Circle Bar

This is a great fun retro bar with friendly staff! Dakota is super fun! On our speed dating night they played '80s hits which was great for our crowd. Looking forward to enjoying more memorable nights here!

Great music. Dance floor too packed and too small.

The bar itself is cool, played decent music and the dance floor is fun. But at least for their NYE party they let so many people in that it became genuinely dangerous. Like extremely difficult to move, not possible to dance, tons of people getting shoved around, etc. Maybe they’re more reasonable on regular nights and I had a good time but I can’t really give a good review to a place that seems unconcerned with safety.

If you call the number on their website, the recording will tell you they’re open and have a DJ... Nope, NOT OPEN DURING COVID. Don’t bother calling or driving up. Hope they open soon.

Not my kind of place when it gets busy and the DJ is doing his or her thing. Music is a mix, but a lot of hip hop, if i recall correctly. If you dig that, it's fun. Lots of ladies and ladies dancing! That's around 11. When they first open, it's chill and you can have a conversation. Two for one on well drinks (9 to 11 everyday) brings me in a little more often. I'm a fan of Kelly, one the bartenders. She's always been great and is great! Known her for years before she went to Circle.

On a Friday it was crowded and rowdy but if that's what you are looking for. Good DJ and cheap enough drinks for the location.

The picture I uploaded was of the laptop of the DJ at the bar. She was absolutely amazing. I am a committed man (in more ways than one), but, man, I think I fell in love with her smooth transitions and creative mixing! This was one of the best dance nights I had had in a long time. I hope Crystal Ellis is still out there helping the masses tear up dance floors post pandemic.

Went during off hours. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful (and perhaps a little too generous), including being attentive enough to know when our group needed some water. The DJ was more than willing to accommodate our requests and pulled it off really well. All in all, it was a great experience.

My ode to the Circle Bar: I can't speak for the hundreds of complaints about rough security guards or what a shithole this place became, I can only speak on my single experience to this bar on my 21st birthday in 2001, a few months shy of 9/11 before the world as we knew it ended forever. There was a line, the three of us eventually entered a red-lit room. It was crowded, we got shots, we sat against the wall, I desperately hit on an older woman throughout the night (and was kindly shot down), we drank until the early morning then went to Tommy's nearby and ate terribly good bad food. I've since graduated college, got married, had a kid, quit drinking, survived in a world gone mad, and am waiting for my family to get home as I write this. When I went to the Circle Bar, I was a stupid kid--now I'm a lost adult, but I'm okay with that. I still have that shot glass. Thank you for the memories.

It's a classic LA dive for good reason. I spent a lot of my youth in this place, and saw it go from more classic hip-hop into a strictly top-40 joint, but it still could be a good party with the right crowd. Unfortunately having no cover (at least in those days) did mean you have frankly a ton of dudes and also an overly packed, sweaty dance floor. The airflow and fans aren't great and I've even seen the fans be off sometimes. Service-wise it's probably some of the nicest staff and bouncers you'll ever meet in an LA spot and this was consistent year to year. For a dive it's trying a little hard, but never too hard. Fun, quirky and sometimes risque photos line the walls, and the decor was always on point. I think they may still have a chandelier made from Jack Daniels whiskey bottles hanging over the dance floor. Unfortunately I did have a black blazer stolen inside once after setting it down, always a risk but it gets so hot on the dance floor and I'm a big guy so I do sometimes get bad vibes from other dudes in the wings, definitely could imagine one of them calling the night early and just taking off with my jacket. I did convert from beer on tap here to bottled only because I felt the lines weren't flushed properly and I wanted faster service. But price-wise not bad for the area. I may have gotten food here once if ever, and I can't recommend it. All in all this is one of the better crowds in Santa Monica IMO, although over the years it became increasingly touristy, especially in the summer as neighboring bars closed down... and also a bit fratty with deep crews wearing idiotic grins and carrying a bit too much money too confidently rolling through.

I had a feeling this place would be fun. I read some bad reviews but it seemed like it was only because this wasn't the type of place they were looking for. For my friends and I, it's exactly what we wanted--a place to dance. We showed up earlier in the night and had the dance floor mostly to ourselves for a bit, which was super fun. As the night went on we stayed through and danced our little hearts out. The DJ had a great mix of stuff in my opinion. From Usher, to Lizzo, to Justin Timberlake--it was all a hit (especially if you're a fan of throwbacks). It got a bit crowded later on but that was what we expected. Overall I'm happy to have spent a bunch of time here. It's exactly what we needed. Just don't go if you're not hoping for a little bit of grunge.

