The 13 Best Rooftop Bars in Manhattan

For those looking for a bona fide party, there’s no better place to let loose than one of The Standard’s rooftop fêtes. During the day, The Top of the Standard serves tea and drinks, but once the sun sets, the illustrious bar turns into a cocktail party and supper lounge complete with live jazz and small plates. After 10pm, Le Bain (the eminent nightclub) opens, jammed with dance parties and featuring a plunge pool and a crêperie.

Perched on the 25th floor of a Midtown building, Elise Rooftop is a trip to the luxury and glamour of the Roaring ’20s. Inspired by New York City socialite and interior designer Elsie de Wolfe, the penthouse bar provides a space to soak up the skyline and live out your Gatsby fantasies. Cocktails are simple yet elegant, and can be paired with a roster of food items such as lamb sliders and lobster rolls.

Once you’ve ascended the 18 stories up to JIMMY, you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of Wall Street, Midtown and the Hudson River. Nurse grilled pineapple mojitos and mint sazeracs by the towering windows, or if the weather’s nice, head to the outdoor deck, one hand holding a cocktail, the other a plate of truffle-dusted fries.

Not much can distract from the 360-degree river views from this 26th-floor bar, a former haunt of Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. Towering windows line every portion of the bar, offset by velvet couches and flickering candles. Belly up to the bar for Ophelia’s Ascension (smoked Jamaican pepper-infused Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Sri Lanka palm sugar, aromatic bitters and cedar smoke), then plop down on a velvet stool with a plate of crisp spring rolls filled with lobster.

Helmed by the same people as the eponymous Miami bar, Broken Shaker can be found 18 floors above the Flatiron’s Freehand Hotel. This mostly indoor bar (there’s a postage stamp of outdoor space from where you can gaze at the Empire State Building) is strewn with lush plants and a funky mix of wiry rattan chairs and charmingly mismatched paraphernalia. Choose from a list of beachy cocktails – Jake the Snake is swirled with tequila, mezcal, papaya, ancho verde and Szechuan peppercorn – accompanied by plates like beef jerky and soft arepas overflowing with avocado, gooseberry hogado and queso fresco.

The entrance to the roof of Hotel Hugo seems to function as a portal to a Cuban paradise, one strewn with 1950s-era posters and Cuban sandwiches. Sip white sangria and slushy mojitos as you take in the panoramic views of downtown Manhattan and the far-flung towers of New Jersey. Arrive on a Sunday evening and you’ll be greeted by a live Cuban band, or come on a Monday night for the weekly movie night.