Alto (Formerly Agua Viva)

Occupying an outdoor rooftop space at the Conrad Los Angeles in downtown LA, Agua Viva mixed Spanish and Californian ingredients with internationally beloved chef José Andrés’ flare for eye-popping plating. Paralleling Andrés’ approach to the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, which housed the approachable daytime restaurant Trés to offset The Bazaar’s fine dining dinner experiences, Agua Viva did that for the Conrad’s San Laurel, offering guests a more approachable space for breakfast, lunch, and room service requests.

More approachable didn’t mean boring or limited; to the contrary, Agua Viva’s menu included a number of well-known and well-liked dishes from other Andrés restaurants, plus quite a bit of fresh seafood. Beautiful raw scallops, grilled octopus, fish crudo, and deconstructed sushi hand rolls were standouts; bechamel crab croquettes, plump garlic chicken, plush seasonal salads, and oversized profiteroles were also winners. Agua Viva was also the only place in California serving José’s torrijas – Spanish French toast – though only during weekend brunch hours, which were also the only chance to experience his bagel-and-lox like smoked salmon bikini sandwich.

Should one bother to order toast and sandwiches at a José Andrés restaurant? Yes, but those looking for something more visually stunning had plenty of choices here, too. From neon pink beet gazpacho and electric orange carrot hummus with puffed laffa pitas to dry ice clouded oysters, bite-optimized “organized” caesar salads, and delicate desserts, virtually everything here was designed to be as aesthetically memorable as it was delicious.