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The Best of New York · Drink · Rooftop bars

The best rooftop bars in New York City

Updated October 2026. 8 places.

I’m going to be honest with you. Most rooftop bars in NYC are overpriced tourist traps where you pay $25 for a mediocre cocktail and fight for a spot near the railing. The “view” is often a brick wall and someone’s AC unit.

But some of them? Some of them are genuinely worth it. The kind of place where you walk out onto the terrace and your brain short-circuits for a second because you forgot a city could look like that from above.

Antonina PattizWriter and photographer · how I decide
Best of New York 2026, New York Dearest

Best rooftop bars in New York City, 2026

  1. SkylarkBar · MidtownSkylark exists for one reason and that reason is the Empire State Building sitting right there, close enough that you feel like you could touch it.
  2. St. CloudBar · MidtownIt’s surprisingly well-run and the crowd is more hotel guests and after-work drinkers than tourists.
  3. 230 FifthBar · Flatiron DistrictBut 230 Fifth has a direct Empire State Building view that is genuinely spectacular, and in winter they set up heated igloos on the rooftop that are honestly kind of magical.
  4. Berry ParkBar · Williamsburg, BrooklynIt’s a casual rooftop bar in Williamsburg with solid Manhattan skyline views and beers that cost what beers should cost.
  5. ManhattaBar · Financial DistrictThis is the bar I send every single person to when they visit New York.
  6. The Roof at Public HotelBar · Lower East SideThe Roof is sleek, the crowd is attractive, and the views of downtown Manhattan and the East River bridges are legitimately great.
  7. Time Out Market DUMBO RooftopOther · DUMBO, BrooklynThis might be the best view-to-dollar ratio in the entire city.
  8. WestlightBar · WilliamsburgOn the 22nd floor of the William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg, this is the Brooklyn rooftop bar that actually lives up to the hype.

On the map

Where they are

7 neighborhoods, Midtown and Flatiron District most of all.

Midtown

DUMBO, Brooklyn

Financial District

Flatiron District

Lower East Side

Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Best of New York 2026, New York Dearest

The Best of New York 2026

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The full guide, with the ones that didn't make it and why: The Best Rooftop Bars in NYC. Where the Views Are Actually Worth It..