Tom Bergin's
Irish pub · Mid-Wilshire ·
Historic Irish pub with shamrocks covering ceiling & classic fare
Historic Irish pub with shamrocks covering ceiling & classic fare
"Opened in 1936 during Mid‑Wilshire's transition from oil fields and dairy farms to commercial hubs, this two‑story Tudor Revival bar — with its green‑shingled Dutch gable roof, dormer windows and green-and-white neon sign — has remained essentially unchanged while the neighborhood has grown around it. On a warm afternoon regulars, like Janna Bryan (a 30‑year patron who often sits outside with her soft, blonde dachshund mix Massi), recall the bar as a place tied to large swaths of their lives; crowds packed a hearing and hundreds sent messages to help secure its designation as a Historic‑Cultural Monument in June 2019 after it closed in 2018 and was at risk of demolition. “What we wanted to focus on was, you can’t erase what came before you,” says operating partner Francis Castagnetti, who runs the bar with his brother, Dave; “Everybody in this city has a chunk of time in this place and it will always be that to them.” The brothers, operating since 2019 and with over 50 years of combined fine‑dining experience, say “My brother and I knew right away that we were stewards of this place,” and have kept the approach simple and unpretentious. The famous shamrocks that cover the ceiling carry lore — from a verifiable story about Ronald Reagan earning one in the Oval Office to more dubious claims that the bar inspired Cheers or invented Irish coffee — and Francis quips, “In the ’70s and ’80s, it was easier to get into Harvard Law School than it was to get a shamrock.” Drinks and food stick to classics: the Irish coffee is still just Irish whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, and cream, with the cream sitting atop the coffee and whiskey without running; “But it just came back to: the simplest thing was the perfect one,” Francis says of their recipe. Head chef Eric “Panda” Punzalan retools bar fare — the well‑seared Wolfmother burger, made from ground ribeye, pairs earthy blue cheese with a buttery slice of brie and balsamic onion jam and comes with a generous heap of crispy, seasoned fries — embodying the Castagnettis' ethos to "keep it simple, but make it great." Inside, faded shamrocks, stained‑glass lanterns salvaged from the short‑lived second location, warm wood accents and decades of memorabilia create a welcoming, softly lit neighborhood pub atmosphere where, as Francis puts it, “Everyone is welcome here.” Hours: open 4 p.m. to late Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 1 p.m. to late Sunday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday." - Phoebe Solomon
"Tom Bergin’s dates back to 1936, which makes it not just the oldest Irish pub in LA, but one of the city’s oldest bars altogether. Housed in a Tudor-ish cottage in Mid-Wilshire, you can feel—and hear—the history from the moment the heavy wooden front door groans as you pull it open. If you’re stopping in for a quick pint or their famous Irish coffee (made the same way since the 1950s), the so-called Old Horseshoe Bar is where you want to be, with its iconic ceiling covered in shamrocks bearing the names of old patrons. Tom Bergin’s serves respectable pub food too, including one of the better versions of fish and chips in town, so if you’re hungry, order at the bar and wander to the back dining room with a giant brick fireplace, emerald booths, and wrought-iron chandeliers." - Brant Cox
"Tom Bergin’s has been giving Angelenos their shamrock-laden fix since 1936. As of late, the bar had changed hands and closed for long stretches, but officially reopened in 2019. It remains one of LA’s best, and most classic, Irish drinking establishments. The menu hasn’t changed much over the years, but be sure to try the ole Reuben with a pint." - Mona Holmes
"A legendary Irish bar with one of the county’s oldest liquor licenses that has returned under new ownership to pour pints, serve whiskey, and turn out dependable Irish fare; it still throws huge St. Patrick’s Day parties with tented parking-lot revelry, but weekday or off-peak visits let one soak in the historic energy without the crush." - Eater Staff
"I'm glad to report Tom Bergin’s has been saved — again. The longstanding Irish pub on Fairfax, considered one of the city's true restaurant gems, occupies an 83-year-old property that originally held one of Los Angeles’s oldest alcohol licenses and has long been a home for St. Patrick’s Day parties and laid-back Irish fare. After years of financial struggle and ownership changes, the building was recently landmarked to prevent teardown, and brothers Fran and Dave Castagnetti (who ran Firefly, Union and Michael’s) have signed on to operate Tom Bergin’s; they've hired chef Erik Punzalan (The Flats, Firefly) to oversee a kitchen that will continue serving Irish fare alongside a bar stocked with Guinness and whiskey, and they say they plan to honor the institution. The plan is to reopen as soon as this weekend with dinner-only hours (5 p.m.–midnight Monday and Thursday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday; extended to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday) and brunch starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday." - Farley Elliott
