recently in the news
The Straights Are Coming! The Abbey is one of the best-known bars in West Hollywood. Voted the “best gay bar in the world” last year in an online poll by Logo viewers, ironically, …
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Dine With the Stars at The Abbey Food & Bar
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Top 10 Places to Kiss
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ABBEY PRESS - Happy Hour review
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Be Scene: The Haute 5 Nightclubs in L.A.
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Los Angeles: Stop by The Abbey for food, fun or a signature Martini in WeHo
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David Cooley of The Abbey - How the Best Gay Bar in the World Was Made
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EDGE LOS ANGELES- Customer Appreciation Party Coverage
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TripOut Gay Travel AwardsBEST GAY BAR IN THE WORLD: WINNER
The Abbey won the "Best Gay and Lesbian Bar" category for the 2009 MyFoxLA HotList
Worship at L.A.’s Abbey, Voted ’Best Gay Bar in the World’
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Abbey Wins Best Gay Bar
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Catching Up with Candis Cayne – Abbey Wins Best Gay Bar
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David Cooley interview – Abbey wins Best Gay Bar
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Abbey wins Best Gay Bar
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Abbey voted as Best Gay Bar
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Abbey wins Best Gay Bar
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Kathy Griffin at The Abbey – Abbey wins Best Gay Bar
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David Cooley, Portfolio - Out Magazine
Sam Nazarian, a muscular Iranian billionare, strode through the spike, a gay bar in Los Angeles known for late-night cruising. Exiting through the back door into da dark alley, he settled into the back of his chauffeured SUV...Read Full Story >>
Conde Nast Traveler
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L.A. BIZ SEEN - Los Angeles business events
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EATER - Los Angeles
WEST HOLLYWOOD: When SBE partnered with The Abbey, we knew subtle changes would come about eventually. A new menu was just launched with a lot of comfort food-style additions like mini tacos, grilled cheese and soup, and braised short ribs for dinner (naturally.what restaurant dares to not serve short ribs these days).Read Full Story >>
Hollywood's Hottest Spots
Krista, a 27-year-old sales manager for an Italian wine company and a staple of the Los Angeles club scene, is gearing up for Oscar week, which promises to be party-heavy.
She spends most evenings working the dance floor at local hot spots Hyde or Area or people watching at newly trendy Winston's . But this week Krista is adding a post-screening Oscar party to her schedule (in an effort to keep the event exclusive, she's kept the film and locale to herself).Read Full Story >>
Sponsor SBE Helps Growing APLA Oscar Benefit
Elton John's party down the block may be the more buzzed-about AIDS fund-raiser on Oscar night, but AIDS Project L.A.'s viewing dinner and after-party at the Abbey is the cozier alternative-and it's gaining steam every year. APLA's Adrienne Levey, who oversees the event, this year partnered with big-name sponsor SBE Entertainment Group, past partner Esquire, and a handful of others.Read Full Story >>
REGIONAL REPORT - Los Angeles business journal
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Sponsor SBE Helps Growing APLA Oscar Benefit
Elton John's party down the block may be the more buzzed-about AIDS fund-raiser on Oscar night, but AIDS Project L.A.'s viewing dinner and after-party at the Abbey is the cozier alternative-and it's gaining steam every year. APLA's Adrienne Levey, who oversees the event, this year partnered with big-name sponsor SBE Entertainment Group, past partner Esquire, and a handful of others.Read Full Story >>
The Abbey's Tale of 2,3,4... Cities
Perched at the intersection of Santa Monica and Robertson in West Hollywood, the Abbey is a local institution that has drawn a loyal following since it first opened as a coffee house 15 years ago. David Cooley, founder of the Abbey, has overseen five different expansions and spoke to IN Los Angeles about the venue's newest makeover: a corporate partnership which has the Abbey poised to open its doors in cities across the country. Read Full Story >>
Pop star Christina Aguilera congratulates David Cooley, owner of The Abbey Food and Bar, on the fifteen year anniversary of his West Hollywood hotspot.
Cooley pulled out all the stops for the landmark celebration, with guests sipping on Veuve Clicquot champagne and signature Finlandia martinis served by white-gloved waiters in tuxedo tails.
