Outside, expect the usual Downtown color (and by color we mean crackheads, homeless panhandlers and leering dudes at the dive next door). But inside it's a laid-back yet luxe atmosphere overseen by established proprietors.

If anyone can make one of the scariest parts of Downtown hip, it would be Marc Smith and Cedd Moses, the men behind Three Clubs, 4100 Bar, Liquid Kitty and like a zillion other LA drinking spots. The first of many Downtown nightlife locations they aim to open in the next few years, GG's got the goods: Liberace-esque decor filled with chandeliers, kitschy gold gopher-shaped lamps, old-school video games and a jukebox pumping out everything from The Cramps to Al Green. Though it's quite nice inside, most of the neo-Swingers set have been known to cluster in the narrow outdoor alley-like smoking area, bookended by giant couches for those who've had one too many libations. The bar's most unique feature is a little liquor store selling take-home bottles of favorite poisons at surprisingly fair prices.
—Lina Lecaro