Flora was absolutely amazing, we had such a great time! Highly recommended for tourists as they had lots of recommendations.

This bar is great! Went out Friday night 4th of July weekend and it was packed. We waited in line for about 30 minutes. I loved the quick spiel the bouncer gave us, basically reminding us to be respectful and to have fun! The red glow inside is super cool. The music is AWESOME- if you're in your mid-20s, like me, you will enjoy all the childhood throwback music mixed by a DJ. Will definitely be back!

Came here with a party bus with about 18-20 people for the pride crawl. It was my first time at this spot. A lot of the reviews seem to complain about the security guards being too aggressive and music not being good but that isn't how my experience was. Security guards were very nice and respectful. Music was really good! The drag show was so much fun. Definitely coming back again!

I visited here on Halloween along with other pubcrawler bars on Santa Monica. Can't say much about the ambiance or crowd but I didn't like the music. It was a fast in an out for me.

ZERO STARS!!! THIS PLACE IS NOT SAFE. I witnessed the bouncer drag my friend out of the bar in a chokehold. To this day he has a lump and bruises on his neck from how aggressive the bouncer was. No one should have to go through this traumatic situation. They did not give any warning to my friend. Everyone at the bar was having a good time until after this even takes place. To be honest, if this happens again, I'm not afraid to press charges. I HATE THAT MY FRIEND HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS. It was very unprofessional, rude, and immoral.

Great music and drinks are a decent price, but security is severely lacking. When I alerted a security guard to a male on the dance floor groping a female patron who was clearly very intoxicated, the security guard did nothing. I mentioned this to the bouncer while exiting and his attitude was very much "creepy things happen all the time, doesn't mean it's criminal, you didn't tell me so it's not my problem." This business has been around for awhile. The owners understand the risks that come with running a business like this. Security staff should be trained to handle these situations to keep all patrons safe. Every staff member, but especially SECURITY, should be focused on safety. I know that things are hectic at closing and staff are tired, but the blasé response from the bouncer when I was sharing an assault I witnessed was completely unprofessional and callous. If you visit, keep an eye on your drinks, keep an eye on your friends, and don't let anyone leave alone or with a stranger. Look out for each other because security isn't looking out for you.

Top 40 music. Gen Z and Millennials. I haven't been lately but it used to be really good on Tuesday nights. Bartenders can be short but if you're drinking you wont care as much.

always had a wonderful time here! hopefully they have a reopening because i will most definitely be there!

Flora was an amazing bartender! She was so engaging and a great bartender! I 100% recommend this place and sitting with flora!

My boyfriend got punched outside of the bar unprovoked. The door guys did absolutely nothing and it was completely out of nowhere. They don't care! Don't come here

Circle Bar is not trendy or posh, and doesn't pretend to be. For decades this place has been the only free parking/no cover/live DJ dance bar to end the night. Perfect for a few more drinks and loud music. Get there before 11pm to avoid the line.

The Circle Bar is one of those Main St., Santa Monica hotspots. It has been around literally forever. I started coming here in the 1980s. Yes, it certainly has changed a lot since then. The crowds are different, the layout is different, but it is still a fun place to sit back, enjoy your drink, and hang out with your friends while you listen to some music. On the weekends, this bar can get very crowded. It obviously draws a lot of people from far away as well as local residents. But, wherever people come from, they are here to have a good time. Personally, I like the Circle Bar best during the week. There is far more seating and you won't be overrun with people pushing and shoving to get their drink. Plus, parking is a whole lot easier to find on weeknights as opposed to weekends. Overall, this is a fun place to hang out. The people are always nice, you never know who you'll meet, and kicking back having a drink here is always a fun experience.

Had my best friend's bachelorette party here last night. We had a blast! Shout out to Anthony for taking care of us. Great place for good music and dancing!!

I wasn't there to get a free drink; I went out to enjoy my time. After reading your comment, I now understand why your employees may come across as rude because you seem to be a terrible business owner. It's my advise to sell your business if you can't handle it properly or you will soon go bankrupt with this attitude

Really cool bar. The DJ was amazinggg! I wanted to give a 5 star rating just for him lol. The drinks were good.. the vibe was good.. it was fun! EXCEPT.. The bar tenders were the worst ive seen so far.. the attitude was sooo unnecessary and the very unwelcoming poker faces i just dont get! This is an entertainment venue, either hire people who wantttt to deal with other people or train them to act like they do!..We were there early so its not.like they were busy or tired! Also my friends felt that same way..And that was basically our only disappointment!

