Nestled at the top of Universal Aventura Hotel is your next favorite rooftop hangout. Bar 17 Bistro, open since 2018, offers incredible views of the Orlando attractions area, custom-crafted drinks, and a Korean-inspired menu that’s perfect after a long day at the parks.

Arrival is simple enough: just pull up to Aventura and head through the lobby to the resort’s elevator bay. If you arrive after 3 p.m., you can hitch a ride on the Bar 17 Bistro Express Elevator to get there fast!

Once you’ve made it to the top floor, you’ll find yourself surrounded by 360-degree views of Universal Orlando Resort, which only get better as the sun sets.

Two areas make up Bar 17 Bistro: an outdoor patio with seating and a small stage for musical acts, and an open rooftop lounge. The latter is the area we enjoyed during our visit.

The bar is open for food service from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 3-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For bar service, the bistro is open 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

During our time there, we were able to sample a selection of the menu’s dishes and drinks, which feature fun Korean-inspired twists on familiar flavors. A notable favorite would have to be the Hurricane Fries, with soy ginger gastrique, crinkle cut fries, spring onions, citrus aioli, and furikake. It will sound unusual, but they were almost like a dessert fry! Sort of candied in texture, the aioli was sweet and perfectly tangy with the soy ginger gastrique. We would absolutely get these again.

Another favorite was the Korean Honey Toast, with honey butter glaze, vanilla mascarpone, soy caramel, and fresh berries. Dessert doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious, and this one hit the spot. The fruit was fresh and juicy, the mascarpone and soy caramel were rich, and the toast was, you guessed it… toasty!

A bao trio is also on the menu: Chicken Bao, with kimchi, sweet chili aioli, and green onions; Pork Belly Bao, with kimchi, gochujang sauce, and spicy onion salad; and Crispy Shiitake & Kabocha Bao, with pickled cucumber, spicy mayo, green onion, and cilantro. We tried all three, and would definitely have to call out the chicken one as our favorite. The others are just fine, but keep in mind that they each have a kick of spice in case that’s a dealbreaker for you.

Japchae is another Korean dish on the menu, featuring glass noodles, carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions. The glass noodles are jelly-like in texture, so be prepared for that if you’ve not tried them before. This is a savory noodle dish, and it’s served warm, which was a surprise to us!

The last dish we tried was The 17 Burger, which includes a double patty, American cheese, lettuce, B&B pickles, charred onion, and house sauce. If you’re not an adventurous eater, you’ll definitely love this burger. It’s super solid, and a nice option if you’re not into the Korean-inspired dishes.

In addition to the delicious food, Bar 17 Bistro also offers cocktails and mocktails! We tried one of each: the Lychee Dream (alcoholic), with Hendrick’s Gin, lychee liqueur, muddled blackberries, lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water; and the Asian Pear Ginger Spritz (non-alcoholic), with Asian pear puree, yuzu, and ginger beer. The cocktail was super sweet yet tart, thanks to the lychee, and was bubbly and refreshing, thanks to the soda water. As for the mocktail, it had a strong ginger bite from the ginger beer, so you might want to skip it if you’re not a fan of that flavor.

In addition to the beverages from the bar, there is also soju by the bottle, or if you’re feeling particularly fun, as a shot flight! If you’ve not heard of it before, soju is a clear, low-alcohol Korean distilled spirit. At Bar 17 Bistro, their options include Chum Churum Original Soju, Soonhari Plum Soju, Soonhari Citron Soju, and Soonhari Strawberry Soju.

We had a great time checking out Bar 17 Bistro at Universal Aventura Hotel, and can’t wait to come back and bring friends to this unique rooftop spot. Thank you to Universal Orlando for having us out!