The best views deserve a drink.
Rooftop Bars
Good drinks, great music, and views that make you want to stay a little longer. These are the rooftops I’d pick for a night out.
46 curated rooftops
RooftopFlorence, Italy
Loggia Rooftop Bar
A refined rooftop above the Oltrarno with a sweeping view over terracotta roofs to the Duomo and hills beyond.
Insider tip: Order the aperitivo of the day — served with a view no photo does justice.
Find a place to stay nearby in FlorenceView Florence guide
RooftopFlorence, Italy
Cielo Terrace
A hidden rooftop behind an unmarked door in the Oltrarno, with Duomo views and no tour groups.
Insider tip: Ask for the off-menu 'Firenze Sour'.
Find a place to stay nearby in FlorenceView Florence guide
RooftopParis, France
Le Bristol Rooftop Suite
A private terrace above the Faubourg with a rose-hedged view of Sacré-Cœur, reserved for suite guests.
Insider tip: The head sommelier will send up rare Bollinger if you ask by name.
Where to stay nearby: La Reserve ParisView Paris guide
RooftopMilan, Italy
Terrazza Gallia
A tenth-floor terrace above the Excelsior Gallia with Alps-clear views and a serious martini list.
Insider tip: The 'Milano Verde' — gin, basil, verjus — is off menu.
Where to stay nearby: Portrait MilanoView Milan guide
RooftopMilan, Italy
The Roof at Palazzo Cordusio
A sun-catching rooftop terrace above the Galleria — the right spot for an espresso with a view over Milan's rooftops toward the Alps.
Insider tip: Order an espresso and the small pastry plate — one of the only rooftops in Milan that treats coffee properly.
Where to stay nearby: Portrait MilanoView Milan guide
RooftopAmsterdam, Netherlands
Waldorf Astoria Peacock Alley
A canal-house terrace bar with hedged privacy and a discreet cocktail list.
Insider tip: Order the Genever Negroni — invented here.
Where to stay nearby: Pulitzer AmsterdamView Amsterdam guide
RooftopRotterdam, Netherlands
Nhow Rotterdam Skybar
A cantilevered terrace over the Maas with skyline and bridge views.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Erasmus' — gin, elderflower, cucumber.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel New YorkView Rotterdam guide
RooftopThe Hague, Netherlands
Hotel Des Indes Bar
A garden terrace at the grand dame hotel where royalty and diplomats drink discreetly.
Insider tip: The bar keeps a private cognac list only regulars are shown.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel Des IndesView The Hague guide
RooftopMadrid, Spain
Picalagartos Sky Bar
A tenth-floor terrace over Gran Vía with a serious vermouth cellar.
Insider tip: Ask for the house vermouth from the barrel.
Where to stay nearby: Rosewood Villa MagnaView Madrid guide
RooftopLisbon, Portugal
Topo Mouraria
A rooftop bar in Mouraria where locals watch sun set over the castle.
Insider tip: Order the 'Mouraria Mule' with medronho.
Where to stay nearby: Pensao AmorView Lisbon guide
RooftopIstanbul, Turkey
Upper Ist
A minimalist rooftop above The Peninsula Istanbul with a straight-on Bosphorus and Old City view.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Karaköy Sour' — raki, sour cherry, lemon.
Where to stay nearby: Soho House IstanbulView Istanbul guide
RooftopIstanbul, Turkey
Monkey Bar
The rooftop bar at Soho House Istanbul inside the Palazzo Corpi — arches, city lights, house crowd.
Insider tip: The east terrace fills last; ask for a corner banquette there.
Where to stay nearby: Soho House IstanbulView Istanbul guide
RooftopMonaco, Monaco
Le Blue Gin, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel
Tucked into the Larvotto neighbourhood, away from the Casino Square crush, this lounge looks out over the Mediterranean from a heated terrace locals nickname 'the waterfront'.
Insider tip: Request a seat on the hookah terrace at sunset — it's the quietest corner of the venue and faces directly west over the water.
Find a place to stay nearby in MonacoView Monaco guide
RooftopCannes, France
Le Roof, Five Seas Hotel
A boutique rooftop with a 13-metre infinity pool overlooking Le Suquet's old town rather than the Croisette — a deliberately quieter view than most Cannes rooftops.
Insider tip: Ask for a poolside daybed rather than a bar seat; the infinity pool area is reserved for hotel guests only, so it stays calm even when the bar fills up.
Find a place to stay nearby in CannesView Cannes guide
RooftopBali, Indonesia
The Edge Retreat
A clifftop lounge with 180° ocean views, cocktails at sunset.
Insider tip: Order the 'Bali-Tini' — arak, pandan, lime, off-menu.
Where to stay nearby: Suarga Padang PadangView Bali guide
RooftopKyoto, Japan
K36 Rooftop
A quiet rooftop bar overlooking the Kamo River, Japanese whisky.
Insider tip: Order the 'Kamo Old Fashioned' with yuzu peel.
Find a place to stay nearby in KyotoView Kyoto guide
RooftopTokyo, Japan
Aman Tokyo Lounge
A 33rd-floor stone-and-cedar lounge above Otemachi with Fuji views on clear days.
Insider tip: Ask for the aged Yamazaki flight, discreetly.
Where to stay nearby: Hoshinoya TokyoView Tokyo guideRooftopTokyo, Japan
CÉ LA VI Tokyo
A perched rooftop restaurant and bar in Tokyu Kabukicho Tower with a full 360° view over Shinjuku's neon skyline.
Insider tip: Order the yuzu highball at the outdoor rail as the neon comes on.
Where to stay nearby: Hoshinoya TokyoView Tokyo guide
RooftopBangkok, Thailand
Vertigo at Banyan Tree
A 61st-floor open-air terrace above Sathorn with 360° city views.
Insider tip: Order the 'Bangkok Sunset' — off-menu, chili-mango.
Where to stay nearby: The SiamView Bangkok guide
RooftopSingapore, Singapore
Atlas Bar
An art deco cathedral of gin — 1,300 labels — inside Parkview Square.
Insider tip: Ask for a vintage gin flight from the 1930s cabinet.
Where to stay nearby: Raffles SingaporeView Singapore guide
RooftopSingapore, Singapore
CÉ LA VI Singapore
The rooftop bar on top of Marina Bay Sands — 57 floors up, the postcard skyline view of Singapore.
Insider tip: Ask for a rail seat on the CBD side — the view no camera does justice.
Where to stay nearby: Raffles SingaporeView Singapore guide
RooftopKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Marini's on 57
A 57th-floor terrace with a direct Petronas Towers view.
Insider tip: The 'Twin Tower' martini is off-menu.
Where to stay nearby: The RuMa HotelView Kuala Lumpur guide
RooftopShanghai, China
Bar Rouge
A Bund-facing terrace with Pudong skyline reflected in champagne coupes.
Insider tip: Order the Rouge Royale — house rose champagne cocktail.
Where to stay nearby: The Peninsula ShanghaiView Shanghai guide
RooftopHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Social Club Rooftop
A 23rd-floor terrace at the Hotel des Arts with a full downtown-Saigon skyline.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Saigon Sling' — house gin, tamarind, lime.
Where to stay nearby: The Reverie SaigonView Ho Chi Minh City guide
RooftopMexico City, Mexico
Toledo Rooftop
A hidden Roma Norte rooftop with jacarandas and mezcal cocktails.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Toledo Special' with chapuline salt.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel CarlotaView Mexico City guide
RooftopCartagena, Colombia
El Baron Rooftop
A tiny Getsemani rooftop above a cocktail bar — rust-red rooftops, candlelight.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Cartagena Sour'.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel QuadrifolioView Cartagena guide
RooftopMiami, USA
Sugar at EAST Miami
A 40th-floor Asian garden bar in Brickell with skyline and bay views.
Insider tip: Order the Sugar Old Fashioned with cardamom.
Where to stay nearby: The Setai Miami BeachView Miami guide
RooftopMiami, USA
Rosa Sky
A Brickell rooftop lounge with an ultraviolet-lit bar, low seating, and skyline views over Biscayne Bay.
Insider tip: Ask for the yuzu-jalapeño margarita — off the standard list.
Where to stay nearby: The Setai Miami BeachView Miami guide
RooftopNew York, USA
Bemelmans Bar
The Carlyle's landmark piano bar with Ludwig Bemelmans murals and a martini list.
Insider tip: Ask for the off-menu Vesper prepared tableside.
Where to stay nearby: The Mark HotelView New York guide
RooftopNew York, USA
Bar Cima
A copper-clad cocktail bar high up in NoMad with a straight-on Empire State view through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Insider tip: Order a Negroni variation and time it for when the Empire State lights change on the hour.
Where to stay nearby: The Mark HotelView New York guide
RooftopNew York, USA
Nubeluz
José Andrés's 50th-floor sky lounge above The Manner in SoHo — velvet banquettes, teal carpet, cinematic downtown skyline.
Insider tip: Ask for the caviar-and-vermouth pairing off the printed cocktail list.
