Bar Sinister — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This was both my first and last visit to this establishment.

To preface: I have deep roots in the goth scene — from close friendships with artists to direct ties with several of the bands you feature on your weekend lineups. I was genuinely looking forward to finally checking this place out, thinking it might be a fun weekend getaway.

After driving two hours and paying for parking, we were greeted by one of the most unpleasant security teams I’ve ever encountered and I’ve worked with venues for years. The attitude was unnecessarily arrogant and dismissive from the start. In my case, I was told I wouldn’t be allowed entry because I was wearing a white shirt.

When I asked why, I was told, “It’s on our Instagram.” (It’s not.) Then came the kicker: “It’s goth night. This is a goth bar.”

That comment alone revealed how completely disconnected this place is from the actual goth community. I was wearing a white shirt tucked into black Dickies, with black Doc Martens, a chain choker, and a pocket chain. If this venue defines “goth” purely by the color of someone’s shirt, that’s not a scene that’s a costume party.

And even if I didn’t “look goth” (which I did), is that grounds for exclusion? Since when is gatekeeping based on appearance acceptable in a community built on acceptance, expression, and individuality?

Would you deny Robert Smith entry? He wears white. Morrissey wears white. Siouxsie Sioux wears white.

The idea that “this is a goth bar with a dress code” comes off as completely performative and tone-deaf. And to make things worse, I personally watched guests both ahead of and behind me get in while wearing white. So clearly, this wasn’t about a dress code it was about who security liked.

Eventually, I managed to get a black shirt, only to be met with, “This better not come off.” Excuse me? Or what I get kicked out? That comment alone was weirdly threatening and made the entire experience feel even more hostile.

As if that wasn’t enough, the same security guard who initially stopped me proceeded to follow me around the venue all night, making the rest of my time there uncomfortable and tense.

Overall, the entire vibe of this place felt unwelcoming and out of touch. If you care at all about authenticity or community, this is not the place.

Maybe this review will get ignored like so many others seem to. But I can promise this: I won’t be returning and neither will any of my friends. I’ll make sure that message is shared throughout my network in the scene, because a place that treats people like this doesn’t deserve a voice in a community it clearly...

Came here for the Stabbing Westward show with my spouse. It is definitely a beautiful sexy vibe, I appreciate the de Sadian aesthetic and my inner domme tingles at the sight of all the corsets and fishnet. It brought back treasured memories of dancing the nights away at Das Bunker and Perversion in my 20s, with dark travelers all around, to the tunes of the legendary DJ Amanda Jones. I felt right at home, clad in a sheer black mesh dress, giant stompy boots, hair coiffed, face and body snatched to the gods, coffin nails freshly painted. But this night in 2025, I did not appreciate the alleged birthday girl snapping at me to get the f out of her way. We were standing in the middle area minding our business, not exactly in front of the stage, there was no indication that the area we were occupying was reserved by her or anyone else, especially since the space we were in had just been vacated by two overserved people. She screamed at me and asked no one in particular where security was. Why would security be guarding the front of a janky old non functional water fountain surrounded by clove smoking guests enjoying the bands? There were no signs posted, no borders erected, nothing cordoned off. Security was busy; I saw them trying to fix a busted toilet in the restroom. I’d have been more receptive if she were polite. We moved aside from her precious “reserved area,” no problem. The rest of the evening was great, Stabbing Westward always put on a fun show. But the nasty interaction with a long time employee definitely put a damper on my spirits. I hope she recovers from whatever was ailing her. I get it, I hate birthdays too, but that’s no reason to be rude to concert patrons who traveled from many hours away to spend our time, money, and energy supporting this long time, special venue. A “sorry, but this area should be blocked off, I have reserved it” would have sufficed. What a bummer too, considering we were all there in spite of the LA fires raging around. I’m...

The times I’ve come here I’ve had a great time. They definitely offer the type of ambiance and music I look for. And everyone had been nice to me all the time with the exception of the night of 03/08/25. When I was getting ready to pay for my entrance, a lady told me I couldn’t get in because the white of my outfit. I was wearing a black and white striped bandage mini dress with black coat, black tights, and black loafers. My makeup was simple, but I wore black lipstick. This lady insisted that I couldn’t come in, but told her the website didn’t say not wearing anything white; (it says “No white sneakers). She insisted that it was a goth night and everything needed to be black. At that moment, I saw someone in with a similar outfit behind her, a black and white striped dress, and pointed out that. She ended up letting me in. But was that really necessary? I understand the level of commitment of this person, but what I don’t is her dissonance. When I came inside, I scanned the dance floor just to find people wearing also a dark green mini dress, a black long-sleeve with a white skeleton, different style of jackets (a flowered, a diamond bomber pattern, and a camouflage jacket). This whole thing got me thinking whether if it was a micro aggression or just stubbornness coming from this lady. My advice is to update the website if there’re any changes in the rules, and make it fair for everyone. Niceness comes...