• Parking: Metered, Nearby, Street Parking Difficult
• Details: Full Bar, Romantic, Singles, Trendy
• Hours:
  Mon-Fri 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
  Sat/Sun 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

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Ashley Joyce and John Lasker, the team behind bars such as the Room and Barcopa, have opened exactly the right bar, at the right time, in the right neighborhood.  The Association, located in the basement of a residential loft building on 6th Street near S. Main, is located right next door to Cole's.  But you'd hardly notice it's there due to the lack of signage (owners plan to keep it this way, adding to the mysterious nature of the space).  

The dimly-lit subterranean space has a “members only” vive, and feels like a cross between West Hollywood’s Crown Bar and Cedd Moses’ Seven Grand.  But make no mistake: the Association is not a trendy nightspot.   Instead, Joyce hopes to offer those in the neighborhood a warm, inviting “local” they can call home.  Call it an updated take on the pub, with DJs playing downtempo beats and more on weekends.

There are no “theme” elements here; just smart-looking brown leather banquettes, mirrored ceilings, brass accents everywhere and a regal looking carpet (salvaged from an actual Las Vegas casino).   And unlike some Hollywood clubs with wild design elements, no promoters.

“We won’t work with promoters, we are a bar,” Joyce said. “We will be a reliable spot where you will get a quality drink.   You’re going to know the bartender here.”   Indeed the bartenders are friendly here, and the selection (especially the whiskey...try the Ardbeg or the Highland Park 12) is above and beyond what one might expect in this still-edgy neighborhood.

“Our goal is really to connect with the downtown community, so they feel we’re a part of their lifestyle" Joyce elaborated at a friends and family event before the bar's public debut December 4th. "The bars that I do are based on the simple philosophy of looking after people and giving them a quality experience.”

Bartenders at The Association are actually a notable part of the warm-feeling bar’s experiential feel.  Joyce tapped San Francisco spirits aficionado Kent Howard to design the drink menu, which is heavy on classics such as one of L.A.’s contributions to the cocktail cannon, the Brown Derby.

There will be no guest list or door hassles to get into this bar (as long as your party arrives early).  Just a nice find for those who live in or near downtown.

So what’s behind the cryptic-sounding name of the bar?

“I love the generic nature of it,” Joyce said.  “It could be English, it could be for private members, it could an underground social thing, it could be a lot of things and that’s what’s exciting about it. Ultimately, the bar is about how you define it, its not up to me to define it…customers will figure it out.”

Drinks are reasonable in the $7 to $11 dollars range.  Parking can be a bit of a challenge here, and best to park on Main St. at a meter over Los Angeles St., which can be dodgy after 9 p.m.

 

 

 

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