Upbar to open atop Element hotel in Midtown St. Louis next month

Midtown will continue its upswing next month as Westin opens a hotel from its Element line at 3743 Forest Park Ave. on Oct. 30, a prominent feature of which will be Upbar, a rooftop bar offering food, drinks, views and more. 

“The nice thing about the Element brand is that it’s a millennial brand,” said Midas Hospitality CEO David Robert. “Right next to the Cortex, the Grove, [Saint Louis University]. St. Louis is home to us.” Robert explained that Midas’ headquarters is local and that they had been looking for a site in Midtown for seven years for an Element hotel.

“St. Louis doesn’t have a lot of roof bars,” said Midas Hospitality director of food and beverage James Metcalf, adding that they wanted to bring life and rejuvenation to the Midtown area. So what’s Upbar? “We’re primarily focused on being a bar that happens to have food available,” he said. 

For drinks, Upbar partners with Luxco, which will bring spirits like Pearl vodka and Rebel Yell bourbon to the table. Cocktails will include drinks like a muddled Manhattan with select bourbon, the Passion Project with passion fruit puree, champagne, vodka and fruit juice, and numerous cocktail flights; Metcalf said the cocktail flights will start with a classic cocktail like a Paloma or a Cosmopolitan and offer a few different takes on it. 

A “simple but elegant” wine list comprises around six whites and six reds, with a few Champagnes and rosés. Upbar will have eight beer taps flowing with local craft beers.

For food, Upbar aims to have “classic bar fare” that Metcalf explains as locally sourced products with a “New Age twist:” potstickers from Crispy Edge, toasted ravioli and sandwiches like a traditional Cuban and a turkey club. 

The bar will have a room that seats 44, as well as two outside patios. The indoor section will have four booths and two large gathering tables, with room for about 20 at the bar. Outside, a fire pit table will seat around 12, and the space will be full of lounge chairs and couches. During the warmer seasons, customers can order from an outdoor bar accessible through a garage door. Total occupancy is around 248.

Though Upbar will be a feature for Element patrons, the team behind it is hoping it’ll bring crowds from around the city. “We’re going to be there for hotel guests, but we’re looking to draw people from the community and bring them in and be a destination for everyone,” Metcalf said.