🍸 Sips and Snacks: Pre-dinner drinks at Lala
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Try these pretty cocktails at Lala in Little Italy. Photo: Kate Murphy/Axios
Lala is my new go-to spot to grab cocktails before dinner in Little Italy.
Dig in: The cozy-chic bar and lounge tucked away next to Barbusa on India Street opened last year and the vibe is perfect for a fancy and flirty girls' night out.
- It's run by the Busalacchi family, which also owns popular Italian restaurants Barbusa and Nonna + Zucchero downtown.
What to order: The sweet and spicy Lala martini leans into the veggie cocktail craze with peppadew pepper-infused vodka, housemade brine, lime, muddle basil, serrano and tomato.
- The La Sirena cocktail is smoky and tropical with mezcal, luxardo rosso, pineapple, lime and coconut.
The intrigue: Lala's Busa oat milk espresso martini is the Busalacchi family's signature drink that's also sold by the bottle.
If you go: It was pretty easy to walk in and get four seats at the bar for a weekday double date, but they take dinner reservations too.
- Lala is open daily from 5-11pm, with happy hour until 6:30pm.
Best bites: After enjoying cocktails and a warm baguette with salted butter, we walked across the street to Bencotto for dinner on the patio.
- The homemade pasta tossed in a 60-pound wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese was fun to watch and dripping with rich, creamy flavor.