El Prado

"If you're riding an emotional high after an Echoplex concert and need a place to keep the night going, the answer is El Prado. During the week, this dimly lit wine bar is a mellow place to split a bottle with friends, but everything changes when the weekend rolls around: a DJ spins records, the crowd spills onto the sidewalk, and people are playing cheese for some reason. If you see a hot dog rotisserie behind the bar, you're not hallucinating—you can order a $5 hot dog with your natural wine, a combo we'll never judge you for. " - brant cox

"If you're riding an emotional high after an Echoplex concert and need a place to keep the night going, the answer is El Prado. During the week, this dimly lit wine bar is a mellow place to split a bottle with friends, but everything changes once the weekend rolls around: you'll find a DJ spinning records and a crowd spilling out onto the sidewalk. If you see a hot dog rotisserie behind the bar, no, you're not hallucinating—you can order a $5 hot dog with your natural wine, a combo we'll never judge you for. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren, kat hong, brett keating

"El Prado is Echo Park's dark classy bar where you can find beer, wine, snacks, and records. The records are a huge part of what makes it great as it sets the atmosphere for the night. Each bartender chooses their favorite picks from a back house collection that grows overtime. The beer and wine selection is picked extremely well for the price point and their staff is really great. With a small back patio and two nooks up front it's a nice place to go early and catch a spot for a small group." - Ludlow Kingsley

"If you're ready to try and date like it's 1995 and the word "app" has no meaning, head to this Echo Park wine bar on a Friday or Saturday night. During the week, El Prado stays pretty mellow. Everything changes once the weekend rolls around: you'll find a DJ spinning records and a loud, fun crowd. It won't be weird (if you don't make it weird) to introduce yourself to a group of strangers. Just crack a joke about the hot dog rotisserie behind the bar—whoever thought of selling franks with natural wine clearly wants people talking about it. " - brant cox, nikko duren

"Eater LA contributor Emily Wilson recently launched a restaurant-focused Substack called the Angel. Her debut article profiling Nicky Fisher, the owner of Echo Park’s El Prado bar and the ice cream shop Fluffy McCloud’s, explores his ice cream-making process, the art inside the parlor, and more." - Cathy Chaplin