Meet Silver Lake's favorite new spot: The Friend. Spearheaded by André Sariava, Jared TKTKT, and Mike TKTKT, this French-inspired space is about to be your new favorite go-to.
FIVE WITH ANDRE:
What It's Really Like Working With Your Brother
Written By: Zarna Surti
Photos by: taylor rainbolt
What inspired you to open The Friend? Why did you choose Silver Lake?
I’ve had the idea of opening a bar with my two best friends from LA for a long time, so when we found this space in Silver Lake we had to take over and we named it The Friend as it should be.
Can you tell us a bit more about the aesthetic and what inspired it?
Creating a new place is like making a drawing or a painting. The colors have to be in harmony and the lines have to be in perfect balance. For me, creating a place is like painting watercolor.
What do you hope The Friend will become?
We came up with The Friend for it to become a cool neighborhood bar.
What made you choose the name?
By working with two of my best friends from LA, The Friend’s name came naturally to us.
andre's work:
Paint By Numbers
Review By: Ariela Kozin + ANISA SUDRA
PHOTOS BY: TAYLOR RAINBOLT
The gallery:
Now Playing At Slow Culture
by: Ariela Kozin
Did you know that you wanted to be in Silverlake?
We were looking all over. I have been wanting to do something in Silverlake for the past 10 years. Finding the right location and being available at the right time is challenging, but we were so stoked to find Silverlake because Mickey Madden—one of our partners—lives in Silverlake. It really is home to a lot of artists and musicians, and people that we wanted to come hang out here with us.
It's a very functional space with a lot of elements. It's a bar, and there's food, and people are playing games. Is that something that you wanted?
Absolutely. We wanted it to feel intimate. It’s small enough that you can fill it with a room of friends, but big enough that you can spread out a little bit and have some fun.
What pieces of each of you, the owners, do you feel is sitting in this space?
The first thing that pops out is the look and that is very much André. It's so playful and fun. I feel like one could feel like they've stepped into one of his paintings here. Mickey has curated all the music and put together all the playlists. I think part of my brand is the hospitality, making nice drinks, and helping Chef Eric Greenspan.
How did you come up with the name?
André, Mickey, and I are old friends and we've been wanting to do a place together for a while. We wanted a neighborhood place, and what says a place is friendly better than calling it, "The Friend." Also, sometimes you go to a bar to meet your friend, sometimes you make friends at the bar, and sometimes the bar is your friend.
What's the inspiration behind the menu?
The food is sort of an amped up bar menu. It's all kind of small and casual, but French inspired —especially with Andre being French.
The drinks are also sort of playful. William Cutting is our beverage director. He is a monster in the craft cocktail world. We use all fresh and organic fruits and juices, so they're back there slicing habanero peppers and juicing lemons and limes all day. The idea was something interesting and exciting without being too far out or esoteric. I think he got it right.
What's your favorite cocktail on the menu right now?
The Face—it's a vodka drink. It's really refreshing and very drinkable, but a little bit dangerous. It's perfectly balanced. It's got Elix Vodka, a really punchy black tea, fresh cucumber juice, fresh lime, and a little bit of club soda.
What's the spirit? It's very European.
First and foremost, we wanted to create a friendly environment. Right after that is relaxed and fun. That's what I'm looking for in life, but also in bars and restaurants. I try to run my places how I'd like to be treated. It’s crazy when i go somewhere and I’m having a nice time, but in the middle of my nice time, they kick me out. I think it's shortsighted because one of my bars just celebrated its 10-year anniversary and we made it there by treating people well. You're the hot place for six months or a year and then everyone remembers how they were treated for that time. The people you treated well will keep coming back. The rest don't, so we're hopefully in it for the long haul here.
Do you feel like this part of Silverlake is really changing?
I can't really say whether it’s changing or not. I suppose in the fact that two years ago this was a place people didn't really come to and Tenants wasn't here. It was actually a big reason why I wanted to come here. In my opinion, Tenants of The Trees and Bar Stella are two of the best bars in the world. In my opinion, to be sandwiched in between them is an honor.
What are you dreams for the space?
We're already seeing it as a sort of artist's hub and where different people from different walks of life can gather—the point is that I'd like to create something that's for everyone and has a diverse crowd.