Turn the corner on Hollywood Boulevard and Hudson Avenue and you’ll find a doorway which looks like any other doorway. Except this one has a man stood outside it, shifting his eyes ever-so-slightly from side to side. Maybe he has suspenders, or one of those twirled mustaches, a bowler cap. Either way, he stands out. Step right up, he’s got something for you. “Are you here for Black Rabbit Rose?” he asks, and of course you are. He has you pick four cards, splaying out a deck on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard like an ancient busker and then, nothing more to say except “you’ll see,” he ushers you inside.
A curtain pulled back, you’re inside a sumptuous, snug room; people with more decks of cards are causally visiting the tables of patrons, eliciting gasps and applause. The scent of fresh, spicy Thai food hangs in the air, carried along as trays prepared by Crying Tiger, LA’s beloved late-night Thai spot, are placed in front of eager guests. You take a seat and peruse the luscious cocktail menu, cooling off with magic-themed mixers like the Dark Arts, swirling with activated charcoal, or the Smoke and Mirrors aptly named for both the location and the smoked hickory infused within.
Yes, you can find themed drinks and Thai food at several spots in Los Angeles, maybe in Hollywood itself (though the items here are amongst the best you’ll find), but for the more adventurous amongst you, the bar experience is just the preamble to a much more satisfying evening. Make sure to make a reservation at Black Rabbit Rose before you go; your reservation will get you through to the next step, and a journey deeper into the historic celebrity apartment building that brothers Mark and Jonnie Houston have converted into a velveteen Magic Castle, secreted away in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world.
Better still, on top of your reservation, get the “VIP Experience,” which includes a cocktail presentation unlike any other. No details to share, here, just know that your fellow attendees who neglected the upgrade might feel a familiar twinge of jealousy when your boozy concoction joins in on the magic.
Without sharing some of the more…illusory elements of Black Rabbit Rose, it’s safe to say that no guest will leave unsurprised or unentertained. A revolving group of master magicians, singers, and performers put on an exclusive show for a cozy, limited audience several nights a week; you’ll sip a powerful cocktail and cozy up with your guest as you experience funny, sensual, startling show that will leave every guest feeling dazzled and, perhaps most importantly, special.
Black Rabbit Rose isn’t just a great “date night” activity—and it absolutely is—it’s the kind of evening that you’ll want to try over and over as the line-ups change regularly. Yes, there’s magic, but there’s also burlesque, live music, and tons of performance in this intimate space. It combines the casual atmosphere of late-night Thai food (yes, Crying Tiger has a tiny walk-up window outside that serves until past 2am) with a chic cocktail lounge and submerges it all under a strong draught of mystery.
Amidst all this intrigue, you’re still in Hollywood: hidden in the center of it all. The lights of the city buzz, crisp and neon through the streets, peals of laughter ring out from tourists as they trip over their feet to read the Walk of Fame, the sweet, smoky heat from the cart of a street merchant wafts over the pavement as he sells questionable meat. Yet to some, especially locals, the world-renown Hollywood Boulevard, the lights, the Stars….it can feel like it’s lost the spark it once had; a strong love for a city that over time has become an expected comfort. But then you find a place like Black Rabbit Rose and you know what you’d forgotten to consider: that there’s always room for a surprise in Hollywood. That’s the magical thing about it: you never really have to look far to find something to reignite an old flame.
Get the full Black Rabbit Rose magic show and cocktail experience every Thursday at 8:30pm and twice on Fridays and Saturdays, at 8 and 9:30pm. You can reserve your experience here. You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook.
