Calling All 30+ Singles
- A Bar Recommendation by Clea Bierman
Let’s mingle at The Maybourne Bar
It’s Saturday night, and I’m single.
In New York, I had it wired. I knew the boujie restaurant where I wanted to start my night, and I had an ‘in’ at the cool bars I planned to check out after dessert. But then the pandemic hit and sent me running for the West Coast, my nightlife knowledge in shambles. When restaurants reopened, my LA girlfriends and I stumbled upon Ysabel and felt right at home with the dim candles, leather chairs, trees draped in Christmas lights emerging from marble floors (we love an ambiance), and – in late July of 2020 – tables and tables of men.
For us in the over-thirty crowd, one good thing came from club closures: restaurants were really the only option for mixing and mingling. As a person whose favorite way to “go out” is to sit at a nice, vibey restaurant, this was working for me. I have yet to go to Ysabel and not have a drink sent to my table. (Ladies, did you hear that?) But lately, with hours extending past midnight and clubs reopening their doors, the scene has begun to shift. The tables of 5+ men dining alone (aka scoping the scene) seem to have dissipated, and recently, I’ve only witnessed dates or larger groups with both men and women. Oh LA, where have all the men gone?! So, while I still love Ysabel (even though they took my favorite drink off the menu – their version of a mezcal old fashion) and you can still catch me there on a Saturday night, I’m seeking an additional setting where singles over thirty can socialize. I’m picturing something sexy and sophisticated.
A couple of weeks ago my best friend and I went to The Maybourne Bar in Beverly hills after an absolutely divine dinner at South Beverly Grill (have you eaten there recently? Everything on their menu is delicious). Part of The Maybourne Hotel, the bar spills out onto the serene and stunning courtyard between Beverly and Canon Dr, essentially across the street from Mastros. The architecture of the outdoor patio is breathtaking: a European feel is marked by dramatic archways with true columns serving as the base and tufted lollipop topiaries inside each; hanging lanterns and drooping strings of light create a sensual mood, and white umbrellas and white table clothes elevate the experience. There are also low, lounge couches for larger parties. The inside space looks like Old Hollywood meets Old New York (think Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack smoking cigars), and I even had to Shazam a song on their mellow but contemporary playlist: “Promesse” by La Belle Vie.
Since we didn’t have a reservation, we spent our entire wait (which wasn’t long) talking about how immaculate the place was and how it was just the sort of location we’d like to make our ‘usual’ hangout. . . if only the couches were filled with single guys. After sitting and enjoying our free olives (yum! I’m ordering a Dirty Martini next time I’m there because these olives were so tasty) and nuts, we ordered cocktails that, no surprise, held up in quality. Around us were other groups of women, either in twos or fours, and Beverly Drive was bustling; we watched good-looking couples hopping into their exotic cars at the various valets.
So here’s my calling: let’s make The Maybourne Bar a Saturday night hotspot for sophisticated singles over 30. Yes, we can still hit Delilah’s, Nice Guy, Laurel Hardware, and Ysabel. But for those nights when we want to keep it a little more grown-and-sexy (and only be out from, like, 9pm to midnight), why don’t we choose this smooth locale? The milieu, the music, and the women are already there; do I need to mention again what’s missing?
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