A rooftop night in Midtown Manhattan →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMSunset drinks
2
0.4 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← New YorkDate night guide · New York
Best rooftop bars for a date in New York
Go up for sunset, come down for dinner.
67 spots · Jump to the list
A rooftop is an easy opening move: the view gives you something to talk about, and a drink at sunset sets up the rest of the night. The good ones fill up around golden hour, so aim to arrive before the sun goes down. Some are bars on top of a restaurant; all of them are worth the trip up for a drink, even if dinner happens somewhere else.
This guide ranks 67 rooftop bars in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to Williamsburg and Flatiron / Gramercy. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A rooftop night in Williamsburg →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMSunset drinks
2
0.3 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 67.
LoungeDaintree
5.0(15)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Rooftop & Cocktail BarART Rooftop Bar at Arlo Midtown
4.8(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
RestaurantLala’s Brooklyn Apizza
4.7(6)Williamsburg · $$
Rooftop & BarGuardian Rooftop
4.6(11)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Wine BarCherry On Top
4.6(10)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
RestaurantVida Verde
4.6(8)Midtown Manhattan · $$
RestaurantSocial Drink & Food
4.6(7)Midtown Manhattan · $$
BarVacations BK
4.5(23)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Cocktail BarOphelia Lounge
4.5(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Rooftop & RestaurantCantina Rooftop
4.5(17)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
RestaurantBar Blondeau
4.4(26)Williamsburg · $$$
Rooftop BarThe Skylark
4.4(7)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
BarNight of Joy
4.3(22)Williamsburg · $$
Cocktail LoungeOverstory
4.3(19)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$$$
Rooftop BarThe Empire Rooftop
4.3(19)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
BarThe Broken Shaker
4.3(12)Flatiron / Gramercy
Rooftop & Bar230 Rooftop
4.3(11)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
RestaurantBrooklyn Crab’s Reed Park
4.2(23)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
RestaurantLaser Wolf
4.2(15)Williamsburg · $$$
Cocktail BarWestlight
4.2(9)Williamsburg · $$$
Rooftop BarInk 48 Hotel
4.1(21)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Hotel BarArlo Williamsburg
4.1(14)Williamsburg · $$$$
BarTavern 29
4.1(14)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
Rooftop & Cocktail BarDarling Rooftop Bar
3.8(25)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Good to know
- What's the best rooftop bar in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Daintree in Midtown Manhattan, rated 5.0 out of 5. ART Rooftop Bar at Arlo Midtown and Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best rooftop bars?
- Midtown Manhattan (10), Williamsburg (6) and Flatiron / Gramercy (4) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable rooftop bars in New York?
- Yes — Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza, Cherry On Top and Vida Verde are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Ink 48 Hotel, while 230 Rooftop takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a rooftop night: sunset drinks, then dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.