I was physically assaulted by the bouncer here. Without warning the bouncer put me in a chokehold from behind and jerked me backwards toward the exit. At one point, I fell to the ground on my back yet he continued pulling me by my neck out of the bar and onto the sidewalk. I was not asked to leave prior to this nor was I given any indication that I had done something wrong. I feel completely violated by the security staff here and have filed a police report with SMPD about the assault. I highly recommend finding another place to go out to as it appears like the entire security staff is aggressive and potentially violent.

All the reviews about the security being overly aggressive are absolutely true. My friend was grabbed by the neck and dragged across the floor, being told he had to leave without any explanation or prior warning. My friend wasn't even resisting, yet they continued to choke him and violently restrain him on the sidewalk outside. I cried and begged them to stop since we were already outside, which is when they forcibly pushed me to the wall. Afterwards, one of the guards had the nerve to call me "beautiful," acting completely dismissive and disrespectful after their physically aggressive actions. I will never feel safe coming back here again.

God awful DJ on a Friday night! His playlist was an absolute abomination. Playing pretty much all outdated music, from at least 20 years ago. Great for the boomers, not so great for anyone else. Try and find an up to date DJ next time.

Cooooooo spot. Like I posted on my "checked in" first bar I went to when I turned 21. A bit small or intimate if you will. Great vibes coo music. Always have had great memories here. Crazy memories to be exact. You find a little bit of everything circle and it's diverse which makes it dope so at the end of the day you basically come full circle

Had so much fun dancing with friends. We also came here after another place was a bust & had a blast. Drink prices aren't bad and the music is a lot of fun as most people end up and are on the dance floor. will be back definitely.

So I'm a big fan of this place, albeit I've only been here late-night after I'm already a few more than a few drinks in. A great place to let loose, I've always had a good time. The bar itself is huge, the drinks are strong and inexpensive, and it's a nice change-up from the typical pretentious Santa Monica bar scene. People are friendly and willing to have a good time, both men and women, and there is small dance floor where people really get down to the bangers they have playing. Great place to make boozed up memories with friends, or chat up the (beer-goggle) hottie across the bar. Now that I read this, I might feel differently walking into this place sober...

Man I love this place I don't care what fancy night club you're used to, or how big your normal dance for normally is this ain't it! And you have to understand that before coming here. There's a dance floor and its always packed and everyone is always having a great time. The drinks are cheap and they make them strong and it takes up the whole place. The people there are locals and beach vibes so no one cares about your bottle service you normally do. Just find 1 bartender leave your card open, tip them well, get drunk, make eye contact with a pretty girl on the other side of the bar, buy her and her friends shots, and hit the dance floor. Then catch A food truck outside and uber home. Never drink n drive especially from this place police dui check points are usually on pico and 4th Great time always never fails!

I love this place. The crew there really make all the difference. They are really welcoming and lovely which creates a positive cycle of social energy and leads to people being more open and curious about each other. Without fail I leave having met at least 10-20 new interesting people. They are really concerned with safety and keeping things polite, so if you try to sneak in some vaping while indoors (they have a very accessible outdoor space), or try to be pushy with anyone including the staff, they will get very assertive. Some come bring your best self and find it reflected at you 10xfold!

Line out the door? What line? Last night, Friday, we were two of about 6 people in the bar. Total. It was early, before 11, but still........... The two stars are for the dance floor, because I like to dance. Other than that, this bar appears to have nothing going for it, whatsoever. I was told by my date and another long-time local that Circle Bar was a great spot 15 or 20 years ago. There used to be a pool table, even. The worst part of Circle Bar was the musty smell that hit me the second we walked in the door. I wanted to turn around and walk out but my date had already ordered drinks. The smell was overpowering the entire time we were there. We sat in the back, talking to a musician we happened to meet, a vocalist. The conversation was so much fun that we considered a second round of drinks......until we learned that happy hour prices were over, and the drink price jumped to 9 bucks for a vodka soda. It will be a cold day in hell when I can justify paying that price to sit in a stinky, empty dive bar. We left.

Circle Bar!!! Yes, yes & yes! This is one of my favorite bars in Santa Monica. Why? Because the music is excellent and people actually dance! Every time I go to circle bar I have a great time. The people the bar draws are fun and social which makes for an even better time!

