Spain comes to LA, and it delivers
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Californian, Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 10, 2026
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.
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Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Adams · Los Angeles · Wine shop & bar
Adams is doing something genuinely rare in LA: a community-anchored wine bar with actual conviction behind the list and staff who can back it up. Send your friends here, especially the ones who think they don't like wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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Augustine is doing the work: a genuinely eclectic 66-bottle list, half of it available by the glass, with pricing that respects what it's selling. If you like exploring wine without having to commit to a full bottle, this is exactly where you want to be.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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Buvons is for people who already know what natural wine is and want nine well-chosen pours without a 50-page list getting in the way. If that's you, you'll feel right at home.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French Bistro / Wine Bar
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Feliz · Los Angeles · Wine Bar
Tabula Rasa is the kind of wine bar that rewards regulars — the list rotates, the prices are fair, and the room alone is worth the visit. We'd send friends here on a Tuesday without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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