Spain comes to LA, and it delivers
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Californian, Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 10, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed San Laurel’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into San Laurel inside the Conrad Los Angeles, the wine list feels like a love letter to the Iberian Peninsula — and a confident one at that. This isn't a hotel restaurant that phoned in a generic global list; someone clearly cared enough to build something with a real point of view. The Spain focus hits immediately, and it makes sense the moment you see the food menu.
The list runs 150-250 bottles deep with Spain as the undisputed anchor — Rioja, Priorat, and Ribera del Duero all get serious treatment. Heavy hitters like Vega Sicilia Unico, Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita, and Bodegas Roda Cirsion signal that whoever built this list wasn't messing around. Clos Mogador from Priorat and Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva fill out the depth beautifully, and the inclusion of Lustau Sherries shows genuine range — not just the crowd-pleasing reds. If there's a gap, it's that California gets supporting-role treatment despite being in the restaurant's name, which feels like a missed opportunity on home turf.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a serious pour program, with prices running $12–$25 — reasonable for a hotel dining room in Downtown LA. We'd expect the Spanish selections to dominate the glass menu given the list's identity, making this one of the better spots in the city to explore Spanish wine without committing to a full bottle. No evidence of regular rotation, though, which keeps it from being a true by-the-glass destination.
CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva — $45–$65 (bottle range)
Imperial Rioja Reserva is a benchmark wine from one of the most reliable houses in Rioja — consistently well-made, age-worthy, and widely underpriced relative to its quality. At the lower end of San Laurel's bottle range, it's the move if you want to drink something genuinely serious without reaching for the trophy bottles.
Lustau Sherry
Sherry is the most underappreciated wine category in America, and most people walk right past it. At a restaurant with this much Spanish DNA, ordering a glass of Lustau before or after your meal is exactly what the kitchen would want you to do — and it's almost certainly the most interesting pour per dollar on the menu.
Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita
L'Ermita is a genuinely world-class Priorat and we have nothing against the wine itself — but at a hotel restaurant where markups trend steep, this trophy bottle is almost certainly priced for the expense account crowd. Unless someone else is signing the check, the same region shows up in Clos Mogador for a fraction of the cost.
Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva + Grilled Ibérico Pork
Prado Enea is one of Rioja's great traditional Gran Reservas — earthy, structured, with that signature dried-fruit depth that has been aging in oak for years. Against Ibérico pork, which brings its own nutty, fatty richness, the wine doesn't overpower the meat; it meets it. This is the pairing that makes you understand why Spanish wine and Spanish food evolved together.
The Bottom Line
San Laurel is the rare hotel restaurant that earns its Wine Spectator credential — the Spanish list has genuine ambition and the bones are all there. Markups will sting and there's no dedicated sommelier to guide you, but if you know what you're looking for, this is one of the better places in Los Angeles to drink serious Spanish wine with serious food.
· Los Angeles · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão's wine list isn't trying to be a destination — it's trying to support a meat-forward meal without emptying your wallet, and it largely succeeds. The South American focus makes geographic sense, the pricing is fair for LA, and there are a few genuinely good bottles hiding in a otherwise safe list. If you're going for the full churrasco experience, grab the Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc or the Catena Alta Chardonnay and let the gauchos do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Italian
Il Cielo punches above its list size with some genuinely smart Italian picks and pricing that — especially on the Barolo — borders on generous. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful one, and in Beverly Hills that's worth something. If you're going for a special occasion bottle, head straight to the Piedmont and Montalcino section and don't look back.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Italian
A big-ticket Italian and Napa list with a genuine glass section: 14 wines by the glass from $15 to $85, then 89 bottles from $55 to $3,000. Start with the Prunotto Barolo at $30 a glass, or the Guidalberto at $145 if you want a Bolgheri bottle, and confirm prices because the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks page, not service, storage or markups.
Westwood · Los Angeles · American, Steakhouse
A Cabernet-first list with 30 glasses and a long bottle book, but no wine prices posted online. If you want a known price, the $9 happy hour Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus is the one posted figure, and if you want to step away from Cabernet, try the Il Bruciato Super Tuscan by the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Neapolitan Italian, Pizza
An all-Italian list that runs from a $50 Bardolino to a $300 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, with 15 wines poured by the glass. Start with the 18 / 72 Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino next to the $25 Margherita, or the 16 / 64 Primo Monte orange Trebbiano if you want something off the Chianti track, and confirm prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French-inspired, New American
A 19-wine glass list where 17 pours land between $14 and $18. Start with the $13 Noble Vines Pinot Grigio or the $14 Intercept Pinot Noir, and put the $17 French onion soup next to a $52 bottle of Whispering Angel; confirm prices, since the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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