Varnish Bar
118 E. Sixth St. Los Angeles CA 90014
Tel. 213 622 9999
Live piano music
Credit Cards: Yes
Prices: Drinks around $12

Hidden in the back of Cole’s (one of the two original “French-dip” sandwich shops circa 1908, the other being Philippe’s) is a small, speakeasy-type bar called Varnish, it is accessed through an unmarked door at the rear. Once inside, a hostess will seat you at one of the tables or you may stand at the stainless steel bar where fresh fruits and other cocktail ingredients are displayed on ice surrounded by beakers of house-made syrups. Please be patient as there are only two bartenders, or mixolgists as they prefer to be called, and all the cocktails are hand-built and are meticulously constructed from “daisy fresh” fruit, hand squeezed juices and hand-sculptured ice from a block. For instance, order the Palma Fizz from the small list of drinks, it is made with vodka, lime, fresh ginger, and rose water and if nothing else, it will jump-start you with its spicy, gingery flavor. Incidentally, the name “Varnish” refers to the few varnished railroad cars available for the elite in the early 1900’s, which the decor of the room attempts to recapture. Varnish is the brainchild of NYC mixologists Eric Alperin and Sasha Petraske.