31 May The Abbey West Hollywood – 25 Years and Counting
On May 25, 2016, The Abbey celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Long a mainstay bar in the heart of West Hollywood, The Abbey has received many awards and accolades over the years. They have been awarded:
- Best Gay Bar in the World – Logo / MTV
- Most Popular Nightlife Destination in Los Angeles – Zagat
- Most Popular Bar in California – Foursquare / Buzzfeed
- Most Popular Bar Drop off in the United States – Lyft
- Most Popular Nightlife/Bar/Restaurant Destination in Los Angeles – Uber
- Best Gay Bar in Los Angeles – LA Weekly, LA Weekly Reader’s Choice, Time Out Los Angeles
- Best Nightlife in Los Angeles – USA Today
In time for their 25th anniversary, The Abbey completed the biggest menu update in its history. Known for its flavored cocktails, they brought in mixologist Armando Conway (Pour Vous, La Descarga, Harvard and Stone, Hakkasan) to redo the menu.
Now there are more than one hundred cocktails on the menu and each one is made with fresh herbs and produce and house-made juices and syrups. The cocktail menu at The Abbey has joined the craft cocktail world. The menu is broken into categories and I did my best to try one from almost each category when I was invited to check out the new menu.
Martinis
Absolut vodka and mango chili (or choose jalapeno orange, acai berry, watermelon, wild berry, apple, orange creamsicle)
Lemonades
The Abbey Signature Lemonade – Georgie Peach Mint (SKYY infusions, muddled lemon wedges, house made syrup, fresh fruit)
Mules
Hot Mule (Stoli Flavors, fresh limes, fresh juices and Gosling’s Ginger Beer)
Vodka Cocktails
Effen Relaxed (Effen vodka, fresh lime juice, house-made syrup, basil and cucumber slices)
Mojitos
The Abbey Manhandled Mojitos (Mango, bacardi flavors, muddled lime wedges, fresh mint, house-made syrup, tropical fruit and sugar cane)
Daquiris
The Abbey Flavored Mixed Daquiris – Stawberry (Cruzan Rum, fresh lime juice and fruit)
Whiskey & Cognac Cocktails
Santa Monica Boulevardier (Jim Beam, Campari, sweet vermouth)
Stubborn Mule (Jeremiah Weed Sarsaparilla Whiskey, vanilla vodka, fresh lime juice, house-made ginger syrup)
Margaritas
The Abbey’s Patron Barrel Margaritas (custom barrel aged Reposado Tequila made by Patron, house-made sour mix, spices, Citronage and jalapeno lime)
Gin Cocktails
The Abbey Modern Gin and Tonic (Bulldog Gin with lemon strawberry basil, house tonic, served Madrid style)
The selection of drinks is endless! We made it through 10 drinks (I was not drinking alone)! The remaining drink categories are Tequila Cocktails, Hot Shots, LGB-Tiki, Coffee Cocktails, Brunch Cocktails and Bloody Marys.
With all this drinking, eating is definitely in order and Chef Andrew Smith has also updated the menu at The Abbey. With a focus on shared plates and comfort food, it is easy to fill up on these dishes:
Crab Cakes
Warm Quinoa Salad
Baby Back Ribs
Turkey Meatloaf
Spaghetti and Meatballs
LGBTA (lettuce, gouda, bacon, turkey and avocado) sandwich with fries
House-made desserts, including ding dongs, cakes, cookies and more
The Abbey is an LA icon and with the updated cocktail and food menus, it is worth adding to your list as a fun brunch or dinner destination. Here’s to another 25 years!
The Abbey Food & Bar
692 N Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069