Not the Standard, Downtown LA
Sunday, January 29, 2006 20:25
The night began with dinner at The Standard with the girls for our Girls Night Out. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t run to the Bank before I got there and had to make some change for the $8 parking fee or the $20 wristband to get up to the roof. Thanks to the girls, it wasn’t a problem.
We were immediately seated at our reserved table and placed our orders. From TL (top left) clockwise, we had a plate of soft and soggy calamari, miso smothered on top of a hunk of cod, bloody steak with frites that had to be sent back to the kitchen to be cooked “well” and a big bowl of Ragu spaghetti and meatballs.
The vibe in the restaurant was very cool and chic with its yellow mod theme, but the food and service were definitely lacking. Kind of sounds like a theme with Pauline’s take of it back in May. Even the server apologized for the food and the service.
“Sorry the food and service is so bad.”
Wow. Never had that before. But so true!
After finishing our meal though, one of the best parts of the night was going to the bathroom and checking out the mirror. Both the men’s and the women’s restrooms welcomed you with this huge mirrored mural. At first glance, I didn’t notice it until someone pointed it. But on a double take, I had to snap this photo!
And then, we all took notice of the $2 photo booth by the bathroom. We all piled in to make some pretty interesting pictures.
We spent the rest of the evening on the rooftop of the hotel, enjoying the city’s lights. Played on the water filled pod lounges, watched the huge projected movie on a neighboring building, and soaked in a night full of dance and laughter.
My recommendation: Skip dinner here and head straight up to the roof bar for some great company with a great view! But be sure to bring lots of $ for the parking, the cover, and the drinks.
The Standard
street: 550 south flower @ 6th in downtown la
t: 1.213.892.8080
web: www.standardhotel.com
$8-10 parking | $20 cover
By Kristy (see more of her posts). A native of the city, kristy loves to discover new sites, new eateries, new things to do in her online journal of finding the best of la.
MaxMillion says:
January 30th, 2006 at 11:09 am
The Standard Downtown rooftop is my all-time fave bar in LA — they usually have a great DJ spinning — but there are a few tips to enjoying this hella-chic venue to its fullest.
1 — Best time to go is Spring/Summer. Yes, they have a big fireplace as well as heat lamps, but you’re still on a rooftop, so bring a snuggly jacket.
2 — Fight 101 S traffic sometime between 6-7pm in order to arrive downtown *before* they whack on the $20 admission charge (see below)
Bonus — you can then lounge around on the many-textured seating spots, listen to groovy music (or, as Kristy mentioned, watch a movie) sip your delicious cocktails and watch the sunset fade and the sparkly city light up. Gorgeous!
Bear in mind, it costs $10 to valet park there, and the drinks and bar snacks are pretty spendy, so you won’t see me also forking out $20 entry fee *per person* on top of all that. No way, José!
FYI — I just rang them — that $20 cover charge only kicks in after 7pm on *Friday and Saturday* eves! Good to know!
Kristy says:
January 30th, 2006 at 12:42 pm
Thanks for the tips Maxmillion! Yeah, I got the cover charge b/c our dinner was at around 8ish. Boo! Oh yes, watching “the sunset fade and the sparkly city light up” with some great music and delicious cocktails = fabulous! A must do in the city! ;)
MaxMillion says:
January 30th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Well, it certainly is useful to know I haven’t missed anything in their restaurant — besides self-confessed poor food and service.
wow.
Kat says:
June 21st, 2006 at 11:48 am
When I go to the Standard, I always park around the corner at the downtown library parking lot. It is open all night, you can pop in a credit card to pay, and I think the maximum is $8. It is only a block away.