Best Rooftop Bars
with City Views

A great city view from a rooftop bar is a specific kind of geography lesson. You see the thing you have been walking through from the outside for the first time, and you understand it differently. The grid, the density, the rivers and parks and gaps in the skyline that seemed arbitrary from street level resolve into something coherent from 40 floors up.

The bars on this list were selected because they offer that experience alongside a cocktail program that does not embarrass itself by the company it is keeping. We have covered 14 cities across every continent where people drink outdoors, from the predictable (New York, Tokyo) to the ones that surprised us (Istanbul, Cape Town). See also our full guide to rooftop bars by category and the companion piece on rooftop bars with infinity pools for the full picture.

North America: The Benchmark Views

New York · Midtown

230 Fifth Rooftop Bar

The Empire State Building fills the entire north-facing view from the 20th-floor rooftop at 230 Fifth, which remains the most direct vantage point on Manhattan's most iconic tower that is accessible to anyone with a credit card. The cocktail program is straightforward (Long Island Iced Tea has been on the menu since opening in 2005) but the heated garden terrace and the kimono rental program for cold-weather evenings make this a genuinely warm-weather-independent experience. Open 365 days per year.

$$$ Year-round 4pm to 4am

Chicago · River North

Raised at Renaissance Chicago

Level 26 of the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel. The east-facing terrace looks over the Chicago River as it bends toward Lake Michigan, capturing both the architectural canyon of the Loop and the open expanse of the lake beyond it in a single view that very few other city vantage points anywhere in the world can match for the quality of the contrast. The cocktail program features local distilleries and a 60-bottle American whiskey selection. Reserve ahead for the private terrace section.

$$$ River and lake views 4pm to midnight

Europe: Old Cities from High Up

European city views have a particular quality that North American and Asian city views do not: age. Looking out from a rooftop in Istanbul or Rome you are seeing a skyline built over 2,000 years, and the layers of construction create a visual complexity that modern cities assembled in decades simply cannot replicate. The bars that take advantage of this context are among the most rewarding drinking experiences on the planet.

London · Shoreditch

Sushisamba Rooftop at Heron Tower

The 38th and 39th floors of Heron Tower in the City of London, accessible by a glass elevator on the exterior of the building that is itself an experience worth having. The bar terrace faces west over the entire London panorama: St Paul's Cathedral, the Gherkin, Tower Bridge in the far distance. The cocktail program fuses Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian influences into a menu that would be worth visiting for the drinks alone. Reserve at least 2 weeks ahead for outdoor terrace seats in summer.

$$$$ London panorama Noon to 1am

Paris · 16th Arrondissement

Perruche at Printemps Haussmann

On the roof of the Printemps department store on Boulevard Haussmann, Perruche offers what is arguably the best daytime view of the Paris skyline available to the general public. The Eiffel Tower sits 3.5 kilometers to the west; Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre rise to the north; the entire Haussmann-era building stock stretches in every direction below. The natural wine list is curated by a dedicated sommelier and changes monthly. Arrive before 7pm to secure terrace seats during warmer months.

$$$ Eiffel Tower views Noon to 11pm

Amsterdam · Centrum

Moon at Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Moon occupies the 21st floor of the Hilton at Schiphol Airport, which is admittedly not a central Amsterdam address, but the 360-degree panorama of the Dutch polder landscape and the airport infrastructure below is one of the most unusual city views in Europe, and the cocktail program is sophisticated enough to justify the trip. The light over the flat Dutch landscape at dusk is genuinely extraordinary, a horizontal sunset that lasts 40 minutes. Accessible via the airport train in 20 minutes from Centraal Station.

$$$ 360-degree views Noon to midnight

Istanbul · Beyoglu

Leb-i Derya Richmond

The Bosphorus Strait from a rooftop in Beyoglu, Istanbul, with the Asian side of the city visible across the water and the minarets of the Old City in the middle distance, is one of the genuinely extraordinary views available from any bar anywhere in the world. Leb-i Derya Richmond is a 6th floor restaurant and bar that offers this view alongside a Turkish-focused cocktail program built around raki, local gins, and house-made pomegranate bitters. Walk-ins welcome; reservations strongly advised for weekend evenings.

$$ Bosphorus panorama Noon to 2am

Asia and the Pacific

Tokyo · Shinjuku

New York Bar at Park Hyatt Tokyo

The bar that appeared in Lost in Translation occupies the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo and faces west toward Mount Fuji on clear evenings. The Shinjuku skyline spreads below in every other direction. The jazz program is live every night from 8pm; the cocktail menu is built around Japanese whisky with particular focus on the Nikka range. Order the Tokyo Sling and sit near the window. This is one of the most consistently excellent hotel bars in the world and it has been for 30 years.

$$$$ Live jazz nightly 5pm to midnight

Dubai · Downtown

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa

Floor 122 of the Burj Khalifa. At 442 meters, this is the highest occupied floor in any bar in the world, and the view of Dubai spreading into the desert in every direction is genuinely beyond comparison for sheer scale. The cocktail program focuses on non-alcoholic options alongside a curated spirits menu, reflecting Dubai's regulatory environment. The sunset experience requires a reservation 3 weeks in advance during peak season (November through March). The observatory experience elevator is separate from the bar access.

$$$$ World's highest bar Noon to midnight

Sydney · CBD

O Bar and Dining, Sydney

A revolving restaurant and bar on the 47th floor of the Australia Square tower in the CBD. The rotation means every seat eventually faces the Opera House and Harbour Bridge combination that defines Sydney's visual identity. One full rotation takes 90 minutes at standard speed, which is enough time to work through the Australian craft cocktail menu twice. The view at night, with the bridge lit and the Opera House shells reflecting the harbor light, is worth the meal minimum required for window tables.

$$$$ Revolving bar Noon to late

Africa and the Southern Hemisphere

Cape Town · De Waterkant

Rooftop Bar at Cape Town Hollow

Table Mountain from a rooftop bar in Cape Town is one of those views that photographs inadequately because the scale refuses to compress. The Cape Town Hollow Hotel's rooftop faces northeast, placing the mountain directly ahead with the city stretching down its lower slopes. The bar program draws heavily on South African wine producers, particularly those from Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, supplemented by a small cocktail menu built around Cape brandy and South African gin. Open October through April; weather-dependent.

$$$ Table Mountain view Seasonal

The Editors' Framework for Rating a City View

Not all city views are equal from a bar perspective, and not all great views combine well with great drinks. The editors use three criteria to evaluate rooftop bar views. First, architectural complexity: a view of one iconic building (Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower) scores lower than a view of an entire skyline or landscape because a single icon is eventually exhausted as a focal point. Second, changing light: views that transform through the day, from afternoon to blue hour to full night, provide more experience for your money. Third, accessibility from the street: a view that requires a 12-week reservation is great for the occasion but restricts casual discovery.

The bars on this list score well on at least two of the three criteria. For more city-specific rooftop recommendations, see our guides to New York rooftop bars, London rooftop bars, and the best rooftop bars worldwide at sunset, which covers the golden hour specifically across 10 cities.