465 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Tel: 310-246-5555

At the brand-new SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, chef José Andrés's mazelike restaurant requires a bit of strategizing. Request a table in the sexy "Rojo" dining room, where you can divide your attention between the action-filled open kitchen and the bar, where servers carve huge legs of jamón Ibérico. Order a tricked-up dirty martini, complete with Ferran Adrià–inspired liquid olive, to ease the stress of navigating the endless menu of traditional and modern tapas. Andrés excels at unexpected takes on familiar dishes: Try crisp sweet potato chips with creamy yogurt and tamarind dip, a luscious take on tortilla Espanola made with potato foam and custardy slow-cooked egg, and pillowy codfish fritters with honey aioli. Flag down the roaming carts to try cotton candy foie gras lollipops and mini cones filled with salmon roe and crème fraîche.
Tip: Avoid prime weeknight times, when the tacky hoards pour in to preen and prance in the boudoir-like lounge area (tapas, $7–$16).