The stretch of Hollywood Boulevard through Thai Town doesn't broadcast much at street level—mostly shuttered storefronts and neon script you can't read unless you speak the language. Tabula Rasa sits at 5125, a door you'll walk past unless you're looking for it. No awning, no sandwich board, just a number and a dim glow through the window after 2pm. Inside, the room arranges itself around a central bar backed by vinyl crates and a turntable, with booths lining the walls and low lighting that doesn't try to be moody—it just is.
Karpo tracks Tabula Rasa's hours, confirms it's open right now, and maps the fastest route from wherever you are—plus live parking intel for Hollywood Boulevard, which you'll need.
This is a bottle shop that grew a bar, or maybe the other way around. Either way, the wine list runs deep on natural and low-intervention producers, with over 20 pours by the glass rotating weekly from a 150-bottle cellar that tilts toward female winemakers and under-represented regions. The food menu is short but considered, anchored by a Cuban sandwich that people mention unprompted. Every Thursday a DJ works the decks; once a month The Guide Trio plays live jazz. It's been here since September 2016, which in Los Angeles wine-bar years makes it a senior citizen.
Finding the door and getting inside
Street parking on this stretch is scarce and competitive. The Hollywood/Western Red Line station is the closest Metro stop, but rideshare is the path of least resistance unless you enjoy circling blocks. The bar is 21-plus with no exceptions—no babies, no children, per the liquor license. Walk-ins only. No reservations. Groups of fifteen or more can email pj@tabularasabar.com to give advance notice, but that's courtesy, not a booking.
The door opens at 2pm every day. Snacks are available from opening; the full food menu starts at 4pm. If you arrive mid-afternoon on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you'll have the bartender's attention and access to fresh kegs before the evening crowd files in. Those mid-week slots are the quietest windows in the weekly rhythm.
What the room feels like
The design is functional without being austere. Booths are sized for two to four people. The bar itself is the room's centre of gravity, and the vinyl setup—turntables, DJ booth, crates stacked within arm's reach—makes it clear that sound matters here. The lighting is low but not theatrical. You can read a wine list. You can have a conversation without leaning in.
This is a neighbourhood bar that happens to take wine seriously, not a wine bar trying to cosplay as approachable. The cellar is visible or at least referenced—150-plus bottles on hand, many available for retail purchase at a discount if you want to take something home. The aesthetic is calibrated for groups who want to talk, not for solo reflection or first-date scrutiny.
What to order and what it costs
Happy hour runs 4pm to 6pm every day and is one of the best-value windows in Los Angeles: $9 house wines, $6 draft beers, $5 snacks, with discounts on other by-the-glass selections. The by-the-glass list rotates weekly, so what's pouring today won't be next Thursday. The cellar skews natural, low-intervention, and toward producers you won't see on every other list in the city.
The Cuban sandwich is the menu anchor and deserves its reputation. The rest of the food is simple and designed to support drinking, not to compete with it. If you're celebrating something and want to bring your own dessert, the bar allows it at no charge—just bring disposable plates, forks, and candles. All wines are available as retail to-go at discounted pricing, so if you find something you like by the glass, you can leave with a bottle.
When to go and when to leave
Thursday nights mean a DJ on the decks. Once a month, The Guide Trio plays live jazz. If you want music as a backdrop rather than a focal point, avoid Thursdays. If you want the room at its most conversational, aim for Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Every Tuesday the bar donates a portion of proceeds to a rotating local charity—Giving Tuesday, they call it—so your tab does double duty.
The bar closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday, but Friday and Saturday it stays open until 2am. That's rare among LA's natural wine bars and makes Tabula Rasa one of the few places in the city where you can drink low-intervention bottles past the hour when most other wine-focused spots have shuttered. If you're the kind of person who wants a glass of Jura Chardonnay at 1am on a Saturday, this is one of your only options.
Hours, cost, and getting there
Open 2pm to midnight Sunday through Thursday, 2pm to 2am Friday and Saturday. No reservations. Walk-ins only. Groups of fifteen-plus should email ahead. No cover charge. Happy hour is 4pm to 6pm daily. Expect to spend around $9 to $15 per glass, less during happy hour. Food is affordable and secondary.
The address is 5125 Hollywood Boulevard in East Hollywood, technically Thai Town. The Hollywood/Western Red Line stop is walkable but rideshare is recommended. Street parking is limited and frustrating. If you're driving, budget extra time or accept that you'll circle. The bar functions as a bottle shop, so you can buy retail to-go. You can bring your own celebratory desserts if you bring your own disposables.
Please drink responsibly. Must be of legal drinking age.
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Ask Karpo first
Ask Karpo to confirm Tabula Rasa is open right now and whether happy hour is still running—those 4pm to 6pm discounts are worth timing your arrival around. Get live routing from your current location and check parking conditions on Hollywood Boulevard before you commit to driving.
