New bar will propel SouthPark into Charlotte’s rooftop scene

Rooftop bars are commonplace in Charlotte’s uptown – City Lights Rooftop, Omni Hotel’s Coin Bar, Fahrenheit, Merchant & Trade, Nuvolé Rooftop TwentyTwo, Rooftop 210 and others offer visitors and Charlotteans variety of skyline scenes.

The neighborhoods just outside of uptown feature a few options, including the Gin Mill South End, Moosehead Grill on Montford and the Whiskey Warehouse in Plaza Midwood.

But drive further into suburban Charlotte and the idea of an elevated outdoor patio is a relatively new concept. These communities have missed out on the views overlooking the surrounding area and glimpses of our city’s skyline. (Although, we see you, Ballantyne, with Gibson, your rooftop bar serving spiked milkshakes.)

Alas, SouthPark’s first public rooftop bar, Cordial, opens this spring at AC Hotel Charlotte SouthPark. It won’t be alone for long: Restoration Hardware’s new space at Phillips Place will include a rooftop restaurant when its construction is finished.

Cordial’s 5,500-square-foot space will be on the eighth floor with seating for up to 100 guests. Cordial’s indoor bar opens up to an outdoor terrace with lounge seating and an herb garden – used by staff for items on the menu. It will open nightly.

The hotel opened in December with Amanda Gibbons serving as the operations manager. This is the second one in the AC Hotel brand for her to open — the first was in Tampa.

“You have so much growth and development in Charlotte in all of its different neighborhoods,” she said. “SouthPark is a little bit better established with the businesses here, but there’s no rooftop bar. We will be the first one and we’re able to offer a [more] cocktail-focused experience than what’s currently here.”

In the tradition of the AC Hotel brand, drinks come before food. The focus will be on serving great beverages. Classic cocktails and a selection of European wines will be available, as well as 14 taps for wine, local beer and non-alcoholic spirits. Try the “Cordial Mojito” with house lime cordial and carbonated mint tea or the “It’s French” with Grand Marnier and sparkling rosé.

Signature cocktails will range from $12-$15, wine by the glass will be $10-$15 and local beer from places such as Birdsong Brewing Company, Noda Brewing Company, The Old Mecklenburg Brewery and Sugar Creek Brewing Company will be priced between $6 and $10.

“We will definitely have the tap space to show some love to all of them (local breweries). Gibbons said. “We’re trying to do all Charlotte beer.”

A menu with Caribbean- and Latin-influenced tapas will be available for guests. Gibbons and Chef Josue Santiago are still in the tasting stages of developing the final menu.

AC Hotels by Marriott brand honors the European and Spanish heritage with a focus on design, amenities and technology. There are more than 150 AC Hotels in over 20 countries and territories.

CORDIAL

1824 Roxborough Road (at the AC Hotel Charlotte SouthPark)

Instagram: @cordialclt

Opening spring 2020

This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 1:19 PM.