Melrose Cigar Lounge Since 1997, Near the Improv: The V Cut

The V Cut sits at 8172 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, a few doors from the Hollywood Improv, and it has been a cigar lounge on this block since 1997. It is a family-owned room with a walk-in humidor, a street-front patio and, these days, a small fine-art gallery on the walls. There is no membership needed to come in: the owners' own line is an invitation to come in, relax and become part of the community.

The story the family tells starts far from Los Angeles. The Ahmadi family was uprooted from Afghanistan during the Soviet war and arrived in Los Angeles in 1984. Their first business was Amadi Carpets, and the lounge's history page credits that trade with the family's eye for craftsmanship and detail. In 1997 they expanded and opened what they call a sanctuary on Melrose for the cigar lifestyle, The V Cut Cigar Lounge.

Seven years later the family opened V Cafe on the same block, which has grown into its own hub for multicultural food, with a versatile menu the family says is prepared dish by dish with precision and care. When Cigar Aficionado visited in 2012, writer Alejandro Benes found that the cafe a couple of doors down worked as the lounge's commissary, with food and espresso brought over on request. He named the espresso the best he had found in any Los Angeles cigar lounge.

The website describes the humidor as stocked only with high-quality, hand-rolled premium brands, each one personally tasted and selected by the owner, Murtaza Ahmadi. Cigar Aficionado's 2012 profile introduced him as Taz Ahmadi, an Afghan immigrant who grew up in Los Angeles and opened the shop with some of his brothers. The magazine noticed that he knew most of the regulars by name, and that the crowd was one of the most diverse of any cigar room in the city.

That personal selection is the practical reason to come here rather than to a chain shop. Instead of browsing an endless wall, describe what you usually smoke and how long you have, and let the person who stocked the room choose. The walk-in humidor also carries cigarillos and pipe tobacco, and the shop sells humidors and cigar accessories if you are building a setup at home.

The V Cut's walls are now part of the draw. The current show on the lounge's homepage is Auto Affinity, a collection by Jan Matthias, who works in multimedia art focused on classic cars. The lounge notes that his years in the automotive industry show in his choice of angles and careful post-processing, which pick out details on rare relics and vehicles from many eras. It makes for a strange and pleasant pairing with a long smoke.

The 2012 review described the room before the gallery: seats with tables for about 20 people, Wi-Fi so writers could polish screenplays, European soccer on a single television, and live jazz about once a month on Wednesday nights. Owner Ahmadi told the magazine that show-business regulars liked the place because nobody bothered them there. Those details are more than a decade old, but the relaxed, neighborhood feel is still how the family describes the room.

The lounge rents out its space, and the events page spells out what it offers: street-front access to the Melrose shopping district, the walk-in humidor, and the art gallery as a backdrop. Hosts can bring in a live band, serve food and drinks over cocktail tables, or take private access to the room. Depending on the setup, capacity runs between 45 and 80 guests, which is large for a lounge of this kind.

To get a quote, the lounge asks for the date, the time span and the expected number of guests, along with any needs for entertainment, food and drink, or security. Inquiries go through the form on the events page or by email to thevcut@gmail.com, and the lounge also offers to schedule a meeting in person to walk through the plan. It is a good fit for a birthday or a small launch where the guest list includes both cigar smokers and friends who just want a drink and a look at the art.

Regulars who want cigars between visits can join the V Cut Club, the lounge's subscription. It costs $59.99 a month and brings five curated cigars each month across different body styles and blends, chosen by the team with a bias toward new releases and highly rated smokes. Members also get exclusive access to events, promotions and accessories through a private mailing list. The club is a mail program, so it is not required to sit in the lounge.

The block is easy to pair with an evening out. The Hollywood Improv is a few doors along Melrose, so an early cigar before a stand-up show is a classic local move. Head west and the boutiques run toward the Paul Smith store and its famous pink wall, a popular photo stop. East of the lounge, Melrose continues toward Fairfax Avenue, where the Melrose Trading Post flea market sets up at Fairfax High School on Sundays.

There is no Metro rail station within walking distance, but Metro bus Line 10 runs along Melrose Avenue. Most visitors arrive by car or rideshare, and the patio out front is the spot to watch the street while you wait for friends. Because the site is age-gated, expect to show ID: the lounge's website asks every visitor to be over 21.

Address: The V Cut Cigar Lounge, 8172 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Email: thevcut@gmail.com. Entry: open to the public, 21 and over, no membership needed to visit. Subscription: V Cut Club, $59.99 a month for five curated cigars. Events: private rentals for 45 to 80 guests depending on the setup. Next door: V Cafe, run by the same family on the same block.