Diners at the Rooftop Lounge in downtown Oswego are offered a unique 360-degree view of the city while sipping on unique drinks or sharing small plates.
“We want families to be up here. This is a local restaurant where we really pride ourselves on our relationship with the citizens of the town,” said Lindze Pauline, the bar manager for the restaurant. “We want kids to have fun drinks, we want them to enjoy themselves.”
The Rooftop Lounge opened in November 2021 by co-owners Kyle Walton, Atom and Falecia Avery and Anita Shiel as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The city of Oswego was awarded $10 million in state funding and has since completed the 10 projects they proposed.
“The feel we were going for was clean and comfortable. We want to be open and welcoming, and for you to be able to come in with friends, family, whoever you want,” Kyle Walton said.
The Rooftop Lounge, which seats approximately 100 people on the top floor of the LITATRO building, has two patios that overlook different views of the area equipped with firepits. The indoor portion of the restaurant is bright and modern with a classic black and white theme throughout.
“During the day out on the river side, you get to see the entire Oswego River leading into the beautiful Lake Ontario,” Walton said. “When you transition over to the city side, you see the buildings, but at night, you get that transition with the setting sun and the city illuminates with the lights,” Walton said.
As for food, the restaurant specializes in shareable small plates.
“We have things like charcuterie boards, duck dumplings, truffle fries. We have a few of our small plate specialties, such as a 3-ounce filet on a bed of mushroom risotto,” Walton said.
To finish off the meal, desserts from local bakeries like the Man in the Moon and Chelle’s Bake Shop can be ordered, Walton said.
The cocktail and mocktail offerings change seasonally at the restaurant, but some signature staples are permanently on the menu, Pauline said.
“The espresso martini is never leaving the menu, that is our No. 1 seller,” Pauline said. “This is such a classic drink, and it’s so easy to put a twist on.”
The espresso martini, which is made in-house daily, features vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Irish cream and espresso.
Another popular and permanent cocktail is the pecan old- fashioned.
“It comes off as a very sweet dessert drink, but we don’t actually add any sugar to it,” Pauline said.
It is made with Revel Stoke pecan whiskey, Suntory Japanese whiskey and chocolate bitters then garnished with a crushed candied pecan rim.
A summer cocktail that is a current guest favorite is called the Butterfly Effect, Pauline said.
“It was one of the hardest drinks I've ever had to make,” she said. “We had it last summer and we brought it back because it was so popular.”
The magenta-colored cocktail is made with pear vodka, lemon vodka, triple sec, butterfly pea extract and a dessert pear syrup then topped with edible glitter.
Any of the cocktails can be made without alcohol, Pauline said.
“The definition of my job doesn’t entail anything about alcohol, it’s just mixing beverages together so for me, I can mix whatever you want. That’s what I’m here for,” she said.
Walton said while they want people to visit the Rooftop Lounge, they also encourage visitors to try other restaurants in downtown Oswego like Southern Fare, Bistro 197 and The Red Sun Fire Roasting Company.
“We really want people to enjoy downtown Oswego,” Walton said.