The Association

I should have listened to friends before coming here, but I thought I’d give it a chance. Right off the bat, didn’t make it in on a Thursday night at 9 pm! The 3 bouncers in front of the door said I needed a reservation to get in. Which was untrue because I did my reach a rsvp was not required. I continued to asked the so called «bouncers» why they couldn’t let us in, and they said cause «No,» and «Casue we can do that.» I’d say don’t waste your time here, plenty of other bars that would love your business, plently.

My friends and I came in here on a Monday night and needed a sour tasting bourbon cocktail. Matt the bartender was super friendly and helpful and ended up creating a fantastic libation. Also the music was on point! 5 stars!

I loved going to this bar, been here a good number of times — but I left on a sour note on my last visit. Bar is cool, bartenders are cool, music is cool, crowd is cool… but there was one waitress that had so much attitude. She was *supposed* to serve us as we were in the sitting area. and I get that we should go to her for drinks, but she SCOLDED us when we went to the bar to get drinks.
«I told you guys 5 times, do you just want to close out your tab and leave?»
Sorry, she wasn’t there most of the time. were we supposed to wait for her and/​or hunt her down all over the place? If we wanted drinks and she wasn’t around, sorry — I will get drinks myself, but she shouldn’t get mad — my money is still going to the same pot she will be getting her share from, right? What’s wrong with that? How about that tip I was gonna give to her? I’m a great tipper too. But because of that fit, my money is going somewhere else now.
Thanks for the memories, The Association!

It’s unfortunate that I have to write this review because I really liked The Association. But after my last experience and having to deal with the unprofessional manager and staff, I don’t plan on returning or ever giving them any of my money.
I booked a table for my birthday last month and had to provide my credit card info to reserve the table. I had a great time even though they moved my party from one area to another and took forever with drinks. At the end of the night I chose to pay 80% of the bill in cash and two of my friends split the rest on their card. I NEVER used the card I provided to reserve the table to pay for the bill. A few days later, like a normal person, I checked my bank statements and noticed that there was a charge on my card from the association. So I contacted the association and never heard back from anyone. I then contact the events manager who I reserved the table with and gave my credit card info to. She put me in contact with McCray Miller, the general manager. He assured me that he would speak to my server from that night and «get back to me shortly». A few days pass and I hear nothing. I emailed him, left him a voicemail and never heard back. Finally I got fed up and emailed him again stating that if I didn’t hear back from him I would file a complaint to the better business bureau. 15 minutes later, he responds saying that one of the cards that was to be charged was declined and «someone» instructed the server to charge the card on file. AT NO POINT DID SEHMAR, my server tell me or ANYONE in my party that a card was declined nor was she EVER instructed to charge my card. BOTH MY FRIENDS WERE CHARGED and I paid over $ 200 cash. The manager instructed me to provide proof that both my friends were charged and he would gladly refund me. I send the receipts and NEVER hear back from him. Two weeks later, I HAVE YET TO GET MY MONEY BACK. So now I will file a complaint to the better business bureau. *Middle fingers in the air the association*

Accidentally stumbled in here while trying to find Varnish (right next door at Cole’s — I am an idiot) and was pleasantly surprised.
Compared to the quiet, intimate atmosphere I was expecting, it was loud, packed and… really dark. I think you need to be a tarsier, owl or other nocturnal animal to see a foot in front of you here. No joke. It’s dark. The only thing you can really see are the lights from the bar, of course, and scattered lamps and candles. Something about a 10 then a 2…
I had a nice negroni and a Moscow mule and both were made with a slight twist. The Moscow had bitters on top, which was a nice balance to the tart juices. Service was also quick! Pretty ideal for a night out. The dj started picking up early in the night and people started dancing in the little designated dance area. It was pretty packed, but I didn’t have any problem finding standing room. The venue isn’t very big so navigating around and finding your buddies isn’t difficult.
Note: The bathrooms for girls were pitch black inside the stalls. That was… a little disorienting. Was the light out or am I supposed to be stumbling around in a dirty, nasty bathroom stall? Hahah
Good vibes, fun beats and tasty drinks. Would definitely come here again!

This place has gotten better. Had their French martini. This place really gives you strong drinks.

