Quentin Tarantino spent five days shooting the film “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” at the Musso & Frank Grill, enlisting bartender Kenneth “Sonny Bones” Donato who shook up at least 15 of his famous Whiskey Sours. Musso’s has been a favorite of the film industry ever since Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks raced to the bar on horseback, with the loser picking up the tab. But this Hollywood favorite is also popular with regular folk thirsty for a drink and a bit of cinematic nostalgia. Check out these other real-life bars that appear in famous movie scenes.
L Street Tavern in Boston
As seen in: “Good Will Hunting” (1997)
Troubled mathematics genius Matt Damon introduces his new girlfriend Minnie Driver to his pals (including Ben Affleck) at this now-famous Irish bar which proudly boasts its connection to the Oscar-winning film.
Potable: Irish whiskey with a pint of Guinness
Quotable: “I got her number. How do you like them apples?”—Will (Matt Damon)
Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles
As seen in: “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” (2019)
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) enjoys one of Sonny’s Whiskey Sours while waiting to meet agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) at the famous Hollywood Boulevard watering hole.
Potable: Sonny’s Whiskey Sour, which combines bourbon, lemon, simple syrup, sweet and sour mix, and egg whites in an ice-filled cocktail tin.
Quotable: “When you come to the end of the line, with a buddy who is more than a brother and a little less than a wife, getting blind drunk together is really the only way to say farewell.”—Narrator (Kurt Russell)
The Formosa Café in Los Angeles
As seen in: “L.A. Confidential” (1997)
An iconic Hollywood establishment, the recently refurbished bar has appeared in numerous films, most notably this period noir where LAPD officer Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) mistakes Lana Turner for a lookalike prostitute.
Potable: Blood and Sand cocktail made with scotch, vermouth, cherry liqueur, and orange juice
Quotable: “I wouldn’t trade places with Edmund Exley right now for all the whiskey in Ireland.”—Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell)
21 Club in New York City
As seen in: “Wall Street” (1987)
A former Prohibition speakeasy, this indefinitely shuttered formal bar and restaurant was where Charlie Sheen and mentor Michael Douglas shared a power lunch.
Potable: ‘21’ Perfect Manhattan made with Maker’s Mark bourbon or Bulleit rye and sweet and dry vermouth
Quotable: “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”—Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas)
Maxim’s de Paris in Paris
As seen in: “Midnight in Paris” (2011)
This world-famous, art nouveau-styled bistro dates to 1893. In Woody Allen’s time-travel comedy, modern writer Owen Wilson visits Maxim’s in the 1920s with his new love, Marion Cotillard, and meets notable celebrities from that era.
Potable: Maxim’s de Paris Pure Malt Scotch
Quotable: “That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me.”—Adriana (Marion Cotillard)
New York Bar in Tokyo
As seen in: “Lost in Translation” (2003)
Located on the 52nd floor of Tokyo’s Park Hyatt Hotel, this elegant bar was featured in Sofia Coppola’s drama about a world-weary actor (Bill Murray) who befriends bored newlywed Scarlett Johansson while filming a Suntory commercial. Sofia’s inspiration came from her father, Francis Ford Coppola, who once starred in a Suntory ad for filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
Potable: Hibiki 17 year old
Quotable: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.”—Bob Harris (Bill Murray)
