Philly’s Newest Rooftop Bar Assembly Rooftop Opens Next Week

Feature Image via Aaron Byles

Philly’s Newest Rooftop Bar Assembly Rooftop Opens Next Week

**DUE TO THE WEATHER THE ASSEMBLY ROOFTOP OPENING HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL SATURDAY APRIL 30TH**

On Saturday April 30th, nine stories above Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Assembly Rooftop will welcome their first guests with champagne cocktails and sweeping views. Destined to be the city’s best rooftop bar, Assembly features all-weather and open-air lounge areas atop The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel, overlooking the Parkway.

The Assembly Rooftop bar is situated atop the building’s northern rooftop, with a glass barrier that offers uninterrupted views from City Hall in the east to the Art Museum and Fairmount Park in the west. The bar will pour a list of bubbly cocktails, plus a wealth of champagnes and sparkling wines by the glass and by the bottle. The bar and glass-enclosed lounge space will be open year-round, with room for about 35 guests, while the sprawling outdoor terrace will include room for an additional 150, available weather permitting every night of the week in the spring, summer and fall.

“As a newly crowned World Heritage City, Philadelphia deserves a landmark place to drink in its history, and nowhere is our proud multicultural and architectural heritage on grander display than the city’s own Champs-Élysées, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway,” says Sage Restaurant Group’s Peter Karpinski. “Since the 1920s, the Parkway has been the heart of the city’s cultural scene, and we are delighted to invite residents and visitors alike to enjoy a thrilling new perspective on this iconic view with a champagne cocktail in hand.”

Assembly will be open:

Monday through Thursday beginning at 5 p.m.
Friday through Sunday beginning at 3 p.m.

The space was designed by Bower Lewis Thrower Architects, Ltd. (BLTa) and Dawson Design Associates, Inc. (DDA), who realized a boldly minimalist vision with a design that folds open towards the panoramic views and pulls guests out of the elevator towards the rooftop overlook. While the view is the star, the space also includes glowing, indirect lighting and backlit mirrored panels, interspersed with stylish art photography that fosters a fashion-forward, sociable atmosphere. A custom, shimmering #selfie wall is adorned with visitors’ photos and greets guests as they arrive.

Assembly features:

A walk-up bar and adjacent lounge space that can be sequestered from the elements with folding glass doors An outdoor lounge that extends from the corner of the rooftop overlooking 18th Street to half the length of the hotel, with ample room for a variety of modular seating High-top tables and rails that encourage guests to linger and mingle
customizable lounge “pods” that offer semi-private seating for up to 12 guests, including two that surround working fire pits, uninterrupted views of the Parkway from every seat, including Alexander Stirling Calder’s Swann Memorial Fountain in the center of Logan Circle, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and the Philadelphia Museum of Art DJ music on the weekends for a lively yet refined vibe. The beverage menu will feature the city’s best selection of champagnes by the glass and by the bottle, with a variety of champagne cocktails.

“Champagne is traditionally poured to commemorate special occasions, and we want every visit to Assembly to feel that way,” says General Manager Troy Christian. “This is a place to celebrate everything that we love about Philadelphia – a place to literally ‘raise’ a glass, high above the city.”

The beverage menu will include:

Champagne by the Glass, such as
Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label
“Souverain” Henriot Brut
“Grand Vintage Rosé” Möet & Chandon 2004
Champagne Cocktails on Draught, such as
Aperol Spritz with Aperol, lemon and rosemary
French 75 with Tanqueray, lemon sherbet and orange blossom water
Prince of Wales with Rittenhouse rye, maraschino and broiled pineapple

Guests can top each champagne cocktail with one of four champagnes, each at a different price, with different contributions to the drink, from Henriot Blanc de Blancs to Guy Charlemagne Brut Champagne and Sparkling Wines by the Bottle, from Chapillon Secret Reserva Cava Brut to Krug Brut 1998 A selection of Wines by the Glass and Beers by the Bottle.

The food menu will feature a variety of light, seasonal fare perfect for sharing, and may include:

• Oysters with soy mignonette, fresh wasabi and cilantro sprouts
• Nectarines and Ricotta, house-made ricotta and stewed nectarines with grilled bread, grilled scallions and honey drizzle
• Baked Brie with vegetables, roasted fingerling potatoes, cherry jam and toast
• Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with pickled green papaya, ponzu, sesame and taro chips
• Garden Mezze, a platter including roasted garlic and white bean puree, tapenade, berbere-chickpea salad, raw and cooked vegetables, sunflower seeds, herbs and pita chips
• Assembly Charcuterie, Idiazabal cheese and Mangalica ham with marinated olives

Up and In: Getting the Best Seat in the House

• Assembly is accessible by a devoted entrance at street level on the hotel’s Logan Circle frontage, at 1875 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Inside the door, two elevators will operate simultaneously, with one host at the bottom and another at the top working from synchronized iPads to keep the lounge comfortably full at all times
• Reservations are available for small parties and groups, with priority given to guests of the hotel and Urban Farmer; some tables will have food-and-beverage minimums for premium space at prime time
• Visitors are encouraged to make a reservation or add their name to the list before or after a meal at Urban Farmer or while enjoying a drink in The Commons in the lobby; hosts will contact guests when their seats are available, and will extend a 15-minute grace period for them to return to be seated
• The upscale environment is a perfect spot to celebrate special occasions or entertain for business; group reservations are recommended, and an upscale casual dress code lends a festive feel