13 minute read
Music & Nightlife
Top of the Park at The Phelps.
Hailey Bollinger
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12 Rooftop Patios for Drinks with a View
What’s better than a drink with a view? Not much. The Queen City has plenty of rooftop patios boasting stunning sights of the skyline or surrounding neighborhoods.
Vista at Lytle Park Hotel
Cincinnati’s Lytle Park Hotel features a spectacular rooftop patio named the Vista at Lytle Park. The over 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge offers panoramic views of the Queen City and Ohio River. The space is equipped with an “indoor” lounge (where the bar is located) lined with windows that open to the outdoor patio with two fireplaces, lounge seating and tables. Vista’s menu differs from the in-house upscale Italian eatery Subito’s, offering a more shareable approach. Choose from a selection of cocktails, wine, beer and spirits, or opt for their large-format cocktails that serve four or more. 311 Pike St., Downtown, vistaatlytlepark.com.
21c Museum Hotel Cocktail Terrace
al 21c Museum Hotel rooftop terrace and watch the sun set over downtown with a cocktail in hand. 609 Walnut St., Downtown, 21cmuseumhotels.com/cincinnati.
Top of the Park at The Phelps
On the roof of this downtown hotel, catch 360-degree views of the city and the river from its vantage point at the base of Lytle Park. Amenities include tabletop fire features, TVs and live music, plus a tapas menu of shareable bites. 506 E. Fourth St., Downtown, topoftheparkcincinnati.com.
AC Upper Deck
On top of Cincinnati’s AC Hotel at The Banks, the Upper Deck boasts excellent views of the riverfront and Great American Ball Park. Lounge under string lights while gorging on Cincy Style Chili Dip and sipping a local craft beer or craft cocktail. 135 Joe
Best of Cincinnati
Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll New Bar
1. Green House Bar 2. Ghost Baby 3. e|19 4. Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge 5. Lost & Found 6. Wiseguy Lounge 7. Nomad 8. Saeso 9. Dug Out Bar 10. HomeMaker’s Bar
Overall Bar/Club (Not Brewery/Taproom)
1. Hoppin’ Vines 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 4. Higher Gravity 5. Longfellow 6. Below Zero Lounge 7. Queen City Radio 8. rhinehaus 9. MOTR Pub 10. The Belle & The Bear
Bar/Club (Downtown/ OTR)
1.. Below Zero Lounge 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade
Bar/Club (Northern Kentucky)
1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
Bar/Club (Central)
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Tillie’s Lounge 3. The Comet
Bar/Club (East Side)
1. Streetside Brewery 2. Latitude’s Bar & Bistro 3. Mount Lookout Tavern
Bar/Club (West Side)
1. Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar 2. The Crow’s Nest 3. Blue Note Harrison
1. Village Tavern 2. The Monkey Bar & Grille 3. March First Brewing
Bar/Club for Live Music (Local Bands)
1. MOTR Pub 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Southgate House Revival
Bar/Club for Live Music (National Acts)
1. Bogart’s 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Madison Theater
Bar/Club Staff
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Longfellow
Bartender (Female)
1. Molly Wellmann (Japp’s) 2. Valerie Diehl (Northside Yacht
Club; Lost & Found) 3. Ceris Christopher (The Belle &
The Bear)
Bartender (Male)
1. Patrick Carnes (Tillie’s Lounge) 2. Alex Meece (Mellow Mushroom) 3. Zeque Walker (Northside Yacht
Club)
Beer Selection (Bottles & Cans)
1. The Comet 2. Higher Gravity 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade
Beer Selection (Draft)
1. rhinehaus 2. Yard House 3. Hoppin’ Vines
Bloody Mary
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Crazy Fox Saloon 3. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 4. The Eagle 5. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions &
Spirits 6. Streetside Brewery 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Nation Kitchen & Bar 9. Hang Over Easy 10. Taste of Belgium
Bourbon Cocktail
1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s Nuxhall Way, Downtown, acupperdeck.com.
The View at Shires’ Garden
Located on the 10th floor of downtown’s City Club Apartments, this spacious rooftop spot features an indoor dining room, an outdoor patio, two full bars, outdoor small and group dining and cocktail tables with impeccable views. To keep the fun going in the winter, the bar puts up special insulated and rentable igloos. 309 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown, theviewatshiresgarden.com.
Hailey Bollinger
Pins Mechanical Company
Catch some rays and take in the views at Pins — sip on cocktails, like the aptly named Pinball Wizard, while you enjoy their rooftop patio. Or choose from one of the 36 beers on tap. From the Columbus-based Rise Brands, this Over-the-Rhine bar has pinball machines and duckpin bowling lanes, plus other “old school” entertainment options like foosball, bocce ball and shuffleboard. 1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, pinsbar.com/cincy.
Rhinegeist.
Rhinegeist has worked quickly over the past half-decade to become one of the city’s favorite local brewers. Their 25,000-square-foot warehouse tucked away on the north end of Elm is home to boozy alchemy and big house parties. Head upstairs to the weather-dependent giant patio. This very chill wooden rooftop deck features ample seating and an upstairs bar with 15 draft beers and ciders, plus a selection of wine and draft cocktails. 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com.
Braxton Brewing Company.
City View Tavern
Indulge in a spicy bloody mary while at this fine low-frills neighborhood bar that offers panoramic vistas of our fair metropolis and some locally loved burgers. 403 Oregon St., Mount Adams, cityviewtavern.com.
Incline Public House
While not technically a rooftop, this eatery boasts some spectacular views of the
Queen City. With a 1,400-square-foot deck for soaking in vistas and cocktails, IPH’s name is derived from the actual Cincinnati Incline that existed there from the late 1800s to the 1940s. Their upscale twist on pub food features sandwiches, salads, epicurean appetizers and a slew of craft cocktails and draft beers. 2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill, inclinepublichouse.com.
Braxton Brewing Company
Braxton Brewing Company’s 5,000-plussquare-foot seasonal patio features a living wall and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati. Guests can head to the rooftop to enjoy an entirely new experience when visiting the brewery, with plenty of seating, shady umbrellas and a full bar. 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, braxtonbrewing.com.
The Blind Pig
This downtown pub features a rooftop patio on top of Lola’s coffee shop. The bar is located just across the street from The Banks and serves a full menu of bar food and daily drink specials. A perfect stop for a Reds pregame party. 24 W. Third St.,
Hailey Bollinger
Bishop’s Quarter
Bishop’s Quarter not only offers full service on the rooftop patio, but also regular live music entertainment. Outdoor seating is also available on the two other patios that wrap around the building (yes, that’s three patios total!). 212 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, bishopsquarterbar.com.
1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow’s Other Room 3. Wiseguy Lounge
Bourbon Selection (Retail)
1. The Party Source 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. DEP’s Fine Wine and Spirits
Bowling Alley
1. Madison Bowl 2. S&S Western Bowl 3. Stones Lanes
Casino
1. Miami Valley Gaming 2. Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati 3. Belterra Casino Resort
Celtic/British Pub
1. O’Malley’s in the Alley 2. Molly Malone’s Covington 3. Nicholson’s Pub
Club/Party DJ
1. DJ Björg 2. DJ NV Reckless 3. DJ Airborne
Cocktail Bar/Lounge
1. Tillie’s Lounge 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s
College-Crowd Bar
1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Murphy’s Pub 3. Mac’s Pizza Pub (Clifton Heights)
Comedy Club
1. Go Bananas Comedy Club 2. Liberty Funny Bone 3. Urban Artifact
Concert Venue
Dance Club
Drag Queen
1. Penny Tration 2. Harlee Rainz 3. Sarah Jessica Darker
1. Breakout 2. The Escape Game 3. Houdini’s Room Escape
Happy Hour (Drinks)
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Streetside Brewery
Happy Hour (Food)
1. Ché 2. Delicio Coal Fired Pizza 3. Knockback Nat’s
Hard Cider
1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. Rhinegeist 3. March First Brewing
Hard Seltzer/ Sparkling Spirit
1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. March First Brewing 3. VIVE (Braxton Brewing
Company)
Hotel Bar
1. The Bar at Palm Court 2. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 3. Metropole at 21c
Jukebox
1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. The Comet 3. Anchor Grill
Karaoke
1. Tokyo Kitty 2. Old Street Saloon 3. Northside Yacht Club
LGBTQ+ Bar
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Old Street Saloon 3. The Birdcage
Local Band (Covers)
1. The Rusty Griswolds 2. The Naked Karate Girls 3. DV8
Local Band (Originals)
1. Over the Rhine (TIE) 1. Foxy Shazam (TIE) 2. 500 Miles to Memphis 3. The Cliftones
Hailey Bollinger
Two New Riverside Music Venues
Greater Cincinnati is now home to two — yes, two — brand new music venues situated right along the waterfront: one on the north side of the Ohio River and one on the south.
Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center
The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center at The Banks is the new music venue on Cincinnati’s riverfront from Music and Event Management Inc. — aka MEMI, the concert arm of the nonprofit Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that runs Riverbend Music Center and Taft Theatre.
The state-of-the-art venue, which opened in summer 2021, features one main floor and two balcony levels overlooking the inside stage. The venue has a capacity of 4,500 inside and 8,000 at the outdoor stage.
And while it’s common for new sports/ entertainment arenas to sell naming rights to companies or arts organizations to tag the name of a big donor on a new venue, this spot is named for a longtime Cincinnati music educator and musician.
The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center is named after a 1938 University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate, Andrew J. Brady. Brady went on to become the music director at Western Hills High School and a jazz musician who worked with various youth programs over the years.
The ICON hosted its inaugural concert on its outdoor festival stage in July 2021 featuring a sold-out performance by iconic rock band the Foo Fighters. 25 Race St., Downtown, iconmusiccenter.com.
PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION
Newport is now home to the nation’s third indoor-outdoor concert venue. PromoWest
Pavilion at OVATION is modeled after PromoWest Productions venues like Columbus’ EXPRESS LIVE! and the Stage AE in Pittsburgh.
