Description
After a radical overhaul, the bar formerly known as Saints and Sinners reopened, in October 2011 as Oldfield's Liquor Room. Same owners, very different vibe. It now feels less like a1990s-esque party bar and more like a vintage-y, low-key cocktail hangout.
Compared to Little Cave, Thirsty Crow and both locations of The Bigfoot Lodge (Culver City and Atwater Village), Oldfield's is, by far, the least themed of the 1933 Group's bars. Nominally inspired by Barney Oldfield, a famous speed racer of the 1900s, Oldfield's has the calmness of pale white tiles, a lovely bar that curves prominently into the main room without dominating it and a small backroom with a handful of tables. There's still enough of the "neighborhood watering hole" vibe, especially in the early evening, to make it a palatable happy hour destination for locals, but it feels snazzy enough for date night.
If you want beer, you have less than a dozen options from which to choose, though they're all pretty good, like Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly (on tap) and Franziskaner's Weissber. The wine selection is even more limited. But if you've come to Oldfield's, you've come for the cocktails. They're solid, well above average, though not among L.A.'s best. At $10-12 apiece, they're also a couple bucks cheaper than at most of the city's high-end cocktails bars.
For the adventurous drinker always looking for a new cocktail fix, The Oakshade is a chic, fantastic little number: dark amber in color with nutty undertones and rich chocolatey flavor courtesy of chocolate chili bitters. The Dauntless, though it's served in a tall, heavy pilsner glass, has a tart, fizzy feel thanks to Fever Tree's ginger beer and fresh lime juice, which cuts the Poire Williams, a pear liqueur.
The only food are pre-made sandwiches created by chef Chester Hastings, author of "The Cheesemonger's Kitchen." The best one is the ham and cheese made with Fra' Mani ham and just the right amount of black cherry jam.
