Bar Mattachine

I used to live in DTLA, now live in NYC, and still visit DTLA often. Hands down, Bar Mattachine is my favorite gay bar in either city. Great cocktails, amazing décor, and more than a few subtle (and less-​subtle but equally impressive, like the Isherwood-​reading go-​go dancer) references to gay history. I’m looking forward to being back in DTLA so I can visit again.

Living above Bar Mattachine has been a God damn blessing. The drink menu is brilliant and I get a kick out of the cocktail descriptions each time I make a visit to this place. The owner, Garrett, never hesitates to greet my friends and I on a first name basis. He is exceptionally handsome and hospitable. There’s a vintage bathtub on the second floor if you’re in the mood for a photoshoot and comes in handy if you need to lay down in a socially acceptable manner.
Sundays…Sundays are the most important:
$ 20 bottomless mimosas. These aren’t your average pitchers of warm, flat Andre and orange juice. The bartenders have some magical mixology going on that makes for hands down the greatest mimosa i’ve ever had. If you know what’s good for you, you have to order the «Slutty Sister» sandwich. It brings me to tears.

Anytime I’m smiling & laughing & lose track of time, it can only mean I’m having a blast AND that is exactly what happened at Bar Mattachine.
Our group of 4 meandered over here on a weekday night for a night cap. Bar has a nice décor and although we found communal seating downstairs, I wanted to move upstairs to grab a more intimate table. SO GLAD I DID. Little did I know, we were about to see the Live Performance of Jackie Beat, «World’s Biggest Bitch.» Fun & Hilarious, this was such an unexpected good time. The crowd was loving the familiar pop tunes w/​vamped up bawdy lyrics and the interaction (she would pull people on stage).
With all this going on, a server still came around and got me another drink through the crowd. Awesome! I didn’t want to leave and miss anything.
Also, spoke to a couple guys next to me because their cocktails looked good and they said they were Excellent, but I think you have to order downstairs so I didn’t get to try one. Next time…
Would have stayed much longer, but one member of our party was «responsible» and reminded us we had to get going. BOOOOOO! I’ll have to come back.

Simply amazing! I love this place!
The drinks are great and the entire design of the place is something to be taken in. I highly recommend it.

I can’t say enough wonderfulness about Bar Mattachine. I had my reservations about going to a Gay bar in DTLA, but it has surpassed all my expectations.
Garrett, the owner, is incredibly hospitable and took a moment to speak with us despite having a full bar. The hostess, Aaron, is spectacular… from her keen fashion sense to her witty attitude, she’s fabulous. Tony was security at the door; he was both welcoming and sexy scary.
The drinks are unique and delicious! Paying homage to Queer history, libations are inspired by the Mattachine society and the LA Queer experience. Drinks are hand-​crafted and worth the wait. Ingredients are of the finest quality and the ice is hand-​carved.
There’s always someone at the door to keep you feeling safe. Décor is on point. This is my new fave hangout!

