Hush Lounge

Parking: Valet, Street Parking Difficult, Metered, Nearby
Historic Landmark, Area Classic, Trendy, Celeb-spotting, Old Hollywood, Romantic Upscale, Trendy, Bustling, Romantic, Bar Scene, Cozy, Offbeat, Old Hollywood Moderately noisy 21+

Formerly 86, a basement lounge and cabaret inspired by speak-easies of the Prohibition era (in fact it was a speak-easy in the 1920s), Hush Lounge builds upon the formula of a "secret" underground bar away from the tourists walking around the neighborhood.  Hush is certainly a nice antidote to other bars in the area, oozing '20s soul, with dim lighting, marbled bathrooms and leather couches. 

New co-owner Robert Palmer told the Guide "86 was a great space that failed to realize what it could have been...I want to make it more musically driven," he said in July of 2008 before te switch from 86 to Hush, adding that he will bring in jazz (Sunday nights) and blues (Tuesdays) when Hush really gets going later this year.

Crowds at Hush are a bit more upscale than the young-ish hipsters 86 used to pull in.  Prices are up a bit, too.

Hush will serve food, but people have been primarily heading to the basement space for the sultry late-night vibes that are unlike anything else in Hollywood.  Be sure to check out the regal private rooms in the back (they're the best make-out spots in town).

Parking can be a challenge here, so you'll have to eat the valet charge (hint: enter via Hudson st.).  Or, try your luck at one of the free meters on Hollywood Blvd. after 6 p.m....but they are almost always taken by 9 p.m. or so.

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