The Best Rooftop Bars in Every Major City

Rooftop bars sell a view and charge you for the privilege, but the best ones deliver an experience that justifies the markup. The combination of open air, city lights, and a well-made drink creates something that a street-level bar simply cannot replicate. These are the rooftops that earn their prices across the world's major cities.

In New York, Westlight atop the William Vale hotel in Williamsburg offers a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline that makes every other rooftop feel like a parking garage. The cocktail program is legitimately good, not just rooftop-good. In London, the Skylight at Tobacco Dock transforms seasonally, offering a curling rink in winter and a croquet lawn in summer, all with views over the Thames.

Bangkok dominates the global rooftop scene. Octave at the Marriott Sukhumvit sits on the 45th floor and stretches across three levels with 360-degree views. Vertigo and Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel has been a fixture since it became famous from The Hangover Part II, and the cocktails have improved significantly since the tourist rush.

In Los Angeles, Perch at 15th and Olive in Downtown offers French-inspired cocktails overlooking the Pershing Square skyline. It is one of the rare LA rooftops that feels sophisticated rather than bottle-service-bro. In Chicago, Cindy's at the Chicago Athletic Association overlooks Millennium Park and the Bean, and their cocktail list rotates with serious ambition.

Singapore's CÉ LA VI atop Marina Bay Sands is the obvious choice but earns it. The infinity pool-adjacent bar at the world's most photographed hotel serves drinks that match the spectacle. In Barcelona, Terrat at the Mandarin Oriental turns Passeig de Gràcia into your backdrop. And in Tokyo, New York Bar at the Park Hyatt, immortalized by Lost in Translation, still delivers one of the most atmospheric drinking experiences on earth.

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