Bar Mattachine is more like a 3.5 star type of joint, but it’s new and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt (I think they’re still working out the kinks, trying to figure out their groove, and whatnot.) As an avid lover of DTLA, I am always trying to find new places to try and neighborhoods to explore. If you grew up in LA proper in the 1980s and 1990s as I did, you’ll get what I’m saying. We want DTLA to thrive after decades of emotional abandonment and taking a backseat to the West Side. That said, when I found out a new gay bar opened up in the middle of downtown and that it had a lounge feel, I was anxious to check it out. Moreover, as a gay man who respects LGBQT history, I appreciated their homage to the Mattachine Society (one of the first «homophile movement» organizations that tried to change Americans’ views on gays and lesbians in the 1950s).
My friends and I went to Bar Mattachine despite some reservations. We’d heard a mixed bag of reviews from friends. Some said it was cool if not great while others critiqued the service, drinks, ambiance, and crowd. I try not to let those observations taint my experience so in spite of the conflicting advice, we went in last night.
My friends and I dropped by rather «early» for a drink: 8:45. That’s practically happy hour time still for my friends who are used to starting their nights no earlier than 11. It was a weekday evening too. We figured it wouldn’t be busy anyway so that kept our expectations low. Indeed, it wasn’t very busy: several men at the bar, a group of ladies at one table, and a couple small trios upstairs. There was one bartender: «a handsome ‘otter’» as my friend said. (If you’re gay, you’ll know what I’m saying!) He approached us, was friendly, and explained the cocktail menu. I ordered the High-​Five which had gin and grapefruit juice. It was alright though it sometimes crossed into medicinal flavors during the aftertaste. My friends and I observed that despite the modest crowd, the drinks took awhile to prepare. I think part of the reason is that there was only one bartender. A second one came later which helped with the speed and efficiency of service.
My friends and I sat upstairs and we each noted different things we liked about this spot. Overall, the décor was nice: interesting wallpaper, funky lighting fixtures, comfortable and ample lounge seating, and a festive Christmas tree near the window. We weren’t crazy about some of the generic hotel-​like chair patterns and the grotesque mural on the first floor, but hey, to each his own! (There’s also a somewhat graphic photo on the second floor of… well, I won’t spoil the surprise for you!) The music was pretty good: almost exclusively ‘90s/‘00s R&B and neosoul. Loved it! Think: Maxwell, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu. Again, like the décor, that’s a matter of personal preference. However, most folks last night were also feelin’ the jams possibly because many patrons were (myself included) in their late 20s/​30s/​early 40s. Friends have told me that on weekends, the music varies: pop remixes and Top 40. I mean, there’s a time and place for that, but for a weeknight before Midnight, I think they did a nice job of playing that genre of music. We stayed for 2 ½ hours and while it got busy, Bar Mattachine never reached «packed» status.
The crowd last night was relatively diverse though again and not surprisingly, mostly male and presumably gay. Based on the vibe, I don’t think Bar Mattachine is trying to market themselves as a typical gay bar/​club, but more like a place welcoming to all walks of life — and I’m cool with that! I think it’s possible for an establishment to be known as a LGBQT-​friendly while attracting allies — it *should* be inclusive and all about the community.
In all, I like Bar Mattachine. Friendly, orderly, low-​key, and nice. I’d like to drop by again on a different night of the week to see what the vibe is like then. If they are attracting a more mature crowd (older Millennials, 30-​somethings, and above), I’m hoping that they’d do a «throwback music» night to please folks like me who love our 80s, 90s, and early 00s hip-​hop, pop, R&B, and dance. Personally, I’ve not seen many bars/​clubs catering specifically to this demographic (If someone knows, please tell me! The closest I’ve witnessed is Micky’s in WeHo on a Friday) so it’s something I’d love to see Bar Mattachine do.

A friend and I came here last night to catch up and grab drinks. Bar Mattachine is an up and the coming bar in DTLA located on 7^th and broadway. I highly encourage taking the metro or über/​lyft since it’s in DTLA.
I definitely enjoyed the ambiance of the bar and the drinks were delicious. I got the Perishing Square Fix and the Hartwood. Both were made well and didn’t feel strong until later on when I felt the buzz after having two drinks. Definitely a cool place to try and drinks I got were reasonably priced-​$ 10 each. I do wish there was a dance floor but then again it’s a gay bar not a gay club.
I’d definitely comeback the next time I want to just grab drinks on a Saturday night in DTLA.

I was pleasantly surprised how good the drinks are at Bar Mattachine!
I had the pleasure of trying two of their drinks: Indian Summer and their Bourbon Peach Smash. These drinks are quite refreshing. You hardly notice the alcohol the way that they are meticulously mixed.
The crowd can be described as something of a mix between Silverlake meets the Abbey. There were quite an abundance of hipsters there with an ambiance somewhat like the Abbey. I noticed that some of the guys were sporting their man buns, a recent trend in hairstyles for men. I had a competition with my friend counting the number of people coming in with man buns. There was a DJ on the second floor playing dance classics that I recognized from the 90’s.
People were pretty merry as they migrated from some of the other local gay clubs around the DTLA area. I highly recommend checking this bar for the drinks and ambiance.