There is something to be said for drinking a glass of bubbly or enjoying your favorite adult beverage of choice with the fresh outdoors hugging your skin. Rooftop bars are enchanting with their views, scenery, and ambience. The open air provides an intimacy in the clouds and under the moon and stars that cannot be found at your standard pub or cocktail hotspot. In my 2016 travels, I have stumbled upon two rooftop bars that left an impression so big, I had to share.
An inch away from heaven, seven stories above London, sits Babylon. (Owned by Virgin and one of my favorite humans — Richard Branson) The champagne and oysters caught my eye, however the view of The Roof Gardens spoke beats into my heart. Imagine ducks floating through a stream and Chilean flamingos gracing your view as you sip and converse overlooking scenery that fairytales are made of. This was not the London I know. During a business trip I transported into an island oasis I quite frankly did not want leave.
The mysterious depth of the Moon Lounge at the Rosas & Xocolate Boutique Hotel & Spa in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico invites all the senses. As instruments weave a beautiful jazz melody, air graces your skin while you sip under the magic of the night sky. A hint of romance fills the air as the tree branches sway and lights flicker as to match the distant stars. The Moon Lounge looks over Mérida’s iconic street, Paseo de Montejo. It is an unexpected surprise in this 16th century colonial city.
A common sophistication and class is the root of connection to these rooftop bars. As a lover of champagne, it’s not often I find a place where the poetry of bubbles and ambience is symbiotic. Each hideaway possesses an on-top-of-the-world feeling of beautiful intoxication of life. Absolute experience shapes us as humans. The Roof Gardens and Babylon and The Moon Lounge are an experiences in two of the most unsuspected places in the world to share the joy of life among the heavens.
Each roof is perfect for a wedding, a party, or a romantic one-on-one. Dinner or drinks, it is really up to you. Special occasions are almost a must, and the rooftop bar sunset from The Roof Gardens is breathtaking.
My only regret, I did not get a photo with the flamingos of the gardens, and I have not spent an evening with the one I love the most under the spell of the stars on these rooftops.
*** As a champagne lover, I seek out great Champagne bars. I am not affiliated with The Roof Gardens, however enjoy spending time at Rosas & Xocolate Boutique Hotel & Spa when traveling to Mérida, Mexico when writing for my column for The Yucatán Times and travel articles for X Magazine.
Originally published at medium.com