Destination Dining: Rooftop at Mama Shelter, LA

The view from Rooftop, the bar and restaurant at Hollywood's Mama Shelter, gives unrestricted views up to the Hollywood sign. Photo / Supplied

ROOFTOP

Mama Shelter, Selma Ave, Hollywood, LA

I arrived… at sunset, hungry and jet-lagged after landing in California at 6am local time (2am NZ time), and had managed to stay awake all day, wandering Hollywood Boulevard and Griffith Observatory

I chose here because… it's the rooftop restaurant of Mama Shelter, the hotel I was staying in, and just two floors up in the elevator. I planned to scoff a quick solo dinner then hit the hay.

My first impression was… that I was so happy with my choice. The view was great - across Hollywood's rooftops and out to the Hollywood Hills and the infamous sign. The bar/restaurant wraps around the entire roof, so you get 360-degree views of the City of Angels as it lights up. The colourful chairs, picnic tables and umbrellas, combined with oversized potted palms and strings of small bare lightbulbs gave a cool, holiday vibe.

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Mama loves a good sunset on her rooftop 🌇🌴 Roll by for some drinks and good hangs at Mama 🍻 #MamaLovesYou #MamaShelterLA #rooftop #sunset #views #cocktails

A post shared by Mama Shelter Los Angeles (@mamashelterla) on May 1, 2019 at 6:24pm PDT

My next impression was... someone please hurry up and feed me. It took a while before the server came to take my order. It was a busy night but in LA service terms it was really slow.

I ate… crispy pork belly tacos - braised pork, butter lettuce, daikon kimchi, ssamjang, sweet pickles, daikon sprouts - served with corn esquite and slaw. Perfectly balanced flavours and every mouthful a winner - even if it was just a mix of rice and corn, which was perfectly sweet and salty and I'd eat a bucket of it as a snack at the movies if that were an option. And it should be.

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Mama likes to eat! 👅 Tag someone you’d share Mama’s rooftop bites with. 😍 #MamaShelterLA #foodie #rooftop #weekendvibes

A post shared by Mama Shelter Los Angeles (@mamashelterla) on May 11, 2019 at 3:30pm PDT

The highlight was… the crunch of perfectly rendered fat on the crispy pork belly with the bite of kimchi and pickles.

Dessert was… limited. Only soft-serve ice-cream available. I decided to save my calories, I had a long stay in America ahead of me, with no doubt hugely-portioned meals, so I figured every little helps.

Come here if… you want a buzzing Hollywood hangout with an A-list view. It's also open for breakfast, weekend bottomless brunch, lunch, and just drinks. Note, it gets quite chilly when the sun goes down. There are heaters that belt out a lot of heat, and staff can give you blankets. But if you're prone to the cold, bring something warm. (Yes, Mum).

The bill… $32.85, but I paid $38.50 to leave a decent tip.