225 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
The vibe: A secret bar in the swanky Montage Hotel that you need a secret code to get into. Specialising in the world's most precious whisky, The Macallan single malt, the small and intimate bar is dark, cosy and stylishly discreet. Think mahogany walls and marble tables and buttery leather sofas. Bartender Cash Black escorts you from the lower level and takes you up winding stairs into the private enclave of the bar, before taking you through the bar's extensive menu of cocktails.
The view: Sitting out on the veranda on a warm Californian evening, overlooking a stone balustrade and out at the hotel's artfully manicured Beverly Canon Gardens.
The chat: When I arrive, it's only myself and a couple. Cash is knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming, and goes through the cocktail list in a helpful, unpretentious way.
The drink: I opt for the Tom's Manhattan, a classic and one of Cash's personal favourites featuring a combination of Michter's bourbon, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. "It was my dad's favourite drink, and he was my hero," says Cash. It arrives in an elegant Lalique crystal martini glass and is the kind of drink you want to enjoy slowly.