In a Nutshell
This small dimly lit lounge, adjoining its flagship restaurant, is a mainstay with Silver Lake locals. Food-wise, Blairs' menu falls into the Californian/Continental cuisine category. A nice range of wines and beers is on offer. The restaurant menu is also available at the bar. The scene is generally cozy and decidedly New York style cool.
The Lounge Scene at Blair’s
Located on Rowena--a Silver Lake street that is home to a coffee shop, spa and yoga studio--the lounge at Blair’s is low-key, unassuming and neighborhoody.
Where Fridays and Saturdays would bring out Weekend Warriors in droves at most Hollywood watering holes, Blair’s can be enjoyably uncrowded. You might even find yourself in a conversation with one of its friendly bartenders, who are unpretentious but knowledgeable on most every aspect of the drink and food menus.
This isn’t a pick-up joint or a scene, but rather a casual place to swap stories, and favorite East Side hiking trails, thanks to its general coziness and jazzy/chill musical selections on most evenings. And the music is on low enough that you can actually Eve’s drop on conversations. The lighting is certainly dim enough to support a romantic date or after-date. If you’re not up to sitting at the dark wood bar, there are small tables around it.
Blair's is also home to a 'trick doorway,' on the same wall as the bar. One of the bartenders recalled that on a nightly basis at least one patron does a double-take as it appears as though staff are 'disappearing' into the wall (due to its color, placement and the darkness of the room).
Drinks and Food at Blair’s
The restaurant menu is also available in the bar/lounge. This includes an array of main dishes like tomato risotto and Cannelloni of ratatouille. My preference is to order small appetizer bites from the menu like the healthy, refreshing yet plenty filling (with a nice glass of white wine) Yellow Fin tuna tartar with cucumber, avocado and spiced ginger vinaigrette.
Blair’s only has a soft liquor license, so beer and wine are your only choices. The latter category is rife with options, especially when it comes to Belgian brews--everything from Westmalle and Saison Dupont to Orval and Chimay. They have an equally impressive selection of German beers--from Spaten malt ale to Bitburger Pilsner.
Blair’s also has a few brews from the U.K. and France. And of course they have beer on tap--from Belgium and Czech Republic. At $9 a glass, they aren't necessarily as cheap as you might expect from an East Side bar. Then again, they’re specialty imported tap beers and Blair's isn't just 'an East Side bar,' it's a cool, slightly upscale, but not overly hip haunt.
Its wines by the glass are mostly Californian--Napa Valley Chardonnays, Santa Barbara Pinot Noirs--with the exception of a couple of European and New Zealand brands. However, Blair's does have a really varied selection of white wines by the bottle--from French Chablis to Gewurztraminer from Oregon.
Hours: Sun.-Thu., 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.
Blair’s Restaurant and Cafe
2903 Rowena Ave.
Silver Lake, CA 90039
323-660-1882
