Is there anything better than sipping your favourite drink while enjoying spectacular panoramic views?
You really can’t beat the combination of delicious food and drink, impeccable service, and beautiful views. Whether it is a night out, a special celebration or a catch-up lunch with friends, the backdrop of a stunning city adds something extra to the occasion.
It’s an experience that just can´t be beaten, so demand for rooftop bars is soaring, and the industry is responding quickly. Across the world, the hospitality industry is opening new venues and improving the quality of its rooftop bars.
As a result, our 2024 best rooftop bar looks very different from the one we produced in 2023.
There are twelve new entries, all of which made it into the top eighteen places. In addition, 5 establishments moved up the index by 100+ places, while 5 others dropped down the listing by 16 to 32 spots.
That’s a lot of movement. Rooftop bars that were hot in 2023 are now being overshadowed by others that have upped their game or establishments that have just opened. So, reading our full report will prove to be well worth your time.
To help you quickly make sense of all this change and find the best rooftop bars in your area, we have broken our results down into the following categories:
- World’s best of the best rooftop bars
- Best cities for rooftop bars in the world
- Best rooftop bars in the USA
- Best cities for rooftop bars in the USA
- Best rooftop bars in Europe
- Best cities for rooftop bars in Europe
- Best city for rooftop bars in the UK
Regardless of whether you are a local looking for somewhere special for a family celebration or a tourist who wants to enjoy memorable views of the city while re-energising, we´ve got you covered.
How we chose the best rooftop bars
Sadly, as much as we would have liked to, we couldn´t go on a global bar crawl. So, instead, we crawled the internet to uncover the information we needed.
For each of the 200 rooftop bars we analysed, we looked at how many people shared them on social media and what percentage of people rated them as excellent. Then, we combined these metrics to create our index of the world’s top 50 rooftop cocktail bars.
The full list of the top 50 Rooftop cocktail bars 2024 is below
The full rankings for 2024
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The best rooftop bars in the world top 3
All of last year’s top 3 best rooftop bars have slipped down the ranking, leaving room for Kuala Lumpur to grab the top spot, with Bangkok and an outlier from Turkey coming in 2nd and 3rd.
Here are the full details of the top 3 for 2024:
Sky51 – Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
Location: on top of the EQ Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
View: panoramic views of the city spanning from the KL Tower to the Petronas Twin Towers
Vibe: sophisticated and upscale with a Tiki-themed rooftop bar and deck with a large indoor lounge area
Don´t miss: fine wines, creative cocktails, and elevated bites, including oysters
Where: Jalan Sultan Ismail Equatorial Plaza, Kuala Lumpur 50250, Malaysia
Worldwide rank – No. 1
Ranking change since 2023 – None – a new edition to the index
CRU Champagne Bar – Bangkok – Thailand
Location: in the city centre of Bangkok, on the 59th floor of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld
View: a 360-degree view of Bangkok, allowing guests to enjoy sensational sunsets
Vibe: vibrant yet sophisticated with impeccable service
Don’t miss: Pommery Champagnes, unique cocktails, and exquisite Caspian Sea caviar and lobster with a twist
Where: 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Phatumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Worldwide rank – No. 2
Ranking change since 2023 – None – a new edition to the list
Mithra Terrace at Mithra Cave Hotel – Cappadocia – Turkey
Location: on top of the Mithra Cave Hotel, which is situated in the heart of Cappadocia
View: stunning panoramic view of the beautiful rock formations and valleys of Cappadocia, at certain times of the year, complete with hot air balloons
Vibe: warm and inviting ambience in a traditionally decorated setting
Don´t miss: the rich open buffet breakfast for hotel guests and local kebabs for day visitors
Where: Aydınlı Mahallesi Akgül Sokak No:10 Göreme, 50180 Göreme, Turkey
Worldwide rank – No. 3
Ranking change since 2023 – None – new entry
Interestingly, all 3 of these bars were new entries for our list. But, the number one rooftop bar of 2023 AkaAza Bar at Amara Bangkok Hotel, did not slip far down the list. It came in at number 4 on our new index.
