This historic Florida revolving rooftop bar has been reopened. Please take a look.

The original Fort Lauderdale spinning hotspot is back – with a twist. literally.

Piertop, the famous revolving rooftop restaurant at the newly renovated Pier 66 6 Resort, has reopened above the iconic tower of Causeway on 17th Avenue. The resort, originally opened in 1965 but closed in 2017, reopened in January this year after a $1 billion reconstruction.

The designated historic landmark is an icon of someone who grew up in Fort Lauderdale in the 1960s and ’70s and is ranked in terms of Broward County history alongside the My Kai Restaurant and the Polynesian Show, as well as its cocky mermaid. After getting on the elevator from the tower’s lobby, you can peer into the windows with 360-degree views of the ocean and coastal waterways, the powerful work of the Port Everglades, and yachts and mansions.

“The scenery,” says General Manager Justin Adams.

There is nostalgia in the air, there is almost no detectable movement under your feet, brightly colored cocktails on your table, music and chatter surrounding you.

And before you ask, yes, that’s true: you can feel the room spinning slowly, especially if you look down at the floor. However, the speed is slow. It takes about 66 minutes for the lounge to completely revolutionize, and it’s not enough to skip drinks or cheese plates. Sometimes the server spends searching for a table or two, moving in the middle of the night.

The retro cool bar matches the retro cool building. This makes sense. Nostalgia is a major ingredient in the appeal of peer tops. Adams said he has met hundreds of people who have previously celebrated engagements, anniversary or birthdays.

“One of the factors that we thought a lot about was making sure we really respect everyone who has history in the space,” he said. “We really want to change the space so that it can be used for private events and advanced cocktail lounge environments. After work, before dinner, after dinner, and late night drinks. There are plenty of opportunities to really capture and hone demographics of different ages and different people looking for different experiences.”

Open Thursday through Sunday, the peer top depicts a variety of crowds throughout the evening. Elderly crowds tend to arrive in time for the sunset. Many of them will remember when the Causeway on 17th Avenue had a drawbridge that tormented the driver.

The crowd gets younger as the evening progresses. Hemlin shrinks and increases heels. New DJs have arrived, and beat shifts have also shifted, focusing on music that is more suitable for Fort Lauderdale’s younger generations, with issues 20 and 30s filling in new developments in downtown.

Everyone, and we mean everyone, posing for a photo.

Piertop is more like a lounge than a full-service restaurant, but the menu with small bites is impressive, offering shareable plates that include oyster and tuna tartare, whimsical caviar corn and bacon wrapped dates on this side of the Miami-Dade County Line.

The lounge also features an impressive spirits menu featuring classic and signature craft cocktails such as mezcal, tequila, tomato shrubs, olive brine and smoke and mirrors with watermelon ice cubes that blend into the drink. Another standout is that she is wild and slightly spicy with jalapeño tequila, blueberry-infused luxaldo del Santo, lime and pineapple.

The views and cocktails make the top of the pier an ideal stop for diners heading to the on-site full-service restaurant. The resort also boasts a new upscale restaurant, Calusso, which serves dishes with a touch of Florida inspired by the French and Italian Rivieras, as well as Soto Grande, which highlights food from southern Spain and the Eastern Mediterranean.

There are even more restaurants on the horizon, including a comeback at Boaters’ Paradise Pelican Landing. This is accessible by boat and is expected to open later this year. (Expect Conch Fritters and Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer).

Headed by chef Jonathan Kaiser, Karsso is the property’s “Michelin Star Aspiration,” according to Brett Boering, executive director of sales and marketing at Pier 666. This isn’t a far-off dream as International Dining Guide announced it will include restaurants in Fort Lauderdale on its list.

“Chef Kaiser comes from Joel Robcon, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Vegas, and he also coaches under other Michelin chefs,” Boris said. “So we have a food and drink outlet for almost every kind of cooking and drink excellence you can imagine.”

As for peer tops, Adams sees it as a special draw for the resort, locals and tourists.

“From the creative side, the space is fantastic in the sense that when you walk there you’re just umbbling with views and energy,” he said. “And what do we add to it? What we add is the best service you can offer in Fort Lauderdale. That’s what we aim for – knock it out of the park.”

Pier top of Pier 66

Location: Pier 66, 2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale

Opening hours: Thursdays from 5pm to evening. 6pm to 6am from Friday to Saturday. Sundays from 3pm to 10pm

Booking and More Information: www.piertoplounge.com