The Northern Kentucky music hub features three individual concert spaces — an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor music hall and an indoor club — and boasts “state-of-the-art” lighting and acoustical systems as well as a moveable stage.
OVATION plans to host a variety of live music, as well as sporting and special events like boxing, fundraisers, weddings and more. The innovative design helps accommodate indoor audiences of up to 2,700, with an outdoor capacity of up to 7,000 summer concertgoers.
OVATION plans to host an average of 150 events each year, spanning genres from rock, folk and blues to jazz, metal and country. 101 W. Fourth St., Newport, promowestlive.com.
PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION.
Local Brewery
1. Rhinegeist 2. March First Brewing 3. Urban Artifact 4. Streetside Brewery 5. MadTree Brewing Co. 6. Sons Of Toil Brewing 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. West Side Brewing 9. Braxton Brewing Company 10. Brink Brewing Co.
Local Distillery
1. New Riff Distilling 2. Karrikin Spirits Co. 3. Cincinnati Distilling
Local Music Promoter
1. Leroy Ellington Productions 2. Dan McCabe/Chris Schadler 3. Nederlander Entertainment
Local Musician
1. Lauren Eylise 2. Arlo McKinley 3. Jake Speed
Local Taproom
1. MadTree Brewing Co. 2. Streetside Brewery 3. Rhinegeist 4. March First Brewing 5. Urban Artifact 6. Sons of Toil Brewing 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Braxton Brewing Company 9. Nine Giant Brewing 10. Fretboard Brewing Company
Local Winery
1. Revel OTR Urban Winery 2. The Skeleton Root 3. Vinoklet Winery 4. Valley Vineyards 5. Henke Winery 6. Indian Spring Winery 7. Elk Creek Vineyards 8. Harmony Hill Vineyards 9. StoneBrook Winery 10. Burnet Ridge
Margarita
1. Bakersfield 2. Nada 3. El Rancho Grande 4. Cactus Pear 5. Taqueria Mercado 6. El Coyote 7. TAHONA Bar + Kitchen 8. Condado Tacos 9. e|19 10. Jefferson Social
Martini
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Japp’s 3. Longfellow
Music Festival/ Event
1. Bunbury Music Festival 2. Cincinnati Pride 3. Overcast Hip-Hop Festival
No-Frills Watering Hole
1. Northside Tavern 2. rhinehaus 3. The Belle & The Bear
Open Mic Night
1. MOTR Pub 2. Urban Artifact 3. Stanley’s Pub
Place to Drink While You Wait for a Table
1. Taft’s Ale House 2. Longfellow 3. The Lackman
Place to Play Games
1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition
Place to Shoot Pool
1. The Comet 2. Mainstrasse Village Pub 3. Animations
Ron Valle
Place to Throw Darts
1. Murphy’s Pub 2. Hap’s Irish Pub 3. Knockback Nat’s
Rooftop Bar
1. Rhinegeist 2. Braxton Brewing Company 3. Top of the Park 4. Bishop’s Quarter Bar 5. 21c Cocktail Terrace 6. City View Tavern 7. The View at Shires’ Garden 8. Pins Mechanical Company 9. AC Upper Deck 10. The Blind Pig
Sports Bar
1. The Holy Grail 2. Knockback Nat’s 3. rhinehaus
Trivia Night
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. March First Brewing 3. rhinehaus
Wine Bar
1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 2. Hoppin Vines 3. Unwind Wine
Bar & Light Fare
Each year, Esquire magazine compiles a list of the best bars in America. And after the hell of 2020, the 2021 list was special — almost a “return to normal.”
“Bars are simultaneously a place to be by oneself and a place of community. An escape and a home away from home. That vanished as many were forced to transform into takeout joints or, worse yet, to permanently close,” reads the article intro. “In a time when life and work and family bled into one another in messy ways, the bar is that much-needed extra space — physically, emotionally — that we could all use right now.”
Esquire editors named 27 drinking destinations across the country to hold the coveted title of “best bar” ... and only one is in Cincinnati.
The jewel in the Queen City’s crown? Walnut Hills’ Comfort Station.
Writer Sarah Rense outlines the reason she picked this bar as her favorite: “You won’t stumble across Comfort Station. Even if you happen to be up in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood, the likelihood of you taking a chance on a women’s restroom door on the front of what used to be a public bathhouse is slim. But should you tentatively push through, you’ll find what feels like the city’s spiritual center. Inside, the bartenders whip out gems like Heaven, My Reward — a frothy sour with adobo chile that, yeah, is heaven — and Hot Damn, Son!, which any sucker for Manhattans and oatmeal cookies will buckle for.”
Opened in the summer of 2019, Comfort Station is helmed by the team behind creative Over-the-Rhine apothecary cocktail bar Sundry and Vice. Located in a former “Public Comfort Station,” this century-old building has been completely transformed and includes an expansive back patio and excellent libations. Enter the main bar through the bright blue former women’s restroom door.
Last year, Wodka Bar in Over-the-Rhine was the only local drinking destination to make Esquire’s coveted list. 973 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, comfortstationcincinnati. com.
A cocktail at Comfort Station.
Hailey Bollinger
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