My friend wanted to come here for a "guaranteed lay", she says. I say, "Noooo...really...why????" Her drunk ass thinks turning up the radio volume and shimmying in the passenger seat is enough to circumvent the question...unfortunately, it works. The lighting in this bar makes me angry. And the only thing that I think this bar has going for it is the dancing. But it's not so dim that I can't notice that this dance floor actually has old gum all over the office-grade carpet. That's a first I've ever noticed at any place with a dance floor. And I'm not a prude by any stretch, but I guess the lighting in there also gives people carte blanche to make out all over the place. You people are old (ur fuckin my age and grossing me out) and playing tonsil hockey in a dark dive bar...it doesn't get any more classy than this here... Oh, wait, but I forgot about the girl grinding her ass on the wall opposite me when I was standing in line for the loo. I felt sort of obligated to insert a dollar into her cleavage. The times I've come here the bartenders have always been smiley and nice. But Circle Bar has way too much of a "clientele" that just gives me the heebie jeebies. Oh and the lines to get in here on the weekends are a big joke on you!

It can be circular, rectangular, perpendicular, or jugular, but how about a bar that you can actually stand at and get a drink? At Circle Bar, you get to line up against either of two walls, where you spend 60% of your time imitating a pancake in order to let people pass in front of you. That same percentage of time or more consists of gripping onto your drink so it doesn't spill all over you. Even with such precautions, any passerby can knock your drink all over your front - this definitely happened to me. I've been to Circle Bar twice now and my second visit confirmed that I dislike the place greatly. The dance floor is probably the main attraction, and even that is sub-par. It's crowded and the crowd is pretty sketchy. I believe on my first visit our group was trailed for a long time by a slimy gentleman in a beret. The girls are not much better - fake boobs and fake tans everywhere. So - loud with a trashy crowd and an atmosphere that consists of said trashy crowd rubbing body parts against you while you hold onto your drink with both hands? I guess you could say it isn't my favorite scene.

A strange place to come and really not a good place to be. The crowd is very mixed but many people seem like they just got out of jail and never seen a women in years. I have to say that this place made me feel very uncomfortable and not safe at all! They have a bar when you walk in and after that a small area to dance in. The DJ really sucked and kept switching music from many different genres and eras! Overall I would not recommend coming here and going to this spot. Stay away!

Best night to come is on Wednesday! DJ EDDIE.FM puts it down with awesome underground house music with a mixture of Top 40. It does get crowded here, so come early and party til 2AM. Bartenders are quick and drinks are priced like most places. Best of all NO COVER and FREE PARKING.

Loving all the new updated and facelift one of my Favorite spots has gotten. New Bar, new Staff all redone new bathroom 100% awesome. I haven't been In a few years and will def be going there much more now. Great Job Circle Bar!

Security there is dangerously aggressive and have had several incidents with my friends where the security is physically assaulting them. I would definitely not recommend coming to this bar. The music they play is not enjoyable and it's hotter than a sauna in there. The management should evaluate the full functioning of this bar because it's gone completely downhill. Negative stars all across the board and they will be seeing charges brought against them.

Came here on Halloween night and had a great time. Pros: - Cool venue (a little bigger than the streetview lead me to believe) - Great location (on Main St.) - Cool crowd (everyone was wearing a costume) Cons: - Parking on Main St sucks (be prepared to feed the meter every 3 hours) - Drinks are kinda pricy ($11 for an Amaretto Sour). - Music could use some improvement.

I've been here a few times, and it's a pretty ratchet bar but if you're drunk and want to dance, it's a fun place to go. Most recently, I came here on NYE with 6 people (total). We talked to the bouncer about getting a table for $250 that came with a bottle of vodka, champagne at midnight, water bottles, and party hats. It was 100% worth the price, especially to not be smushed in a crowded bar, fighting to a get drink. There were definitely some questionable people there, including two girls who were trying to encroach on our table and ended up getting kicked out by the staff. Overall, it was a fun time.

I only went there during the weekdays but I love this place. Reasonable drinks, cool bartenders. Good music with a DJ. They don't have DJ's on the weekends to maximize floor space so maybe this is when they blare the pop tracks that people seem to complain about. Easy fix, go there during the weekdays! Street parking. $4 beers, $9 crown and cokes (stiff)!

