5 Best Nightlife in Koreatown, Los Angeles

This super-kitschy nautical-theme bar in the heart of Koreatown offers drink specials and food at prices that will make you swoon. Come for the wings, all-day breakfast specials, cheap drinks, and very eclectic crowds.

Karaoke every night, yes you heard that right, every night. Cafe Brass Monkey is K-town dive bar royalty, a perfect place to belt out your ballads without fear of the judgment you might find in snootier spots. The ambience is relaxed and the food is bar style. If you’re looking to sing, be prepared to wait your turn as the line to perform can get lengthy. Sprinkled in with tried-and-true regulars, celebrities looking to have a good ol’ fashioned sing-along filter through Cafe Brass Monkey from time to time. The wall features photos of famous friends of the Monkey like Adam Levine, Seth Macfarlane, and Chelsea Handler. Parking is free after 5 pm with a validation, but the glory of knowing you hit the high note is priceless.

Step through the curtained entrance and back in time to 1970s Korea at Dan Sung Sa, which gained wider popularity after Anthony Bourdain paid a visit. At this quirky time-capsule bar, wood-block menus feature roughly 100 small eats. You’ll see much that looks familiar, but fortune favors the bold. Take a chance on corn cheese, or try the makgeolli: a boozy Korean rice drink you sip from a bowl. It pairs perfectly with good conversation and snacking all night long.

With a reputation for great takes on classic cocktails and even better conversation among patrons, this dimly lit haunt is a fantastic place to mingle. Tucked inside the Normandie Hotel, the lounge is a party without the affection for chaos afforded by other late-night spots. The menu features a slew of old standards, but mixologists are eager to play: they'll ask you what the mood is and mix a drink to match. The cocktails are seriously good, and the ambience is comforting yet classy. Plus, if you’re looking to dance off a well-made whiskey sour, you don’t have to go far, as The Normandie Club houses “damn fine” in back, a live-DJ dance party Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 9 pm--2 am.

Mad Men and New Girl both had multiple scenes filmed in this Old Hollywood relic, which dates back to the early 1900s. The Prince is trimmed with vintage fabric wallpaper and bedecked with a stately mahogany bar; the grand piano waits in the wings. Squire lamps punctuate red-leather booths where you can enjoy Korean fare and standard cocktails, wine, and beer. Whatever you do, get the deep-fried chicken.