Akbar

"Akbar is the closest thing I have to my Cheers. As much as I say I'm not really into the bar scene anymore, I don't consider Akbar part of that. It is its own thing, its own institution. It feels like there's a sense of history there that I don't think any of the bars on the strip can replicate. There's a gravitas to the space. You see everyone you know, the most interesting people. I love the fashion, too. People are casually turning looks at Akbar on a Thursday night. There are a lot of different vibes that you can experience: [one minute you're] chatting by the jukebox, and the next, you can pop over to the other side and dance your face off to everything from disco house to Fall Out Boy." - brennan carley

"Silver Lake’s Akbar was saved by a GoFundMe in late 2020, and that’s a very good thing for this iconic Silver Lake bar. After more than 25 years open, Akbar remains a central part of queer life in Los Angeles with inexpensive drinks and a welcoming crowd." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Is this the best gay bar in LA? Quite possibly. The dive-y dance bar on the Silver Lake/Los Feliz border always has a great, mixed (read: local) crowd and relatively cheap drinks, and there’s usually an event going on that’s actually fun and not gimmicky. If you aren’t feeling the dance vibes though, not to worry. The space is broken up into two distinct areas: dancing and vodka sodas, and talking and vodka sodas." - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren, kat hong, brett keating

"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

"Hosting a full slate of Pride programming, including a Dyke Day LA after-party and a sapphic drag show." - Rebecca Roland