An igloo with a view: Here’s a look at some Kansas City winter rooftop bar options

Kansas City’s shimmering cityscape is best viewed at several new rooftop venues soaring high above the metro.

Heaters, enclosures for social distancing, and special menus are just some of the perks on the rooftops of historic renovated venues and a new hotel.

Here are four new choices:

▪ Hotel Kansas City, which opened in October at 1228 Baltimore Ave. in the former Kansas City Club building, has three new plastic igloos on its 15th floor with expansive views of downtown Kansas City.

The Starlight Snow Globes @ Hotel Kansas City each hold two to six people in the same party and are themed around a specific spirit: Reyka Vodka, Glenfiddich Scotch and Hendrick’s Gin. Each globe is heated and decked out with chairs, tables, pillows and blankets.

Customers are served four cocktails using the specific spirit, along with small bites. For example, among the servings in the Hendrick’s globe will be the Up On the Roof, a hot gin punch with Hendrick’s, Madeira wine, pineapple, honey, lemon, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar, along with a gin-and-tonic poached shrimp with cucumber and ajo blanco sauce.

The cost is $100 per person for 90 minutes and the hotel said they make the most of the time by having the set food and drink menu.

“Food and drink within the first five minutes of sitting down all the way up until your departure time,” said Scott Tipton, director of restaurants, bars and events for the hotel.

The igloos will debut Christmas Eve with seatings at 5, 6:45 and 8:30 p.m. Then they can be booked Wednesdays through Sundays through February. Reservations are required.

▪ The Mercury Room, 14th floor on the Reverb apartment building at 1800 Walnut St. It has a full bar and a dozen specialty cocktails. Open 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Coming up:

▪ Canary Bar & Bistro, 3835 Main St., lobby and rooftop bar on the 11th floor. Plans to open New Year’s Eve.

▪ Horsefeather Social, on the 7th floor of the new Loews Kansas City hotel at 1515 Wyandotte St. It is closed for the season. It will reopen in nicer weather with small plates and specialty cocktails, wine and beer.

This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 4:11 PM.