A collaboration between the Houston Brothers and Lightstone, the destination boasts eight unique restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Immersive hospitality visionaries Mark and Jonnie Houston, in collaboration with Mitchell Hochberg of Lightstone, have launched a first-of-its-kind multilayered concept, Level 8. Revolutionizing Los Angeles’ dining and social landscape, this dining, drinking, and entertainment experience features eight distinct and mesmerizing destinations, occupying the entirety of the eighth floor of the recently launched Moxy & AC Hotel Downtown LA, located directly across the street from Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Sprawled across 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, Level 8’s story is told through the eyes of its fictional founder, Mr. Wanderlust. This expansive maze of concepts brings together a riot of seemingly disparate global influences held together by their connection to the culture of Downtown LA and by an artful combination of authentic cuisine, performance-driven nightlife, and interactive design.

Level 8 serves as a stage for some of LA’s top culinary talent to create innovative chef-driven concepts, providing a truly unique destination in the city. Michelin-starred Chef Joshua Gil transports guests to a French-Teppanyaki experience at Maison Kasai and al fresco oyster and ceviche bar Mother of Pearl. Esquire Chef of the Year and LA native Chef Ray Garcia helms Qué Bárbaro, the South American live fire grill, and The Brown Sheep, a food truck serving “authentically inauthentic” Mexican street food with an Angeleno twist. Joel Robuchon protégé Chef Hisae Stuck heads up Lucky Mizu, inspired by the Japanese art of cooking with water: seiro mushi (steam) and shabu shabu (boil). Combined, under the guidance of Level 8 Executive Chef Richard Archuleta, the culinary concepts of Level 8 will showcase a culinary menagerie of experiences.

“Partnering with nightlife impresarios Jonnie and Mark Houston, the duo behind Los Angeles’ most desirable and exclusive hospitality hotspots, from No Vacancy to Black Rabbit Rose, we’ve conceived a first instance destination that turns a night out into a transportive experience,” says Mitchell Hochberg of Lightstone. “You can begin the night with a cocktail and live music at Mr. Wanderlust, choose from any of the three unique and innovative restaurants, and end the night with dancing at one of LA’s hottest clubs, Sinners y Santos, and maybe a late-night taco – all designed for the city that’s notoriously difficult to restaurant and bar-hop. Only the Houston Brothers have the curiosity and imagination to create this series of experiences, all threaded together, each epic in its own way.”

“What we have learned in our 20-plus years of opening restaurants and bars around LA is that people want more than just dinner or drinks out. They want to discover something new and come away with a sense that they’ve done something memorable, something different. Level 8 is all about creating opportunities for that kind of immersive discovery – it’s a culmination of our experiences that pays homage to Downtown Los Angeles’ rich heritage and history,” shares Mark Houston.

The heart and soul of Level 8 is Mr. Wanderlust, a lively piano bar and jazz lounge with a theatrical spin where guests begin their journey. Mr. Wanderlust channels the eccentric globetrotting life of its namesake, a fictional adventurer whose collection of books, artifacts — and cocktail recipes — reflect his eclectic tastes. Golden Hour, a Miami meets Copacabana rooftop pool deck complete with a rotating carousel bar, features soaring views of magnificent sunsets and the Hollywood Hills. The pool deck transforms as the sun sets to an outdoor lounge with DJs and live entertainment. Finally, Sinners y Santos showcases two decades of Mark & Jonnie Houston’s nightlife virtuosity, transporting revelers to an abandoned 19th-century cathedral which guests enter through a “confessional”.

“Being from LA, we’ve always been immersed in the city’s Latin culture, and embracing the overall culinary diversity of Los Angeles is a beautiful thing,” adds Jonnie Houston. “Our trademark is a trifecta of a unique concept, a great cocktail program, and terrific entertainment, and the neighborhood provides us with so many unique cultural references that we can play off of. We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to open Downtown and to fill a gap in Los Angeles by providing a pre and post-event destination for Angelenos and travelers alike from not only Crypto.com Arena, but also the nearby SoFi Stadium, Kia Forum, and Banc of California Stadium. With Level 8, we’re really blowing it out of the water.”

The design and conceptualization of Level 8 was led by Mark and Jonnie Houston in collaboration with Lightstone Design Studio, Undisclosable, and Basile Studio. Together, the team created a captivating maze of venues featuring theatrical moments at every turn, from a 40-foot Earth Harp stretched across the ceiling of Lucky Mizu to a trapeze artist descending from a chandelier in Mr. Wanderlust.

“Whether you’re coming from out of town or down the street, you can have a very different experience every time you visit,” says Hochberg. “Anticipation is a very powerful emotion: People are passionate about encountering something they’ve never seen, tasted, or experienced before. It’s the same urge that sent Alice down the rabbit hole. Together, Level 8 and Moxy & AC Hotel Downtown LA promise a multitude of new discoveries. Whichever adventure you choose, it’s guaranteed to be captivating and unforgettable.”

Address: 1254 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

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ABOUT HOUSTON HOSPITALITY
Founded in 2007, with the launch of Piano Bar, fraternal twins Mark and Jonnie Houston have cornered a niche market of high end nightlife concepts. Each location more inventive than the last, their projects and concepts span from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and beyond. The current Houston Hospitality family includes cuban-themed bar La Descarga, American-themed live music venue Harvard & Stone, Parisian cocktail lounge Pour Vous, speakeasy-style No Vacancy & Dirty Laundry, 1970s-inspired Good Times at Davey Wayne’s, On the Record at Park MGM Las Vegas, 80’s oasis Break Room 86, and disco-deco dreamscape Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and multi-layered culinary and nightlife destination, Level 8. 

www.level8dtla.com | | houstonhospitalityla.com | @level8.dtla

ABOUT MOXY & AC HOTEL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
With a multitude of experiences under one roof, Moxy and AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles are DTLA’s new destination for visitors and locals. Located in the heart of Downtown, directly across from the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, the two hotels offer a total of 727 guestrooms; an unprecedented 12 dining and entertainment options, including Level 8, a collection of restaurants, bars, and lounges that highlight the neighborhood’s diverse cultures and cuisines; a Miami-meets-Copacabana pool deck; a dedicated events level with over 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting and social events space with a design inspired by DTLA’s industrial heritage. The property, which opened earlier in 2023, was developed and is owned by Lightstone.

www.moxydtla.com | www.achoteldtla.com | @Moxy_AC_losangeles

SOURCE Houston Hospitality; Lightstone