Bargoers venturing downtown will soon have a new drink-focused hideaway, which is putting on the final touches and is set to emerge on Thursday, November 5 atop the just-opened Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Gaslamp/Convention Center. A collaboration between J Street Hospitality and AZUL Hospitality Group, The Nolen is making it a priority to attract local craft cocktail lovers, so the rooftop bar will have its own separate entrance from 6th Avenue.
Every spot in the 2,500-square-foot space, from the eight-seat bar to the communal fire pit and lounge-style seating, has a serious skyline view. The Nolen's design, by BlueMotif Architecture (Kettner Exchange, The Crack Shack), includes oversized overhead occuli, which provide lighting and give the heated rooftop a more intimate, living room feel.
At the wheel of what is projected to be a high volume bar is Robert Yumul, an experienced bar man who founded the cocktail program at Brooklyn Girl and has tended bar everywhere from Urban Solace to The Lion's Share and Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant. His cocktail list for The Nolen, which he calls both inventive and workable, is based on good ingredients and high quality spirits and ranges from the classics to modern twists on traditional drinks and original recipes. There's not quite a full-fledged restaurant menu but the food offerings are substantial enough to make a meal, with bar snacks that include crispy kale salad, jerk chicken quesadilla, tater tots and a truffled tuna melt.