Lima
Lima's skyline drinks better than its postcards. The rooftop bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Barranco, Miraflores, San Isidro, Centro Historico 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.
MIRAFLORES · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Lima's most internationally awarded cocktail bar. Order: Pisco sour (the original). Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
BARRANCO · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Speakeasy with a focus on female-forward cocktail history. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
BARRANCO · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail bar inside a 19th-century Republican mansion. Order: Pisco sour (the original). Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
MIRAFLORES · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Hotel bar inside the Country Club Lima Hotel. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
BARRANCO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Tiny cocktail bar above a restaurant. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
PUEBLO LIBRE · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage bodega from 1880. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Lima 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 Lima would tell you to put on the list.
Lima's most internationally awarded cocktail bar. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
Speakeasy with a focus on female-forward cocktail history. Order: Pisco sour (the original). 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.
Looking beyond Lima? See our guide to the best rooftop bars worldwide, or compare rooftop bars city by city. Or find rooftop bars near you.