by Larry on CLean and well run establishment. Primarily a veterans organization, but that is not a requirement for membership. Has pool, darts, well stocked bar. Kitchen open primarily on weekends. Good place to watch a game and have a beer.
by Kelley B. on So there are a few different sides to La Vida, the dinner crowd, the pre midnight crowd, and the post midnight crowd. If I am purely rating the space and the pre-midnight crowd, it's a 4-4.5. The look and feel is beautiful, like Les Deux when it first opens with the dramatic lighting and you can actually enjoy the space. Several bars, the usual Hollywood glam, outside patio enclosed by a translucent canopy, surrounded by gorgeous blue flamed fire pits and alluring lighting. The crowd is late 20's-early 40's businessy, skewing a little bit older than the normal Hwood peeps, which means less arguments surfacing, less drinks spilt, but at times more attitude. Pre-midnight there are spots to stand but still a steady flow of dancing and good new and old combo playlist, and some good conversation. Enter post-midnight, sloppy guys falling all over you, propositioning to "buy you" (yeah, that totally happened), and botox barbies getting more plastic with more attitude by the minute. This place quickly transitions to every other Hollywood club, but there's nowhere to move and avoid the d-bags. It gets super crowded and pretty much at capacity with busers try to push through the crowd rotating furniture. Our group got nicked/hit by more than a few chairs and had to dodge tables; still not sure why the Makeover home edition was needed continuously from midnight-1am. Lots of bumps and complaining...Overall not at all worth coming in this late...rotate back west to Winston's or another chill bar. Drinks are the usual slightly overpriced, overfilled with ice, watered down drink Hwood is known for. Getting a table seems very worth it if you actually want to celebrate and drink as you could spend $60 easily pp before even feeling tipsy. Pre-drink or buy tables kids. To sum up, gorgeous space, good music mix, good mingling before 12, and then travel on. Or get a table and stay with friends for a great new club-lite experience.
by the s. on It is nice to see a place open up with no flashy marketing schemes or nepotistic press releases. 1642 is a Bare bones, low budget start up wine and beer bar, maybe another inkling of change in the area known as Historic Filipino town. It makes sense, Temple is a major thoroughfare with a number of faceless empty store fronts from a by gone era waiting to be rejuvenated, or as those who do not like to see urban renewal put it ,"gentrification". This all being said the owner is quite humble and open to ideas and suggestions which is refreshing, this could be to her benefit as well because the space can go in any direction. A refeshing additional benefit is that the place does not try and appeal to any kind of "hipster cred" in its design choices, it actually feels a little like "gothic minimalism" not unlike a dive in New Orleans The beer selection will be rotating and the wine list is a little small; however. I get the feeling things will grow with time and profit.
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