As I drive over the 4th Street bridge toward the Los Angeles Arts District, I’m excited to be heading to one of my favorite areas of LA. The Arts District used to be mostly industrial and manufacturing warehouses and it has quickly become artist lofts, galleries, shops, and an interesting collection of bars and restaurants. This time I’m meeting up with a friend for happy hour, at Bar Mateo at Zinc Cafe.

We usually frequent Zinc Cafe for brunch, but we were celebrating so we decided to check out Bar Mateo for their happy hour. As I entered from Mateo Street, there are olive trees that lead me into the courtyard with intimate seating and the gravel grounds. The courtyard is tucked away just enough so you don’t hear the hustle and bustle from the street. On the other side of the courtyard, housed in what used to be a barn, is Bar Mateo. They are not allowing seating inside during this time, but it’s where they are taking drink and food orders.

Happy Hour: They have a nice beer and wine selection as well as craft cocktails. We ordered an Aperol spritz since it was a bit warm when we arrived. It was fruity, light, and refreshing, which was perfect on this warm afternoon. We also ordered the chips and guac and sliders, which are vegetarian. The guacamole was delicious and came in a generous bowl for the two of us to share and you can clearly see the salt crystals on each chip. The sliders are made with walnuts, mushrooms, cheese, egg, and brown rice and served with a harissa aioli on the side. I almost forgot the patty was meatless because the patty was moist and flavorful. If you want more than just apps from 3 pm- 6 pm, they do have other options on the menu like salads, pizza, vegetarian burgers, and entrees like spinach lasagna and potato enchiladas.

COVID-19 Guidelines: All the staff we encountered were wearing gloves and masks. The bar area is purely for ordering your drinks and food. No seating inside. When you order at the bar, there was plexiglass between me and the bartender. Bar Mateo had plenty of signage posted, clearly requiring everyone to wear masks, keep 6-foot distancing, and a QR code available to view the drink and food menu.

I enjoyed my time at Bar Mateo, so much we closed the place down. The ambiance of the courtyard is dreamy and the delicious drinks and simplicity of the food will keep me coming back.

Bar Mateo at Zinc Cafe: 580 Mateo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013, phone 323-825-5381