Death & Co - Los Angeles

Death & Co - Arts DistrictBeen here over half a dozen times. Bar over Tables--better service, more attentive. If you're in a group, a table makes sense, but expect loud noise and slower service. When seated at a table, getting a second round can be a hassle, so we just left instead.Drinks started strong on my first visit but dipped in quality over time--almost wrote it off. However, my latest visit for my partner's birthday changed that. New seasonal menu, and out of five drinks, only one was just okay. The hot cocktail? Surprisingly the best. Bartender was attentive, knowledgeable, and gave great descriptions. Happy to see them evolving.Drink Ratings:* Emerald Grove - 9/10, unique take on a piña colada* Serenity Now - 10/10, warm cocktail, so soothing, felt like it was good for you* Netherstone - 9.5/10, simple, clean, yet complex--could easily drink 10 of these* Hanoi Cafe - 9.5/10, ISI charge cream was amazing, balanced with a strong yet smooth cocktail* Yondu - 7/10, spirit-forwardFood Note: The crispy potatoes - 5/10. Extremely crunchy, almost burnt--some actually were. More like potato chips than crispy potatoes, with only a few that were light and fluffy inside. Not bad, but wouldn't order again. Appreciate the effort on the queso, but an infused aioli would've paired better.

I had my first Death & Co experience at the original NYC location, so I was excited to check out the LA outpost. The vibes here are definitely different--more spacious, a bit sleeker, and a livelier crowd compared to the cozy, intimate feel of the New York spot.I came on a Thursday around 7 PM, and it was packed, but I was lucky enough to snag a seat at the bar. Service was great--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. However, the drinks just didn't hit the same way they did in New York. They were well-crafted but lacked the same depth and balance I remembered. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe just a difference in execution, but something was missing.Overall, it's a solid cocktail bar with great service, but if you're expecting the same magic as the NYC location, you might walk away feeling like something got lost in translation. Would I come back? Maybe, but I'd probably explore other LA cocktail spots first.

We made a reservation to this place because we thought we wanted to come here. After seeing more pictures and the ambiance we decided to not go. Rainy day, so we made plans closer to home and forgot to cancel our reservation. A bit understandable if this place was sold out daily but to charge $60 for not showing up is ridiculous.

Drinks are amazing. Service is great, the crowd was great vibes too. Perfect little spot to enjoy really good cocktails! I noticed they rotate their drink menu often. What you got last time might not be on the menu when you come back!

On our second visit, we went for Valentine's Day and made reservations for 6pm. Over the course of the evening, we ordered the Kanzen, Jailbreak, Short Change Hero, Midnight Haze, Buko Gimlet, and Serenity Now, all of which were very good. The food was excellent, as were our servers Izzy and Jeremy. It was a fun way to celebrate a birthday evening.

Great cocktails. Dark, moody, elegant east coast vibes, excellent service; shoutout to Bailey who recommended the headhunter for a fun mezcal drink (the guava flavors were great, too). He also recommended the Serenity Now which was a drink served hot and a perfect blend of creamy milky oolong and Japanese whiskey (and I don't even like whiskey much!). Very subtle and sophisticated notes. Need to come back and try the food, but so far so great.

My friends have had this spot on their radar for some time and it worked out that we were in the area right before they opened, so we tried our luck at getting a table upon walk-in. We lined up outside the door about 30 minutes before they opened and were the 4th party in line. In just a few minutes after, we had multiple parties line up after us. Our party of 8 was sat in a booth toward the back half of the space. We had to squeeze a bit but honestly it let us hear each other better haha. I can also see this being a great date spot. The range of drinks was wide and every bartender/staff member was extremely knowledgeable. Our waitress gave us solid recommendations for each question or vibe we threw out - super grateful! Their cookie was also delicious.

I've always wanted to try the cocktails at Death & Co ever since receiving their cocktail receipt book as a gift. They have multiple locations across the nation and I think the NYC is the original. It's a great place to start your night with some craft cocktails and light bites. The main area is located underground and it's a pretty small space. Reservations are a must but they do take walk-ins. Just be prepared to wait a bit. Cell service is a little weak but I still had some, which is surprising for being underground. It's super dark inside and kind of loud so I don't think it's really the right environment for an intimate event. We were using our phone brightness to read the menu and often had to yell across the table. Their menu is divided into different flavor profiles, which is really helpful when you don't really know what you want. I'm sure they can make the typical well drinks but you should definitely try something new here and I think they've done a very good job at crafting interesting things. It doesn't seem like they have vodka cocktails and focus more on tequila or gin. Prices are a little high but it's to be expected being in Little Tokyo. Glad I got to try this place at least once! I don't think it's worth waiting as a walk-in though so plan ahead and make a reservation. It would be interesting to see if they do any holiday cocktail specials.

Fancy schmancy craft cocktail bar, never been and went with a fancier friend that has been meaning to try this place. We went early so was able to score seats at the bar which is the way to go. The atmosphere is super dark and cozy with heavy velvet curtains to set the mood as you enter the bar area downstairs. It's also candle lamplit so adds to the dark romantic mood, but even thought the bathrooms are right before the bar area it's easy for me to miss since it was just so dark.I was served by Edwin, Joe, Michelle and Zack for the night, every single one of them was on point with their craft; from enduring my obnoxious small talk, me ordering a custom drink based around a cherry flavor profile, refilling my water cup endlessly and being well versed in the many drinks on their menu in answering my endless questions about ingredients. As I was driving I only could get a couple drinks, it is LA pricing so expect to shell out at least $20 per drink, but unlike other bars drinks were well thought out. From the initial sip to how it lingers on your palate after you've swallowed. Buko Gimlet; Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin, Novo Fogo Cachaça, Pandan, Coconut Water, Finger Lime. So refreshing and easy to drink, I could have had several of these if I was there all night. If you're a moscow mule lover you need to try this one. Dreamsong; Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, Freimeister Hazelnut Gin, Strawberry, Cacao, Heavy Cream. Sweet and creamy, the hazelnut flavors really shines and it warms you up with each sip like a dessert. If you like white russians you need to try this one.My custom cherry drink: Basically a singapore sling, fruity delicious and delightful. It was so good that a neighboring bar buddy decided to order it too. That is what's good about this place, strangers at the bar each passing the vibe check. Though boozy these aren't cocktails aren't going to make you wince at the harshness of the alcohol, but make you ponder the ingredients and some are hard to find in stores or more obscure so even if you're a bartender like the guy to the left of me you'd still find something you'd like. Original location is from New York, I've never been so it's good to have a LA location to experience. Death and Co. also makes cocktails menu books that are perfect for gift giving. Parking is a mission in the Arts district so I just parked farther away and just hoofed it for about 5 minutes. Maybe the parking gods smile upon you and give you favor!

We stopped by here after a concert downtown for late drinks and snacks. The drinks are fantastic and snacks are good &,nothing special (just the names on the menu). It's abit dark but that is aok with us cause we don't want too see what we or others look like with several drinks . The services are great and fast plus the music is loud but not too loud and perfect for midnight mood. Will definitely stop by again whenever we can.