Cat & Fiddle Is a Pub’s Pub With a Kicked-Back Feel

Kim and Paula Gardner met in a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans 23 years ago.

“It was a really good bar,” Paula says. She must have taken a few notes because she and Kim--a London bassist who rode into L.A. during the British Invasion--have been running one of Hollywood’s most delightful pubs, the Cat & Fiddle, for the last 14 years. So delightful, in fact, that the Rolling Stones’ Ron Wood--the guitarist in Gardner’s first band, the Birds--pops in with his family when he’s in town. Rod Stewart brings his entire soccer team on occasion, and the guys from Motorhead have a house account.

The Cat & Fiddle is a pub’s pub, with a comfortable vibe that belies its Sunset Boulevard location. It’s not a sit-in-the-corner-by-yourself kind of joint--people actually come to the spacious venue to socialize. Everything about the Cat & Fiddle is friendly, including its key feature--a patio with chairs and tables scattered loosely around a fountain.

When the weather’s nice, a kick-back night at the Cat & Fiddle is hard to beat. Entertainment on the patio includes a Sunday night jazz series, Monday night blues and an open mike night on Tuesday that often features surprise guests.

* Cat & Fiddle, 6530 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. All ages before 11:30 p.m., 21 and over after 11:30 p.m. (213) 468-3800.