Peking Tavern

"The old Peking Tavern made eating popcorn chicken in a nondescript DTLA basement feel super hot. The bar has since moved to the ground floor of a Little Tokyo apartment complex. And while it's objectively not sexy to drink next to a leasing office, Peking Tavern remains just as great as we remember it. The cocktails incorporate Chinese ingredients seamlessly, like a chrysanthemum-infused martini that glows the color of jade and a dangerously smooth, tart hibiscus punch with baijiu. Aside from the drinks, Peking Tavern serves dim sum, noodles, and some very good scallion beef rolls. You don’t have to leave the premises to find snacks, making it one of the more recommendable bars in the neighborhood." - Sylvio Martins

"This Little Tokyo bar is on the ground floor of an apartment complex, which isn’t the sexiest setting for post-work drinks. But, it is one of the best options in the neighborhood for when you want a great cocktail and delicious snacks under the same roof. The drinks feature Chinese ingredients in clever ways, like a chrysanthemum-infused martini that glows the color of jade and a smooth, tart hibiscus punch with baijiu. Pair those with the chili-dusted popcorn chicken and crispy scallion beef rolls, and consider your night sorted." - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins

"Maybe you’re familiar with the old Peking Tavern location: a sexy, nondescript DTLA basement that required you to walk down a random flight of stairs off Spring Street. Ooo, mysterious. Well, it’s now located on the ground floor of a Little Tokyo apartment complex. And while it's objectively not sexy to drink next to a leasing office, Peking Tavern remains a great place to go when you want cocktails and snacks under one roof. The drinks feature Chinese ingredients in clever ways, like a chrysanthemum-infused martini that glows the color of jade and a smooth, tart hibiscus punch with baijiu. Pair those with the chili-dusted popcorn chicken and crispy scallion beef rolls, and consider your night sorted. " - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins

"The nearly 10-year-old hangout spent a decade as an underground (literally) spot for dim sum dishes, scallion pancakes, dumplings, and drinks. It announced its closure back in October 2022 and began quietly teasing a comeback around the new year. Now reopening in the former Seoul Sausage space at 236 S. Los Angeles Street in Little Tokyo, with a new lease worked out by the District Realty Group team, featuring an open kitchen and large patio. Ownership is waiting on a pending Alcoholic Beverage Control license for the full bar, and is training new staff for a planned opening soon." - Farley Elliott