The Inland Empire doesn’t have many tall buildings, and most weren’t built for entertainment.
But there are a few places that have rooftop restaurants with outdoor dining and views of mountains above or street life below.
Customers are 100% attracted to rooftop dining, according to Kelly Cusack, owner of Luke’s on Front in Temecula.
“We have an indoor/outdoor space. The whole restaurant is open at all times,” she said.
This restaurant is on the fourth floor of Front Street Plaza, a mixed used building in Old Town Temecula. To help people find it, Cusack shines a “bat signal” with the restaurant’s name from the roof to the intersection below.
Luke’s has outdoor tables and counters on the two sides of the building that face Old Town Front Street. There’s a fire pit on the corner that offers a view of the street life below. People can sit there and watch the scene with their drinks or food.
Even with temperatures warming up, people are filling up the rooftops at sunset. A Facebook group called Rancho Cucamonga Foodies created a buzz around a rooftop bar at a new hotel called Sanctity.
“This is one of the must-see places in Rancho Cucamonga,” said Vito Perez, one of the foodies.
“We don’t want to go to LA. We’re in the coolest place in town right now,” said “Kimm Moreno, who was celebrating her birthday with a group of friends.
Here are five spots to check out in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Sanctity Hotel
12255 Base Line Road, Rancho Cucamonga; 909-710-3070; sanctityhotel.com, durangococina.com
This new boutique hotel with 68 guest rooms is part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. It opened in early April, and a rooftop bar on the fourth floor opened early in May.
The property’s design, according to a news release, is intended to reflect five elements of nature: earth, fire, water, air and space.
That scheme suits the rooftop bar, which offers views of the San Gabriel Mountains to the north. It’s furnished with tables, lounge furniture and fire pits, plus smart phone charging stands for the selfies customers are likely to take.
The bar serves specialty cocktails priced about $18, including Lychee Me Marg, a margarita made with Tequila Blanco and lychee juice, and Mango Caliente, made with Ole Smoky Mango Habanero Whiskey.
Food service from Durango Cocina on the ground floor includes guacamole, ceviche and skewers priced $15-$18.
Luke’s on Front
28693 Old Town Front St. No. 402, Temecula; 951-699-9900, lukesonfront.com
Luke’s indoor/outdoor dining room with roll-up windows provide a view of Temecula City Hall in the distance as well
“You get the breeze. You get everything. You get the whole feel. You get the whole look. And we have different seating for everything: benches, high tops, lower seats for all disabilities, ranges, weights,” said owner Kelly Cusack.
Entrées include rib-eye steak, rack of lamb, chicken and fish served with organic vegetables. There are also burgers, sandwiches, wraps and seasonal desserts. Prices are $16-$55.
“All of our food is American, grass-fed, no heat lamps, no microwaves, organic,” she said. “We make everything in-house that we possibly can.”
Kimpton Rowan
100 W Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; rowanpalmsprings.com
This seven-story hotel in the heart of Palm Springs offers views of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains, Palm Springs Art Museum and the almost 100-year-old O’Donnell Golf Club. From certain angles, you can also glimpse “Forever Marilyn,” the 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe that is a tourist draw.
The rooftop features the 4 Saints restaurant and the High Bar, separated by a pool area.
Both offer food service. In the restaurant, entrees such as branzino and Wagyu steak frites are in the $50-$90 range. The High Bar offers snacks such as hummus, poke nachos, shrimp tacos and a Wagyu burger for $10-$26.
Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store
73-595 El Paseo B1212, Palm Desert; tommybahama.com;
Tommy Bahama is a tropical-themed lifestyle brand that includes sportswear, swimwear and home furnishings as well as eateries. It’s taken root in the Coachella Valley with a Marlin Bar in Palm Springs and a resort in Indian Wells.
Its store in Palm Desert’s El Paseo Shopping District has a family restaurant upstairs. The spacious covered patios offer views of nearby palm trees and distance mountains all round.
A seasonal menu includes such entrees as grilled branzino and macadamia-crusted Pacific halibut in the $26-$41 range. Desserts include apricot cheesecake.
Cielo
Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499, morongocasinoresort.com
This steakhouse doesn’t offer rooftop dining, but its perch on the 27th floor above the casino and hotel gives it one of the highest views available of the San Gorgonio Pass.
The menu includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, tomahawk pork chops, roast chicken, Chilean sea bass and salmon. Prices are in the $45-$86 range.
