Editorial
Amsterdam is flat and low, so a rooftop here is a real event. The best of them sit on the few tall buildings the city allows, from the A'DAM Tower in Noord to the towers in West and the centre, most pointed at the IJ.
The seven below are verified open for 2026. The old list mixed in ground-floor cafes and a bar from another country. These are the rooms that are actually on a roof.
SkyLounge, reopened in 2025 as LuminAir, tops the DoubleTree by Hilton beside Centraal Station, eleven floors up. The glass-walled terrace looks over the IJ waterfront and the city centre. Cocktails lead, and the room turns 18-plus after 22:00. It took Best Hotel Bar in 2025. Best at sunset, when the harbour light is at its best; arrive early for a terrace seat.
Twenty Third Bar rides the 23rd floor of Hotel Okura in De Pijp, the highest seat on this list. The view is the whole flat city, and the bites come from the Michelin-starred Ciel Bleu next door. The champagne list is long, the room small and quiet. It opens to non-guests. Best early evening for a precise, grown-up drink above De Pijp.
Madam sits on floors 19 to 21 of the A'DAM Tower in Noord, around 100 metres up, with a 360 degree view over the IJ and the city. The kitchen does elevated Dutch classics, and the room shifts to cocktails, DJs and a dancefloor at weekends. Take the free ferry from Centraal. Best on a clear evening, when the panorama and the dancing both deliver.
Blue Amsterdam perches in a glass tower atop the Kalvertoren shopping centre, in the Centrum. The 360 degree view takes in the Rijksmuseum, the Munttoren, the Royal Palace and the flower market. It runs as an all-day spot, strong on coffee and breakfast as well as cocktails, with no reservation needed. Best for a daytime drink with the old centre spread out below.
Floor17 tops the Leonardo Hotel by Rembrandtpark in West, seventeen floors and about 85 metres up, the tallest rooftop terrace in the city. The view sweeps across Amsterdam, and the kitchen follows the season. A curling rink appears on the roof in winter. Best on a summer evening on the open terrace, drink in hand, with the whole city in front of you.
Canvas crowns the Volkshotel on Wibautstraat, in the east, seven floors up with a 360 degree view over the Amstel and the centre. It runs as a restaurant by day and a club by night, with art on the walls and DJs late. The crowd skews young and local. Best for a drink that turns into a night, especially at the weekend.
The W Lounge tops the W Amsterdam in the old centre, near the Royal Palace and Dam Square. The rooftop pairs a cocktail bar with a pool deck and a view over the rooftops of the historic core. It leans glossy and design-led, with prices to match. Best for a warm afternoon by the pool, or a late drink with the centre below.
Height is rare here, so the few tall rooftops do the heavy lifting. Madam on the A'DAM Tower and Floor17 in West are the highest. SkyLounge and Twenty Third trade a little altitude for a closer view of the water and the centre.
The weather decides everything. Terraces fill the moment the sun is out, so come early on a clear evening and book the popular ones.
SkyLounge, now LuminAir, by Centraal is the all-round pick for its IJ view and terrace. Madam on the A'DAM Tower is the highest and the liveliest after dark.
Floor17 in West runs about 85 metres up, the tallest rooftop terrace in the city. Madam on the A'DAM Tower sits around 100 metres but on an enclosed observation level rather than an open terrace.
For a terrace seat on a sunny evening, yes. SkyLounge, Twenty Third and Madam fill fast when the weather is good, so book ahead.
Late afternoon into sunset on a clear day. Amsterdam terraces empty the moment the weather turns, so a warm dry evening is the whole game.