The rooftop at E.P. & L.P. occupies a full city block of open-air terrace above La Cienega, where West Hollywood meets the Melrose corridor. It's a multi-level Southeast-Asian restaurant and bar that trades claustrophobic bottle-service tables for sprawl—bean-bag cinema seating during screenings, waffle fries with calamari, and a Purple Rain cocktail made with hibiscus, lavender and honey. The crowd skews younger on weekend nights, drawn by the same gravitational pull that fills Poppy nightclub on the same block. Arrive during happy hour and you'll find a different room entirely.
Karpo tracks live opening status, private-event closures and current wait times at E.P. & L.P., so you know whether the rooftop is open before you leave. It also maps the fastest walk from street parking and flags the happy-hour window.
This is the anchor for a short West Hollywood loop that starts with daylight and ends past midnight. The neighbourhood around La Cienega and Melrose supports pre-dinner drinks, a rooftop meal with views of the Hollywood Hills, and a post-club debrief—all within three blocks. What follows is the route, broken into thirty-minute windows.
E.P. & L.P.: the rooftop itself
The venue opens at 4pm on weekdays, noon on weekends, and occupies three floors at 603 N La Cienega Boulevard. The ground floor serves as the restaurant; the rooftop is the main event. Coastal-inspired design, open-air deck, and one of the largest rooftop footprints in Los Angeles. The Melrose Rooftop Theatre takes over part of the terrace during warmer months, with silent-style screenings, a projector, bean-bag chairs and QR-code phone ordering for concessions. Audio comes through headphones. The sunset backdrop is better than the screen.
The bar does not take reservations—you arrive, check in with the host, and wait for a table. Expect lines on weekend evenings. The rooftop frequently closes for private events, especially Friday through Sunday, so check ahead or risk a wasted trip. Cocktails sit on the pricier side, but pitchers are available for groups. The fried chicken sandwich and calamari with waffle fries anchor the food menu. Happy hour runs Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm, with drinks at twelve dollars or less. That window offers the best value and the thinnest crowds. After sundown, the dress code kicks in: no shorts, no flip-flops.
Thirty minutes before: Employees Only
Start at Employees Only, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar on the Melrose Avenue corridor. It's a smaller, darker room with a craft-cocktail focus and no rooftop distraction. The bartenders work slowly and well. Order something stirred, sit at the bar, and let the first drink settle before you move. This is the palate-cleanser before the louder, more sprawling scene at E.P. & L.P.
The walk from Employees Only to La Cienega takes five minutes. You'll pass boutique storefronts, vintage shops, and the occasional art gallery. Melrose here still feels like a shopping street rather than a nightlife strip, which makes the transition to the rooftop more abrupt. If you're early for your E.P. & L.P. check-in, this is where you kill time without killing momentum.
Thirty minutes after: Poppy or Catch LA
If you're staying on La Cienega, Poppy sits on the same block as E.P. & L.P. and draws the late-night crowd once the rooftop empties. It's a nightclub, not a bar, so the vibe shifts from open-air cocktails to bass and bottle service. E.P. & L.P. functions as the pre-club staging ground; Poppy is where that staging ground spills after midnight. The crowd skews what locals describe as 'LA pretentious,' especially on weekend nights, but if you're already dressed for the E.P. & L.P. evening dress code, you're dressed for Poppy.
The alternative is Catch LA, at 8715 Melrose Avenue. It's an upscale seafood-focused rooftop with reservations required and a more formal dining experience. The menu costs more, the tables are smaller, and the vibe is less sprawl, more scene. If E.P. & L.P. felt too loose or too loud, Catch tightens the frame. If you want something between the two, head back toward Employees Only and work your way east along Melrose. The corridor supports a dozen quiet bars that don't advertise.
Special events and the brunch window
E.P. & L.P. runs themed events throughout the year, with admission around twenty-five dollars including a signature cocktail. The rooftop cinema operates seasonally, not year-round, so don't count on screenings outside the warmer months. Brunch reservations open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3:30pm, with a fifty-dollar package that includes an entrée and a cocktail. Dinner reservations run 4pm to 10pm daily. Parties of twenty-one or more require an email to info@eplosangeles.com.
The brunch crowd is quieter than the evening rush, and the rooftop feels more like a daytime terrace than a nightlife destination. If you're chasing the view without the line, Saturday or Sunday at 12:30pm is the play. The Hollywood Hills backdrop doesn't change, but the energy does. You'll trade the after-work crowd and the pre-club momentum for mimosas and sunlight, which is either the point or a waste of the venue's potential, depending on what you came for.
Getting there and what it costs
E.P. & L.P. sits at 603 N La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood. Street parking is metered and competitive; expect to pay and walk. The nearest parking structures are along Melrose or on side streets north of the venue. If you're coming from east of La Brea, budget an extra ten minutes to circle. Public transit options are limited in this part of West Hollywood—rideshare or a long walk from the nearest Metro stop.
Hours are 4pm to 2am Monday through Friday, noon to 2am Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are available via Resy for the restaurant, but the rooftop bar operates first-come, first-serve. Check in with the host when you arrive. Happy hour Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm, is the value window. Cocktails outside that window run fifteen to twenty dollars; pitchers help if you're splitting. The fifty-dollar brunch package is the clearest fixed price on the menu. Private events close the rooftop frequently, especially on weekends, so confirm before you go.
Please drink responsibly. Must be of legal drinking age.
Tags: #rooftopbarla #epandlp #westhollywoodbars #melroserooftop #rooftopcinema #lacienegaboulevard #happyhourla #southeastasianfood #rooftopterrace #losangelesnightlife #outdoorbarsla #beanbagcinema #cocktailpitchers
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Ask Karpo first
Ask Karpo whether E.P. & L.P.'s rooftop is open tonight or closed for a private event—it happens most weekends. Check current wait times if you're arriving without a reservation, and ask for the fastest parking route from your starting point. Karpo also tracks whether happy hour is still running and flags the dress code window after sundown.
