Check out the views from Simmer, downtown Flint’s new rooftop bar

FLINT, Michigan — In Flint’s heyday, bars and restaurants with rooftop seating several stories up were a fixture of downtown. Simmer Rooftop Lounge, located at the new Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Flint, is bringing back that feeling.

“From up here, you see a little more history that you probably didn’t notice,” said Dan Wright, food and beverage general manager, Hilton Garden Inn Flint Downtown. “Like when you’re up here, you start looking at the back of these buildings and the architecture. You see some of the beauty of Flint, all the way to Kettering (to the west) and then from the other side, you see the Farmers Market.”

Simmer is located on top of the five-story wing of the Hilton (110 W. Kearsley Street), and is accessible by entering through the hotel lobby in Buckham Alley and taking the elevator to the sixth floor. The menu features appetizers and small-plate items as well as craft cocktails.

“I think everyone’s excited about it, just having a solid venue that’s built to be outside,” Wright said. “This is really for everybody downtown. We just want to give more reasons for people to see what’s going on downtown, come down here and say, ‘Wow, this is fun.’”

Currently, Simmer is open from 5-11 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. There are also plans to have live entertainment on Wednesdays and Thursdays, giving downtown another in a growing collection of venues that offer local musicians opportunities to perform.

The Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Flint also features Sauce Italian American Kitchen and The Federal Coffee House. Wright said that they’re still hiring positions for Simmer and Sauce and still offering a $1,000 signing bonus for people who are hired and work there for 90 days. Interested applicants can find open positions online by visiting the Crescent Hotels careers page and searching for openings in Flint.