Miami’s Freehand Hotel Drops Drinks and Dinner on Downtown LA in March

Looks like things are wrapping up for the Freehand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, as the Miami Beach original (with another location in Chicago) plans to arrive by March 2017. Not only will the place come outfitted with 167 private rooms (and 59 more that are shared), they’re bringing along Miami famous cocktail bar Broken Shaker and a couple of other new concepts. Here’s what to expect.

First up, the Sydell Group — they’re the ones behind NoMad too, plus the Line Hotel — is working with Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi of Bar Lab to bring Broken Shaker to Downtown. The rooftop cocktail lounge will wrap the pool and seat close to 100 for dinner, making it an alternative to the hotel’s other restaurant. Expect a lot of tropical, lush greens, and street food snacks to enjoy with the bespoke cocktails.

Orta and Zvi will also be collaborating on a lobby option called Rudolph’s Bar & Tea, a higher-end destination for coffee and tea in the morning and more cocktails at night. The space is apparently named after former building owner Rudolph Rosenberg, and should provide an upscale option for folks coming in off the street.

And then there’s the restaurant, Exchange. Initially the main on-site dining option for the hotel was supposed to fall under the purview of Jenn Louis from Portland, with the idea being to drop some Israeli flavors in the heart of the city. That project has since been scrapped (no word from Louis if she plans to come to Los Angeles in a different capacity down the line) in favor of Exchange, which will feature cooking from chef Alex Chang. A local known mostly for his popular Paladar dinner series from his USC days, Chang has also worked in kitchens like Animal and Vagabond in Miami. Apparently Chang, Orta and Zvi will still be exploring the world of Israeli cuisin with Exchange, too.

Expect the Roman & Williams-designed Freehand LA to come online by March of 2017, with their trio of food and beverage concepts to open at that time as well. And with the forthcoming NoMad hotel and restaurant right behind, Downtown is quickly becoming a great place for upscale hotel dining.

Freehand LA
416 W. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA