Los Angeles' Top-Rated Aviation-Themed Bar Serves Cocktails, Vintage Airplane Seats, And Nostalgic Kitsch

About a 13-mile drive from the Los Angeles International Airport is Aviator, an aviation-themed bar that seats patrons in real airplane chairs, making it possible to trade in one jetliner seat for another in under 45 minutes, barring traffic — though the seats at Aviator are reportedly more comfortable than the typical options you'll find in economy these days. Perhaps that's because Aviator, as the bar's website explains, was "inspired by golden-era air travel," when comfort and class reigned and the cattle-car mentality of budget travel hadn't yet taken over. "Think vintage airport lounge energy," the homepage states.

With a 4.3-star rating on Yelp, Aviator is Los Angeles' top-rated aviation-themed bar. While some reviewers on the platform have described the bar as "hokey" and "a little kitschy but fun," many more praise it for fully committing to the aviation theme. The bar serves reasonably priced beer; classic cocktails, like Manhattans, martinis, and old fashioneds; and unique drinks and "in-flight provisions" (small bites) with names like the Red-Eye Express and the Sky High Baked Potato.

Aviator is located on Melrose Avenue, so parking can be tricky to find. And because of the bar's small size, you'll want to make a reservation ahead of time to ensure you'll get your preferred window or aisle seat.

Upon walking in the door at Aviator, you'll be greeted by staff decked out in retro flight attendant uniforms, where, space permitting, you may be informed you've been "upgraded" to the First Class section. Aviator provides several seating options that include a Business and Economy seating area designed to resemble the inside of an airplane, with dim lighting, sliding window shades, and actual refurbished airplane seats that recline. Another section resembles a vintage airport lounge that has small cafe tables and vintage tulip chairs.

Similar to Hotel Polaris, a hotel in Colorado that has flight simulators and mid-century modern charm, Aviator embraces 1960s-style decor with vintage luggage, a TV with an antenna, and a rotary phone. It also doesn't shy away from the airline kitsch, with menus designed to look like passports, airline tickets, and a waitstaff that remain in character as they roll their beverage cart down the aisle, inquiring about how you'd like your martini prepared. 

The food and cocktail menu also stays true to the theme. Though Aviator doesn't serve these once-popular airline foods, it goes further than the standard in-flight snack offerings of pretzels and Biscoff cookies, instead serving chimichurri steak bites, truffle shoestring fries, crispy Brussels sprouts, and mini bread pudding. "You don't expect a place like this to have good food and they really did," reports a reviewer on Yelp. The restaurant also offers specialty "jet-age cocktails" that include the Jetstream Gimlet (gin or vodka, simple syrup, and fresh lime); The Aviator (gin, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur, and lemon); and The Captain's Choice, where the bartender will design you your very own specialty drink. Aviator is open Wednesday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Go for happy hour, which starts at 4 p.m., and you'll still have time to catch an outdoor movie at the nearby hip and glitzy Melrose Rooftop Theatre.