VIPs and celebrities in attendance included Aguilera; "Blue Lagoon" director Randal Kleiser; actor/model Rusty Joyner; reality-TV star Tyler Robuck as well as director/ DJ Chi Chi LaRue and West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman.
http://goweho.com/content.asp?ContentId=654
Celeb-rating: Inside Esquire and Elton John Oscar parties
The Oscars are like prom night for Hollywood -- an excuse to dress up, rent a limo, and party. Late. In a triangle bound by West Hollywood streets and dubbed "Oscar Alley," Academy Awards fever rages long after the awards show ends, at parties hosted by Vanity Fair, Elton John and Esquire magazine. The Vanity Fair party each year is the biggest of the bunch, held at Morton's restaurant on Melrose Avenue. The legions of paparazzi stationed at its entrance resemble a flashing, screaming army. Read Full Story >>
And the Winner is? USA & WeHo
There was certainly a crackle of potential and
empowerment at this year's Oscar celebrations. Hollywood, America's
cultural voice seemed to have regained certain relevance and, as
George Clooney so eloquently said, "I am proud to be apart of this
Academy." Read Full Story >>
Esquire Hosts Cozier Oscar AIDS Benefit
The magazine's party with AIDS Project L.A. was a more intimate version of Elton John's nearby blowout.
Esquire magazine and AIDS Project Los Angeles threw a benefit bash in kissing distance of one of the big kahunas of Oscar night-the Elton John AIDS Foundation party at the Pacific Design Center. APLA's viewing party is certainly the smaller, calmer cousin of the evening's AIDS events, with only 400 seated guests and another 100 hovering over drinks at the Abbey. But what the APLA bash misses in terms of sheer star wattage, it makes up for in coziness and maneuverability-no small thing on a night when parking one's car and making it through the door at a bigger event can devour a whole hour.
Read Full Story: http://www.bizbash.com/losangeles/content/editorial/e5907.asp
Oscar party fund-raiser for APLA, March 5 in West Hollywood, Calif.
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt will host “The Envelope Please,” an Oscar night party that serves as a fund-raiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles, on March 5 at the Abbey Food and Bar in West Hollywood, Calif. The event is cohosted by Esquire magazine and Clear Channel L.A. Also scheduled to attend the fund-raiser are actors Jesse Garcia, Emily Rios, and Chalo Gonzalez and filmmakers Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. The host committee includes Lauralee Bell, Bill Brochtrup, Wilson Cruz, Taylor Dayne, Deborah Gibson, Laura Harring, Kate Linder, Roma Maffia, Ming-Na, Michael Moloney, Kathy Najimy, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Hal Sparks, and Nia Vardalos. Party attendees will enjoy a dinner and viewing of the Academy Award telecast. A dance will follow the awards ceremony. The black-tie event begins at 4 p.m. at the Abbey, 692 N. Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood. Ticket prices begin at $250, with proceeds benefiting APLA. For more information or to purchase tickets call (213) 201-1387.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid25786.asp
We Do, Too!
How to plan an absolutely fabulous same-sex wedding
February 9, 2006
These days, same-sex partners looking to get married have a wide variety of venues to choose from. Last summer, for example, 100 gay and lesbian couples tied the knot in a mass wedding at the Abbey, a bar in West Hollywood. 692 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 289-8410. Read full story>>
GOING FOR 'BROKEBACK': With his The Abbey nightclub having turned into something of a town hall social spot for West Hollywood's gay community, owner David Cooley can't resist the opportunity to cheer on the Oscar-nominated 'Brokeback Mountain' at the annual 'The Envelope Please' Academy Awards night splash held there to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. 'We are hoping to add some touches like the grizzly bear from the movie, live or stuffed, for stars to pose with, as well as have my arrival, perhaps with Jennifer Love Hewitt, on horseback in tuxedo and cowboy boots,' Cooley says. Hewitt hostesses the affair, with Esquire and Clear Channel L.A. as sponsors. 'Also, we're going to offer cowboy hats to any guests who want to wear them at the party that night as a hint of which picture they are hoping will win,' adds Cooley.
http://www.dailynews.com/celebrities/ci_3481490
It's a gay, gay world for Fred Savage
January 25, 2006
All-grown-up Wonder Years star Fred Savage is attracting curious stares and generating wagging tongues as he walks through The Abbey, a popular gay bar in the Boys Town section of Los Angeles. When a gay patron, Freddy Alvarez, 34, pulls Savage aside and asks: "Inquiring minds want to know. Are you here doing research?" Savage smiles politely and says, "Sort of." But in fact, Savage requires little research for his role as gay son Mitch Crumb on ABC's new sitcom Crumbs (Thursday, 9:30 ET/PT). As residents of West Hollywood, Savage and his wife of a year and a half, Jennifer Stone, have been to The Abbey several times with gay friends. Read More >>
West Hollywood, Calif., business provides holiday meals to HIVers
December 22, 2005
The Abbey Food and Bar, a popular West Hollywood, Calif., establishment, has donated $10,000 to provide holiday meals to HIV-positive clients of the Los Angeles charity Aid for AIDS. The money will be used to provide 229 households a full Christmas dinner that includes turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and rolls, say Abbey staff members. The meals are being packaged and delivered to Aid for AIDS clients by grocery chain Albertsons. "Giving back to the community is very important to us, especially during this time of year," said Abbey owner David Cooley. "We're pleased to be able to spread some cheer and make the holidays a little brighter." (Advocate.com)
IIt was queer eye for the vagrant guy at top West Hollywood gay bar The Abbey when flamboyant style expert Carson Kressley was dining with a friend and spotted a bum panhandling. Instead of shooing the man away, Kressley invited him to join them for dinner and then treated him to a large box of desserts from the eatery's display case to take with him. To make matters even sweeter, Kressley added a $100 bill.
Meal Ticket: L.A. Nightlife
Aug. 8, 2005 issue - Make
like a movie star at Los
Angeles's most glittering
nightspots. Whether it's
looks or personality you
want, these picks from Zagat's
new guide to "L.A. Nightlife" will
help you find that perfect
unmarked door.
GAY/LESBIAN
Abbey
310-289-8410; "Still the
queen bee" for "mixing and
mingling" with the "best
of Boystown," WeHo's "mainstay" hive
is "fab for food, cocktails
and man-gayzing"; the buzz
is best on "packed weekends" when "it's
a true act of dexterity to
get through the crowd."
APPEAL
| 25 | DECOR 25 |
SERVICE 19 | COST $10
Read
More>>
By
Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
SHOP
TIL YOU DROP IN: Where does a stylish star refresh
after a long day of shopping
on trendy Robertson Boulevard? For Kirsten Dunst, it was girls'
night out this past weekend
at West Hollywood's hot
spot The Abbey -
without beau Jake Gyllenhaal, who was nowhere
to be seen. The sprawling
15,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor
complex has become quite a hangout for Hollywood
hotties. Read
More>>
ABC parties to ring in its new season
By
William Keck, USA TODAY
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The hottest gay club on
Santa Monica Boulevard was closed to the public Wednesday
night for a star-studded party ABC threw for its 2005-06
season. The network hired hunky bartenders to pour "According
to Gins" and "Cosmo-in-Chiefs," and by 11 p.m. "Dancing
With the Desperate Housewives" was well underway
as Teri Hatcher set down her "Extreme Home Makeover Mojito" and
hit the dance floor. "There's usually more techno
music and fewer women here at The Abbey," noted
all-grown-up Wonder Years actor Fred Savage, who
plays the closeted gay son of William Devane and Jane Curtin
in the new sitcom Crumbs. Read
More>>
That event was sedate compared to ABC's party,
which was held Wednesday at The Abbey, a popular "straight-friendly" gay
spot in West Hollywood that on this night was (percentage
unknowable) less gay. A number of reporter/critics shook
their heads in amazement; only last year, or the year
before, or the year before that, ABC's party was a dud. Read
More>>
Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria,
Nicollette Sheridan and Geena Davis helped
Disney President Bob Iger toast Candace
Bushnell and her novel "Lipstick Jungle" at
L.A.'s Argyle Hotel. The ladies must liked the
16-ounce jars of Creme de La Mer scattered around
the party. By the end of the night, the jars,
which sell for $1,200 each, were all gone. Hatcher,
Davis and other ABC stars also turned out for
a network bash at the Abbey, the West Hollywood
gay bar. Spies wondered why hunky "Desperate
Housewife" gardener Jesse Metcalfe wasn't
there ... Read More >>
The Abbey reviews
While monks have been known to brew beer, you won't find anyone holy or plainly cloaked at The Abbey, the West Hollywood venue. A little colorful versatility never hurt anyone - in dress or clientele - but cabana beds? People could really get themselves into trouble here. However, The Abbey, in all its churchy dÄÂĂÂĂĹĄĂÂ cor, seems to encourage a little gentle, ironic defrocking. Comfy bedded nooks are scattered among the crosses, candles, and TVs in this huge, multi-room, open-air venue, serving cocktails and a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. It's a straight-friendly, men-seeking-men kinda place, complete with waterfalls and fireplaces to put anyone in the mood - regardless of preference. When the weather is right, come here for afternoon spirits. With the open sky above, it'll feel like communion.
"Best of" 2004 Issue - Best Cruising With Your
Best Friend
Your dog might be not only your best friend but also your
matchmaker. Dog-walking heterosexuals flood Runyon Canyon
Park at the top of Fuller Avenue to stalk the scenic hiking
trails in the Hollywood Hills while hoping to tend to
their cardiovascular and other affairs of the heart. Just
a few blocks east, hip metrosexuals in torn Prada T-shirts
tow their dogs to a more discreet location, the mysterious
park behind the Waddles Mansion at the top of Curson.
Lesbians play "fetch" with Fido while practicing shot-put
at the Silver Lake dog park near the southwest edge of
the lake. Homosexuals who don't want to beat around the
bush park their dogs, pose and exchange phone numbers
at the outdoor Abbey CafÄÂĂÂĂĹĄĂÂ at 692 N. Robertson in West
Hollywood. What's your dog into? - Ron Meyers
WeHo favorite The Abbey might be populated by its gay neighbors,
but the ever hip bar, club and restaurant welcomes straight
clientele with open arms. Sitting outdoors on the stone
patio by an old-worldesque fountain, it feels more like
Italy than Los Angeles. It's the environs that make this
place so inviting, and even though it's known as the place
to be for same-sex couples, everyone is welcome and feels
comfortable. Owner David Cooley recently completed a $2
million 4,000- square-foot renovation and expansion, bringing
the square feet to approximately 16,000-square-feet. Despite
its massive size, the restaurant/coffee house/bar/dance
club still feels intimate and elegant.
Maybe it's the always-popular white curtained cabanas
for lounging, the wrought iron gates, the fireplace, and
the hand-blown jewel colored lights or the romantic wall
of votives.Whatever the decorative detail that makes The
Abbey such an ideal place to meet friends and chat the night
away - the combination works. Cooley's most recent expansion
marks the restaurant's fifth since 1991, when Cooley first
opened a coffee house across the street. Success came fast;
soon after opening, Cooley moved his establishment to its
present location and went from upscale coffee house to uber-lounge
with a full bar and full kitchen offering breakfast, lunch
and dinner.The kitchen serves food from 8 to 2 a.m. Sip
one of Abbey's signature martinis, such as the pumpkin or
the chocolate raspberry, under the stars and your cares
are sure to slip away. Famous for its large glass pastry
case, brimming with almost every delectable desert imaginable,
The Abbey staff is always sure to recommend a slice of cheesecake
regardless of the time of day. Dinner guests have plenty
of choices, from The Abbey's version of a down-home Sloppy
Joe made with turkey and black bean chili served on focaccia
bread and topped with feta cheese to a healthconscious entrÄÂĂÂĂĹĄĂÂ e
of seared Ahi tuna served on a bed of asparagus and tomatoes
lightly doused with an Italian vinaigrette.
The food is inexpensive, entrees range from about $9 to
$13 and as a result it seems that just as many people come
here for a bite to eat on a daily basis as come for a drink.
