Akbar
Gay bar · Silver Lake ·
Lively, gay-friendly bar with unpretentious vibe & jukebox
Lively, gay-friendly bar with unpretentious vibe & jukebox
"Silver Lake legendary queer bar Akbar gets a shout-out during Charlie’s dinner at Ginny: no surprise, given its seminal place in Los Angeles’s queer bar scene. Open since 1996, Akbar was saved by a GoFundMe in late 2020, when all bars were forced to close during the height of the pandemic. It remains a central part of queer life in Los Angeles with inexpensive drinks and a welcoming crowd; it also hosts a robust calendar with DJs, recording artists, and queer-friendly television watch parties." - Eater Staff
"Miles away from West Hollywood is one of the city’s most iconic (and inclusive) LGBTQIA bars, Akbar. Open since 1996, Akbar was saved by a GoFundMe in late 2020, when all bars were forced to close during the height of the pandemic. Akbar remains a central part of queer life in Los Angeles with inexpensive drinks and a welcoming crowd. Always check the website, as this Silver Lake bar has a robust calendar with DJs, recording artists, and a place to watch any queer-friendly TV programming." - Rebecca Roland
"There are only so many overpriced vodka sodas and blonde-haired boy bots you can handle in West Hollywood before you start actively Googling flights out of town. Put your phone away, and go to Akbar. The Los Feliz dive gets rowdy when it wants to, but it’s still the antithesis to the stand-and-stare culture that’s taken over the majority of Weho. Akbar’s crowd is unpretentious, actually talking to each other, and always down for a good time. Strong, affordable drinks and a wild back dance floor don’t hurt either." - brant cox
"A large chunk of LA gay bars have a well-deserved reputation for being expensive, tourist-clogged hell traps. Akbar is the antithesis of all of that. The Eastside gem is a place people go to grab a cheap drink and actually hear themselves talk. Monday night’s lip-syncing competition “Learn The Words, Bitch” is everything you’ve ever wanted." - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins
"Akbar is the antithesis of every Weho gay bar you’re tired of waiting in line for. The neighborhood spot on the Silver Lake/Los Feliz border is always easy to get into, well cocktails are reasonably priced, and the crowd generally doesn’t have anything to prove. The relatively tiny dance floor in the back can get crowded, but it never veers towards overwhelming." - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins
