Library Bar at the Roosevelt (permanently closed)

Named after Theodore Roosevelt and financed by the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B. Mayer, the Roosevelt Hotel has attracted Hollywood's stars since it opened in 1927. The hotel hosted the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, Marilyn Monroe's first magazine shoot was taken on the hotel's diving board and she lived at the hotel for two years. This is Tinseltown central.

The hotel's majestic Spanish Colonial lobby is a courtyard-like space enclosed by a high elaborate ceiling and fairytale chandelier. Arch-topped columns rise to galleries which look down on the chairs and sofas that dot the titled floor. The tiny room which houses the Library bar sits off the far corner of this lobby. Inside this hidden cocktail haven chunky brown Chesterfield sofas compete for attention with modern leopard skin covered furnishings.

Walk into the bar and you are greeted with the waft of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. There is no cocktail menu, simply name your preferred spirit base and style of drink and your mixologist will suggest something appropriate, muddling, mixing and even bar-top roasting their way to mixological perfection. We tried it with tequila and Scotch and both drinks were triumphs.