I’ve been to nearly every rooftop bar in NYC. These are the best for summer 2024

16.05.2024 - 12:07 / lonelyplanet.com / Frank Sinatra

The skyline of New York City is famously stacked with skyscrapers that all but piece the heavens. Yet until recently, the chance to enjoy the view over a cocktail was a relative rarity.

Welcome to the rooftop-bar renaissance.

We don’t know what took so long, but we’re savoring this moment, when New York’s rooftop bar scene is better than ever, with high-quality cocktails being shaken and/or stirred up to go along with awe-inducing views of the sprawling metropolis below. 

Here are the 14 best rooftop bars in New York City.

Best rooftop bar for art deco enthusiasts

Built in 1928 in what was once a women’s-only hotel, Ophelia is about as classic New York City as they come. Still in operation, the Beekman Tower hotel is now open to all. Art nouveau stylings; tall, ornate cathedral windows; and views of the east side Manhattan skyline from 26 floors above the street all make for an ideal venue for drinking a dirty martini, a Manhattan or one of the 14 signature cocktails that are shaken up here nightly. And if all that doesn’t make you feel like you’re king of the hill, A-number one, then there’s this little fact: Frank Sinatra used to hang out here. 

How to visit New York City on a budget

Best rooftop bar for sipping a martini in the sky

Two blocks from and 30 floors above Bryant Park sits Daintree, a sophisticated, plant-bedecked lounge (with indoor and outdoor seating options) that offers a range of creative signature cocktails. These are potent enough that after a few you might squint at the Empire State Building and ask: is there a giant gorilla on that building? 

Try one of the 100 best cups of coffee in NYC

Best year-round rooftop bar

Set 18 floors up at the ModernHaus SoHo hotel, Jimmy provides perfect views of the cast-iron-clad buildings that flank the cobblestone streets of SoHo. Lounge on the outdoor terrace while sipping a refreshing Tequila Martini (Clase Azul Reposado,  lime orange, olives) or a grilled-pineapple mojito. When it’s colder, head indoors, where leather furniture, a fireplace and list of warm cocktails set an autumnal mood. 

Drag legend Lady Bunny’s shares her best tips for the West Village

Best rooftop bar for a pre- or post-dinner drink

Sixty-four floors up, Overstory is brought to you by the people who gave us Saga, the elegant restaurant one floor down, and Crown Shy, the elegant restaurant on the ground floor of this art-deco Manhattan skyscraper in the Financial District. Quaff an expertly made signature cocktail (we love the Frenchie, with cognac, elderflower, pear and soda) or sip a classic libation (can you really resist a Manhattan here?) and enjoy watching the verve and the sparkle of the city below. Reserve in advance, however: Overstory made the top half of