Best Bars in Culver City
Culver City punches above its weight when it comes to bars. It's got the kind of range that lets you go from a moody craft cocktail den to a cash-only dive bar in about ten minutes. Here's where to actually drink in this neighborhood, the spots worth making a plan around.
Nightjar · 8850 Washington Blvd (Platform LA)
This one earns its 4.9 stars. Nightjar is tucked inside Platform LA and it has the kind of energy that makes you want to stay for one more round even when you said you wouldn't. The cocktail program is serious without being pretentious, bartenders know what they're doing and will talk you through the menu if you're in the mood. Best time to go is a weekday evening when the Platform crowd thins out and you can actually get a seat. Street parking on Washington fills up fast on weekends; try the side streets just north of the complex.
The Cinema Bar · 3967 Sepulveda Blvd
This is the bar Culver City doesn't want you to take for granted. Cash only, open until 2am, and it looks exactly like it sounds, a neighborhood dive that has absolutely no interest in becoming anything else. There's usually live music or a DJ, the drinks are cheap, and the regulars are the kind of people who've been coming here for years. Bring cash. Seriously. There's an ATM nearby on Sepulveda but save yourself the trip.
Cafe Vida · 9755 Culver Blvd
Not just a brunch spot, Cafe Vida has a solid cocktail menu and a patio that earns its keep on a warm Culver City evening. It's the kind of place where you can start with a drink and accidentally end up staying for dinner. Good for groups, takes reservations, and the outdoor seating makes it one of the better options when the weather cooperates (which in Culver City is most of the time).
LaRocco's Pizzeria · 3819 Main St
Yes, it's a pizza place. It's also genuinely one of the best spots on Main Street to have a drink. The patio out front is a neighborhood hangout in the truest sense, you'll end up talking to strangers and that's a feature, not a bug. They do cocktails, they stay lively, and the combination of a cold drink and a slice is hard to argue with. Parking on Main Street can be tricky on weekend nights; the lot behind the Culver City Farmer's Market footprint on Main is your best bet.
Picnic · 127 N Larchmont Blvd
A little outside the Culver City core but worth the short drive. Picnic leans into natural and low-intervention wine in a way that actually feels considered, not trendy. The small plates and charcuterie boards are built to go with a glass of something orange or a pét-nat. It's quiet, it's good, and it's the right call when you want something more intimate than a bar-bar.
A note on the neighborhood
The Washington Blvd corridor between the Helms Bakery complex at 8700 and Platform at 8850 has quietly become one of the better drinking stretches in the city. If you're bar-hopping, that stretch is walkable and worth planning around. Pair an early cocktail at Nightjar with a late bite at Mizlala West next door and you've got a solid night without moving your car once.
Culver City's bar scene rewards the people who look past the obvious. The Cinema Bar is a local institution. Nightjar is a genuinely great bar by any standard. And the city's size means nothing is ever that far away.
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