CLEVELAND — Planning a night out on the town? Looking to impress a hot date or loved one? Tired of hitting the same-old restaurants? In this feature, 3News food expert Doug Trattner lends a hand as he highlights great places to visit in Northeast Ohio. From temples of fine dining to hole-in-the-wall dives, these places all have a few things in common: excellent food, good service, great vibes, and local ownership. So pull up a chair, order a beverage, and stay for the fun!
This week, Trattner took advantage of the clear skies and balmy temps and invited Mike Polk Jr. to check out a brand new rooftop bar in the heart of downtown. The two sampled a range of cocktails and food while taking in the stellar views.
- LOCATION: The Garden of Eden at Metropolitan at the 9
- ADDRESS: 2017 E. 9th St., Cleveland
For the last seven summers, the 12th floor roof at the Metropolitan at The 9 was home to Azure Sun Lounge, a pleasant day and night bar with amazing views. But just in time for summer 2022, management completely reinvented pretty much everything but the view. Now called The Garden of Eden, the stylish rooftop bar and lounge is ready to kick off summer in style.
MENU STYLE: Tying into that Garden of Eden theme, the cocktails are named after the seven deadly sins. Polk enjoyed the bar’s take on a pina colada, here called Envy, while Trattner sipped on a refreshing rye-based cocktail called Greed. In addition to those signature cocktails, the bar offers classic cocktails as well as beer and wine.
While most rooftop bars are more about the vibe, view, and bevvies than the food, Garden of Eden manages to put out a great selection of foods perfect for snacking, sharing or keeping all to oneself. Polk and Trattner worked their way through a lovely Garden salad, grilled shrimp tacos, and an amazing burger topped with bacon, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, and garlic aioli.
PRICE RANGE: $$ (out of 5 $s)
TOP THREE REASONS TO VISIT:
1. The cocktails and food. This well-staffed bar whips up inventive, compelling and balanced cocktails that lend a festive vibe to the surroundings. The food here is better than most bar-forward concepts, with a menu built for sharing.
2. The scene. Velvet ropes, patches of summery AstroTurf, and cozy nooks to sit and linger combine to create a lush escape from the hustle and bustle below.
3. The views. Garden of Eden occupies the 12th floor of the Metropolitan complex, which puts it in the middle of the surrounding buildings. That creates interesting sightlines to neighboring structures as well as up and down city streets.
Find out more about Garden of Eden on their website or on Instagram.
More Trattner's Table for 2: