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!
Did we miss anything? Hit us up on Instagram at OffTheTipsyPath
(@offthetipsypath) • Instagram photos and videos or Facebook at Off The Tipsy Path | Facebook.
Finally, you can also drop us a note here. We’d love to hear from you!
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