Phoenix

The 10 Best Bars with a View in Phoenix

Phoenix's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts 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.

  1. 01

    Bourbon Steak Bar Phoenix

    SCOTTSDALE · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Bourbon Steak Bar Phoenix draws a steady local crowd in Scottsdale. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  2. 02

    Different Pointe of View

    NORTH PHOENIX · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Different Pointe of View draws a steady local crowd in North Phoenix. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  3. 03

    Orange Sky at Talking Stick

    SALT RIVER · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Orange Sky at Talking Stick draws a steady local crowd in Salt River. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  4. 04

    The Vig Arcadia

    ARCADIA · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    The Vig Arcadia draws a steady local crowd in Arcadia. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  5. 05

    Vu Lounge

    PHOENIX · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Vu Lounge draws a steady local crowd in Phoenix. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  6. 06

    Wright Bar at Arizona Biltmore

    CAMELBACK · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Wright Bar at Arizona Biltmore draws a steady local crowd in Camelback. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. 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.

  7. 07

    Arizona Wilderness Brewing

    GILBERT · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Arizona Wilderness Brewing draws a steady local crowd in Gilbert. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. 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.

  8. 08

    Bar Bianco

    WITH CURIOSITY.

    Chris Bianco won the James Beard Award for his pizza. But the bar he built next door at Heritage Square is, in its quieter way, equally considered. Bar Bianco a. Order: the bar's house signature. 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.

  9. 09

    Barter & Shake Phoenix

    THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Barter & Shake is the Arcadia neighbourhood cocktail room with a tight programme and a strong dealer's-choice service that's quietly become one of Phoenix's wel. Order: the bar's house signature. 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.

  10. 10

    Binkley's Restaurant Bar

    PHOENIX · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Binkley's Restaurant Bar draws a steady local crowd in Phoenix. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. 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 Phoenix or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Phoenix would tell you to put on the list.

Bourbon Steak Bar Phoenix draws a steady local crowd in Scottsdale. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Different Pointe of View draws a steady local crowd in North Phoenix. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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Looking beyond Phoenix? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.