We attended a friend’s bday here, drove around once and once again until we picked an underground parking lot. Brass door can easily be missed.
Like any downtown underground bar, it’s dim to dark, gets livelier as the night rolls on, and harder to move around.
They have a 3 main private areas for private parties, otherwise it’s open to first come first grab. Drinks at the bar is way stiff but ordering from the waitress is kind of a hit or miss.
Great meat up place and mingle all night.

This is one of the best bars I have ever been to. Located to the right of Cole’s, down some stairs and hidden behind an unmarked door with a lion’s head knocker. We arrived here around 10PM and there was no line at the door. We treated the doorman with respect and received the same respect in return.
This bar is utterly dark and makes for a very romantic setting. Your eyes need a few moments to adjust when first walking in, even though it was dark outside when we entered. Yeah, it’s that dark. We sat at the bar and only waited a minute or two before our bartender approached us. We took the last two seats at the bar and things were starting to pickup, but the wait was never too bad. There was no need to flag someone down for a drink.
And the drinks, they are STRONG!!! I’ve had my fair share of sazeracs in my life, but the sazerac from here is absolutely no joke. Our two sazeracs cost $ 25, not too bad if you ask me. The place starts getting busy around 11PM, at which time they start taking away the stools at the bar. I think this is the only thing I didn’t like. I like to sit when I’m having a drink, so does my wife. Last thing we want to do is stand there for hours on end while enjoying a well crafted drink. If you’re looking to sit and enjoy a drink here, get here early or reserve a table, otherwise, you’ll be standing around the bar all night rubbing elbows with everyone.
Aside from the stools being taken away, this is an awesome bar.

Had a perfect date night with my boyfriend here this past Saturday night. Our 1^st time at this place. At the door the security was nice and extremly hospitable. When we went inside we went to the bar and the bartenders were welcoming, fast and greeted us quickly!
They have Great drinks! Bartenders made unique and delicious cocktails. They had a DJ we had a chance to dance too.
We will be back.

I usually am not a cocktails girl, but the French 75 and Old Fashioned’s here are GREAT because the bartenders really know how to make them.
The ambiance is VERY dark (hard for your eyes to adjust) and trendy with a dress code, and the drinks are pricey but worth the expense.
The Association has little signage and only the big knocker on the door and the bouncers standing outside of it indicate that a bar is here.
After you walk down the steps, you see (once your eyes adjust) a dark speakeasy with a cool vibe.
On weekends, it can get VERY crowded and HOT (ventilation? Hello?). However, you almost certainly will meet some interesting people, and it is fun to watch the knowledgeable bartenders ply their trade.
If you are a girl, come in a large group to ward off the many homeless who will harass you.
If you want to avoid crowds, come during the week.

Part of the Circa93 family, The Association has the familiar dim, upscale speakeasy vibe that other Circa93 bars have (e.g. The Room, The Continental Club). A minimally marked door, save for the 110 and lion door knocker, leads to a spacious, dark bar with a fair amount of standing area.
Tried the Rose Bowl, which was pretty tasty. Cocktails are about $ 13. I came pretty early on a Friday night so there wasn’t much of a line/​scene yet, though sounds like it can get pretty long based on prior reviews.
If dark speakeasies aren’t your thing, next door is Coles/​The Varnish, which is a smaller, nicely lit speakeasy tucked away inside a restaurant.

I’ve passed by this place for awhile on my way to Black Sheep two doors down, and have never stopped in. It’s easy to miss it, because there is no signage, only a door with a lion head knocker. We came here last night, on New Year’s day and it was fairly empty. They do have a dress code, but the security at the door said that because it was a slow night, they would let us in. I was dressed in some tight workout pants, tennis shoes, and a hoodie. I didn’t look bad, but it wasn’t lounge/​bar suitable. Had I planned on visiting lounges all night, I would have worn a dress and some heels.
We met up with some other Unilocalers who were in the area and sat and chatted with them for awhile. I am a big time virgin when it comes to alcohol. I don’t drink much and have never been tipsy, let alone drunk. I am the type of person who has a natural high, so I don’t need alcohol to loosen up, plus I want to know that what I am doing is because I want to do it, not because I am under the influence of something. For example, if I want to wake up next to some hot (I hope he’s hot) stranger tomorrow morning, I want to know that I am doing it because I want to, not because I’m drunk. See what I mean?
So, anyway, I advised the bartender of my virginity and asked for something sweet and something small (meaning no tall glass of beer or some other cocktail). He mixed something up with vodka and it was the perfect size. I don’t remember the name of it, but it was sweet and sour. A few sips would have suited me just fine, but since my buddy bought my drink, I felt obligated to finish it and we were there long enough for me to.
In all, it was a good vibe and I would probably go and try it again. I think it would have been even more fun if I were dressed for the part and if there were more people in there. Plus, the DJ couldn’t make up his mind on what to play. He was kind of all over the place with the different genre’s and when he did play something good, he would switch it so quick that we couldn’t enjoy it for long, but I would definitely go back!

