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When we heard that Fort Lauderdale only had one rooftop bar available, we decided to take the car 1-hour drive from Miami to check it out. And we wouldn’t be disappointed with our visit at Rooftop @ 1WLO. The first…

Punch “R” for rooftop in the elevator of the One West Las Olas building and the doors will open seven floors later onto a dreamy, open-air patio covered in Astroturf and vine-wrapped columns complete with a revered team of bartenders ready to dare you with exotic mescals, seasonal cocktails, and exciting bar bites. Order the Filthy Phil, an inventive take on the Old Fashioned with tequila instead of bourbon, and sip it while taking in Fort Lauderdale’s dramatic downtown skyline. “In order to be a proper rooftop bar, you need a killer view, and this definitely has it,” says Alex Daranyi, a Rooftop bartender.

Tim Petrillo wanted Rooftop to be more than its view. Its location is prime—in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, surrounded by the city’s skyline—but Petrillo didn’t want to rest on the scenic backdrop. If he were to put up curtains around the outdoor bar, would there still be a line snaking around the corner? “That’s how we approached it,” says Petrillo, co-founder and CEO of The Restaurant People. “When you take the curtains down, [the view] becomes an added benefit.”

Rooftop @ 1WLO in Fort Lauderdale features an alfresco chic lounge and bar seating on the seventh floor of the One West Las Olas building. (JYoungFilms / Courtesy) 1 West Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, 954-523-1956, Rooftop1WLO.com This new sky oasis boasts sweeping…