This is review about the friendliest bar in LA. I'm always going to tell it to you like it is. This is not the posh place with the VIP. This spot is a circle bar. Everyone can see everyone at the same time and it makes for easy friend making. Sometimes there is dancing and sometimes the DJ goes out on a limb and gives you that Marvin Gaye remix that you've been missing at a posh commercial top 40 swank spot. Never a cover, (at least not for us girls) street parking and reasonable drinks prices by LA standards make it highly recommendable. It can get crowded, I shouldn't tell you about it. DJ Moses plays some very cool old school hip hop if you are lucky enough to catch him. You are young once so go crazy. If you have ever heard about a legendary fight that took place here years ago that left a couple of bullies knocked out in the ladies room............ All I can say is that the story is true. ;)

Put your dancey pants on and come to Circle Bar. But really, put your own dancey pants on - not what you 'think' have to be dancey pants. My favorite part of Circle Bar was that everyone dressed and danced how they pleased. It's not a DJ beat-dropping place but rather a fun-filled dance playlist (everything from Mariah Carey to Pitbull) put together by an excellent DJ. If I lived in the area, I'd get all my workouts done here, fersher. Drinks are there... but not as impressive as the dancing. I'd recommend going out for a fun LA cocktail first then grabbing a well-drink or beer here. Aside from a living-room-esque dance floor, there is some seating with tables and at the bar. Once the boogy starts it's harder to get in so go about 8pm for optimal dance floor/no lines!

Not a bad place for dancing during your Main St. pub-crawl (one of the only places with decent non-house music). Decent, but mostly SMC crowd. Cute girls often just sitting at the bar and very approachable, just saddle up a stool to the left or the right and buy her and her friend(s) a few drinks. Lots of waitresses from the area and other service staff hit this place up for a drink before it gets crowded. I've enjoyed myself here every day of the week M-F, but weekends are very busy and if there is a line and you are (or look like) a dude, you might be waiting a little while.

Happy hour until 11. I repeat, happy hour until 11. What the fuck else do people want? If you're chill and laidback, you'll like this spot. If you have a stick stuck up your ass, you might have given it a 3. That's it that's the review

Decent bar with a decent dance floor. My friends and I visited on a Monday night. I think the crowd was typical of what you would expect from a Monday. There were a few people at the bar and no one was dancing. The DJ was actually quite good and so we started dancing. We expected to stay there an hour max but ended up spending the whole night. I didn't buy any drinks so I'm not sure if they are any good, but we had a good time and it was a memorable night. I'm sure it would be even more fun on a weekend!

This was listed as a gay bar online, however, this bar is NOT a LBGTQ+ hangout, go to West Hollywood. Furthermore, the music was bad and the drinks were awful, they put soda water in our old fashioned and martinis. Do not waste your time here.

Checked out this place bc of reviews saying it was "ratchet" LOL We clearly have different definitions of ratchet. The Circle Bar is instead just a small circular bar with an even smaller dance floor that's grimey because of how crowded it is. People were packed back to back and don't even think about bringing your drink to the dance floor. I can see how it's fun though because everyone's just having a good time. The music on the Saturday we went to skewed on the hip-hop/R&B side with some throwback/old-school bangers but there were pop song interjections often. Crowd is diverse/didn't seem to be college kids

Post Covid, on a Friday night, this bar is now completely dead. Mostly men inhabit the location, and it is typically full. For this reason, they have raised their drink prices, and I will not be coming back.

I actually had a great time here with a couple of friends the DJ played the jams I went on a Saturday night it gets packed and I mean very crowed it's a good thing we got their kind of early to get a nice little spot at the bar drinks were reasonable and quite strong I'll be going here again and FREE parking :-) that was a plus !

Decided to come in for happy hour. Pretty quiet at first and then within an hour it got crowded. They had drink specials that were three dollars and the bartender was able to handle my needs. This is a happening place, with the exception of the poor reception you get a new cell phone. I will return again.

Circle Bar WAS a cool bar... when I was first 21 and could handle - crowds - ratchet dancing - a wait to get in On the weekends there's usually a line, once you get in you go in a rotation, a "circle", around the bar that is placed in the middle. Grab a drink in the beginning and get ready for a ride, since you're practically being pushed along the edge into the dance floor and you have to dodge creepy guys, girls spilling their drinks, and then you get to the dance floor... Music is usually hip-hop from what I remember. It's loud in there so I would not go there with a date. More with the girls/ or guys and planning to get super drunk where you don't care how you dance and who's there. After you survive the dance floor you wrap around the other side of the bar, grab another drink and GTFO!

I can see why this place is crowded! Great drinks, and awesome DJs spinning too many hits for your listening pleasure. I had to take away one star because I'm pretty sure they reached capacity several times. Also, if you don't like people touching you, this isn't the place to go. It gets pretty hot and uncomfortable.