Bangkok is still the best city in the world for rooftop bars
When it comes to which cities are best for rooftop bar fans, there has been a bit of a shake-up. Last year, Bangkok and Barcelona came in joint first.
For 2024, Bangkok retains its title, with 5 rooftop bars in our top 50. While Barcelona slides down into 4th place.
Bangkok rooftop bars that ranked in the top 50 are as follows:
- CRU Champagne Bar – ranked No.2 in the world
- AkaAza Bar at Amara Bangkok Hotel – ranked 4th best in the world
- Yao Restaurant & Rooftop Bar – 32nd in the world
- The Speakeasy Rooftop Bar – 36th best in the world
- Sky on 20 – 39th best rooftop bar in the world
London and Chicago take the number 2 and 3 slots for the cities with the most high-quality rooftop bars in the world. Take a look at the UK and USA sections of this article to find out more about what made them stand out.
Best rooftop bars in the USA
The USA is the country with the most top rooftop bars in the world, taking 22 of the top 50 spots.
Of those 22, 4 of them are in the top 10. Here are their details:
Ocean Lounge at Sea Pines Beach Club – Hilton Head Island – South Carolina
Location: on the 2nd floor of the Sea Pines Beach Club
View: stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean
Vibe: casual and friendly where locals mix easily with visitors to the area
Don’t miss: trying out the bar’s extensive list of bourbons, cognacs, whiskeys, and other drinks
Where: 87 N Sea Pines Dr, The Sea Pines Beach Club, Hilton Head, SC 29928-6002.
Worldwide rank – No. 5
Ranking change since 2023 – None – a new edition to the index
54thirty Rooftop – Denver – Colorado
Location: in the Central Business District (CBD) on the 20th floor
View: scenic views of the Denver skyline and the surrounding area
Vibe: vibrant, upscale, and stylish
Don´t miss: spiced cocktails, Denver craft beers and shareable bites
Where: 1475 California Street, 20th Floor, Denver, CO 80202
Worldwide rank – No. 7
Ranking change since 2023 – Risen by 18 places
Merchant & Trade – Charlotte – North Carolina
Location: Uptown Charlotte on the 19th floor of the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel
View: panoramic views of Uptown Charlotte
Vibe: lively, making it a good choice for special celebrations
Don´t miss: innovative original cocktails many made using North Carolina spirits and house-made mixers
Where: 101 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28280
Worldwide rank – No. 8
Ranking change since 2023 – Climbed 63 places
Electric Moon Skytop Lounge + Moon Deck – Savannah – Georgia
Location: atop the Plant Riverside Power Plant Building
View: stunning river views and at night illuminated smokestacks
Vibe: high-energy with the Moon Deck being described as a playful adult oasis
Don´t miss: signature cocktails, and high-energy live music
Where: 400 W River St, Savannah, GA 31401
Worldwide rank – No. 10
Ranking change since 2023 – New to the index
Chicago tops the list of best cities for rooftop bars in the USA
22 of the top 50 rooftop bars in the world are in America
Chicago shares the 2nd ranking for the best city for rooftop bars in the world. They have 4 in the top 50, they are:
- I|O Godfrey Rooftop Lounge – ranked No.15 in the world
- Upstairs at the Gwen – ranked 16th best in the world
- Z Bar – 30th in the world
- Cerise Rooftop – 33rd best in the world
New York has 3 of the world’s best rooftop bars and Denver has 2. The other 13 cities that feature in our index have one each. We’ve included our complete list at the end of the article, to make it easy for you to find their names and locations.
For tourists who want to enjoy the unique dining and socialising experience that rooftop bars offer, America is the country to go to. Regardless of where you stay in the USA, you won’t be far from an exceptional rooftop bar.
For tourists who want to enjoy the unique dining and socialising experience that rooftop bars offer, America is the country to go to. Regardless of where you stay in the USA, you won’t be far from an exceptional rooftop bar.
Best Rooftop Bars in Europe
Seven of the best rooftop bars in the world are located in Europe.
