Real Charmer
Bar · East Hollywood
864 Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Highlights
Craft cocktails, free popcorn, pirate-y vibes, and a stone fountain
Craft cocktails, free popcorn, pirate-y vibes, and a stone fountain
"Real Charmer’s aesthetic can best be described as vaguely pirate-y, or at least a place Jack Sparrow would hang out on port day. This dark and stormy Virgil Village bar is home to a bubbling stone fountain and spooky wax candles illuminating an oil painting of the ocean. Calypso music tings in the background. If you’d guess that all translates to basic tropical drinks, guess again. Each elaborate cocktail in the menu book has a full page detailing its inspiration, from highballs with toasted rice whiskey fat-washed with sesame oil to a “mezze martini” that tastes like a boozy salad. The scene is mostly couples in booths snacking on free popcorn early in the night, but things tend to get mingle-y later on." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"With a stone fountain and spooky wax candles illuminating an oil painting of the ocean, Real Charmer has a vaguely occult-ish aura to it, and the elaborate cocktails that wouldn't be out of place in a potions class only add the the mystique. Each drink has a dedicated page in the menu book detailing its inspiration, from toasted rice highballs fat-washed with sesame oil to chai piña coladas to a “mezze martini” that tastes like a boozy salad. The scene is mostly couples in booths snacking on free popcorn early in the night, but the energy jumps up later on." - brant cox, sylvio martins
"Housed in a Virgil Village space long occupied by bars such as Smog Cutters and Bolita, this venture from restaurateur Dustin Lancaster (with Pete St. Peter from Eagle Rock’s Capri Club and Thunderbolt veteran Kayla Dowell) has a shipwrecked captain’s cabin vibe, with sailor knots on the wall and boat wheels above the bar. In front are two semi-private alcoves and a few small booths along the bar, but most seating is on stools at the bar itself — which may be the best way to experience the place. The Meze Martini, with Kalamata, dill, rosemary, lemon peel, peppercorn, and arugula, is a must-order for any savory martini lovers, or try a classic Negroni available with gin or mezcal. Bar bites like free popcorn and Spam musubi make it easy to settle in and spend a few hours here." - Eater Staff
"When the prolific bar owner Dustin Lancaster (Bar Covell, Capri Club, Shim Sham) took over Virgil Village’s former Bolita bar (R.I.P. Smog Cutters), he brought on a handful of experts—Pete St. Peter from Eagle Rock’s Capri Club consulted on the menu, while Thunderbolt veteran Kayla Dowell came on to act as beverage director—and opened the concept in November 2024. The team quickly turned the space into a bold red-hued room with moody lights and candles, a neon water fountain, quirky tchotchkes, a self-serve popcorn machine, and a menu featuring Spam musubi, tinned fish, and imaginative drinks. Concoctions include a rum-infused HMS Scorpion and a High Tea made with Earl Grey‑infused Wild Turkey Bourbon; additions have included a chai piña colada, an espresso cocktail with rum, and plans for a slushy machine for summer. That gamble has paid off: the spot is described as one of the hottest cocktail bars in Los Angeles. On opening challenges and reception, beverage director Kayla Dowell says: "Going in knowing that the neighborhood has gone through so many iterations with the space. I kept thinking, 'Oh my God, I hope they accept us.' I hoped that it could be just a cool neighborhood bar where you can get a really good cocktail. We made a lot of adjustments with the staff and were figuring out how busy we might be. Turns out, we are busier than anticipated." On response: "It’s been amazing. People keep discovering us, and the feedback has been so welcoming. Others were keeping an eye and waiting for us to open, and they are excited to have an extension of the neighborhood again. We have a lot of industry bartenders and hospitality workers as customers in the neighborhood or on their way home from work. The weekends have turned the bar into an attraction, with groups of young people celebrating birthdays or even older crowds coming to hang out." On menu tweaks and sourcing: "We started with a small signature cocktail menu. We made a couple of additions, like the chai piña colada and espresso cocktail with rum, that have been really fun, and a slushy machine, which will be a banger in the summer. The menu is super concentrated, and it doesn’t need the big upsell menus we see in other bars. I feel like we can play it into our smaller menu and represent ourselves well. We source our spam musubi from Aloha Catering in Westlake, and everyone loves our tinned fish from Fishwives. It’s a nice spread of options. We’re going to get a bigger popcorn maker." On opening amid regional challenges: "It was a challenge. Not only did we open during the harder holiday months, but once we turned a corner, the fires happened. We hadn’t seen any consistency at that point. We came out of it fairly quickly, though. People seemed to feel like they couldn’t stay cooped up in the house. I’m such a huge advocate of utilizing the bar to cope. And people were at the bar to connect again. When these things happen, it is great to be that kind of place for people, even though we were so new." On late-night programming and neighborhood history: "Three months in, we decided to open Tuesdays and came up with a late-night craft service vibe. It’s so cool, and I didn’t realize there was such a big karaoke community, because they came out! It’s grown where people know about it. It’s an ode to Smog Cutters (the tenant before Bolita), which was a massive neighborhood elephant. It is a tribute to that." On how the concept fits into the larger scene: "Our quality of effort, prep, and everything, there are a lot of layers in this cocktail bar. As for the vibe, I hope everyone feels cozy, comfortable, and transported — almost like escapism at home." This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity." - Mona Holmes
"The former Bolita space in Virgil Village is given a dense LA history — previously the Equal Parts bar and before that the longtime dive Smog Cutter — and has been reimagined by the same crew behind Shim Sham, Capri Club, and Bar Covell. The design channels nautical and pirate-esque themes without going over the top, and the vibe starts when you open the cocktail booklet menu, which “details the story they’re trying to tell.” The stars of the bar are beverage director Kayla Dowell (Thunderbolt) and bar consultant Pete St. Peter (Capri Club), who came up with a creative drinks menu that honors the classics while feeling fresh. Practical tips: grab a seat (there’s free popcorn), order the Midsommar Sour with gin, rosemary, dill, and kalamata olives, try the musubi or mussels, and linger — locals stroll in for a friendly hang. As the write-up notes, it really does have charm in this corner of Virgil Village. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
