Rooftop Sendero in Los Angeles

Sendero: Latin America on the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton

Four venues under one roof

In the south of Downtown, steps from L.A. Live, the GRAMMY Museum and the Peacock Theater, the Ritz-Carlton tower houses on its 24th floor a complex called Sendero, a nod to the Pan-American Highway. It brings together four spaces: Corteza, a bar and dining room focused on the cuisines of Latin America's coasts; Leña, an Argentine-inspired grill; the Agave Library, a small lounge hidden behind wrought-iron doors and devoted to tequila and mezcal tastings; and finally Volante, an eight-seat counter facing an open kitchen for tailor-made menus.

Glass-walled rooms facing the towers

There is no terrace here: the panorama is enjoyed from behind large picture windows. On the Corteza side, the banquettes run along the windows and look over the buildings of South Park; on the Leña side, the room opens onto the downtown skyscrapers and, on a clear day, the mountains that close off the horizon. The view is at its most powerful at nightfall, when the towers light up.

Ceviches, grills and agave spirits

At Corteza, the menu draws on the markets of Baja California, Oaxaca and Peru: ceviches prepared at the counter, arepas, empanadas, anticuchos or barbacoa. The bar serves cocktails built around ingredients from Mexico and South America, with spirits from small family distilleries; from 8:30pm until closing, a menu of small plates at gentle prices takes over. Leña showcases fine cuts of beef, aged ribeye, bone-in rib steak or wagyu, accompanied by house herb sauces.

Practical information

Open Tuesday through Saturday: Corteza from 5pm to 11pm, Leña from 5:30pm to 10pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended on weekends; the spaces can also be privatized. Upscale attire is required. Valet parking at the hotel with a reduced rate for restaurant guests. By public transit, Pico station (A and E lines) is about 500 meters away.