Best-of list · Rooftop Guides
The 9 best rooftop bars in New York for 2026, from 230 Fifth and Westlight to the Skylark and Refinery Rooftop. Views, hours and timing, updated 2026.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
New York's rooftop scene splits between view-bars, where the panorama carries the drink, and serious cocktail rooms that happen to sit on a roof. The nine below balance both. Most are in Manhattan or Brooklyn, and several take reservations weeks ahead in summer.
230 Fifth in NoMad is the city's largest rooftop, with terrace seating for close to 1,000 and the Empire State Building standing straight ahead. Order a frozen cocktail and time your visit for the sunset hour, when the tower catches the light. Heated igloos keep it running through winter, and it opens daily from noon. Best for first-timers and big groups who want the postcard view.
Full listing & hours →Westlight sits 22 floors up at The William Vale in Williamsburg, trading the Empire State view for the full Manhattan skyline across the river. Chef Andrew Carmellini's globe-trotting small plates lift it above a simple view-bar. Floor-to-ceiling glass and an outdoor terrace keep it going year round. Come at golden hour and reserve ahead on weekends. Best for couples who want Manhattan as a backdrop.
Full listing & hours →The Press Lounge crowns the Ink48 hotel on the 16th floor in Hell's Kitchen, with a wraparound terrace that catches both the Hudson and the Midtown towers. A narrow water channel and low fire features set the mood after dark. The cocktails read more carefully than the average view-bar pour. Arrive before sunset for a west-facing seat. Best for a quiet drink with the river in frame.
Full listing & hours →The Skylark hides on the 30th floor at 200 West 39th Street, a few steps from Times Square. The split-level lounge pairs Hudson, Empire State and Times Square views with mahogany-and-brass styling that feels older than the building. It opens Monday to Friday from 5 PM, with weekends held for private hire. Order a classic from the cocktail list. Best for after-work drinks with theater-district sparkle.
Magic Hour tops the Moxy Times Square on the 18th floor and bills itself as the city's largest all-season hotel rooftop. A putting green, a slow carousel and topiary animals frame an unobstructed Empire State view. The kitchen sends out state-fair-style shareables. Book ahead on weekend nights, when the line forms early. Best for a playful group that wants the view with a sense of fun.
Full listing & hours →Rosehill Rooftop, the multi-level perch that took over The Roof at Park South in NoMad, sits above the Park South Hotel near Madison Square Park. Warm lighting and a vintage-leaning cocktail list suit a slower evening than the marquee view-bars. It opens from 5 PM, running to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Order a stirred classic and claim a corner banquette. Best for a date that wants a roof without the crush.
Upstairs at the Kimberly floats 30 stories above East Midtown, with the Chrysler Building close enough to read its spire. A retractable glass roof and leather club chairs lend old-Hollywood polish, and it stays open across the seasons. Weekend brunch runs 11 to 4 with a cocktail list to match. Order a martini and a few small plates. Best for a date that wants intimacy over a crowd.
Berry Park runs a German and Belgian beer-hall rooftop at 4 Berry Street, a block from McCarren Park in Williamsburg. The partly covered, heated terrace stays open year round and fills on match days, when soccer plays across the screens. Pair a stein with the bratwurst and fries. It opens from 4 PM on weekdays and late morning at weekends. Best for beer drinkers and game-day crowds.
Full listing & hours →Refinery Rooftop sits atop the Refinery Hotel at 63 West 38th Street in the Garment District, with the Empire State Building filling the eastern view. A retractable glass roof and greenhouse-style room keep it comfortable through winter, and USA Today readers have voted it among the country's top hotel rooftops. Order a seasonal cocktail near sunset. Best for a polished Midtown drink that works in any weather.