Where to stay nearby: The Mark HotelView New York guide
RooftopBahamas, Bahamas
Sip Sip Rooftop
An Eleuthera hilltop bar overlooking the Atlantic and pink-sand beach.
Insider tip: Order the conch chowder with local rum.
Where to stay nearby: Kamalame CayView Bahamas guide
RooftopChicago, USA
LH Rooftop
A 22nd-floor terrace at LondonHouse with a direct wraparound view of the Chicago River.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'LondonHouse Cup' — Pimm's with lake-blue tonic.
Where to stay nearby: Waldorf Astoria ChicagoView Chicago guide
RooftopChicago, USA
Cindy's Rooftop
A greenhouse-style rooftop at the Chicago Athletic Association with a direct Millennium Park and lakefront view.
Insider tip: Order a rosemary-forward cocktail on the outdoor deck facing The Bean.
Where to stay nearby: Waldorf Astoria ChicagoView Chicago guide
RooftopChicago, USA
Terrace 16
The Trump Chicago's 16th-floor terrace directly over the river — one of the best straight-on views of the bridges and Wrigley Building.
Insider tip: Order a Negroni and watch the river bridges lift on the hour.
Where to stay nearby: Waldorf Astoria ChicagoView Chicago guideRooftopChicago, USA
The ROOF on theWit
A 27th-floor open-air rooftop above theWit hotel with a proper Loop skyline view and a retractable glass canopy for shoulder-season nights.
Insider tip: Ask for the seasonal punch bowl — meant for four but works for two.
Where to stay nearby: Waldorf Astoria ChicagoView Chicago guide
RooftopAtlanta, USA
SkyLounge at Glenn Hotel
A downtown rooftop looking at the Georgia dome and Centennial skyline.
Insider tip: Ask for the Georgia Peach Old Fashioned.
Where to stay nearby: Mandarin Oriental AtlantaView Atlanta guideRooftopAtlanta, USA
Rooftop LOA
A downtown Atlanta rooftop with sweeping skyline views and a low-key, locals-heavy crowd on weeknights.
Insider tip: Ask for the peach-basil smash — it's not on the printed menu.
Where to stay nearby: Mandarin Oriental AtlantaView Atlanta guide
RooftopAustin, USA
P6 at The LINE
A quiet sixth-floor pool-and-cocktail terrace over Lady Bird Lake, downtown skyline behind.
Insider tip: Ask for the 'Colorado River' — mezcal, prickly pear, lime.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel Saint CeciliaView Austin guideRooftopAustin, USA
Zanzibar
A tucked-away East Austin rooftop with slow-burn cocktails and a low-lit lounge feel — a neighborhood spot that stays under the tourist radar.
Insider tip: Ask the bartender for their off-menu mezcal pour of the week.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel Saint CeciliaView Austin guideRooftopAustin, USA
Azul Rooftop
The rooftop at Westin Downtown with a full skyline view and a proper pool deck — sunset-facing loungers over Congress Ave.
Insider tip: Order the house frozen margarita and stay for the golden hour on the deck.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel Saint CeciliaView Austin guide
RooftopLos Angeles, USA
Sunset Tower Terrace
A hushed poolside terrace above Sunset Strip — old-Hollywood banquettes, discreet service.
Insider tip: Order the tower Martini — off the printed list.
Where to stay nearby: Hotel Bel-AirView Los Angeles guide
RooftopSan Francisco, USA
Charmaine's at The Proper
A three-terrace rooftop above Mid-Market with a straight-on view of City Hall and the Bay.
Insider tip: Ask for the seasonal barrel-aged cocktail.
Where to stay nearby: The BatteryView San Francisco guide
RooftopSeattle, USA
Mountaineering Club
A rooftop lounge on the 73rd floor of the Graduate Seattle with a full Space Needle and Sound view.
Insider tip: Order the aquavit-based house Negroni.
Where to stay nearby: Inn at the MarketView Seattle guide
RooftopCape Town, South Africa
Cloud 9 – Mountain Club Bistro
A Tamboerskloof rooftop bistro under Table Mountain. Reserve ahead: open daily 12:00–23:00, reservations recommended. Best in the early evening.
Insider tip: There's a plunge pool on the rooftop deck. Go early enough for a swim before the sun drops.
Where to stay nearby: Ellerman HouseView Cape Town guideRooftopCape Town, South Africa
Jack@SKYE
Cape Town's first rooftop wine-tasting bar, in Green Point. Reserve ahead: reservations recommended. Best at sunset, for the wine pairing.
Insider tip: Cape Town's first rooftop wine-tasting bar. Skip the cocktail list and go for the wine flight instead.
Where to stay nearby: Ellerman HouseView Cape Town guide