5 Things to Eat and Drink at Beelman’s Pub

The latest watering hole from the ACME Group, those behind neighborhood favorites Spring St, Sixth Street Tavern, King Eddy Saloon and the Library Bar, debuted this week in the heart of the Historic District. Because it’s really only a few doors away from Spring St, Beelman’s Pub takes a more British stance on the block, offering more serious gastropub fare, an interesting spirits selection (aquavit, amari, rum, gin), Belgian-style beers, and specialty cocktails created by the Proprietor LLC guys (Honeycut, NYC’s Death + Company). That means you can sip two kinds of gin and tonics (one English, one Spanish), and things like Hot Pants, a vodka, Aperol and strawberry-pinepple soda concoction served on draft.Inside, dark wood paneling, a few leather booths and a long marble bar are reminiscent of spots across the pond; outside it’s very Downtown LA with picnic tables and blue bistro chairs set up on the recessed brick-walled patio. It sits back from the sidewalk just enough to get out of the Spring Street riff raff, but you’re still part of the bustling scene. Tom Block, the new executive chef for the company, offers up elevated bar food along with some standards, keeping things pretty unique for this corner. Along with oysters on the half shell, small plates and a few entrees, here are five things you’ll find to eat and drink at the new pub (600 S. Spring St.)

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  While we enjoyed the Accidental Guru (Irish Whisky, Crème de Pêche, ginger, lime and Blanche de Bruxelles), getting the two gin and tonics side by side offered a fun taste test. The Spanish-inspired one, served in a goblet with added herbs and spice, does boast more flavor thatn the English-style, but the purity of the latter still gets our vote.

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  Instead of just offering a beet salad, Block smokes the beets and serves them with citrus, hazelnuts and creme fraich. The smoke adds a nice layer of flavor to the small plate. He has other dishes like this, including curry-roasted carrots with feta, and Wagyu beef carpaccio, that stand out from regular pub fare.

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    One thing we are surprised is so good is the stuffed trout. It comes on a wooden plank pretty simple, but squirt that caramelized lemon on it, and cut in to find a rather nutty stuffing and flaky fish. The skin is perfect. 

  • Block’s version of a tarte flambee is fairly traditional – thin crust, caramelized onion, bacon and fromage blanc. It’s an easy-breezy snack (and disappeared quickly).

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      Of course there has to be a burger, and this one is full of flavor topped with thick-cut bacon, sharp Grafton cheese and grainy mustard. The steak fries are kind of plain, but we do love the little ceramic pots of ketchup that comes out if you ask.

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        Find a spot on the patio (most people do) and order drinks and food through the window. A nice touch so you don’t have to go inside.

  • Source: Zagat