Townhouse Venice

"Townhouse is a dark and narrow Venice bar where you’ll often find young tech professionals logging off Slack and kickstarting the weekend with a round of tequila. But there’s a lot more to this popular Westside spot than Happy Hour drinks, including its history as a Prohibition-era speakeasy that dates back over a century. Nowadays, Townhouse is more speakeasy-themed than actual speakeasy, but its past lives on in Del Monte: a dark, low-ceiling bar in the basement that hosts all kinds of acts throughout the week. Check their website for a full calendar and catch anything from jazz bands to acoustic guitarists to stand-up comedy in a venue that still feels like a well-kept secret. " - brant cox, sylvio martins

"There’s a lot of history behind Townhouse, starting with the fact that it’s over 100 years old and its lower level, the Del Monte, was an actual Prohibition Era speakeasy. These days Townhouse is more speakeasy-themed and exists as a rowdy two-story bar full of college students and young professionals looking to kick off the weekend with tequila cocktails or catching a live act at Del Monte. Booths are available on the ground floor if you’re here to catch up with friends, but this very loud venue can make carrying a conversation difficult without straining your vocal cords." - sylvio martins

"The Ryans currently own and operate Townhouse in Venice and Menotti’s coffee shop (multiple locations) in addition to Hatchet Hall." - Cathy Chaplin

"A part of Venice history since 1915, the Townhouse is one of the oldest bars in Los Angeles, and boasts that its use as a local watering hole was never once interrupted by war, temperance, or those pesky prohibition laws. During the prohibition, the resourceful owners ran a successful speakeasy in the basement called The Del Monte (hidden by the grocery store upstairs), and kept the locals in clandestine liquor throughout the entire prohibition era. Small ships carrying illegal shipments of rum and whiskey from Canada would sail underneath the former Abbot Kinney pier en route to their destiny as the saviors of thirsty Los Angeleno souls. From there, the hootch would be smuggled through catacombs and underground tunnels and funneled into the city, with it’s first stop right off of the pier being The Del Monte. Today, the Townhouse has kept much of its historical charm, and recently, after much hoopla with grandfathered liquor laws, managed to reopen the speakeasy portion of the bar. While The Del Monte is only open on select nights of the week, not unlike the hush-hush nature of a real, live speakeasy, the Townhouse portion of the building keeps typical bar hours. The bar is proud to honor the “golden age of drinking,” with mixologists using classic bartending techniques and recipes combined with a modern flair. The nightly conjuring of classic Whiskey Sours and, of course, delightful Old Fashioneds hearkens back to a time when drinking was a serious and risky business, but never one without style." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

"There’s a lot of history behind Townhouse, starting with the fact that it’s over 100 years old and its lower level, the Del Monte, was an actual Prohibition Era speakeasy. These days Townhouse is more speakeasy-themed and exists as a rowdy two-story bar full of college students and young professionals looking to kick off the weekend with tequila cocktails or catching a live act at Del Monte. There are booths available on the ground floor if you’re here to catch up with friends, but this very loud venue can make carrying a conversation difficult without straining your vocal cords." - Sylvio Martins