The Roof At The Radical

The Roof faces west. The hotel says no other rooftop in the River Arts District can claim that, and Explore Asheville goes further and calls it the only rooftop bar in the district. A curved red banquette wraps a fire pit, and past the black railing the hillside is all trees. Underneath is The Radical, a 70-room hotel in a 1920s cereal factory at 95 Roberts Street. After Helene, it became a home for first responders and a depot for supplies.

The Roof keeps a busy calendar. Market on The Roof puts the hotel’s own staff artists beside local makers, and in 2026 it ran on Sunday afternoons. An End of Sardine Summer Party, with fishwife sardines, saw out August. The Stonewall Weekend Kickoff came with AVL Stonewall PRIDE Fest. On October 30 the deck turns into a Zombie Silent Disco: costumes, headphones and three channels to dance to. It is the polite way to throw a dance party on a roof.

Roof Is On Fire, tequila, mango, passionfruit and lime with firewater, is one of The Roof’s classics. The Barrel Aged Negroni, gin, aperitivo and sweet vermouth, comes already aged. For spooky season there is Grave Mistake, vodka and blood orange in a light-up skull you can take home. In Best of WNC 2026, The Radical Hotel Bar took second place for drinks.

The Roof is seasonal. It opened for 2026 on April 1 and closes for January through March 2027. Until then, come up an hour before sunset and order the Roof Is On Fire.