Agua Viva

Occupying an outdoor rooftop space at downtown LA’s Conrad Hotel, Agua Viva mixes Spanish and Californian ingredients with internationally beloved chef 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 does that for the Conrad’s San Laurel, offering guests a more approachable space for breakfast, lunch, and room service requests.

More approachable doesn’t mean boring or limited; to the contrary, Agua Viva’s menu includes 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 are standouts; bechamel crab croquettes, plump garlic chicken, plush seasonal salads, and oversized profiteroles are also winners. As of now, Agua Viva is also the only place in California currently serving José’s torrijas – Spanish French toast – though only during weekend brunch hours, which are 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 we can understand if you’re looking for something more visually stunning. 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, everything here is designed to be as aesthetically memorable as it is delicious.