Here are the details for the top 3 European rooftop bars:
La Isabela at Hotel 1898 – Barcelona – Spain
Location: in the heart of Barcelona on the famous La Rambla
View: magnificent 360-degree views over the city
Vibe: an oasis of calm amid a frantically busy city
Don´t miss: original cocktails, and house-made tapas made with ingredients from the Boqueria market
Where: La Rambla, 109, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Worldwide rank – No. 11
Ranking change since 2023 – Fallen by 7 places
Level 27 – Warsaw – Poland
Location: in the heart of Warsaw on the 27th floor of the Atlas Tower
View: a unique 360-degree view of the city skyline
Vibe: stylish and vibrant with a club atmosphere
Don’t miss: innovative cocktails, and premium spirits
Where: Al. Jerozolimskie 123a, Atlas Tower, 27th floor, 02-017 Warsaw, Poland
Worldwide rank – No. 25
Ranking change since 2023 – Fallen by 7 places
Vista Sky Bar at Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento – Sant’Agnello – Italy
Location: on the rooftop of the Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast
View: 360-degree views over the Gulf of Naples Bay, the islands, and the Vesuvio Volcano
Vibe: trendy, stylish, exclusive, and romantic
Don´t miss: signature cocktails by bartender Arturo Laccarino and fine Italian wines
Where: Corso M. Crawford, 85, 80065 Sant’Agnello, Naples, Italy
Worldwide rank – No. 27
Ranking change since 2023 – Climbed the rankings by a whopping 137 places
Barcelona is still the best city to experience rooftop bars in Europe
If you fancy enjoying a rooftop bar every night during your long weekend, head to Barcelona, the city has three spectacular sky bars.
Here are the details:
- La Isabela at Hotel 1898 – ranked No. 11 in the world
- The Rooftop at Serras – No. 20 in our index
- The Pulitzer Terrace at Hotel Pulitzer – ranking No. 37 globally
Importantly, all 3 of these bars are located centrally, which means that they are close to where the action is and are only a short distance from the most popular tourist attractions.
If you treat yourself to a night in the La Isabela Hotel, you can also use the rooftop pool.
London has the best rooftop bars in the UK
Six of the best rooftop bars in the world are located in the UK, with 5 of them being in London and the other in Manchester.
Here are the details of London´s hottest skybar venues:
Location: in Shoreditch, East London
View: a secluded terrace that provides a panoramic view of East London
Vibe: stylish and vibrant with resident DJs
Don’t miss: wood-fired pizzas, an extensive range of rare drinks and a specialist liquor store
Where: 17B Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8AA, United Kingdom
Worldwide rank – No. 17
Ranking change since 2023 – New to the index
Location: located right in the centre of the city on the 9th floor of Hotel Indigo
View: panoramic views of the city including iconic locations like the London Eye
Vibe: cool, fun, and glamorous
Don’t miss: The Big Ben and The Shard cocktails
Where: 1 Leicester Square, 9th floor of Hotel Indigo, London WC2H 7NA, England
Worldwide rank – No. 40
Ranking change since 2023 – Climbed the rankings by 82 places
Location: on the 14th floor of Aldgate’s new Dorsett City hotel
View: breathtaking views of the London skyline and Tower Bridge, the Shard, and the Gherkin
Vibe: a classy interior bar that opens out onto a trendy, fun and lively rooftop bar
Don’t miss: the Discaroni and City Diet cocktails
Where: Dorsett City London, at 9 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1AH
Worldwide rank – No. 44
Ranking change since 2023 – Rose by 11 places
Location: 40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP
View: The Gerkin and London skyline
Vibe: Cosy, great views and an excellent vibe
Worldwide rank – No. 49
Ranking change since 2023 – Up 5 places from 54th
Treat yourself to cocktails in the sky wherever you go
If you are attending an event or planning a trip, why not treat yourself to a special cocktail and a meal in the sky? Hopefully our index has provided you withe some inspiration on trips you can plan for magical cocktails in the sky!