Best Rooftop Bars
in Toronto

The rooftop at ALT Hotel delivers one of the cleanest CN Tower sight lines in the city without the premium pricing of the hotel bars that compete for the same view. The cocktail list is well-executed and changes seasonally. The crowd skews creative industry and late-twenties. The bar opens at 4pm Thursday through Sunday from May to October. Reservations recommended for Friday and Saturday from 7pm onwards. The temperature drops faster than you expect on clear evenings; bring a layer.

Baro runs one of the city's most serious cocktail programmes across its three floors, and the rooftop level delivers that same quality in open air. The Latin American-influenced menu is consistent with the restaurant below. The space holds around 80 people. The music programming is DJ-led on Thursday and Friday evenings and creates a different energy from the relaxed weekend afternoon vibe. This is the rooftop bar that people in the Toronto bar industry visit when they want a night out rather than a work occasion.

Lavelle operates a rooftop pool bar in summer that has established itself as Toronto's most glamorous outdoor drinking destination. The pool access is reserved for hotel guests, but the surrounding terrace with its skyline views, oversized loungers, and well-constructed cocktails is open to all with a reservation. The pricing reflects the setting. The cocktail list is genuinely good and updates frequently. This is where Toronto does its most photogenic summer evenings. Book two weeks ahead for Saturday.

Reposado in Ossington runs a small rooftop terrace above its mezcal and tequila bar that functions as one of the neighbourhood's best summer secrets. The terrace holds 30 people and has no reservation system, which means arriving before 7pm on good-weather evenings is advisable. The drinks list upstairs mirrors the bar below: 200+ agave spirits and a cocktail menu that treats Mexican spirits with genuine respect. The neighbourhood crowd is younger and more local than King Street.

Technically a lounge rather than a rooftop, Canoe at 54 floors delivers the most dramatic view of Lake Ontario available at a bar in the city. The drinks are hotel-lobby priced but the quality matches. The after-work crowd from the Financial District fills the bar from 5pm to 8pm Thursday and Friday with an energy that transitions to dinner-focused quiet by 9pm. The lake view at dusk is worth every dollar of the cocktail pricing. Reserve for the window seats.

The Thompson Hotel rooftop has been the anchor of Toronto's premium outdoor drinking scene since the hotel opened. The pool at the centre of the terrace creates a resort-in-the-city atmosphere that few competitors have replicated. The cocktail menu is well-executed and the service is professional. The skyline view takes in the CN Tower directly. Weekend reservations are essential from July onwards. This is where Toronto does its most ambitious summer entertaining.

Terroni's Queen West location runs a seasonal terrace that functions as a natural wine bar in the sky. The wine list is among the most interesting in Toronto, importing from small Italian producers that rarely appear on other lists in the city. The food from the restaurant comes upstairs and the kitchen keeps producing until 10pm. The crowd is more genuinely mixed by age than the King Street rooftop scene. No reservations for the terrace, walk-in only from 5pm.

Bar Hop runs 50 rotating craft taps across its main floor and a seasonal rooftop patio that extends the experience into open air in summer. The beer selection at any given time represents the best of Ontario's growing craft beer industry alongside rotating international picks. The rooftop is simpler and less designed than the King Street hotel terraces above it, but the drinks quality is higher and the price point is lower. This is where the beer people go when the sun comes out.

Kensington Market's rooftop bar situation changes from season to season as pop-up venues and newly permitted terraces emerge. The best approach is to walk the neighbourhood on a warm evening and follow what you find above eye level. The Market consistently produces Toronto's most interesting low-key rooftop experiences: cheap drinks, good music, no dress code, and a crowd that is genuinely indifferent to what you are wearing or who you are. Check current listings before visiting, as this area evolves constantly.