Is This New Rooftop Bar the Best Kept Secret in Fort Lauderdale Beach?

Walking through Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resorts' front doors, you can feel some history as you soak in its mid-century-meets-totally-modern ambiance.

This may be because the hotel originally opened in 1949 as the Escape Hotel. The building was the first hotel near Fort Lauderdale Beach to have a pool and stay open year-round (even during those hot South Florida summers). Beyond the decades of splashes made in its historic pool, the pool was also the site of memorable cabaret shows.

More than 70 years later, in February 2023, the property ushered in a new era under its current name, complete with a lush botanical courtyard, ground-level pool bar, and Italian restaurant La Fuga.

But perhaps most notably (and what has gone under the radar for far too long) is its new rooftop bar, now known as Escape Rooftop Bar.

According to the property's director of food and beverage, Nathan Berumen, Escape Rooftop Bar is the only spot on Fort Lauderdale Beach with westerly sunset views from a rooftop. Indeed, the vistas are spectacular, with Fort Lauderdale's intimate skyline front and center as the Intracoastal and seemingly a dozen canals wind through neighborhoods in the near distance. To the south, you can see the mega-ships coming and going from Port Everglades, and perched from the rooftop's western edges, you can see the ocean softly rippling.
"It really is a neighborhood gem with a Mediterranean ambiance," Berumen tells New Times. "We feel like we've gone under the radar for the moment but hope to be a very recognized spot very soon. We're really catering to our neighborhood and making it a destination-style space."

Complementing the vibe, Escape Rooftop Bar has DJ entertainment from 3 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The spot also has a daily sunset special, offering a signature cocktail as well as discounted rosé glasses and bottles 30 minutes before and after sunset time daily. According to Berumen, the rooftop aims to have a daily theme, with a martini night, tequila night, and more soon to come. Plus, the bar is open daily from noon to 10 p.m., attracting the day crowd versus lounge-loving clubbers at night.

The fare is Mediterranean and generally shareable, shifting from lunch items to tapas by the end of the day. Highlights include a falafel handheld, prosciutto bruschetta, and crusted ahi tuna served on a challah bun with a roasted red pepper aioli. Libations-wise, its cocktails are named based on their flavor profiles, including the likes of the "Watermelon & Agave," made with mezcal, Sauvignon Blanc, and cold-pressed watermelon juice; and the "Mango" made with Toki Suntory, Aperol, mango, lime, and vanilla.
If and when full-fledged hunger beckons, the onsite La Fuga restaurant has made waves for its coastal Italian tastes and jazzy flair. The space hosts live jazz entertainment from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays and has a killer namesake old-fashioned made with butter-washed bourbon and just-unveiled menu items. Among its latest hits — large enough for two — are a housemade Italian sausage-loaded lasagna and a 16-ounce bone-in, Parmesan herb-crusted veal chop.

"Overall, we have such a beautiful property here, and not a lot of people have been introduced to it just yet," says Berumen. "But, once people visit, they're blown away by the aesthetics and it all."

Escape Rooftop Bar. At Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, 2900 Riomar St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-908-7301; shorebreakfortlauderdale.com.