Rooftop Bars

7 Of The Worlds Best Rooftop Bars

The view from the top is always the best. Chic rooftop bars with high-quality cocktails and food are the place to hang out this summer.

 

There is one good thing about humanity's obsession with building enormous numbers of buildings it means more rooftops, which means more rooftop bars.  Perhaps second only to beach bars, rooftop drinks remind us that life didn't turn out so bad.  In fact, it's pretty great.

 

Here are some five contenders for the greatest al fresco drinks high above the streets.

 

Of course, as always, we welcome your own picks in the comments.

 

1. High Rooftop Lounge, Hotel Erwin (Los Angeles)

 

High Rooftop Lounge at Hotel Erwin in Los Angeles has a 360-degree view, in this case it is Venice Beach. The surfboard decor in the lobby of the Hotel Erwin sets the tone for this elevated hideout in one of the most eclectic, gritty and downright mellow beach/surf/skate towns in the United States.

The payoff comes when you step off the elevator and walk onto the High Rooftop Lounge on the sixth floor.  The vista includes some of the best public beach in Southern California, and a prime sunset viewing.

 

Order a Summer Crush, a drink made of: Grey Goose citrus vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, fresh lime, and fresh mint, with club soda.

 

2. Sugar, East Hotel (Hong Kong)

 

Sugar's view from atop East Hotel in Hong Kong.  It's rare to find a high-octane cocktail bar with a killer view in the lesser-known parts of Hong Kong Island, and Sugar's view contains fewer garish fluorescent billboards than you might expect in this neon mecca.  It's best to visit the lounge-y outdoor deck before sunset to enjoy the skyline by the soft light of dusk.  This way you can also avoid Sugar's garish pink and purple lighting that takes over once it's dark.

 

The scene outside is made up of ocean-going vessels floating in the harbor with a backdrop of the old airport, Kai Tak, now a cruise ship terminal.  Maybe even a Navy ship at anchor or a sampan family going by will add to your view.

 

While you are there you might try a Mojito Reloaded, made of: Havana Club 3 years rum, lime, peach, mint, and cava... enjoy!

 

3. Sir Elly's Terrace, The Peninsula Shanghai

 

Sir Elly's Terrace at The Peninsula Shanghai promises good drinks, light snacks and the sense that the whole city is looking up to you.  If you were to imagine a rooftop bar with gleaming skyline views, a glowing bar and full of movers and shakers, you probably wouldn't be far off Shanghai's standout rooftop drinkery.

 

With 270-degree views over the Huangpu River and The Bund, this establishment can't guarantee the views you get in the photo above (there's no such thing as a "smog forecast"), but it will promise good drinks, light snacks and the sense that, for an evening at least, the whole city is looking up to you.  For example; try their Up In the Clouds, made of: London No.1, lychee liqueur, homemade jasmine tea nectar, and lemon juice.

 

4. The Lighthouse Bar, The Oyster Box (Durban, South Africa)

 

The Lighthouse Bar at Oyster Box Hotel in Durban presents a surprise on the verge of being awesome. After a few minutes walk from Umhlanga Village Centre and a relaxing visit to The Spa for the hotel's authentic Turkish Hammam, the rooftop ‘Lighthouse Bar’ offers sunset views of the iconic lighthouse with panoramic views of the Indian Ocean along Umhlanga Beach. This is a top spot for for unwinding with exotic cocktails and great music.  This bar,on the hotel's ninth floor, even has its own oyster bed. These are truly spectacular surroundings,

 

So if the views, fresh ocean air and cocktails fail to tug on your romance strings, you know what to order... a Umhlanga Schling, made of: Mainstay Cane, sugar syrup, pineapple pieces, mint leaves, mango juice, and sugar cane, with crushed ice.

 

5. Vertigo and Moon Bar, Banyan Tree Bangkok

 

The 61st floor Vertigo and Moon Bar, on the roof of Bangkok's Banyan Tree Hotel, specializes in barbecued seafood, though it also grills a mean steak and has a good vegetarian menu.Walk a few steps and you're at Moon Bar, which has a solid cocktail and wine menu and a small seating area.

 

The vertigo-inducing views are rivaled only by those at the Sky Bar at Sirocco, another of Bangkok's drinking "high points" placed 63 floors up.  Many a fiery debate has occurred between die-hard fans of the two hotels over the years; we've gone with Vertigo because at two stories lower, you can get to the bar a few seconds quicker.  Maybe even order a Vertigo Sunset, made with: Malibu, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and lime juice.

 

6. Rooftop Lounge, Thompson Toronto Hotel (Toronto)

 

The Rooftop Lounge gives breathtaking 360° views of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario and is considered Toronto’s premier rooftop, providing a chic and exclusive retreat for hotel guests and lounge members. Guests can dip in the infinity pool by day and lounge in cabanas by night, enjoying creative cocktails far above the fray. The terrace that wraps all the way around the Rooftop Lounge bar gives views of Lake Ontario that whip you away from the city-feel in an instant.  Twist your head just a few inches, and you can see the CN Tower and all its chameleon color changes.

 

There are a couple drawbacks, a surprise for the first-time visitor. It can get cold -- coats are recommended -- or get there early to grab a spot by a heater and... well, the lounge is open only to hotel guests and lounge members. But while you are there order an Ellipsis, made of: Bacardi 8 rum, creme de peache, Riesling, fresh lemon juice, and egg whites.

7. Le Bain, The Standard (New York)

Le Bain is a penthouse discothèque and rooftop bar featuring world-famous DJs, a state of the art sound system and superlative-inspiring views. During the summer, there's a plunge pool on the dance floor and a crêperie on a "grass" covered rooftop... oh and it's got those views, an NYC vista you can gawk at from funky pastel-shaded chairs that seem to adapt to whatever shape is slouching into them. The staff  will even lend out binoculars to ensure gazing, which is 100% operational.

 

Don't take our word, here is a comment made by a recent visitor: "My girlfriends and I made it a point to visit The Standard just to check out their rooftop bar called Le Bain. It was recommended to us by a local bartender. And let me tell you... it did NOT disappoint! Floor to ceiling windows give you an AMAZING view of New York and the Hudson River. "

 

Their most popular drink? A Fraise 76, made up of: Vodka, lemon, syrup, strawberry, and champagne.

*****

Did we miss your favorite rooftop bar? Share your pick in the comments.