Sherman Oaks is slated to get a new kind of watering hole with the upcoming Gilbert Pérez Bar, an experiential cocktail destination. Located at 14633 Ventura Boulevard, directly above the Daisy Margarita Bar, this new venture comes from the same team that created its acclaimed sister establishment. While the Daisy Margarita Bar opened in early 2025, Gilbert Pérez has been "in the works" since then, and is set to open on a future Thursday, October 22. This spot promises to be something entirely new for the Southern California bar scene.
Business partner Matt Egan, an accomplished director of photography in film and television, and barman Max Reis are behind the concept. They aim to make Gilbert Pérez somewhere "between a theme park and the Magic Castle," but infused with Mexican spirits and its own mythology. The focus here is firmly on the spectacle, with a strict no-smartphones policy enforced to keep guests present in the unfolding theatrics.
The bar takes its name from an old legend Egan found, concerning Gil Pérez, a 1500s soldier reportedly teleported from the Philippines to Mexico City. This mythology underpins a drinks menu showcasing over 70 rums from sustainable, small-batch producers across Mexico. While rum-focused, not all seven cocktails on the menu are rum-based. Reis’s inventions include the Liquid Limpia, made with hoja santa leaves and Oaxacan Alambique Serrano single barrel rum, and a Paloma Fizz that reportedly bears little resemblance to its namesake, combining fresh grapefruit, Mexico City’s Primo Aperitivo, Jalisco’s Montagave Blanco Las Rocas Tequila, and an in-house soda. Guests can also opt for classics like a daiquiri, ti’ punch, mojito, Old Fashioned, or Negroni, all made with Mexican rum. Each drink’s description on the menu tells a story, featuring colorful characters and Mexican locations as part of the narrative journey.
The experience begins as guests ascend stairs and encounter Pérez’s ghost, before receiving a menu that doubles as a map of Mexico, outlining key points in the bar's story. Table reservations are set for 90 minutes, during which drinkers can expect to be "teleported to another realm." Different themes play out across multiple television screens, accompanied by specially curated music from Highland Park record shop Pasaporte Records. Approximately every 45 minutes, the lighting adjusts, a spiced mix of nuts and popcorn arrives, and the screens present the next "portal." These transitions might include dramatic lighting, mist, lightning and thunderclaps, water drips, and narrative voices. A digital split-flap display above the bar mimics an old train station, announcing the new "teleportation," and a server then delivers a postcard menu with new beverages reflecting the current locale’s flavors. Reis anticipates guests will experience two to three portals within their 90-minute visit, a timeframe he believes allows for responsible consumption of the often booze-forward drinks, some of which feature rums clocking in over 54 percent ABV.
To achieve these visual effects, Reis brought in lighting specialist Spike Kienholz of Spike Design, known for touring with artists like Phoebe Bridgers. Adean Studios, which designed Daisy Margarita Bar and Mirate, handled the bar's design, featuring art depicting imagined historic moments and landscapes. The intimate setting accommodates only 24 seated guests, with no standing room.
The firm no-phones policy is central to the experience, with staff trained to spot even smart glasses. Reis emphasized that the team spent months rehearsing every portal transition and cocktail preparation, aiming for guests to be "fully present." He stated, "We want people’s judgement and narrative to be their own," adding that the room's narrative is "unstable" and designed to surprise, ensuring "so many visits to see every possible way this room can go."
While entered through a thick curtain at the rear of Daisy, Gilbert Pérez Bar is not a speakeasy. Reis also clarified that it's not quite a tiki bar, though he expects "that’s an inevitability" for comparisons. He noted they "don’t have mai tais here," but use "elements of tiki to help people try something they haven’t before." Gilbert Pérez Bar will be open Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to midnight. Table reservations are required and available via Resy.
