Quirk Hotel’s rooftop bar gets a makeover.
The formerly-nameless rooftop venue at Quirk Hotel in Richmond is celebrating the approach of summer with a new moniker—Q Rooftop Bar—and a full menu of small plates and cocktails distinct from the offerings of Maple and Pine restaurant down below. Surprisingly-filling appetizers range from the Roof Top Dog, served up with tomato relish, cucumber, peppers and yellow mustard, and the lamb and rosemary sausage, a bratwurst topped with crisped broccoli rabe, fresh grates of parmesan, confit garlic and lemon, to the new pork belly steam buns and smoked chicken tacos which, says rooftop supervisor Rachel Sargent, are “kind of spicy, but it’s worth it.”
The updated cocktail list includes Love & Happiness—a signature blend of grapefruit vodka, housemade cassis and chamomile lemongrass syrup—the fan favorite with pink lemonade lovers ready for summer. In addition, the Quirk Cup (amaro, Pimms, rhubarb shrub, ginger soda and rosemary) and the Bowtie (bourbon, maple ginger syrup, grapefruit soda and orange flower water) have been huge hits with customers visiting the rooftop since the menu debuted in mid-April.
In addition to the nouveau nom and featured new menu items, Q Rooftop Bar is also undergoing a bit of a redesign, with functional enhancements like a second refrigerator and roll-down weather shade for the bar adding efficiency to the back of house and new decorative elements adding to the bar’s overall vibe. New furniture on the upper and lower decks will update the look and provide additonal seating to previous seasons, while back to back banquettes are planned to create a more intimate dining atmosphere. String lights now stretch overhead on both levels of the rooftop, adding ambience to panoramic views of downtown Richmond. And the greatest enhancement? “We’ve ordered shade canopies,” says Sargent, “which should hold up better than the umbrellas on windy days. The more shade the better.” We couldn’t agree more. DestinationHotels.com/Quirk-Hotel/Dining
