The Standard downtown

Some Angelenos have never been downtown. They’ve passed it on the freeways, glimpsing Bunker Hill skyscrapers with their polished surfaces reflecting into each other like funhouse mirrors. It’s a sight, but nothing like the panorama from the rooftop bar of The Standard Downtown.

There you are, some 13 stories high, encircled by downtown’s singular clutch of landmark buildings and bland office towers. The outdoor bar keeps classic Cosmopolitans and wacky martinis coming with a vibe that feels more like a penthouse cocktail party than a hotel bar. Stretch sofas invite lounging; retro red poolside cabanas shade fashionistas sipping cocktails and ruffling through the trades while the paint on their toenails dries. You can order food from the bar, too, but that’s definitely not the draw. It’s the riveting view, concrete evidence that this sprawling city does have a center.--S.I.V.

The Standard Downtown, 550 S. Flower St., Los Angeles; (213) 892-8080.