Admittedly, we ended up at The Roof at The West Hollywood EDITION on the Sunset Strip on a Saturday afternoon, not entirely planning to. But it turned into one of the better meals we’ve had up there in a while, kids included.
Notably, The Roof is the rooftop restaurant at the West Hollywood EDITION, the Ian Schrager-designed hotel. In fact, it’s built almost entirely around the view: 360 degrees of the LA basin, with the Strip humming below. In short, we got there as the sun was starting to drop toward the Pacific, which is the timing you want.
The Setting at The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION
Overall, the vibe at The Roof is upscale but not stiff. It’s the kind of place where you feel a little out of place with a stray LEGO in your pocket from your 8-year-old’s toy box, but nobody makes you feel that way. To start, we ordered the Sun and Shade: Ketel One vodka, passion fruit, and sparkling wine. Still, it’s not a groundbreaking cocktail, but it’s reliable, bright, and a good opener before the food arrives.
What We Ordered at The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION
The Roof Burger
I ordered the Roof Burger, and in fact, it’s a better burger than the description suggests on paper. Better yet, the kitchen tucks tortilla chips inside the burger itself. Consequently, that gives it a crunch most burgers don’t have, plus a kick from Poblano chili that pushes it past a standard lunch burger. On top of that, the fries were properly salty and gone fast.
The Carne Asada Tacos
Next up, my husband got The Roof’s Carne Asada Tacos, made with prime skirt steak. In fact, they were well-charred, tender, and good enough that he spent the rest of the meal wishing he’d ordered more of them. Honestly, you can taste the difference a good cut makes here.
The Deconstructed Angry Chicken
Meanwhile, at The Roof, our ten-year-old ordered the Angry Fried Chicken Sandwich deconstructed — sauce on the side. That way, she got the crispy fried chicken without the heat overwhelming her. It’s a trick worth knowing if you’re bringing a kid with a low spice tolerance to a place like this.
The Barbacoa Quesadilla
Similarly, our eight-year-old had The Roof’s Barbacoa Quesadilla, built on a 12-hour braise — genuinely tender, rich meat. Naturally, it arrived topped with micro-greens and pickled onion, which to an 8-year-old looked less like a garnish and more like a lawn. “Why did they put plants on my cheese?” she asked, visibly betrayed. Still, a few minutes of picking off every green fleck later, she cleared the plate.
The Short Rib Barbacoa Nachos
We also got The Roof’s Short Rib Barbacoa Nachos to share, mostly because we hadn’t hit our protein quota yet. Overall, it’s a generous meat-to-chip ratio, the same good beef as the quesadilla, and a solid match for a sunset view.
The 12-Hour Braise
Notably, both the nachos and the quesadilla run on the same barbacoa, braised for 12 hours, and it shows. As a result, the short rib is properly fall-apart tender, with the fat rendered all the way through instead of just cooked past done. Overall, it’s the dish that best sums up why The Roof at The West Hollywood EDITION is worth the reservation.
The Restroom, Weirdly, Is Worth Mentioning
Frankly, this sounds like a strange thing to highlight at The Roof. However, the restroom has floor-to-ceiling glass with what might be the best skyline view in the building. In other words, it’s a little absurd and very LA, so it becomes the kind of detail that makes people talk about the place afterward.
Why The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION Works, Even With Kids
Naturally, West Hollywood has no shortage of style-over-substance rooftop spots. Yet The Roof at The West Hollywood EDITION is one of the few that gets the food right too. Additionally, beyond the food, service was attentive without hovering. As a result, the pacing gave us room to actually sit through the sunset instead of being rushed. Overall, it’s rare to find a place that works for a date night and a family dinner with kids who eye every garnish with suspicion.
Best Time to Visit The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION, by Season
Overall, timing changes everything at The Roof at The West Hollywood EDITION, so here’s how we’d plan a visit depending on the season:
| Season | Ideal Reservation Time | What to Order | The Vibe |
| Spring | 6:30 PM | Sun & Shade Cocktail | Crisp air, clear views |
| Summer | 7:30 PM | Carne Asada Tacos | Long, golden twilights |
| Fall | 5:45 PM | Roof Burger (with chips!) | Deep orange “fire” sunsets |
| Winter | 4:45 PM | Barbacoa Quesadilla | Moody, cinematic purple skies |
A Few Tips for Bringing Kids to The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION
First, at The Roof at West Hollywood EDITION, ask if spicy or complex dishes can be served deconstructed. In fact, it worked well for the chicken sandwich and it’s an easy ask. Similarly, if your kid is suspicious of anything green, request no garnish going in. However, the plating here is nice, but micro-greens read as obstacles to a kid trying to get to the cheese. And if you need five minutes of built-in entertainment between courses, the restroom view isn’t a bad detour. Finally, book the earliest sunset slot you can get. The light is better, the service is faster, and the crowd hasn’t built up yet.
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