ACCOMPLICE BAR
MAR VISTA GEM IS MORE THAN JUST A LOCALS FAVE

When Mar Vista’s Accomplice Bar first opened, it was a really cool bar in a very sleepy neighborhood next door to a fab Taiwanese restaurant. Then the two somehow morphed into one great hot spot, albeit with two separate entrances.

Accomplice Bar served surprisingly stellar cocktails and Little Fatty served first rate Taiwanese soul food and Chinese fare. And the great thing was that you could order food at the bar or drinks at the restaurant. It was as if your friendly neighborhood bar also served great comfort food.

 

While both are equal destination locations, I personally love going to Accomplice Bar for the drinks but also because I know that I will also be enjoying some top notch eats.

The bar program at Accomplice Bar, run by cocktail creative director Jordan Fattal, is quite the daring program. The current seasonal drink menu actually features 19 (count ‘em 19) new libations.

Distinctive and daring drink ingredients include pear-infused Japanese whisky, guanabana (soursop) liqueur, rice washed Kikori, ube, matcha, edible silver, black sesame, among many others. And some of the cocktails are inspired by Little Fatty and the fine fare of Taiwanese-American Chef David Kuo.

A drink menu this vast offers something for every taste and palate. So while I wasn’t a fan of every drink, I was over the moon on a lot of them, especially the Honduran Hurricane with mezcal, Dutch gin, lemon, passion fruit, tamarind, and cinnamon. It’s terrific tiki!

Make sure to give the Cowboy Lightning a try. This purple stunner features Rhum Clement, Denizen Rum, lime, almond, ube, and guanabana liqueur. It’s the bar’s take on a Mai Tai inspired by the flavors of the Philippines.

Another favorite is the spicy and smoky margarita riff Hellscape made with mezcal, green bell pepper, cachaca, cilantro, and green chartreuse.

Fans of boozy drinks should get to know the Backwards Marathon made with tequila, mastiha liqueur, luxardo bitter, bamboo tea, and pickled lotus. Spice lovers may want to try the spicy, sour Goji Girl made with Haku Vodka, Carpano Bianco, lime, goji berry, ginger syrup, and firewater. And if you still can’t get enough heat, then try the Shine Don't Shine with pisco, Szechuan pepper, grapefruit, and guava.

While I don’t like sweet drinks, which unfortunately included the No Knock Old Fashioned, I do love liquid dessert and the Vista Morada with tequila, crème de cacao, orgeat, malted milk, sherry, purple corn milk, and lime was right up my alley. It’s a great nightcap.

And of course drinking at Accomplice Bar is never complete without eats from Little Fatty. You can’t go wrong with the XO Fatty Noodles, Sizzling Black Pepper Beef, squid ink xiao long bao, Kung Pao Chicken, or Taiwanese Sunday Gravy.

Mar Vista may not be an area of town most folks clamor to venture to, but a visit to Accomplice Bar does not disappoint as a night of great drinks and eats is hard to beat. So is finding a better time that you’ll find at this unassuming bar (at least from the outside) because inside, the newly remodeled and expanded space is as good as it gets.

Accomplice Bar is located at 3811 Grand View Blvd in Mar Vista.  Open daily from 5pm to close.  Call 310-574-7610.