Altitude—the rooftop bar and restaurant at The Aviator Event Center & Pub—features delicious small plates, exotic cocktails…and an incredible view
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By Mimi Vanderhaven
Summer is almost is here and with it comes the return of outdoor dining. Here in Northeast Ohio, we love dining in the open air. Our winters are long and gray, our summers short and sweet, so every moment we spend outdoors is cherished, especially enjoying a cocktail and a fun meal with friends and family.
One of the region’s most popular outdoor dining destinations is Altitude—the rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. It sits atop The Aviator Event Center & Pub where guests enjoy exotic cocktails and delicious shareables under a blue summer sky or wrapped in the arms of a starlit evening as aircraft fly overhead, arriving and departing CLE to and from destinations unknown
“We wanted to create a real community space,” says The Aviator’s President and Co-owner Khadar Soussou. “Altitude is just that—a large gathering place with tables, chairs, sofas and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s a perfect evening by itself, but also a great way to begin an evening—or end it.”
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Handcrafted Cocktails
The talented mixologists at Altitude are as much entertainers as they are bartenders. Their concoctions include imbibements crafted with fresh fruits and herbs, nectars, bitters and more. “Smoke on the Runway,” for example, is smokey rye, sweet vermouth, old-fashioned bitters and red wine, all topped with smoke. The “Tequila Fresca” is reposado tequila, fresh basil, lemon, lime, orange, agave nectar and sparkling water.
As the name implies, “Sunday at Augusta” is a crisp, Southern-inspired concoction of bourbon, fresh mint, peach tea reduction, lemon juice and sparkling water. The “Wagon Place Margarita” features jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh lime juice, lemon juice and agave nectar.
The Rooftop Menu
The Rooftop Bar features its own casual menu different from that of The Aviator’s indoor pub. You might want to start with the Couscous Salad, featuring couscous, feta, red onion, mint, watermelon and a Greek vinaigrette.
Next up, you might want to opt for one of the flatbreads baked in the 650-degree pizza oven, like the Brussels Sprout Flatbread, featuring Brussels sprouts, hot honey and fresh ricotta, topped with a black garlic drizzle or the Vodka Flatbread, topped with vodka sauce, crispy prosciutto, peas and mozzarella.
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The mouthwatering Seared Tuna is rubbed in house yum-yum sauce and comes with a sticky rice cake and pickled ginger served with a spicy house sauce.
Turn up the heat with the Fired Clams, featuring hot Italian sausage, peppers, onions, local beer, house herbs and a focaccia crsip.
Seating is first come, first served.
Weddings and Events
The Aviator is best known as one of Northeast Ohio’s premier wedding venues. The modern, upscale event center is popular with brides and grooms in part because of its stunning décor, but also because The Aviator is a one-stop shop. Everything you need to bring your dream wedding to life is right there.
The Aviator also hosts many other types of events, including parties, family events, showers, religious celebrations, corporate gatherings and more. With four diverse event spaces available, The Aviator customizes your event based on size and theme.
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And there is yet more space in the works. Later this summer, Khadar and his team are opening Via Roma, an event center, restaurant and nightclub in the space occupied for many years by the legendary Carrie Cerino’s in North Royalton. The team is also transforming the former Michaud’s in Strongsville into Encore, a new event center with seven diverse different spaces.
The Aviator Event Center & Pub is at 20920 Brookpark Road in Cleveland next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. For reservations or to schedule a tour of the facility, call 216-770-5300 or visit AviatorCLE.com.