New Rooftop Bar Opens Downtown

Topa opened on May 21 atop the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle in Brush Park, adding a new rooftop bar to Detroit’s hospitality market. The venue sits on the hotel’s 11th floor at 10 Eliot St., just south of Mack Avenue along Woodward. Roxbury Group developed the project, and Azul Hospitality manages the hotel, according to company materials. The bar’s menu centers on coastal cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired small plates, with skyline views of Midtown, downtown Detroit and New Center. ### Where exactly is the new bar? Topa is located at 10 Eliot St. in Brush Park, on the roof of the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle. The 154-room, 10-story hotel stands next to the historic Bonstelle Playhouse, which was built in 1903, according to DBusiness. Daily Detroit reported that the rooftop has a separate entrance from the hotel and sits near the Woodward and Eliot intersection, on the edge of Brush Park. (dbusiness.com) ### What is Topa serving? The cocktail list includes drinks such as the Kalimotxo, a red wine and cola spritz described as Basque-inspired, the Cyprus with mezcal, cocchi rosa and raspberry, and the Coastside, made with white wine, rum, peach, pineapple and citrus honey. DBusiness said the Topa Carajillo, made with dark rum, espresso and cherry chocolate whip, is part of the after-dinner menu. Daily Detroit separately reported a Tarocco Fizz priced at $17. (dbusiness.com) Executive Chef Jorge Morales is leading the kitchen across the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle campus, including Topa. The food menu includes seared halloumi, bacalao croquettes, barramundi skewers with Persian rice, charred lamb chops and grilled chicken skewers with braised chickpea and smoked tomato, according to DBusiness and Daily Detroit. (dbusiness.com) ### Who is behind the project? Roxbury Group developed Topa as part of the broader AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle project, which also includes the restored Bonstelle Playhouse event space and The Conservatory bar, Daily Detroit reported. DBusiness said the opening completes the hotel’s food-and-beverage lineup and creates what the developer described as a full-service hospitality destination. (dbusiness.com) James Van Dyke, president of Roxbury Group, said in a statement that Topa “represents the next chapter of the hospitality experience” at the hotel. He said the goal was to create a space inspired by the California coast while remaining connected to Detroit. The name “Topa” comes from a Basque word meaning “to toast” or “to clink glasses,” according to DBusiness. (dbusiness.com) ### What does the design look like? The 11th-floor space uses reclaimed wood sourced from the historic Cadillac Hotel in Lexington, Michigan, according to DBusiness. Daily Detroit described wraparound views and a room designed around Mediterranean and coastal references, with Detroit’s skyline visible in multiple directions. (dbusiness.com) ### Who is running the kitchen? Jorge Morales was born in Puerto Rico and trained under Iron Chef Jose Garces at Amada in New York and Philadelphia, DBusiness reported. The publication said Morales later opened multiple restaurant concepts and most recently led the kitchen at Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor before taking charge of the culinary program at the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle campus. (dbusiness.com) May 21 marked Topa’s opening date at the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle, and the rooftop bar is now serving guests in Brush Park. The venue joins The Conservatory bar and the Bonstelle event space on the property as Roxbury Group expands the site’s hospitality offerings. (dbusiness.com)