Atop the Aster members club and hotel, this newer rooftop restaurant takes its name from the neighborhood’s agrarian past, when the streets of Hollywood were just miles and miles of citrus farms. Despite a few flourishes courtesy of Top Chef contestant Marcel Vigneron, the seasonal fare here is decent, but forgettable, as one might expect of a restaurant catering to a members-only club. (Then again, if underseasoned pasta with a little foam in it and macaroni with bread crumbs on top is your idea of five-star cuisine, we can’t help you there.)
The restaurant’s one saving grace, at least for tourists, is the view of the Capital Records Building—the area by the bathroom is the perfect place to snap a photo with the iconic tower. Valet costs a whopping $35, with no validation from the restaurant; there are cheaper public parking lots nearby, though they require a walk down trash-strewn Vine Street. With amazing options like Mother Wolf and Gwen both under a mile away, and rooftop bars like Mama Shelter and Grandmasters Recorders nearby, there’s no compelling reason in our eyes to visit Lemon Grove over these spots.
