Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar, located at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront, opened March 16 in downtown Wilmington, with live music and sweeping views of the Cape Fear River.
 
“It’s the best view in downtown Wilmington,” said Alan Nelson, director of food and beverage for the hotel, which is connected to the Wilmington Convention Center.

Cloud 9 surrounds the hotel’s restaurant, Steam Restaurant & Bar.
 
If rooftop drinks are on your agenda now that spring is near, Cloud 9 serves 24 beers on tap, more than 20 wines by the glass and bottle, and even a few wines on tap. Craft cocktails cleverly named for iconic songs such as Purple Rain, Comfortably Numb and Here Comes the Sun, feature fresh-squeezed fruit juices and homemade syrups, while six varieties of mules round out the mix.
 
Nelson said the bar’s menu of small plates offers a mix of authentic street food, such as charred local corn with lime aioli and queso cotija, mixed with classic appetizers like barbecue shrimp nachos and shrimp cocktail. Other highlights include lobster rolls, pork rinds and pimento cheese, jerk chicken wings and local oysters on the half shell.
 
Nelson said live music will be scheduled from Thursday through Saturday evenings throughout the summer months, and brunch service will begin April 8, weather permitting. Also coming in April, a new seasonal menu for Steam.
 
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