Red Fin is a hip-hotel-lounge-meets-diner with a Japanese fusion twist. It’s connected to the Hotel Max, and like the hotel, it goes for the urban minimalist ultralounge vibe, with blocky lines and bright primary colors—in this case, red, red, and more red. This gives the place a rosy glow at night. The service follows the example of the Max, as well, by managing to be simultaneously snooty and efficient.

Presentation is sometimes stylized to the point of being childish—a spicy poke salad is served in a martini glass—but Red Fin is one super-hip fusion joint that impresses those who aren’t sick of Pan-Asian fusion with its interesting flavor combinations: shiitake mushrooms in the miso, togarashi-seasoned fries with ginger ketchup, bits of Fuji apple in a spicy crab roll.

This is clearly not a place for purists—the menu of mains is particularly unfocused, with everything from an odd take on a “seafood pad Thai” to a standard burger with a few unnecessary twists (pineapple and star anise-pickled onions)—but ingredients are typically organic and well sourced, and everything tastes fresh. A good selection of sake and local and Japanese beers round out an excellent happy hour. The wine list is impressive for a sushi restaurant, but we could do without the bulk of the reds. Call us crazy, but we don’t generally take our raw fish with Zinfandel.