Upstairs Bar at the Ace Hotel

We went to Upstairs Bar for a couple of quick drinks on a weekday around Christmas at 5pm and it was almost empty. I love the décor and setup of the place; it’s like The Bungalow for downtown.
The drinks are the standard LA trendy place prices and the bartenders are as hipster as everywhere else.
There are heaters over the seats but the area with the best view of the city was not heated and the wind made it hard to stay there. The fireplace is a nice touch but it gave off very little heat as well. I suppose that’s not a huge issue in normal LA weather.

I really enjoy myself at this place! I went there on a Saturday night. Easy access to get in, no typical long wait. The ambiance was perfect and the music was just on point.

Hmmm I give it 4 stars because they took off my favorite drink (China My China), this was the only drink I would get while here. Nevertheless, the view is amazing and I am sure there are other delicious cocktails, so definitely check this place out!

Just missed the sunset (put that down to my first experience driving in LA) but none the less this is a cool bar with rooftop views across downtown LA and beyond…
Heated (small) pool… but a slightly busy and chilly night to be exposing oneself in my swimming costume… music was laid back, with an almost Balearic vibe (although it did go a bit early 90’s rave for a while… I guess if you’re 25 it’s the first time you’ve heard it so sounds new…)
Cool Place to while away an hour or two and (I’m sure) the sunset was fabulous…

Came here for «Happy Hour» with some coworkers. I quote happy hour because there were no specials, like none at all. The cheapest wine was like $ 12 so I decided to just get a mojito to start and ordered some pita and hummus ($ 12). It was like $ 27 for just those two items. The appealing thing about this place is the view which was pretty amazing. We sat at the pool area and its still been a bit cold but it was nice. We got to watch the sunset. I ordered another wine and in the end my bill was $ 42 and I was still hungry. I ended up ordering a quesadilla at the little Mexican stand downstairs and that was $ 8! I wonder if they price according to the hotel, lol.

Photo-​op, fantastic place to enjoy afternoon weather. The space is not as large as you might think, so a daytime visit is perfect to take out of town guest without any crowds, and everyone has room to take pictures of the skyline. The cocktails are exotic and a bit pricey, so it was fun to go with a group to see all the exotic elixirs ordered. If you want to see the adjacent historic theater, call ahead, because they would not let us in to peek because they were setting up for an event. Parking directly adjacent to building is pricey, so if you don’t want to pay a premium park down the block.

At Upstairs Bar, you are guaranteed beautiful views of the LA cityscape. You can pick and choose between different little microcosms spread around, depending on how you’re feeling and what/​who you want to see. You can gather around a fire pit with a circle of your closest friends, get down and boogie closer to the DJ booth, crowd inside closer to the main bar, amidst the funky wall décor or just chill out by the pool. Music varies– sometimes they played funk, electronic, or nothing at all.

I could not give a high enough rating for this bar. Not only are the cocktails great and the staff wonderful, they actually even helped me with my engagement. I messaged back and forth with the bar manager and got a quick response every time. These folks made a very special day happen for my fiancée and I. Plus, it has an incredible view of Downtown LA. What more could you want?
A thousand stars.

I came by the Upstairs Bar a while back, Halloween to be exact. It’s been a while, so forgive me because my mind might be a little hazy. Partly due to the time lapse since my visit and even more so because they can pour a mean Sazerac.
First of all, I’m glad not to have encountered slow service or standoffish behavior from the downstairs staff in charge of letting people in, as some of the reviews mention, especially given that it was Halloween. Instead, the downstairs staff was polite enough to make an exception for us even though we weren’t on a guest list. They mentioned there was a Halloween event in line for the night. Thankfully we showed up pretty early because we assumed that might be the case. True or not, we appreciated the nice gesture. As for the service, it went pretty smoothly from what I could remember. So our cups were filled most of the night.
The cherry on top was the impeccable view and aura of this wonderful bar. The first thing I noticed was how mellow the atmosphere was and its bohemian qualities. Through the night the music was chill and the crowd was fun.
Personally, I like this bar better than its other rooftop contemporaries within the area. I’ve been to both The Perch and The Standard and definitely prefer the vibe at Upstairs Bar much more.
Just one quick tip, I agree with one of the reviewers whom mentioned that there should be a better beer selection. I did have a beer that night and was mildly irked by the lack of options. Adding a few more beers to the menu would be great or some better choices of course.

I was here last Saturday, first time and the only thing I was disappointed in was their lack of beer selection. Iam not a big fan of mixed drinks but these guys only had maybe 8 selections of beer. and not the great kind either. Other than that the vibes were cool… nice view… a little small compared to the standard rooftop but all in all a cool place to try out. Will definitely go again
P.s for my ladies out there, prepare to walk because parking sucks. And my gentlemen, make you your date is worth it because parking is $ 20 and drinks aren’t a cheap :-p

Great spot, highly recommend. The bartenders are very quick and make great drinks. The waitress’s are very please, quick and appear to be drug-​free! This is a great place to take clients or good friends!

