If you're already feeling sick and tired of all of the saccharine, sticky-sweet Valentine's Day crap out there, then there's an antidote. A lot of people hate Valentine's Day, but most of us have very few options to show our disgust other than just staying in, eating pizza, and maybe tweeting angrily — until now. The BreakUp Bar is the anti-Valentine's Day, Los Angeles pop-up of your black heart's dreams. It's only around through February 14, but it's already caused quite a stir among those who are not impressed with red and pink hearts or little chubby babies with wings and arrows.
"Check out our 8 foot wall of broken relationships, a mini art exhibit of relics of Valentine's Day past, and a 10 foot projection screen showing classic breakup movies of past and present," the website explains. "... Don't let those flower and candy companies tell you how to celebrate Valentine's Day! Join us at BreakUp Bar!" There are a lot of cool things on show at the bar to help you remember why love is pointless and we all should die alone. My personal favorite? There's a text message breakup wall, complete with printouts of screenshots taken of some brutal dumps. It's everything the hole where my heart should be could ever want.
How did something this dark and twisted come into existence? Well, someone else being as fed up with Valentine's Day as you are. "BreakUp Bar is the culmination of working way too many Valentine’s Day dinners in hospitality," creator Evan Chasten told Food and Wine. "Anyone in hospitality will tell you Valentine’s Day can be hell on earth for a busy restaurant, regardless of it being good for the bottom line. BreakUp Bar is the anti-Valentine’s Day bar that pokes fun at the tropes and stereotypes of a holiday dominated by stressful dinners and greedy candy and flower companies. We wanted it to be a place where people can escape from the chaos."
And they really go for it. With cocktails names like "I Dealt With Your Parents For Years", "A Cold Day In Hell", and "Ghosted", they really are sticking with the anti-Valentine's theme. You can also order a delicious-looking array of snacks and nibbles, like fried pickles or poutine, and a whole lot of sticky and sweet desserts. If you want, grab some friends and head down — you can even order the "Serious Baggage" punch bowl, which should serve four to six people and allow you to really drink your feelings.
Although there are walk-in spots available, they recommend booking if you want guaranteed entry. There are reservation tickets available for $20, which include a complimentary cocktail or sparkling wine flight to get you started. Interestingly, although it's meant to be an anti-Valentine's Day affair, so far the bar has proven the most popular with couples. "I think there is so much pressure on Valentine’s Day, people just give up or simply stay home," Chasten said. "And a lot of those people are gravitating towards the bar." Amen to that. If you're in a couple and don't know what to do to escape the Valentine's Day pressure, then a BreakUp bar sounds like a pretty good option. You can even hit it up for brunch, because, well, it's L.A., after all.
Although there's a huge rush of Valentine's Day merch and food at the moment, it's good to see someone catering for the anti-romance crowd. BreakUp Bar is here to cure what ails you — with super strong cocktails mixed with a healthy dose of cynicism.
