Rooftop Bar Lis in Los Angeles

Bar Lis: the French Riviera on the rooftops of Hollywood

A Riviera-style lounge atop The Hollywood Grande

Bar Lis occupies the roof of The Hollywood Grande, the Wilcox Avenue hotel formerly run under the Thompson Hollywood name, a few hundred meters from Hollywood Boulevard. On the 11th floor, the decor leans into the French Riviera: a stone fountain overflowing with greenery, cypress trees, brightly colored velvet and vintage photos of Mediterranean beaches. The central atrium is topped by a retractable roof, while the glassed-in terrace looks out over the Hollywood Hills and, farther off, the towers of Downtown.

Starlet cocktails and bistro plates

Several cocktails are named after Riviera starlets: The Bardot, with tequila, watermelon and strawberry, and Jane Birkin, with vodka, elderflower liqueur, mint and cucumber; the Midnight in Paris, for its part, is all about coffee. In the kitchen, the mood is seaside bistro: burrata, mezze, tuna tartare, crab cake, rigatoni alla vodka, steak frites. The evening menu doesn't list prices; at The Terrace, the rooftop's daytime side, house cocktails and classics are $18.

On Tuesdays, it's jazz; Thursday through Saturday, the night livens up from 10pm. During the day, The Terrace at Bar Lis serves breakfast, salads and mains by the hotel pool.

Practical information

Bar Lis is open Tuesday through Saturday from 6pm: “Sunset Hour” from 6pm to 9pm, jazz on Tuesdays from 8pm, and parties Thursday through Saturday from 10pm; it's closed Sunday and Monday. The Terrace is open daily from 6am to 6pm. Online reservations are available, and it's 21+ only. Smart casual attire is required: no beachwear, caps, T-shirts, sweatpants, shorts or flip-flops. Metro: Hollywood/Vine station (B Line), about 600 meters away.