The Abbey's distinctive atmosphere and prime location have
not only made it popular among locales, but has allowed
it to discretely cater to A-list celebrities such as Leonardo
DiCaprio, Britney Spears, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne
and, of course, television's design darlings the five stars
of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
101 Things We Love - Issue Review
The patio is the place to be at this WeHo fave, whose kitchen
specializes in lending verve to standards like chicken and
shrimp kabobs (both $10.50). You'll want to join this Abbey
after sampling the chicken Dijon and its intense mustard
sauce, mushrooms, grilled swash wheels and golden brown
diced potatoes ($10.75). Even with a simple grilled salmon
($10.95), brushed with lemon butter and showered with lemon
juice, tastes remarkably refined; crunchy steamed spinach
and a mound of masheds share the plate. To start, split
the industrial-sized salad of baby greens, chopped tomatoes
and (superfluous) orange slices ($4); because it tends to
be clad more sparsely than Jennifer Lopez at the Grammys,
the less calorically conscious should request extra dressing.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Full bar. Validated parking
at Pacific Design Center, $1.50. 692 N. Robertson Blvd.,
310.289.8410
"Sin is in the air" at "everybody's favorite hangout" in
WeHo where the "beautiful boys" who "look like they stepped
off the cover of a magazine and act like it" sip their "delicious
martinis" and hail their Marys; "it's impossible not
to have a good time" at "gay guy central", but if you
have
"personal space issues", get yourself some therapy in one
of the "private cabanas"; one caveat: queue queens quibble
"you loves fresh meat status just waiting for a drink."
Of course, there are those straight friends who will savor
the theatrical delights of the most flamboyant bar or the
gutter chatter of the roughest dykes-on-bikes roadhouse.
But what about the business acquaintances or out-of-town
relatives who are game to accompany office manager Craig
or perennial bachelor Uncle Charlie to a pleasant, hetero-congenial
gay hangout? After work, Silver Lake's Akbar, a watering
hole done up as a mini Casbah, attracts a cross section
of the neighborhood. Looking at it as a cocktail, think
two parts gay to one part straight. All year there is a
celebratory vibe that's especially acute during the annual
Sunset Junction street fair. After 10 p.m., Akbar segues
into a pick up scene. During the day - for breakfast, luncheon
or twilight - West Hollywood's The Abbey is the natural
destination. With its weathered woods, lazy ceiling fans,
and ashram-meets-medieval-churchyard design scheme, this
cafÄÂĂÂĂĹĄĂÂ and bar exudes unisex warmth. Its array of martinis
- from caramel apple to Creamsicle to banana-raspberry -
seems like a subliminal introduction to the pulse of gay
social life in Los Angeles. Its expansive open patio embraces
every sexual orientation imaginable under the same heavenly
canopy and is amenable to straights. Come nightfall, the
Abbey, too, transforms into a place of serious pecs and
abs viewing, and this being West Hollywood rather than Silver
Lake, the pecs and abs tend to be painstakingly sculpted.
An unassuming but comprehensive coffee bar and outdoor
lounge leads into a maze-like setting, which gets more complex
and exotic the deeper it goes. Subsequent rooms are drenched
in ineffably warm red and gold lights, highlighted by a
sublime Arabian patio with recessed cabana mattresses draped
with swaths of white fabric, and the contradiction of a
burning fireplace and cooling mechanized fans. An expansive
roster of fragrant martini choices--fruit and chocolate-based--helps
distinguish the sophisticated vibe. The crowd is mixed and
unpretentious, largely gay male, but with a strong gay and
straight female presence, and frequent hetero couples, clearly
drawn by the enveloping feel and an eclectic food menu of
Mexican, Asian and Italian fare.
Hallowed ground for West Hollywood locals, The Abbey is
a beacon of entertainment and social acceptance that transcends
its bar and restaurant identity. Once just a coffeehouse
with a Gothic theme, The Abbey has remodeled, renovated
and morphed to become a focal point of West Hollywood life,
by day and by night. Depending on the time, The Abbey can
be a simple coffeehouse and bakery or a hot nightclub and
bar scene attracting lines of patrons. Building on its coffeehouse
base, owner David Cooley slowly expanded to include an outdoor
bar, cabana lounge, dance floor and the decadent new Ice
Bar, which features cathedral ceilings and a sultry lounge.
Even with the changes, the Gothic theme that longtimers
have come to love remains intact.
The transition from coffee and baked goods by day to nightly
dinner and dancing can't be easy, but this place does it
with aplomb. Rated "Best Restaurant of 2003" by
the city of West Hollywood, the Abbey is known for catering
to the late-night dining demands of the local gay community.
The food is well-prepared, ranging from fun finger foods
like nachos, quesadillas and burgers, to lighter chicken,
pasta and vegetarian faire. Whether enjoying a late lunch
with friends or gushing down a Martini at last call, the
Abbey is a gay nightlife experience that epitomizes LA bar
life for millions of residents and visitors. -- Michael
Martin
