Editorial
Midtown Manhattan holds more rooftop bars than any neighborhood needs, and most coast on the view alone. The six below earn the altitude through serious drinks, deliberate rooms and a crowd that is not all out-of-towners. They cluster in the Garment District, around Times Square and along Fifth Avenue, the zones where the skyline pays off.
Refinery Rooftop tops the Refinery Hotel on West 38th Street, named America's best rooftop bar by USA Today across several years. The draw is an unobstructed line to the Empire State Building over a retractable glass roof that keeps it running year-round. Order a classic cocktail and book the open-air section for a clear evening. Best on a weekday at dusk, before the Garment District after-work crowd fills the rails.
Spyglass sits 22 floors above the Archer Hotel on West 38th Street, a 1940s-glamour room with a head-on Empire State view and covered sections for the cold months. It runs from 4pm on weekdays, 3pm Sundays, with weekend brunch. Order a stirred signature and a few shared plates. Best for a polished early-evening drink two blocks from Bryant Park; arrive before the after-work rush takes the terrace.
Pen Top crowns the Peninsula New York on the 23rd floor at Fifth Avenue and 55th, reopened after a 2024 refit. Two outdoor terraces flank an intimate bar, with chalet-style heated domes through winter. This is the dressiest room of the group, the cocktails priced to match. Order a precise martini and take the terrace over Fifth. Best for an occasion that warrants the spend, not a casual after-work pint.
The Skylark perches 30 stories above 7th Avenue near Times Square, an all-seasons cocktail lounge with a sweep across the Empire State Building, Hudson Yards and the theater district. The room leans Art Deco, the cocktail list considered. Order a stirred classic and request the outdoor terrace when it is open. Best for a smart drink before a show, jacket preferred; reserve, as it fills fast on weekend evenings.
Magic Hour runs on the 18th floor of the Moxy Times Square, the playful end of the Midtown rooftop scale, with a carousel, mini-golf and a summer camp pop-up alongside the Empire State view. It opens nightly with weekend brunch. Order a frozen cocktail and lean into the kitsch. Best for a group looking for a loud, sociable rooftop rather than a quiet one; book ahead on weekends.
Haven Rooftop tops the Sanctuary Hotel on West 47th Street, a step from Times Square and Rockefeller Center, trading since 2012. The multi-level, glassed-in terrace stays open year-round and restyles itself each season over French-influenced bites. Order a cocktail and a plate at golden hour. Best for a convenient, all-weather rooftop in the theater district that does not demand a special occasion or a strict dress code.
View and value sort the ranking. Refinery and Spyglass own the close Empire State angle from the Garment District; Pen Top and The Skylark trade up for height and polish; Magic Hour and Haven keep it social and year-round near Times Square.
Timing matters more here than anywhere. A Tuesday or Wednesday at sunset beats any weekend night, when crowds push prices up and service down. Book a couple of days ahead for a view table, and ask for the covered section in winter.
Which Midtown rooftop bar has the best Empire State Building view? Refinery Rooftop on West 38th Street and Spyglass on the 22nd floor of the Archer Hotel both face the Empire State Building head-on, two blocks apart in the Garment District.
Which Midtown rooftop is the most upscale? Pen Top on the 23rd floor of the Peninsula New York, reopened after a 2024 refit, is the dressiest of the group, with two terraces over Fifth Avenue.
Are Midtown rooftop bars open in winter? Yes. Spyglass, Pen Top, The Skylark and Haven Rooftop all run year-round with covered or heated sections; Pen Top adds chalet-style domes in the colder months.
When is the best time to visit a Midtown rooftop? A Tuesday or Wednesday at sunset. Weekend crowds push prices up and service down at almost every Midtown rooftop; book a couple of days ahead for a view table.