Accomplice Bar: Mar Vista’s New Neighborhood Cocktail Spot

Located on a small side street in Mar Vista, Accomplice Bar offers locals not only a list of impressive cocktails, but also a refreshing focus on hosting.

The drinks featured on their handwritten menus are distinctive (which should come as no surprise considering its links to Walker Inn), thoughtfully chosen, and well-suited to LA guests with their signature dietary restrictions. The Smoke and Mirrors (pictured below and made with scotch, grapefruit cordial, and honey) is a good example– a vegan-friendly and beautifully peaty whiskey sour variation made with aquafaba instead of egg white.

The Mother We Share followed suit. With its pretty appearance, heavy ice, and pineapple juice it might look like a purely sweet summer drink– but it’s the bourbon, Fernet-Branca and ginger that carry the drink. The ginger especially comes through (you could almost fool yourself into thinking you’re taking a detox shot), and if you’re still hungover at 5 PM when Accomplice opens, this would serve as a pretty great pick me up.

They offer their own twists on classics too, like the Everything or Nothing (pictured below). Pisco, dry vermouth, Salers, and Cocchi Americano combine to make this cool, herbaceous, and floral drink a martini riff worth trying.

But best of all, they’re served in a simple and inviting environment where the focus is on guest satisfaction. This comes through not only in Robert’s thoughtful questions about our tastes and his meticulous care with the drinks, but also in their commitment to making guests happy even if it means a departure from their cocktail list. They take pride in their beer, wine, and punch bowl offerings in addition to their quality cocktails, and this commitment to giving guests what they want (rather than giving guests what Accomplice wants them to want) also fulfills the second function of freeing up time so they can focus on the more complicated cocktails on their list.

And the last thing that places them in the category of a great local bar? We hear they have a pretty unmissable happy hour. Yes please.

All photos taken by SpiritedLA. Please credit and link to SpiritedLA if using any photos in the post.