Sitting in the heart of West Hollywood right on the Sunset Strip is the Mondrian hotel, clad with an outdoor pool and bar that’s usually bumping with house music on the weekends and filled with party-goers sipping on cocktails. We’d been to this location just once before to see one of our friends DJ at the venue, and I was definitely impressed by the views of LA the hotel had to offer.

This time, we were invited by Ivory on Sunset to stop by, a restaurant situated inside the hotel adjacent to its pool and bar.

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To be honest, restaurants inside hotels have had a poor track record with us in the past. More often than not, they’re overpriced and overrated, usually a selection made due to convenience when you’re traveling.

You guys — Ivory on Sunset is NOT your typical restaurant in a hotel. Everything about this place exceeded our expectations and more!

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We arrived just in time to try out their new mid-day bites menu, recently introduced during the hours of 3-6pm daily to feature California-inspired shareable bites, refreshing seasonal sips, and an unbeatable spritz selection.

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And.. can you say meal with a view?! We sat inside due to the lovely heat wave we’ve been having and my aversion to getting tan, but the views were just as magnificent as the seats outside on their patio.

We tried a majority of the items on their new menu, and everything was so so fresh and delicious.

First up was one of the most beautiful charcuterie boards I’ve seen. And we’ve eaten our share of charcuterie boards… it’s literally one of my favorite starters at restaurants, even when there’s just two of us eating ?

The highlight of the board had to be the goat cheese — it was so sweet it almost tasted like cream cheese and paired so perfectly with the chef’s selection of cured meats.

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Then we started to dig in to the seafood. I’d mentioned in the past that I have an irrational fear of eating raw animal products, oysters included. But these guys looked so fresh, I had to give one of them a try. (Your taste buds change every seven years, right?)

I topped one off with the champagne mignonette and WOW it was delicious.

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(Don’t worry, the rest of the oyster platter was promptly devoured by my raw seafood-loving boyfriend).

Another raw dish that I just had to try was their Tuna Tartare & Hamachi bowl, mixed with edamame, scallions, mango, and crispy rice, all things that I love. Topped off with a garlic soy dressing, there was absolutely no fishy or seafood-y taste to this fresh and healthy bowl of protein!

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The highlight for me was the crab cake! This crab cake was so meaty and generous, made without any flour or batter. It was so crispy on the outside and deliciously crabby and flakey on the inside. The sauce was to die for… I could’ve licked the plate clean.

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The king of salads came in the form of their lobster salad, made with compressed watermelon and topped with greens, radish, white asparagus, and granola. So light and refreshing!

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Every single dish used only the best of ingredients which is so key for a seafood heavy menu. We were delighted by every bite.

To top it all off, we tried two of their desserts for a nice sweet ending. The tropical fruit tiramisu was refreshing and fruity, while the blondie sundae takes the cake in term of indulgence and satisfying your sweet tooth.

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Strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and blondies are the perfect trio for ending a great meal on a luxuriously decadent note.

HUGE thanks to the Ivory on Sunset team for inviting us to visit and try out the new mid-day bites menu! I’m definitely adding this spot to my list of must-visit brunch and lunch restaurants in LA.