Up on the Roof in Downtown Knoxville

 

Late Summer into Fall is the perfect weather for cocktails on the patio … but why not take it “up” a few notches literally TO THE ROOF! There are a growing number of rooftop bars in downtown Knoxville that let you enjoy your favorite drinks indoors or outdoors with a view from the top of the town!

We’ll start with the “OG” rooftop in downtown Knoxville – the Moonshine Roof Garden at Preservation Pub. This rooftop space has been around long enough to see Market Square thrive and give patrons a bird’s eye view of what’s going on below. With the arrival of Bernadette’s Crystal Gardens next door, the roof garden is now double the size, and so is the Magic Beer Tree! The drink menu at Preservation Pub itself is extensive and fairly basic, with beer, wine and shine as the showcase. However, the real “gem” (pun intended, as you’ll see in a minute) is the cocktail menu at Bernadette’s!

Bernadette’s is the brainchild of Bernadette West, using hundreds of actual crystals that once were housed in the World Grotto, an earlier bar in the basement of one of the other West buildings on the square. Bernadette’s also has its own outdoor space, actually above and overlooking the roof garden, known as the Citrine Mezzanine. It’s enclosed but with an open-air view of the rooftop. Here is where you’ll find some of the most creative drinks on the square – our personal favorites are the Amethyst and the Moonstone, not to mention the mimosa flights (on special every Wednesday night). The first is a refreshing take on an old fashioned and the second is a coconut drink with cream and quite the presentation. You can get both up on the Mezzanine! And don’t miss out on our favorite bar snack … the Tetris Tots with the rainbow palette of dipping sauces.

 

Yet another rooftop on Market Square is just next door at Scruffy City Hall. This is another venture from Scott and Bernadette West. The first two floors are mainly a performance venue, but the rooftop space is wide open and dedicated to a more laid back atmosphere than its neighbors. It may have the best view of whatever is on the square’s performance stage! The second floor also has an open-air mezzanine with great views.

Now we move just off the square to South Gay Street, where dueling rooftop bars make for an attractive competition for best views! Both Embassy Suites and Hyatt Place opened within the last few years, both debuting some fantastic rooftop spaces, and both with excellent cocktails. We have done weekend “staycations” at both so we can safely say we’ve done the necessary research. Since these are also hotel bars, we covered some of this in a previous post. Here’s our lowdown on each from a rooftop view.

At Embassy Suites, Radius Rooftop Lounge has the distinction of having the highest rooftop view of downtown. We have to admit that we weren’t overly impressed the first time we visited, but that was in the middle of the pandemic. It struck us as a frat party. On our most recent visit, it’s clear that they’ve stepped up their cocktail game, including a whole Old Fashioned list. You know we love that! They also have a rooftop outdoor pool area with cabanas that are great for a small group party. And yes, the views are spectacular!

And last but certainly not least, Five Thirty Lounge is a fantastic space with indoor and outdoor areas on top of the Hyatt Place downtown. Their indoor bar is pure eye candy and the drinks are excellent. Full disclosure – we spent our New Year’s Eve here and watched the Independence Day fireworks from the outdoor patio! They make a wonderful Old Fashioned and have a nice wine list. We aren’t a fan of the extra “hospitality tax” on drinks, but don’t let that stop you. Take advantage of the reservations here to get ahead of the crowd. Definitely a #tipsypick!

With basically five rooftop options to choose from within a few blocks, it is technically possible to do a “rooftop bar crawl” in one day/night!  Let us know if you try it! If we do, we’ll let you know!

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