun and fresh dipped and fried chicken!!!!! Thank you Mariano for the recommendation!!

My instinct is to give this place 1-Star and writing a scathing expose about how horrid and worthless it is. Truth is, the only reason I have for that is that I want you all to stay the hell away so that when I want to go in for a drink with the old regulars, you wont be crowding up the joint. To be honest, I am in LOVE with this place. So here it is: This is one of the realest bars I have been to my entire time in LA. The bartender that works at the harbor room has been there for 32 years. THIRTY TWO YEARS!!!! Most of the time in this town I find it hard to believe the stuck-up super-model behind the bar is even old enough to drink, but this guy has been mixing drinks at this bar since before I was a glimmer. Watching him work is enchanting... he literally doesn't even have to look at what he's doing. Know's where every bottle is located by sheer muscle memory. This could have something to do with the unusual (in the best way) strength of the drinks here as well. Along with my friend and I at the bar, we're about 4 regulars... 2 of whom have been fixtures at the bar for at least 10 years. These guys are hilarious, it was like sitting at the bar with an older version of Cliff and Norm from cheers. The younger and less interesting patrons playing the bar video games informed us that the place gets wicked crowded right before last call, as well as Friday and Saturday nights. Guess when you'll never ever catch me at the harbor room... read more

Love me a good dive. And this place is laid back and makes stiff drinks. I felt lucky to find both in one place. Had probably walked by here a dozen times and never knew it was a bar. Has a jukebox with great tune options. Some patrons with vulgar mouths but they kind of make the place what it is. Think it's cash only. read more

When Cantalini's next door is open and cracking and people are buying time while waiting for a table, the mean age here is about 50. Between 9am and 6pm and 10pm and midnight, the Harbor Room averages 75. One 67 year-old regular who buys me a drink every 4 out of 5 times I'm there (because that's how many times he's there with me) adoringly refers to this dive as "Heaven's Waiting Room." I have never had more enlightening conversations with strangers at any other bar, even if I'm just being schooled on '62 Thunderbirds. I love this place and I love the OP bartenders, Steve and Dave! A few more cool points: Jukebox, casino game, old photos on the wall, the occasional obituary posting for old-timer locals of Playa, really cool vintage register, cheap drinks, guaranteed horny old men willing to buy you a drink or two, and sometimes they'll even have complimentary bar food in a crock pot. It's like free tapas in Granada except I haven't seen them do it in a while so maybe they don't anymore. Cash only. No tap. read more

My degenerate drunk friend loved this place when he came out from Phoenix last summer. I live a few blocks away from the Harbor Room, and he said he was taking a walk before we headed out to the beach. Next thing I know, he was sitting in one of the 5 or so bar stools drinking Citron and Sevens at 10am, surrounded by what seemed to be a crew of ex-sailors who were intent on getting equally sloshed. An hour later, the bartender was begging us to take our friend with us, but he refused, and continued to get served. So I would have to say that if you get kicked out of Mo's or Prince of Wales down the street, hit up the Harbor Room and see if they will serve as your enabler of last resort. From what I understand, this is the smallest bar in LA county. read more