Durham’s tallest rooftop restaurant is now open. Yes, you can see the Bulls play
A new spectacular restaurant view just dropped in downtown Durham.
The Lenny, the latest restaurant from Charlie and Joel Ibarra, just opened 11 floors up in the Durham skyline. The new restaurant takes over the rooftop of the 555 Mangum building, overlooking the Durham Bulls Athletic Park just beyond the right field fence.
Yes, you can watch baseball while you sip Prosecco. You might even be looking down on the stadium’s weekend game fireworks shows.
This is the first Durham restaurant for the Ibarra brothers, best known for their restaurants Jose & Sons and The Cortez, which recently closed on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. (That space is being remade into a new restaurant — Cuya.)
The menu at The Lenny
The Lenny will have elements of Mexican cuisine and flavors, but offers a broader view, serving what it calls a “Brasserie-style” menu, calling on some French influence.
Mostly it means The Lenny’s menu aims to take diners in a lot of different directions.
There are snacks like charcuterie boards, a raw bar featuring the Triangle’s newest shellfish tower, fried gruyere croquettes and a version of patatas bravas.
Small plates include scallop carpaccio, gambas al ajillo with “garlic foam,” Mediterranean-style flatbreads and seared octopus.
Large plates include a variety of grilled steaks, chicken ballontine and a lamb chop ratatouille.
On the drinks side, The Lenny has a “whipped” version of the espresso martini, a chili-infused version of the gin classic The Last Word and a bold wine list.
Instead of a happy hour, which is outlawed in North Carolina, The Lenny has a “sunset hour” with snack specials as the sun goes down.
The Lenny will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
