A thick curtain at the back of Daisy Margarita Bar now leads somewhere new: a 24-seat, reservation-only cocktail bar called Gilbert Pérez Bar that opened Thursday above its sister cantina at 14633 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. There's no standing room, no phones allowed, and more than 70 small-batch Mexican rums behind the counter.
The bar has been quietly in the works since Daisy opened in early 2025, according to Eater Los Angeles. It was developed by the same team behind Daisy, with barman Max Reis serving as the bar's cocktail creator. Guests have to be escorted through that curtain at the rear of Daisy to reach it, and once inside, they're asked to leave their phones out of sight — the publication reports staff are trained to spot smart glasses as well as cameras.
A Changing Room With Lightning and Thunder
What makes Gilbert Pérez Bar unusual isn't just the drink list — it's the room itself. Per the same Eater account, the space uses lighting, mist, sound effects, themed screens and curated music to shift its atmosphere roughly every 45 minutes, cycling through what staff call “portals.” Those transitions might bring lightning and thunderclaps, drips of water, other sound effects, or narrative voices layered over the room.
There's a conflict in reporting over exactly how many screens drive those shifts — one account describes three coordinated video screens presenting each new portal, while another reference puts the number at four — so the precise count remains unsettled. Lighting specialist Spike Kienholz of Spike Design, who has toured with Phoebe Bridgers and LCD Soundsystem, built the visual effects, while Adean Studios designed the space itself, according to Eater's reporting. The bar also displays art depicting imagined historic moments and landscapes, and the team reportedly spent months rehearsing both the portal transitions and cocktail preparation before opening.
Named for a 16th-Century Legend
The bar takes its name from Gil Pérez, the subject of a 1500s legend about a soldier said to have been mysteriously transported from the Philippines to Mexico City. That mythology shapes the concept: Reis has said guests should be surprised by the room's changing narrative, while business partner Matt Egan — also a director of photography in film and television — has said the team explored paranormal and portal events while developing the experience, per Eater's reporting.
More Than 70 Rums, Seven Cocktails
The drink menu runs seven cocktails deep, and not all of them are rum-based. Reis's inventions include the Liquid Limpia, built from hoja santa leaves, Alambique Serrano single Barrel #26 Mirate Selection, sugar cane, lime and Licor Limpia'uras aperitif, and the Paloma Fizz, which combines fresh grapefruit, Primo Aperitivo, Montagave Blanco Las Rocas Tequila and house soda. Guests can also order a daiquiri, ti' punch, mojito, Old Fashioned or Negroni made with any of the bar's Mexican rums — some of which clock in at more than 54 percent ABV. Reis has said the bar skips mai tais altogether, instead leaning on tiki-style presentation to introduce drinkers to spirits they likely haven't tried.
Table reservations are capped at 90 minutes, and seats go fast given there are only 24 of them with no standing room. Reservations are required and available through Resy. Gilbert Pérez Bar is open Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Riding a Bigger Mexican Rum Wave
Gilbert Pérez Bar's rum-heavy menu lands as Mexican rum finds its footing in the mainstream, following in the wake of the tequila and mezcal boom, according to Punch. The outlet notes that Mexican rum offerings available in the United States grew from as few as three labels in 2018 to more than 11 today, with regional styles like charanda and the fresh-pressed aguardiente de caña made in mountainous parts of Oaxaca drawing bartenders' attention for their mixing potential. Mezcalistas has similarly described the tequila and mezcal booms as both a blessing and a curse for Mexican rum and caña, noting that producers are now seriously exploring higher-quality, more varied rum as its own category.
