LOST - DTLA

"The team behind Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen opened a rooftop bar on the top floor of the cafe’s Downtown cafe. The new cocktail and taco bar serves up stunning views and a cocktail menu by Spring Street Bar veteran barman Steen Bojsen Moller that mainly revolves around mezcal, rum, and tequila. The Up In The Sky is made with Sigiloso mezcal, pineapple juice, Chareau aloe liqueur, lemon, pineapple gum syrup, and saline, while the Loose Ends is served in a highball glass with Hennessy, Italicus apertivo, honey, and lemon." - Rebecca Roland, Mona Holmes

"Another addition to the growing list of Downtown rooftops, Lost DTLA is a picturesque bar owned by the Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen folks where the most defining feature is that it isn’t attached to a hotel or restaurant. It’s just a rooftop. You enter through a glass door on Hill Street, hop in an elevator, and pop out on an expansive patio with fantastic skyline views, string lights, and fruity cocktails. There’s also a small Mexican-inspired snacks menu with carnitas tacos and shrimp ceviche. Lost works best as an unfussy spot to grab a drink while the sun sets (there are no lines or cover), maybe catch a quick DJ set, then head to your next destination." - Brant Cox

"After years in the cafe business, the team behind Hilltop Coffee has expanded into the nightlife world with a new DTLA rooftop spot called Lost. It’s breezy and laidback, with palms, string lights, and patio furniture that belongs in a James Perse store. The food menu leans Mexican with guajillo-marinated chicken tacos and mushroom quesadillas, and the cocktails read standard: mezcal with fresh juices, an espresso-based concoction, gin and tonics with a twist, etc. Lost will also double as a venue for music acts, so check its website to stay posted. " - sylvio martins

"The team behind Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen opened a rooftop bar on the top floor of the cafe’s Downtown location. The new cocktail and taco bar serves up stunning views and a cocktail menu by Spring Street Bar veteran barman Steen Bojsen Moller that mainly revolves around mezcal, rum, and tequila. The Up In The Sky is made with Sigiloso mezcal, pineapple juice, Chareau aloe liqueur, lemon, pineapple gum syrup, and saline, while the Loose Ends is served in a highball glass with Hennessy, Italicus apertivo, honey, and lemon." - Rebecca Roland, Mona Holmes, Eater Staff

"Lost Rooftop Cocktail + Taco Bar, a new night-time spot from the owners of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, opened on Saturday, September 21 on the roof of the cafe’s Downtown LA location. The spacious new bar is located on Hill between Seventh and Eighth Streets, spans 6,000 square feet, and fits 300 people. Owners Ajay Relan and Yonnie Hagos of GVO Hospitality took inspiration from their travels to Mexico City when the building’s landlord approached them to take over the space above their daytime operation. Lost breaks from Downtown’s usual rooftop bars that are often attached to a restaurant or hotel, including the newly opened Sauced at the former Ace Hotel, Mr. Wanderlust at Level 8, the Rooftop at the Wayfarer, the Freehand’s Broken Shaker, among others. The pair opened the now-closed nightlife spot Parlor on Melrose in 2010 and shuttered it in 2022. Spring Street Bar veteran barman Steen Bojsen Moller created a drink menu that leans heavily on mezcal, rum, and tequila, including a peach-infused daiquiri and the Up In The Sky made with Sigiloso Mezcal, pineapple juice, Chareau aloe liqueur, lemon, pineapple gum syrup, and saline. The Loose Ends cocktail arrives in a highball glass with Hennessy, Italicus apertivo, honey, and lemon. Lost also serves a solid selection of wine, beer, and three non-alcoholic options. The food menu from chef Geter Atienza, former sous chef at New York’s Bouchon Bakery and former chef de cuisine at Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish, incorporates sustainable ingredients where possible. The slate of small plates, which are prepared in an Airstream, include guajillo-marinated chicken, carne asada, deep-fried shrimp, and flautas. Other options like shrimp ceviche, quesadillas with roasted mushrooms, and street-style sweet buttered corn are also available. For dessert, churros come out hot from the fryer. Over the last few years, Hilltop Coffee hosted a series of music events, including live musicians for a regular event called Jammin’ On the Hill, a flash mob performance by R&B artist Kenny Lattimore, as well as Stevie Wonder listening parties. Relan and Hagos will introduce more music programming at the new venue every week." - Mona Holmes