NEST at WP24

Once a space for either fine dining or pre- and post-dinner drinks, WP24—the Wolfgang Puck restaurant on the Ritz-Carlton's 24th floor—has reinvented its expansive bar area to create NEST. Here, hotel guests and visitors can stop by for both food and drinks, snacks or a full meal. It's the best of both worlds (one that conveniently offers a drop-dead gorgeous view of Downtown) and Chef John Lechleidner doesn't sacrifice flavor for everyman appeal. Pork belly "Bao Buns" ($12) are sweet and pillowy with a honey-garlic glaze, perfect for snacking on with a beer while watching a Laker game on one of NEST's stragetically placed flat screens. For something lighter, the Szechuan cucumbers ($6) are fantastic and provide the necessary crunch factor, while the Chinese pork crackling ($8) is a softer (yet still indulgent) version of the traditional snack (Chef Lechleidner uses a leaner part of the pork belly than most crackling-serving establishments). In the mood for more than snacks? You're in luck: pretty much every entrée is a hit. The Sambal sea bass ($31) served with an egg over coconut rice is fall-apart tender, while the Thai curry noodles with prawns ($26) is a fiery option for those who crave heat. Stick around for dessert, particularly the Matcha Green Tea donuts with a Yuzu cream dipping sauce—a gorgeous plate that, like NEST, is at once casual and upscale.