Formosa Cafe

Open since 1939, Formosa is one of the oldest bars in the city, with more Hollywood history than the bathrooms at The Beverly Hilton. And though it had fallen on hard times in the past, a massive refurbishment a couple years ago brought it back to its glory days, complete with three separate bars, a dine-in train car, and a spacious rooftop. Our favorite area, though, is the back room: it’s usually the least crowded, and feels the most like the kind of place you would’ve seen Frank Sinatra fall off his barstool. If you get hungry, there’s a very good Taiwanese bar menu filled with dishes like cold sesame noodles, dan dan mian, and dim sum.