Hilton Cleveland Downtown opens bar on 32nd floor

The views stir the drink and the bar is ready. Bar 32, located on the 32nd floor of the Hilton Downtown Cleveland, will make its debut today.

Sitting at the top of the 374-foot-high hotel, the sleek spot offers spectacular views of the city skyline, Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, with Lakewood in the distance.

"We asked a number of people what they would like to see most here," says Carolyn Deming, director of public relations at the property. "Overwhelmingly, the wanted a view of the lake and the city."

Bar 32 provides both – and fills a void in the process.

While downtown Cleveland has enjoyed explosive growth in bars and restaurants, there is a dearth of high-placed spots in the city's skyscrapers.

From this vantage point, you can see the seats at the northern end of FirstEnergy stadium, not to mention the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Steamship William F. Mather.

You can count the planes at Burke Lakefront Airport or the containers at the Port of Cleveland. There's Mall C on the east side and the old Cleveland Coast Guard station on the mouth of the Cuyahoga on the west.

Bar 32 will keep temporary hours for the next couple of weeks during its training period: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday and again 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. July 7-9. It will go seven days a week starting July 11.

The Hilton opened last month, rolling out 600 rooms, multiple meeting areas and restaurants-bars. The $272 million hotel was financed by a county tax, which also paid for the Cleveland Convention Center.

As a result, Bar 32 hopes to target Clevelanders looking to show off the city to visitors or just coming in themselves. It will remain open as a public bar rather than closed off for private events.

The drink list will also try to appeal to Cleveland sensibilities, according to Bar 32 general manager Shannon Smith, formerly of Porco Lounge on West 25th Street.

Smith plans to roll out sorbet-inspired drinks, liquid nitrogen elixirs and takes on classics like the High Ball. The clean approach complements the modern, minimalist bar and geometric decor.

"Everything is geared toward complementing the view," says Smith. "A lot of places try to outdo themselves, but we don't have to – just look around."

Already open at the Hilton are The Burnham, a smart-casual restaurant with a locally focused menu, a spacious bar and a patio set to open soon. There's also Eliot's, a second-floor open-air bar named after Eliot Ness that serves locals beers and spirits and boasts an industrial-mod design.