The first time I went here with friends, we were so lost because there isn’t any kind of sign. The directions to it is that literally, you look for that specific black door with the numbers 110 on it. On a thursday night, it was relatively empty around 930 PM. It’s more of a lounge bar, pretty dark and red. The drinks were pretty good as well.
For the cuba libre drink, the bartender made a special mix for me and added honey. Pretty interesting. The other drink with the egg whites was interesting. After adding the flower bitters, it had this cinnamon raisin taste for me.
I liked the fact that there isn’t a large dance floor and just a lot of couches for everyone to sit and hang out. Its not really loud and the seating is especially comfortable. Just wished they serve food as well because I got a bit hungry but there’s always Carl’s next door.

If you’re looking to make some bad decisions tonight or amplify the effects of your alcohol goggles, look no further, this is the place to be. Why? Because this bar is so darn dark you can’t see shi*t at all. On top of that, the music is so loud that you can’t hear sh*t at all either. So if you’re into this kind of sensory dominance then you’ll definitely enjoy this place. But for the rest of us who want to be able to see who we’re talking and hear what they have to say, this is definitely not the place to be.
I’m not sure why the music is so loud because honestly there is no space for anyone to dance, let alone move around inside. There isn’t a dance floor area, and this place is always so packed with people that you can barely get from one side of the bar to the other without pushing everyone else over. Honestly this place was too stressful for me.
Drinks-​wise we had the Polynesian and the Eastern Sour – both were average, and strong. I liked the Eastern Sour more because I personally love whiskey sours.
I don’t see why I’ll ever come back here but I have been here twice so who knows?

This place is very close to Exchange L.A. It’s a club which have semi-​big Djs headlining all the time.
what I like about this place was the cool lion head door knob. If you ever stop by here you gotta take a picture with the vintage lion head door to make your money worth it.
Drinks here are pricey! at least it is on the weekend. I paid $ 15 for each DRANK! I probably would have gotten water if it wasn’t my pay day that week! Hahaha just kidding…
Parking is around the corners, $ 10 at most places. There are also a few homeless and crazies around the corners too but they were chill :).
Everybody looked pretty here after a few shots. It’s super dark I can barely make out the faces. I suggest to bring people outside to the smoking area first before any regretful decision are made. ;) just kidding! Not on the darkness part though, it’s seriously super dark.
Happy Unilocaling my friends

Next to Cole’s, easy to miss the place because its name is nowhere to be. If you’re at Cole’s, go right and you’ll see a bouncer by a staircase. The staircase is where you want to enter to walk down and see a black door with a lion knocker. Enter through the door, you enter into a darkly lit lounge.
This place is definitely on the smaller side. There’s tables to the right and the bar to the left. Drinks are not cheap, but what do you expect in Downtown? The crowd is sort of all over the place– definitely older and sometimes foreign. I’d say the average age was definitely in the thirties. Not really a place to dance, more so to drink and talk. Music is not super loud either. The dress code is all over the place, I have no idea what it actually is considering there were people in jeans and others in dresses and heels. I’m going to assume you’re fine as long as you don’t look like you’re about to head to the gym. But you might feel underdressed compared to some folks, but it’s so dark that it doesn’t matter.
Their special drinks are actually pretty tastey– we tried the Rose Bowl and Tequila Guyaba. Definitely loved the Rose Bowl.

This place is very. what’s the word… speakeasy. extremely dim, moody, yet they do play some pretty uptempo beats so it does affect the vibe some.
Parking is easy, with pay lots and street parking around the vicinity. There are also neighboring bars too.
There are cool, large partitioned lounge areas though the club itself is on the smaller scale. They do pour decent drinks and the restrooms are clean. Our server came by frequently to take drink orders and didn’t lag getting them out either.

