CARMEL, Ind. — Last week, we visited Anthony’s Chophouse, where owner Anthony Lazzara brings a little bit of big city fine dining to the heart of Carmel. Today, we’re back at the corner of 2^nd and Main Street in Carmel’s Arts and Design District.

But this time we’re headed to the rooftop.

3UP Rooftop Bar is Lazzara’s other new must-visit hot spot in Carmel. You may recognize it from Instagram, thanks to the no-filter-necessary growing wall. It’s a perfect backdrop for a summer night on the rooftop with shareable plates, good friends and a really cool color-changing cocktail.

When Lazzara first started planning, his focus was on the fine dining restaurant downstairs.

But then it dawned on him: Carmel needed an upscale rooftop bar.

“It was like, ‘Wow, Carmel doesn’t have anything like this and if we’re building the building and we have the capacity to do it then why not have this rooftop on top and really bring something special to downtown Carmel?’” Lazzara said.

Up here, you’ll find a swanky space featuring both indoor and outdoor seating, contemporary furniture, light-up side tables at night, live growing planters and a very Instagram-friendly growing wall.

“It’s not a bar scene,” he explained. “It’s still that high-end [place] where you might get a cocktail up here and maybe a little small app and then go downstairs and have your main dinner or you might do the reverse and have dinner downstairs and finish with a nightcap up here and just relax and hang out and enjoy the beautiful weather.”

Their menu rotates seasonally and guests can expect delicious offerings with a fun twist.

“We have a little more fun up here… It’s kind of that chef’s menu where they can be a little more eccentric but still kind of have that craveable bar food scene,” explained Lazzara.

On the new summer menu, you will find delicious shareable plates with options like pimento cheese hush puppies, compressed infused watermelon, and tuna tartare with a wasabi foam, quail egg and citrus ponzu.

“We’ll have some things like maybe a Nashville hot chicken sandwich that’s kind of cut in half so it can be shared by two people or three people and then it’s brined and homemade all by ourselves,” Lazarra said.

You’ll also find more traditional offerings like flat breads and sliders as well as some sweet dessert offerings.

“Just things along that line where you might come up here and be like ‘Man I crave those dishes’ or I crave these little things while you are having a great cocktail,” said Lazzara.

Four Things You Need to Know About 3UP Rooftop Bar:

• 3UP Rooftop Bar might be owned by the same folks (Anthony and Kayla Lazzara) as Anthony’s Chophouse, but it’s actually its own standalone business. Up here, it’s all about creating a space that’s great for hanging friends, enjoying shareable plates and still enjoying an upscale atmosphere that is a bit more relaxed than what you’ll find downstairs in the steakhouse.
• 3UP is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5-11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m.-midnight. Wednesdays are half-priced wine nights and you can enjoy live music on Thursdays and Fridays.
• They don’t take reservations, so it’s a first come, first served basis. Capacity is about 130 people, but they are very conscious about making sure it’s a comfortable space where people have space to enjoy themselves. So on Friday and Saturday nights, they typically keep a member of their staff downstairs at the elevator to manage the flow of people.
• Since they have an indoor outdoor space with plenty of heaters and the ability to cover most of the outdoor patio space, 3UP really is an all-season place that you can come and enjoy no matter what the weather is like. “We had people out here last winter that they were sitting out here in just long sleeve t-shirts and long sleeve shirts,” Lazzara recalled.

Speaking of cocktails, 3UP serves handcrafted classics like the Old Fashioned as well as fun options like the Rooftop Roundabout and their twist on a Cosmopolitan called the Carmel Cosmo.

And you’ve got to try their new color-changing cocktail called the “Purple Pea Blossom.”

“Our thought behind this was to layer the drink and then have the guest have an interactive piece by when we drop it at the table, having them do their own stirring and… it has a pretty cool effect on the cocktail,” said bartender Kyle Kmiecik.  “We’ll drop it tableside…have the guest do their own little stir. And it changes [color].”

For more information about 3UP Rooftop Bar, check out their website by clicking here. To see more photos and reviews by local Yelpers, check out their Yelp profile. You can also connect with them via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

While in Carmel, check out some of the Art’s and Design District’s other top hot spots:

• Main Street Poke
• Joe’s Next Door
• The Pint Room
• Carmel Old Town Antique Mall