Usually when places claim to have great views, it really means that select tables get great views while everyone else is relegated to craning their heads to catch a glimpse of something enticing. This is most definitely not the case at Yamashiro. With smart stadium seating and floor to ceiling windows, this nighttime destination is the ultimate place to go to feel like you're seeing L.A. for the first time.
Even among the top 5 views in Los Angeles, there's still got be one that edges out the best of the best for the absolute most amazing view of the city. That place is without question Yamashiro. To get to your final destination, you’ll have to drive up a narrow meandering one-way road that snakes up the Hollywood Hills, using a couple dimly lit signs as guideposts. Eventually you make it to the shimmering tower known as Yamashiro perched atop one of these famous hills. Built to look like an enormous Japanese palace, this spot looks so authentically Asian it’s even been filmed as Japan in various movies. As you hand your keys to the valet, even before stepping inside the dark, sparkling, fortress you can already see what makes this place so unique. Aside from perfectly looking the part of the glamorous and exotic stronghold you’d expect from a James Bond villain, Yamashiro’s views of Los Angeles are staggeringly beautiful. Outside there’s a winding garden replete with a giant gold Buddha and a weather permitting bar area where people stroll hand in hand and look out over Los Angeles. Inside the view is just as amazing. The entire front of the Yamashiro’s dark red and black restaurant and lounge is wall-to-wall windows. From anywhere in the venue (even the tables are stadium seating for the best viewing) you can see the dazzlingly radiant city below. From the glowing Griffith Observatory, to the bright lights of the Capitol Records building to the US Bank tower in Downtown, all the way to the coast, this is the complete view of Los Angeles. If you’re trying to eat make a reservation (this is popular date/celebration spot for people of all ages), otherwise grab a seat at the bar and enjoy the scene.