10 SEARCH ENGINE The opening of Parramatta’s first rooftop bar will mark completion of V by Crown Group, which filled a missing link in the city-centre offering. WORDS James Perkins Towering concrete Vs mark the entrance to Crown Group’s addition to the Parramatta skyline on the corner of Macquarie and Marsden streets, the aptly named V by Crown Group. The development is a victory for the CBD, as it has created a much-needed addition to the city’s food, entertainment, events and accommodation offering. It is a twin tower of firsts. It hosts the Skye Hotel Suites, providing Parramatta with its first five-star hotel option to cater to the requirements of burgeoning cultural and business scenes boosted by the relocation of several city offices and the arrival of Tropfest and soon the Powerhouse Museum. And the final touch of V by Crown Group will be Parramatta’s first rooftop bar, Nick and Nora’s, which is expected to open in the coming months. The bar will be operated by the Speakeasy Group, owned by one of Sydney’s most influential barmen, Sven Almenning, who is famous for Eau de Vie in Darlinghurst and Mjølnir in Redfern. The bar will include 270-degree views of the Sydney skyline, the harbour and the Blue Mountains, as well as a selection of fine cocktails produced by Mr Almenning. Nick and Nora’s won’t be Parramatta’s only rooftop bar for long, however, as it will be joined by the 600-person space on top of Coronation Property’s 54-storey 8 Phillip Street tower in 2020, which will be the highest rooftop bar in Sydney. Nick and Nora’s bolsters a food and drink offering at V by Crown Group that is headlined by Husk & Vine Kitchen and Skye-high luxury MERCEDES-BENZ PARRAMATTA