Moonstone Opens Over the Missouri River — A Luxe, Moon‑Themed Cocktail Lounge Debuts in Kansas City

Moonstone, a new upscale lounge perched above the riverfront beer garden Two Birds One Stone at 1000 Riverfront Drive, opened over the weekend and offers a moon‑inspired cocktail experience near CPKC Stadium and Origin Hotel. The lounge aims to give patrons a taste of what it might feel like to sip cocktails on the moon while enjoying elevated river views.

Inside, a long gray bar speckled to evoke the lunar surface sits beside a high‑fidelity stereo system. A low purple glow washes the room as ambient music hums; heavy velvet curtains and balcony seating frame sweeping views of the Missouri River. The design blends retro warmth with a galactic motif — rust‑colored accents and brass stools add a cozy, vintage feel while a jet‑black ceiling, tile floors and a large black‑and‑white photograph of an astronaut reinforce the lunar theme.

“There’s just nothing like it in the whole city,” said Stephen Krantz, general manager of Moonstone and Two Birds One Stone. “We’re offering a higher‑end experience in a very unique setting on the riverfront.”

All of Moonstone’s barstools were handmade in Turkey. The lounge’s opening was delayed after the first shipment of custom stools was destroyed in transit; the manufacturer remade the furniture, and the team used the setback to fine‑tune the space before welcoming guests.

Menu highlights

The cocktail menu leans into the theme with inventive, thoughtfully balanced drinks. Notable cocktails include the Moon Landing ($12), made with gin, Genepi, simple syrup, lemon and Lambrusco, and the Brew Moon Rising ($14), which blends Licor 43, amaretto, mezcal, coffee liqueur and cold brew.

Appetizers arrive in gray, crater‑like dishes and include a smoked tomato and mushroom tartare ($12) and Brussels sprouts with cauliflower ($13). Main courses feature a 10‑ounce bone‑on pork chop ($40), beef tips ($22), short rib ($24) and an open‑faced pork katsu sandwich ($18).

Practical info

Moonstone is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Reservations and bookings are available through the venue’s website. The lounge saw strong interest on opening weekend, signaling local enthusiasm for a higher‑end destination along the riverfront.

The riverfront is undergoing a major transformation: a planned $1 billion redevelopment will add hundreds of apartments and multifamily homes and tens of thousands of square feet of commercial space. Moonstone positions itself as one of the first upscale hospitality offerings in the evolving district.

As guests climb the stairs to the lounge, they read lines painted on each step — lyrics from Paul Brandt’s “There’s a World Out There.” One reads: “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”