The Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City’s signature restaurant offers creative fare featuring Spanish flavors with a Utah twist—right in the heart of downtown.
For a virtual trip to Spain, take the elevator to Mar Muntanya, the sixth-floor rooftop restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, and indulge in Spanish-inspired cuisine.
My dinner there brought back fond memories of traveling in northern Spain’s Basque Country, one of Europe’s great culinary destinations. It was a highlight of my stay at this sparkling downtown hotel, the only one connected to the Salt Palace Convention Center.
The 700-room Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, which made its debut in October 2022, is situated near Temple Square, headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (better known as the Mormons) and Utah’s most visited attraction. From the hotel, it was just a short walk to the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Church History Museum and Family Research Center. At the latter, research specialists at the world’s largest genealogical facility helped me launch an eye-opening look into my ancestry. I experienced the glorious Tabernacle at a noon organ recital and a Thursday evening choir rehearsal.
Guest rooms at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City afford views of the mountains and city skyline.
Mountain Vistas, Tasty Tapas and More at Mar Muntanya
What captivates so many visitors to Salt Lake City, especially first-timers, are the surrounding mountains. The Wasatch Range was visible from floor-to-ceiling windows of both my guest room and my table at Mar Muntanya. The restaurant serves tapas-style shareable plates and entrees that draw inspiration from the coasts and mountains of northern Spain’s Basque and Catalonia regions. The character of the land there is akin to Utah’s Great Salt Lake Valley and Rocky Mountain Corridor. (In Spanish, the restaurant’s name is “sea and mountains.”)
Mar Muntanya Executive Chef Tyson Peterson, a Salt Lake City native, utilizes the bounty provided by local farmers, growers and artisans, plus ingredients sourced directly from Spain. The tapas part of the menu focuses on small plates with the intention of sharing. Diners wishing for something more substantial can choose from the entree-sized options.
My companion and I went the tapas route. A big fan of melt-in-your-mouth croquettes when traveling in Spain, I was happy to see Funeral Croquetas on the menu, savoring every bite of the cheesy hash-brown casserole fritters with corn flake cereal crust, pickled Fresno chili and scallion aioli. We also ordered another favorite of mine, Papas Bravas, crunchy fried potatoes in a spicy red sauce (smoked paprika) with garlic aioli. Another tapa temptation: Crispy Brussels Sprouts with pomegranate honey, Iberico bacon and crushed hazelnuts.
Meaty Morsels and Decadent Desserts
The menu’s Embutidos section listed local and imported sausages. We chose the Txistorra Navarre, described as a Pamplona-style chorizo. There also were a Basque-style Chorizo Bilbao and a Catalonian white sausage, Butifarra Catalana. Or you can go totally local with the Game Blend Link, a medley of elk, bison and wagyu beef.
Our tapas selections paired well with the loaf of sourdough bread served with locally made sea salt butter.
The Basque word for little bites is pintxos, and the menu’s Pintxos selections (serving one person) included Elk Tartare Tosta (diced elk, crunchy brioche, caper and olive dressing) and Mojama Tuna Tosta (air-cured ahi tuna, grilled brioche, confit garlic spread).
Mar Muntanya, the Hyatt Regency’s signature restaurant, offers Spanish-inspired cuisine in a warm, sophisticated setting.
Had I chosen a “Mountain” entree instead of small bites, I would have ordered the Campfire Elk Loin or Mountain-Style Shepherd’s Pie (elk, bison and wagyu ragout, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and vegetables). “Sea” entrees included Spanish octopus, Maine scallops and trout from Utah’s Whistling Springs Trout Farm.
Mar Muntanya’s wine list features reds and whites from Spain, California, Washington, Argentina and Italy. The bar offers an extensive selection of gin cocktails.
Dessert was a tough choice, but we opted for Grandma’s Bread Pudding, a concoction of brioche and croissants, candied pecans, dark chocolate, sun-dried cherries, caramel and vanilla whipped garnish. The Basque Burnt Cheesecake (intentionally burnt and crustless), Canned Peach Butter Cake and Dulce Stuffed Churros (dulce de leche, cinnamon sugar, fudge sauce) also sounded good.
The Hyatt Regency’s sixth-floor heated swimming pool is open year-round.
On Mar Muntanya’s outdoor terrace, dining globes provide an ideal setting for taking in Wasatch Mountain and skyline vistas. The cozy wood-and-glass structures accommodate groups of up to six people. Nearby is the swimming pool, heated all year. The fitness center also is located on the sixth floor.
The Hyatt Regency’s Buzz-Worthy Lobby
The Hyatt Regency’s lobby-level restaurant is The Salt Republic. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it has an open kitchen with rostisserie and wood-fired oven.
I can’t remember entering a hotel lobby as welcoming as the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City’s. It’s spacious and wide-open with seating areas that lend an inviting living room feel. Artwork giving nods to Utah include the front desk’s wooden wall sculpture that mimics the Wasatch Mountains, with elk and bird sculptures nearby. The lobby’s Contribution cocktail lounge has a ceiling of “snow,” and the bar’s honeycomb motif relates to the beehive, a state symbol that historically has reflected Utah’s spirit of industrious and cooperation, traits that helped build a successful community in a harsh environment.
The Hyatt Regency’s spacious lobby
The lobby’s most impressive feature is “10,000 Points of Light,” a massive art installation comprising 38 hexagonal fiberglass panels covered in 10,262 mirrored glass tiles from Ukraine.
Besides Temple Square attractions, points of interest within easy walking distance of the Hyatt Regency include the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Visitor Information Center, Capitol Theatre (home to resident companies Ballet West and Utah Opera), Eccles Theatre (Broadway and other national touring shows) and City Creek Center, a retractable-roof shopping mall with more than 100 stores and restaurants.
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By Randy Mink, Senior Editor
