The West Hollywood Pub Elizabeth Taylor Often Drank At Loved Her Right Back

Elizabeth Taylor was not only an iconic actress, but a glamorous woman about town — for decades, her many fans took note of where she ate, drank, and socialized. Of the different restaurants and bars across the country Liz Taylor loved, one spot seemed to be a particularly special place of gathering for the star toward the end of her life: The Abbey in Los Angeles.

One of the best destinations in West Hollywood, The Abbey opened in 1991 and was almost immediately a safe haven for the gay community; it quickly became not just a place for coming together but for organizing and activism. AIDS advocacy groups met at The Abbey, as did those fighting for different gay rights over the years, including the legalization of same-sex marriage. Ms. Taylor began frequenting the bar and café around 2006 in her seventies. She was welcomed and celebrated there not just because of her film career but perhaps even more so for her decades-long support of the gay community. 

Taylor was one of the fiercest advocates for gay people and fought tirelessly for a cure for AIDS, as well as for patients to be cared for and not ostracized. She spoke out when the rest of Hollywood wouldn't, donated and raised millions, visited hospice patients personally, and helped found amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Many of The Abbey's community had lived through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and '90s, and suddenly had one of their famed crusaders imbibing next to them.

It made sense that in her later years, as she was searching for a place to relax and have fun, it was a gay bar where Taylor felt most welcome. According to Vanity Fair, the icon once stated, "If it weren't for homosexuals, there would be no culture." And it made just as much sense that the Abbey community opened their arms to Taylor. 

The bar named a room for the star, where she liked to socialize, watch drag performers — occasionally even Elizabeth Taylor drag performers — and sip tequila shots or appletinis, which were invented at The Abbey. Taylor visited as frequently as once a week, and sometimes brought along her beloved dog, Daisy. Tourists began flocking to the bar to try to catch a glimpse of the actress, but inside The Abbey, she was another beloved community member. 

Taylor's last public appearance was even at The Abbey. She died on March 23, 2011 at 79. The Abbey's response was heartwarming. In the weeks following her death, people brought candles and flowers to the bar's "Elizabeth Taylor room." Taylor had once invented her own sweet martini riff with chocolate; The Abbey followed suit and created a cocktail just for her called "blue velvet" for her beloved film, "National Velvet." The bar still celebrates Taylor's birthday each year, and it also continues to foster community and inspire entertainers: As recently as 2020, Chappell Roan revealed her hit single "Pink Pony Club" was an ode to The Abbey.