During the two years I spent working in an office right on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I always wondered, are the first-time visitors here remotely happy with what they’ve found? If you do it right, the famous stretch of Hollywood Boulevard has its charms: a martini at Musso & Frank, boozy bowling at the Spare Room and a trio of superlative movie palaces. But for the bulk of out-of-towners who stick to tacky souvenir shops and suspect superheroes, Hollywood Boulevard isn’t exactly Los Angeles’s best side.
There’s a newcomer trying to make Hollywood’s most famous(ly disappointing) street just a little bit more palatable, though, and it’s come from one of the most unlikely sources: a rooftop bar and restaurant above a wax museum. Yes, starting tonight, Madame Tussauds Hollywood will begin operating a new third-floor hospitality space, the Hollywood Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, which features L.A.-inspired American eats alongside a full bar of classic and tiki cocktails plus wine and beer. You don’t need to purchase a museum ticket to dine there, but you’ll still be able to gawk at some wax celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson, Will Smith, Zendaya, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Though Zendaya and Marilyn are seated, you can’t actually dine at the same table as them—but you’re welcome to pose for photos. And you’ll probably want to, because these particular figures look good. Some of them are so uncannily convincing that it’s easy to almost forget they’re there; as I was waiting for my drink at the bar, I kept having to remind myself that, no, that’s not an actual person standing uncomfortably close to me, just imitation Leo in my peripheral vision.
The venue’s name—seemingly a savvy stroke of search engine optimization—promises a rooftop, and technically it delivers: Yes, it’s atop a three-story building, but outside of the upper floors of the Loews Hollywood Hotel and the Hollywood Roosevelt, there’s not a ton to see. That cloistered setting just might be an asset, though, along a street that even the restaurant’s website describes as “chaotic.” The vibes here (at least during our preview night visit) are far more comfortable and laid-back than the Walk of Fame scene below, with a mix of couches and chairs plus plenty of umbrellas and heat lamps throughout. Is it as chic as the sort-of-clubby rooftops that’ve sprouted up in recent years a few blocks east along Wilcox Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard? Of course not. But it’s far nicer than any other sightseeing-focused offering in the immediate area.
The menu offers a tourist-pleasing selection of bar bites, sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and entrees, with just a few options in each category (you can ask your server for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, as well). Among the handful of bites I sampled, the satisfyingly juicy Box Office Burger was probably my favorite, though the ahi tuna nachos and chicken sandwich were solid, as well. I didn’t have a chance to try any of the entrées, but it’s worth mentioning that none of them top $30. It’s a similar, affordable-for-a-touristy-spot story over on the bar side of the menu: The seven signature cocktails are no more than $18 each, and the five tiki concoctions run about $16. I tried the gin-based, slightly-sweet-and-floral Baker Street Bazaar and the smoky, citrusy bourbon-based Brown Derby and would gladly order either again. (Just FYI, there’s an automatic 19.5% service charge applied to all dine-in bills.)
The true value proposition, though, comes from the fact that you can get a taste of the wax museum experience—with a half-dozen celebrity facsimiles on the roof plus a couple more you’ll pass on your way in—without paying the $30-plus admission for the attraction. Of course, you’ll spend way more than that per person on food and drinks, but hey, if you’re hoofing it up and down the Walk of Fame you’ve gotta eat at some point. And as someone who ate two years’ worth of sad, overpriced work lunches around that very same block, I would’ve gladly swung by here for a bite.
The Hollywood Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is located at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard and open daily from 11am to 10pm. Reservations are recommended but not required. Check out some more photos below.
