Best Rooftop Bars in NYC to Visit Now
Summer temperatures are finally here, and while the beach is cool, sky-high views are better. It’s time to head up to the best rooftop bars and restaurants in New York. Enjoy the open air, drinks and eats at these Manhattan spots.
Sabbia by La Birreria at Eataly
This summer, Eataly has converted its rooftop beer garden into Sabbia, a beach lounge fourteen floors above the pavement of Fifth Avenue. Sabbia, which means sand in English, takes its name seriously: cabanas, beach-inspired decor, and an all-new food and drink menu taken straight from the Mediterranean shores. Try the bombette pugliesi, sinfully good veal and cheese roll-ups with pancetta.
Eataly: 200 5th Ave., 212-937-8910
Cantina Rooftop
Reservations are strongly recommended at the just-opened Cantina Rooftop steps away from the Hudson River. The bar, lounge and restaurant has skyline views over Hell’s Kitchen and a fully retractable roof for inclement weather. Go for the specialty cocktails—Oaxaca Smash, with mezcal and chai tea infused vermouth is a popular option—but don’t be surprised if you end up staying for the food. Mexico City-born Chef Gonzalo Colin’s specialty is an aloe-braised lamb shank.
Cantina Rooftop: 605 W. 48th St., 212-957-1800
Bar SixtyFive at the Rainbow Room
Head up to the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center, where Bar SixtyFive offers Empire State Building and Central Park Views, cocktails and small bites on the city’s highest outdoor bar. Housed on the same floor as the iconic Rainbow Room, this more casual venue offers indoor and outdoor seating with the same view as the Top of the Rock, located just two floors up on the 67th Floor.
Rainbow Room: 30 Rockefeller Plz., 212-632-5000
Catch Roof
Above Meatpacking’s popular seafood restaurant Catch, this glassed-in rooftop lounge and outdoor terrace serves the same menu as below but with better views. Head here early in the evening to avoid the club crowds, or make a night out of it and enjoy the celeb-studded DJ-parties that occur.
Catch Roof: 21 9th Ave., 212-392-5978
The Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
End your afternoon at the Met with a glass of wine at its roof garden overlooking Central Park. This year’s summer art installation is British artist Cornelia Parker’s full-scale sculpture of a house. Inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper and Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho, the 30-foot-high structure provides an unusual contrast to the Manhattan skyline views.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1000 5th Ave., 800-662-3397
For more rooftops, including WestHouse Hotel’s private terrace, read here for New York City’s best rooftop views.