A Look At The Hu. Roof

January 30, 2019

Boutique hotels are all the rage right now. Location and innovative room design and decor help with the initial draw, but the other on-site amenities (like the pool, restaurant or bar), can reeeeally help seal the deal when people are trying to narrow things down. When it’s done right, locals can take advantage of everything it has to offer as well, which is a plus when you have guests visiting, or are just looking for something a little different to do. Formerly known as the Madison (and located in the heart of downtown Memphis) Hu. Hotel‘s newly renovated rooftop bar (#thehuroof) is positioning itself to be the go-to hot spot for after work gatherings.

So let’s get straight to the point: The Hu. Roof is CUTE. Like really, really cute. Like, let’s get dressed up with your girlfriends for fun cocktails and non-stop instagrammable moments cute. Head downtown for dinner and a show at the Orpheum then pop in for a nightcap while watching the light show on the bridge with your boo cute. Its modern design with slightly tropical vibes is a MOOD; the craft cocktails are delicious (and potent!), and the food is healthy + light but still quite yummy, and with its stunning view of the Mississippi River, it’s sure to become a regular hangout spot for both guests of the hotel and the locals.

Let’s have a cocktail! I’ve tried a few drinks on the menu and the Mint Tea Punch (resposado tequila, dry curacao, lemon, mint, seltzer) is a refreshing fave. I guarantee that this will be the cocktail of choice come Summer.

When it comes to the food, the biggest thing to note about the Hu. Roof is that it is not designed to be a night club like it used to be-it’s geared more towards a professional crowd, so the bites aren’t heavy. Executive Chef TJ Harville designed a menu offering fresh juices, open-face toast sandwiches, salads and snacks, so if you’re looking for traditional bar food, it’s not here. That’s not a bad thing tho!

The Boiled Peanut Hummus is close in taste to traditional hummus; it comes with warm pita bread but I would also request a side of the market veggies for an extra bit of crunch.

The Chicken Salad Sandwich (house wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, herb mayo) is so good, and if you’re someone that loves homemade pickles, you will die over these.

The Slices options are probably my favorite thing on the menu. The Texas Caviar (chow chow, red onion, scallion) was made even better with the micro greens; but be warned: don’t try to eat this pretty. With the way that it is layered, just pick it up and go for it, lol. There are 6 slice options; if you think that you’ll want to indulge a bit in the cocktails, the Pork Cheek (braised pork cheek, whole grain mustard, soft egg) would be my top recommendation.

To see the current libations menu, click here. For the food menu, click here.

Once the weather warms up a bit, the outdoor dining area will be the spot to be in (it was raining when I visited so I wasn’t able to go outside to take pics). Overall, it’s a pretty cool concept and one that I think should be added on your “things to do” list!