Nice chill bar with a great view of the city and mid-​priced drinks. The lounge is divided into sections. In one section of the lounge there’s a DJ and couches and chairs to sit on. In the section on the other side, there’s a pool. The bar where you order drinks and food separates these two sections. It’s a little upscale, so people were on the casual-​dressy side.
There were a lot of drinks on the menu with interesting names and ingredients. I ordered the «Amazing frozen drink», the pink flamingo and the paradise kingfisher (I think that was the name). They were all delicious, but my favorite one was definitely the amazing frozen drink. It was citrus-​y and mixed very well… I could taste the alcohol without it being too over-​powering. There’s not a big selection of food on the menu, so don’t come hungry.
Parking isn’t too bad. There’s free street parking (on Sundays or after 8pm) close by, there’s also a couple of lots on the same block where you can park for $ 5 – 10 and of course there’s always valet.
I had a good time here and look forward to coming back.

I’d been waiting awhile to come here. I tried over a year and a half ago but the long line deterred me. Patient, I am not.
I suppose I had to wait for the hype to die down, but I was still surprised to find this place packed on a Sunday night. Like, it was how I’d imagine Saturday nights to look for a regular lounge. The view is beautiful, but it’s more than that. I loved the décor, the gorgeous bar and the cute tins our cocktails came in. The jacuzzi was steaming and even as we hit the midnight hour, there were still people going in.
We were able to grab a couple of lounges, which I took full advantage of and ended up sprawling out. Looking up, we could see the architecture of the building, the cranes and high rises all around us. It just made me remember how much I love DTLA. We were there for almost four hours just lounging around and I seriously could have spent the night there. Will I be back? Yes, but on an even more random night so there will be even less people. Thirsty Tuesday? Whiskey Wednesday, perhaps?

If you like crowds and noise, then this place is perfect for you after about 11am. The place was a little too crammed for me so I stayed far away. Everyone there just felt like they were too cool for everyone else. The vibe was a bit too ‘hip’ and ‘elitist’ for me. But if that’s your thing… then good on ya. Me? I’ll only visit in the morning. Grab a drink just as their opening, and then make myself sparse.
That’s a shame since the balcony offers some absolutely stunning views of DTLA & on a clear day you can see all the way down to Long Beach.

Drinks with some friends rooftop-​style.
THE AMBIANCE:
It was my first time at the Ace Hotel. We had heard about the rooftop and wanted to check it out. The rooftop area is pretty large but comes in sections. When you walk in you are in the first section where you can find some seating if you get there early enough. The second section is where you find the bar against the wall of the room. The third section is where you can find the small pool and area around the pool to either sit or lounge around. The third section is where you can get the best views of the downtown LA skyline. There were people relaxing on pool lawn chairs, sitting on the cement pool ledge, and standing around with drinks in hand enjoying the scenery. No one was in the pool and I am not sure if it is allowed.
THE DRINKS:
The drinks here are typical bar drinks. I did not see a special menu or anything like that. I had a Moscow Mule and it was okay.
THE TIPS:
The rooftop bar is okay. I would go back. I would say this rooftop bar is more on the dressy– casual side and more laid back than Perch. At times there are private events/they’re at capacity and they don’t allow entry. Have a plan B in mind on the weekends.

The first thing they let you know downstairs is that the Upstairs bar gives priority to hotel guests. If they’re not at capacity they let non guests in.
Out of the more popular rooftop bars in the area the one at the Ace Hotel probably has the most laid back vibe, which is a good thing and despite the relatively small space that it occupies, it’s a fun, relaxed environment to enjoy a leisurely afternoon.
To accentuate the chill vibes oozing out of the place, the DJ was playing the perfect old school jams and by old school Jams I mean A LOT of Roy Ayers. You can never play enough Roy Ayers! Because everybody loves the sunshine, right? I couldn’t resist.
Anyway, don’t let the reviews mentioning the throngs of hipsters that frequent this joint scare you away, there is a good time to be had here. And considering that your other option for a rooftop bar could be the dreaded Standard Hotel… never mind.
Thumbs up on the Ace Hotel!

3.5 stars? Not as bougie and picturesque as Perch but just a few blocks away with a similar DTLA sunset and cityscape. It is also not as crowded as Perch (sorry, that is my only rooftop bar comparison), but it translates into more sitting and standing space and less clamoring to order drinks at the bar. Crowd, music, and projected slideshow all skew hipster (good or bad? neutral in my book). View is not as good when seated since the windows are more high up, but the 1920s architecture overhead kind of trumps that and is worth it in my book. Simply put, come for the classic DTLA rooftop scene, conversations, and architecture.
Tried two drinks: the Moscow Mule and I think East Los Mule (if not, it was a cocktail on their cocktail menu with ginger beer). Usually, I prefer craft beers over cocktails, but I’d take overpriced cocktails over a limited selection of overpriced beers any day. Of the two Mules, I preferred the latter. It is a better option if you are looking for a sweeter, more classic cocktail. I was slightly disappointed though unfazed that the Moscow Mule did not come in the standard copper cup; instead, it came in a cappuccino-​esque mug. All good.
Valet parking is $ 7 for three hours. Over three hours with hotel validation came out to be $ 12 without tip. Do it for the convenience, trust me.

I’m really irritated right now. So irritated that I’m writing a review in the über after leaving Ace.
My boyfriend and good friend in the Navy were visiting LA and it was going to be their first time at Ace. I was so excited to show them my favorite rooftop bar.
…The blonde lady in the front turned us away because they were «at capacity», but she continuously let groups of people in after us. I also saw numbers of groups coming out, but nope. She said to check back in 20 minutes. Instead of getting irritated or causing a scene, I decided to just smile and take it as a good opportunity to show my boyfriend/​friend around DTLA a little.
We came back an HOUR later and she still said they were at capacity. She said that the spots were held for hotel guests, but these people were NOT hotel guests (one group came from the same bar we went to down the block). Irritated… I called an über. As we were waiting for the über to arrive I saw her let in another group of 5. I don’t know what her deal was… But that totally turned me off from Ace.
I’ve hosted several get-​togethers and birthdays at Ace and have been a regular since their grand opening… I’m really disappointed.

The elevator was like «Going up…» then I was like «ON A TUESDAY…» As midnight rolls around. Yep, it was one of those nights. We had the squad turnt[up] on our #MondayFunday adventures in DTLA.
Sure it’s a little rough around the edges, the bar area can get a little musky, but Great craft cocktails ($ 11). Relaxing vibe. There’s never a cover charge. Seems a lot less pretentious than the other rooftop bars in Downtown.
Come for a chill place to enjoy the amazing DTLA view. Come with good company; It’s lounge-​y, dimmed, and romantic. Come with flip flops and swimming gears, CUZ THEY’VE GOT A POOOOOL!!! Shout out to Kevin «all of the tacos» T. for jumping in with all his clothe on. Hats off to you sir.

EVERYBODY IN THE POOL!!!
BACKGROUND:
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles opened early 2014 in the historic United Artists building in Downtown LA. An ornate, storied and vibrant Los Angeles gem, Downtown is undergoing a Renaissance. Built in 1927 for the maverick film studio, the UA theater and tower stand as monuments to a group of seminal American artists pushing out on their own.
STATS:
Monday-​Sunday 11:00 a.m. — 2:00 a.m.
Metered street parking
Paid lot parking
EXPERIENCE:
Hanging with a fellow Unilocaler in the northeast part of LA, saw a mutual Unilocaler check into the Upstairs Bar. One thing led to another and boom, the three of us with adult beverages in hand found ourselves entertained by the, mostly intoxicated, youngins splashing around in the small outside pool on the rooftop of the Ace Hotel.
Entering the Ace Hotel at ground level, bar flies, take an elevator to the rooftop, a mostly open concept large bar area with two outdoor spaces. One with a pool, the other with heat lamps and seating.
With a full bar, but only a few beer options, this place can really pack them in. Although this venue wasn’t as packed as most are on a Saturday night, it’s a suck it in and squeeze through any open space to order up at the bar. The multitude of bartenders do their best to serve up quickly, but there is still quite a wait before one has bev in hand. And then if you don’t desire to completely sober up before the following drink, get in line before you finish your final.
The band queued up and played a variety of music from the 70’s to today. Although not much space for dancing, those that wanted to get down with them bad selves made the best of the cement space.
What a unique experience, chugging a beer with causally dressed friends, while others are wearing bikinis and board shorts play in the water, and a view of the LA cityscape just seems to yell «This is so LA».
Cool rooftop bar for those who want to hang in DTLA, but don’t want to hang in the middle of it. The Upstairs Bar is on the south end of DT, adjacent to Staples Center. Great space to chill pre or post Staples Center event. Afraid of heights, Ace gotcha covered, there’s an indoor bar downstairs as well.
Will I ever come back here? Most certainly. In fact, we stepped out to check out another bar up the street and came back after a quick stop at a taco truck.
#dtla #barsindtla #rooftopbars #barswithpool
Review 30 Unilocal 100+ Challenge 2015