Downtown’s Ritzy Rooftop Lounge Serves Champagne and Seafood For Days | Eater LA

"Perched on a rooftop in Downtown LA, I found Mother of Pearl to be a standalone open-air lounge from chef Joshua Gil and the Houston Brothers on Level 8 of the Moxy/AC Hotel that leans heavily into raw-bar dishes and champagne, with drinks by Devon Espinosa and champagnes selected by Eric Railsback. The ambitious seafood-forward menu includes a Baja abalone course with abalone liver kosho and nori rice-paper crackers; lobster egg-salad sandwiches on housemade milk bread topped with caviar; a miso crème brûlée using ume and ikura inspired by Gil’s Supper Liberation Front pop-up; chilled shrimp and octopus tom yum blending Thai flavors; seafood towers, oysters, dips, and martinis served with caviar bumps. The design channels a Spanish Colonial gazebo—wrought-iron seating, iron cocktail tables, soft blue banquettes—and Talavera tiles at the outdoor cocktail bar, all pairing nicely with skyline sunsets over Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Live; it feels deliciously over-the-top with a Vegas-like vibe but, to my mind, a better seafood focus. I see it working equally well as a pre-event hangout near the Convention Center or a post-work lounge for Downtown denizens; it is scheduled to open in mid-September (after Labor Day) and will be open Wednesday–Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m." - Matthew Kang