As I see it, a bar, is just that… a bar. Not striking me as one, The Association is more so of a dimly lit, semi-​hidden lounge reminiscent of (I dunno), Dracula’s lair or something. Picture Aaliyah in «Queen of The Damned». Had she lived (within the movie), this is where she’d have gone…
That stated^, I’ve got no reservations in affording «The Association» 5 stars; told you guys, I had a bit of a dark side…
Located on 6^th Street (one way traveling east) in the heart of DTLA, it’s extremely (repeat EXTREMELY) easy to pass this joint up. The pastrami and sam’wich joint on the corner conjures all of the attention and I can’t state that to necessarily be all that bad of a thing.
The Association bears a bit of a dark, college hazing sort of Ivy League /​Harvard-​esque feeling. Does that make sense? While walking east down 6^th Street, it’s easy as hell to pass up and a quick word to the wise to those looking to drop by… there is NO NAME or SIGNAGE to identify it.
#ABSOLUTE-​EXCLUSIVITY-​THROUGH-​ANONYMITY
This is one of those places that you just have to know about and I’d suppose entry to be well… by association. Passersby could just as easily mistake the joint for a bathhouse, home to transients or even as a bit of a hole in the wall.
Diverting off of the main path of 6^th street and trekking down a few concrete steps to the location’s intriguing entrance, you’re greeted or… perhaps not so much, by a brawny, tall, dark and… intimidating M.I.B. (Man in Black). Thereon, you’re carded… no words are exchanged and you’re given a head nod in affirmation where you will proceed in beyond the 8 – 10 ft door fit completely with a brass lion’s head emblem adorned onto it.
Entry is DARKKKK yet mysterious if not sexy… as it befittingly should be. I find the energy here to be nothing short of lavish, if not romantic and seductive. This place is perfect for a drug deal OR to sedate your mistress… before discarding the body.
I’ve been fortunate enough to frequent this place quite a bit and the music selection varies but rarely disappoints. From samba to hip hop, soul, and that of the 80’s and 90’s, you’re guaranteed to nod your head a time or two.
Parking — Puh’lease… Prices — Reasonable… Seating — Limited… Illumination — Nonexistent. Booze — Stiff… B! tches — Hot… Douchebags — Not…
The drinks concocted here are next to perfection and food is actually served here as well (meats/​cheeses, etc.) upon request and within select timeframes. Unless they’ve changed it, «Happy Hour» here goes til’ 9 or 10pm leaving you to stumble out and question just where in the hell you actually are.
#walkofshame
Upon departing, my recommendation is you check for your wallet, possible bite marks on your neck and/​or to see if you’ve been slipped a Roofie. I can’t begin to fathom the illegal shenanigans that are likely to transpire here.

First of all, the music here is BOMBBBB. They play a great mix of hip-​hop, oldies, top hits, and general dance music, and it really does make you want to groove all night. The only problem is that there’s not really a dance floor — customers usually just kind of form one in the back of the bar, which isn’t super easy to do since this place usually gets pretty crowded.
The Association is a really cool bar if you’re into dark, speak-​easy-​ish hidden gems, but you should be wary that it is DARK. Like, really, really really dark. It definitely takes your eyes a bit to adjust.
Another thing to know is that they only have one beer on tap here (Peroni), so without a doubt it’s more of a liquor/​cocktails place. I must say, the bartenders really do know their stuff and will put a lot of effort into your cocktail. I had the Eastern Sour (bourbon, lemon, honey, cherry) and loved it. Bourbon drinks can be hard to get right, but this one knocked it out of the park! (As it should, drinks are not cheap.)
The bar is a nice mix of bar area/​lounge area, so you can choose to either sit and have a more chill night, or stand around the bar and brave the impromptu dancers. A great spot for all downtown-​LA-​ers!

You need to be here.
Not because it’s been in a bunch of famous Hollywood movies. Not because it’s underground. Not because it makes the best handmade drinks. Not because your coworkers have been there. Not because your mom’s been there. Not because it’s all red and sexy. Not because it smells of boobs in the air. Not because you can have sex in the dark corner. Well… yes, because you can have sex in the corner.