OC's Rooftop Bars ~ Anaheim
And, from the rooftops we feel the breeze coming off of the Pacific...
Orange County is growing “up” with Anaheim introducing a series of rooftop bars in the resort area - now opening their doors post-pandemic. With several luxury hotels (a bit of a response of Garden Grove’s dominance room count) popping up in Anaheim, with it came the rooftop bar.
We recently tried the JW Marriot’s (in fact, it may have been their soft launch) ‘Parkestry’ rooftop bar. As we were on the cusp between late Spring/early Summer, it was warm, but, in true Southern California style, it cooled down quickly.
The view from Parkestry can’t be overstated, it is a unique view of Anaheim for any visitor or native - keeping in mind that such views were relegated to helicopters until now. The view is West-South facing, and depending on visibility, you could see an unobstructed view all the way to the ocean - in fact we could see Catalina and Long Beach from its vantage point. (Hey, bringing binoculars may be a thought!) You could also see down upon California Adventure, but it is a lateral view, so you may not see much - but you’ll definitely have a vantage point for fireworks (when they return).
[Aside - a bit of history that you can view from the vantage point, we could see the old footprint for Melodyland, Wonder Bowl and the Mini-Golf that used to exist right on/off Harbor.]
The JW itself is quite modern, with rich brown and gold décor, and a roof-top mini-park overlooking the Garden Walk. Before heading up to Parkestry, there is a lounge that runs adjacent to this green area. Guests can wait there before you are called up to Parkestry - and, definitely, ‘yes’, you should call or book reservations well in advance. Seating is limited and tables are assigned. JW appears to be completely valet parking.
And, because of the luxuriousness of the JW, we recommend at least business casual - or - get dressed up to the nines, you won’t be alone.
What’s nice about the outing is you can walk the green area or explore the hotel at your leisure - the JW staff was inviting and friendly.
As for food and drinks - we believe the menu may vary, but, for our visit, we enjoyed the charcuterie and the BBQ potato chips to nosh. The bar seemed to stick to its staple of drinks and we enjoyed both margaritas and a Moscow mule. We finished the night with a shot of Johnny Walker Gold. Prices are what you would expect for a hotel, so check the menu before checking in.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/snajw-jw-marriott-anaheim-resort/
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We would be remiss to mention that, of course The Fifth was the ‘original’ rooftop Anaheim bar and we’ve enjoyed it many times. It sits atop the Grand Legacy at the Park Hotel, literally across the street of Disneyland Resort.
The Fifth was ‘the’ place for a few years - offering an entrée menu, full bar and a DJ on some nights. It overlooked Disneyland in a more intimate way, and a tremendous place to see the fireworks ‘off Disney property’.
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And, although we haven’t made it in person yet, the Radisson Blu “SkyBar” Rooftop bar looks gorgeous. It is situated further east of the park, on the other side of Interstate 5, so it must have an even more unique view of the Anaheim Resort area. In fact, from what we see online - you get a straight on panoramic of the entire Disneyland Resort from north to south.
We’ll update you with photos once we go - which should be soon!
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