The Best Rooftop Bars In The World

Has a Bar in Your City Made the List?

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Summer is in full swing, and what better way to soak up the sun than heading to your favorite bar to sip on your favorite drink and get that candid golden hour action shot?
When you think about catching up with your friends and family, or your trusty go-to date spot, is there a special place that comes to mind, or are you looking for a new watering hole to rendezvous at?

SkyCity Online Casino, known for having an impressive rooftop bar of its own that sits in the SkyTower building right next to their majestic casino in Auckland, New Zealand, has surveyed 1,000 respondents globally to find the most beautiful rooftop bars around the world.

Must-see Rooftop Bars Around the World

Where to Seek a Golden Hour Glow

Rooftop bars are ten a penny these days, and many of us will climb flights of staircases or take an elevator to sit at the top of a building.

From the late 1880s, rooftop gardens became a summertime entertainment essential thanks to Rudolph Aronson, a New York conductor and musician who had what we now call a Euro-Summer. There, he was inspired by urban gardens where audiences would gather and enjoy music and theatre performances. Once back in New York, he created his own rooftop garden, a ‘Casino Theatre’ staging concerts and operettas, which eventually evolved into the rooftops we know and love today.

Infographic with best rooftop bars
Table of top rooftop bars worldwide

1. The Roof at EDITION, Hollywood, Los Angeles

The Roof at EDITION was officially crowned the best rooftop bar in the world, with almost 76% of people rating this an eight or higher on how happy the views made them. Adorned with a swimming pool framed by trees and terracotta potted plants, residents can lounge and soak up the sun all day and sip from Latin-inspired drinks while taking in the views of Sunset Boulevard at night.

It was also the most popular with women, as almost 83% of the female respondents rated The Roof an eight or above on the happiness scale. The GenZ crowd were similarly impressed, as 75% gave it a perfect 10 on the happiness scale.

Not only is it the best rooftop bar in LA, but it takes the cake globally.

2. Panoramic Terrace at Hotel Colon, Barcelona

In second place for the best rooftop view is the Panoramic Terrace, situated on the Hotel Colon. Just over 75% of respondents voted it an eight or more for how happy the views made them, and it’s no surprise why. In fact, it could be argued that this is the best rooftop bar in Barcelona.

Panoramic Terrace offers the most historic and memorable rooftop view overlooking the famous and intricately-crafted Sagrada Família, which is in its 142nd year of construction. Tourists who sit in this bar can marvel at this iconic beauty while sampling traditional cuisine made with local produce and local wines.

3. Scarlett, Bangkok

In third place with 73% of people scoring it an eight or more on the happiness scale is Scarlett Rooftop Wine Bar. Perched on the 37th floor, Scarlett has a spacious indoor area consisting of community and private tables, and lounge sofas as well as a 120-square-foot outdoor terrace with bar stools sitting front and centre overlooking the Bangkok skyline. It may not have come out on top as the best rooftop bar in the world, but it’s the best rooftop bar in Asia.

Who else makes the list?

From Dublin all the way to South Carolina…

Other notable mentions among the best rooftop bars that made it to the top 20 include Gravity Bar at Guinness Storehouse. Sitting 46 metres (or as high as 300 pints of Guinness) above street level, it is designed to look like the head of a pint glass towering above the famous St. James Gate. Gravity Bar has 360-degree views of Dublin stretching over to the Dublin mountains all the way to Howth Head. With 56% of respondents scoring it an eight or more on the happiness scale, we understand why A-List celebrities like Paul Rudd and Kylie Minogue have had a pint or two here.

Top Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney made the list, with just under 50% of respondents agreeing that Naked In The Sky (Melbourne) and Glenmore Hotel (Sydney) made them happy to be there. With panoramic sites of Melbourne City in one and views of the Sydney Opera House in the other, it’s understandable why these joints made the list.

Half of the images shown in the study contained a sunset, suggesting that the ever-loved ‘golden hour’ has a positive impact on our happiness.

Unfortunately for South Carolinians, their rooftop bar falls in last place. Red’s Ice House in Charleston, a self-described ‘no frills joint’ with plenty of patio space to overlook the water, was only scored eight or above by 15% of respondents.

Did your local bar make the list, or have you found some new potential spots for your night outs this Summer? See the rest of the top 10 below:

Methodology

We surveyed over 1,000 respondents around the world to discover which beautiful rooftop views from bars people liked the most in order to declare the greatest one. To create the rankings, we looked for high-scoring consistency. We tallied all responses rated 8, 9 or 10 to come up with our top 10 rooftop bar views.

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