Best-of list · Rooftop Guides
The 5 best rooftop bars in Shanghai for 2026, from Highline and Sir Elly's to Flair, Vue and Cloud 9. The Pudong-view skyline list, updated 2026.
The short answer
5 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Shanghai's rooftop scene is dominated by the Bund-side rooms with direct Pudong skyline views. The 5 below cover the Bund, Xintiandi and Pudong.
Highline crowns the sixth floor of the Ascott in Xintiandi, trading Bund grandeur for a wrap-around terrace of white marble tables, lounge chairs and palm trees. The kitchen runs all-day California classics, and cocktails land between 68 and 128 rmb. The downtown skyline sits close rather than distant. Best at golden hour for the lower-rise view, or late for the lounge crowd.
Sir Elly's tops the Peninsula on the Bund, with a 13th-floor bar and a terrace one flight up at the river's great bend. The 270-degree sweep takes in the Huangpu, Suzhou Creek and the full Pudong skyline. Champagne cocktails are the house signature, paired with light European plates. Best booked for sunset, when the terrace faces the lighting-up towers across the water.
Flair occupies the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, the highest al-fresco perch in the city and eye-level with the Oriental Pearl Tower. Pan-Asian small plates arrive tapas-style alongside a sushi and raw bar, and the World's 50 Best team has flagged it on its discovery list. Reserve a terrace table. Best early evening before the DJ sets, when the skyline does the talking.
Vue spans the 32nd and 33rd floors of the Hyatt on the Bund, open again after a long closure. The two-level room pairs floor-to-ceiling glass with an open terrace that locals have called the best view in Shanghai since 2007, looking straight across to both the Bund and Pudong. Try the Vue Martini. Best later in the evening, when DJs take the patio.
Cloud 9 wraps the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower inside the Grand Hyatt, 350 meters up with a 360-degree sweep Newsweek once called one of the world's great gathering places. Champagnes and sparkling wines come by the glass with sweet and savory snacks. No room key needed; the lift is open to all. Best on a clear night for the full Pudong panorama.