New bars around Pasadena to know: late October

Late October is a good moment to check in on the cocktail map around Pasadena, where the newest names are hiding in plain sight. Behind Bars tucks a cozy courtyard lounge into an Old Pasadena brick alleyway, Bull And Barrel tops Yelp's hot-new-bars list from inside Alexander's Steakhouse, and 1881 keeps pouring cocktails and jazz on Washington Boulevard after a well-earned comeback. I am Alejandro Espitia, a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, licensed in California (01213999) since 1996, serving Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, fluent in English and Spanish. I keep a running list of the best new places in the neighborhoods I serve, and every spot below comes from the venue's own site or current local reporting, with sources at the bottom of the post.

Behind Bars: the hidden courtyard lounge in Old Pasadena

Behind Bars at 42 Mills Place sits behind an unmarked door in Old Pasadena's historic brick alleyway, and it has quietly become one of the neighborhood's best-reviewed hidden bars, near five-star-rated on Yelp and Apple Maps. The concept is an industry hangout with a relaxed, unpretentious vibe: coffee by day, cocktails by night, a small shared courtyard patio, and creative signature drinks with names like Moon Rocks and Purple People Eater, alongside a small food menu that includes karaage don. Weekends bring live music, often jazz trios and indie acoustic sets. Hours run Sunday through Thursday 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 5:00 pm to 2:00 am. Yelp put it on its top speakeasy bars list for Pasadena, and the Yelp listing has the latest hours and reviews, with more context in Pub Crawls and the Visit Pasadena guide to speakeasies and hidden bars.

Bull And Barrel: the whiskey den atop Yelp's hot list

Bull And Barrel, the hidden whiskey and cocktail bar inside Alexander's Steakhouse at 111 N. Los Robles Avenue, currently sits at the number one spot on Yelp's hot new bars list for Pasadena with a 4.9-star rating. The room trades in rare and exotic whiskies, seasonal artisan cocktails, curated flights, and elevated bar fare, and there is a members-only Whiskey Club for regulars. No reservations are needed: you walk in, grab a seat at the bar, and let the pourer guide you. The phone is (626) 486-1111, and details are on the Bull and Barrel page at Alexander's and its Yelp listing.

1881: cocktails and jazz on Washington Boulevard

At 1881 E. Washington Boulevard, on the corner of Washington and Allen, 1881 bills itself as Pasadena's oldest continuously running 21-and-over cocktail bar, established around 1936, and it is having a genuine moment on the hot-new-bars lists after new owners refreshed the venue and expanded its live-jazz program. The weekly calendar rotates through Friday Night Jazz curated by drummer Joel Taylor, World Jazz Wednesdays hosted by Jimmy Branly, and Vocal Jazz Nights on the first and third Saturdays. The club also survived the Eaton Fire and became a community and relief hub in the weeks after, a story Eater Los Angeles told again this January. The phone is (626) 314-2077. The schedule lives on the 1881 site and the Visit Pasadena directory, with the full story in Eater Los Angeles.

A tiki outpost just outside the city

A few minutes up Figueroa, The Lucky Tiki at 5621 N. Figueroa Street in Highland Park is the second outpost from the 1933 Group, hidden behind a buzz-in “Salty Sailor” entrance beside Highland Park Bowl. Inside, it is a theatrical tropical den with carved tikis, tapa cloth, and showpiece cocktails like the ship-shaped Saturn, and it fills up fast on weekends, so a reservation is worth making. It tops the tiki lists near Pasadena while staying somewhat under the radar, with reviews in The Infatuation and Time Out, and the Lucky Tiki site for reservations.

A note on details: bar hours, kitchen times, and live-music schedules can shift, and a few of the names on the hot lists move locations or change hours quickly. Please confirm directly with each spot before you head out, and use the links below for the latest. If you have a favorite new bar around Pasadena I missed, text me and I will add it to the next edition.

Sources: Behind Bars, Yelp, Speakeasies and hidden bars, Visit Pasadena, Behind Bars, Pub Crawls, Bull And Barrel, Yelp, Bull and Barrel, Alexander's Steakhouse Pasadena, Hot new bars, Yelp Pasadena, 1881 Pasadena, 1881, Visit Pasadena directory, Through wildfire and loss, the music plays on, Eater Los Angeles, The Lucky Tiki, The Lucky Tiki, The Infatuation, and The Lucky Tiki, Time Out.