Best-of list · Rooftop Guides
The best rooftop bars in Madrid for 2026, from the Círculo de Bellas Artes terrace to Ginkgo and Picos Pardos. Where to drink above the capital.
The short answer
4 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Madrid's rooftop scene is one of Europe's deepest, and it changes fast. The famous Círculo de Bellas Artes terrace still charges about five euros at the door for the best view in town. We checked the field and cut the ones that have closed or never had a roof. Four stand up.
The rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes is where every Madrid list starts, and rightly so. About five euros at the door buys the lift to a wide deck with the Gran Vía, the Metropolis dome and the Royal Palace laid out in front of you. Tartan Roof is the bar and kitchen up top, open from breakfast to 2am. Go at dusk, pay the fee, nurse one drink and watch the city light up.
Full listing & hours →Ginkgo sits on the roof of the VP Plaza España Design hotel, looking straight down Gran Vía with the Plaza de España and the Royal Palace off to one side. There is a pool, an Asian-leaning kitchen and a dressed-up crowd, so it runs pricier and smarter than the Círculo. Book a sunset table rather than chancing the door. The view earns the markup, just the once.
Picos Pardos crowns the Bless Hotel in Salamanca, the smart-money end of town. The roof is planted out like a small garden with a pool and loungers, and the crowd matches the postcode. Drinks are not cheap and the lift queue builds late, so come early evening for a seat. Better for a slow cocktail than a big night, and all the better for it.
The Vincci Capitol sits in the curved Art Deco Carrión building on Gran Vía, and its ninth-floor terrace looks right along the boulevard and its old neon. It is smaller and less polished than the Salamanca hotel roofs, which keeps it cheaper and easier to get into. Order a vermouth, take the rail and watch the Gran Vía traffic. A solid spot for a first drink.