Beijing's skyline drinks better than its postcards. The rooftop bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Sanlitun, Gulou, Wudaoying Hutong, CBD all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate sunset cocktails with a view and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Beijing or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten rooftop bars that any serious drinker in Beijing would tell you to put on the list.

The list

01

Janes + Hooch

SANLITUN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Beijing's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
02

Mokihi

SANLITUN · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Japanese-style cocktail bar in a hidden upstairs room. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →
03

Revolución

GULOU · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Mexican-influenced cocktail bar in a converted hutong courtyard. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
04

The Tiki Bungalow

SANLITUN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Tiki bar that takes the genre seriously. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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05

Nostalgia

WUDAOYING HUTONG · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Speakeasy inside a 200-year-old courtyard house. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
06

D Lounge

SANLITUN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Cocktail bar inside the Opposite House hotel. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →
07

Cloud Nine Rooftop

GULOU · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Hotel rooftop in Gulou with sunset views and a polished cocktail menu. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
08

Beijing Sky Lounge

WUDAOYING HUTONG · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Open-air rooftop in Wudaoying Hutong with a tight cocktail list and a young dressed-up crowd. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Full review →
09

Skyloft

CBD · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Skyline-view rooftop in CBD. Best at 6pm. Reservations recommended in summer. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
10

The Gilded Lily

SANLITUN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Polished cocktail room in Sanlitun with a tight rotating menu and a thirty-something local crowd. Order: Baijiu sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →

By neighbourhood at a glance

CBD: Skyloft. Gulou: Revolución, Cloud Nine Rooftop. Sanlitun: Janes + Hooch, Mokihi, The Tiki Bungalow, D Lounge, The Gilded Lily. Wudaoying Hutong: Nostalgia, Beijing Sky Lounge. Most of these bars sit walking distance from each other within their districts. Beijing's drinking neighbourhoods are compact — plan two or three bars in a single evening rather than racing across town.

Before you go

Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings at any of the higher-priced rooms above. Mid-week before 8pm, walk-ins are usually fine. Tipping in China is appreciated; check our city guide for local norms. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list except where the bar specifies cash only — usually the older heritage rooms. Beijing's last-call laws vary by district; plan your route from the strictest to the most relaxed.

"You'll know which of these ten rooftop bars matches your night within the first sip."

Want more Beijing? Our full Beijing bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all rooftop bars worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.