Best-of list · Rooftop Guides
The best rooftop bars in Auckland for 2026: the Rooftop at QT on the Viaduct and Soul Bar's harbour terrace, ranked for the drink and the view.
The short answer
2 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Auckland's rooftop scene is small. The harbour and the volcanic slopes give the city natural elevation, yet only a handful of bars trade on it, and the genuine walk-in rooftop rooms are fewer still. The two below are the ones worth climbing for.
We rank for the drink as much as the view, so a purpose-built rooftop bar leads here, with the city's most famous waterfront terrace close behind. Several hotel decks around the Viaduct and Wynyard run as private event spaces rather than public bars, so we leave them off. For the wider picture, see our Auckland bar guide.
The Rooftop at QT crowns the harbourside hotel on the Viaduct, six floors up with an open terrace that leans into the marina light. Order the Rosa, built on Malfy Rosa gin and basil, or an Espresso Martini straight off the tap. Sean Connolly's Esther sends up mezze and Waiheke oysters from the floor below. Come at golden hour, when the water does the talking. Best for a polished Viaduct sundowner.
Full listing & hours →Soul Bar holds the best-known terrace on the Viaduct, an open-air waterfront room rather than a true rooftop, west-facing for the sunset over the superyachts. It has anchored Auckland's harbour drinking for close to two decades, with a seafood-led kitchen and a long, unusual cocktail and wine list. Arrive before the light drops and claim a terrace table. Best for a waterfront evening that runs from sundowners into dinner.
Full listing & hours →