The best rooftop bars in L.A.

No matter how many new rooftops open, we always come back to Perch, one of the prettiest rooftop bars (and bistros) in town. Patterned tile floors, potted trees full of twinkly lights and charming seating combine nightly for a scene full of Downtown locals, plus a few hundred of their closest friends. Though it’s often crowded inside the interior boudoir-themed bar, you’ll find plenty of breathing room and even a few fire pits on the outdoor patio. From any seat, you’ll want to sample the selection of kir-style cocktails that go beyond crème de cassis. The after-work crowd drops in for happy hour, dubbed Apéritif Hour, weekdays from 4 to 6pm, while late-night partygoers and music-lovers can enjoy frequent DJ sets and live bands. Reservations and walk-ins.

Like moths to a flame, the Freehand Hotel’s trendiest clientele and youngish Angelenos from all over flock to this quirky, colorful and palm-laden rooftop bar above Downtown L.A. Cool off with eclectic, moderately priced cocktails—with some equally colorful garnishes—served from the thatched-roof bar, including the Guavafornication, Broken Shaker’s take on a spicy margarita incorporating guava and Cointreau. Food-wise, there’s guac and chips, twice-fried chicken wings and even a falafel burger, all of which make for great finger food while taking in excellent sunset views of Downtown. Reservations and walk-ins.

Despite being in the simultaneously douchiest and seediest neighborhood in Los Angeles, we’re still fans of this colorful Hollywood boutique hotel’s rooftop bar—a feat in and of itself. Mama Shelter’s bright space is splattered with brightly hued sofas and chairs where you can lounge while waiting for your salmon pita to arrive. Cocktails veer all over the map, from the Mediterranean to the Moscow mule. On warm nights, you can dance under the stars while DJs spin an eclectic mix of music, or take in a classic movie on their outdoor screen. There’s also a foosball table, a yoga area and sweeping views of Hollywood. Walk-ins only.

The crown jewel of Culver City’s long-awaited food hall, Bar Bohemien is probably the most low-key rooftop bar in the city. This can partially be attributed to its small size, but for those who find their way up the small food hall’s winding stairs, this intimate, mostly outdoor watering hole provides everyday good vibes and even better cocktails. With a bush-lined patio that’s beautiful at sunset, it’s the perfect spot to meet an online date or a group of old friends. Cheekily named cocktails rise above standard rooftop drinks with combinations like the Not Your Mama’s Iced Tea, which fuses tea-infused vodka with lemon juice, peach liqueur and bitters, plus prosecco. Walk-ins only.

Pasta maestro Evan Funke’s three-story 90210 restaurant is home to this pink marble rooftop bar. Unlike the dining room below, Bar Funke is open to walk-ins, though you can score the full dinner on weekdays through reservations. On weekends, you can still enjoy some of the city’s fluffiest focaccia—though, notably, not any pasta—without advance reservations. Given the lack of height, the views while seated at Bar Funke aren’t much to look at, but the well-executed premium cocktails and bar bites still translate into a delightful, though pricey, rooftop bar experience. Spiked with olive oil (the Firenze) or infused with the vaguest wisp of tomato (the Napoli), the smooth house concoctions just might justify their prices—the majority of which are north of $25. Walk-ins only on weekends.

Taking over the old Onyx space, the Coco Club offers the same sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean that made the former occupant one of the best rooftop bars in town. A new island-inspired cocktail menu by Dushan Zaric (best known for cofounding NYC’s Employees Only) adds intrigue with drinks like the passionfruit-tinged Coco Killer and a lychee-infused gin creation known as the White Lotus. A complete design overhaul has given the indoor-outdoor space a completely new, tropical-leaning look and feel, including artisan-crafted rattan stools lining the balcony railings and a fire pit in the string-lit outdoor lounge. Stop by during sunset to watch the Pier’s iconic Ferris wheel light up—just be sure to mind the crowds for Santa Monica’s only walk-in rooftop bar game in town. Walk-ins only.

For a night of Vegas-style debauchery without ever leaving L.A., look no further than the Houston brothers’ buzzy new nightlife destination on the eighth floor of the Moxy Downtown. Among the venue’s eight unique concepts, the breeziest is Golden Hour, the poolside rooftop bar drawing inspiration from the beaches of Miami and Copacabana. While the eighth floor vantage point isn’t particularly high by Downtown standards, the eye-catching golden carousel and breezy drinks more than make up for the lack of views. On the weekends, live DJs and daytime pool parties liven things up for the nightlife crowd, but you can also stop by here on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for happy hour (5–7pm), which includes steeply discounted $10 cocktails and bar bites. Walk-ins, bottle service (for parties larger than 6) and reservations with minimum spend. 

There are surprisingly few rooftop bars on the Westside, which makes the rooftop bar at Hotel Erwin a highly sought-after destination at sunset—and yes, that means rubbing shoulders with Venice’s many tech bros, the boardwalk tourist crowd and anyone else west of Lincoln Boulevard in search of a view. Even if you’re staying at the hotel, be sure to make a reservation; there’s nothing like a multi-hued sunset over the Pacific with a cocktail in hand to get Angelenos buzzing. A newly refreshed all-day food menu includes crowd-pleasers like grain bowls, fish tacos and flatbreads, and there’s even a strawberry creme brulée for dessert. On the drinks side of the equation, breezy drinks like the Sunset Sour (vodka, blood orange, lemon, bitters) and the Surf’s Up (jalapeño tequila, passionfruit, tajin) evoke an endless Southern California summer. Reservations and walk-ins.

There’s a party happening at the intersection of La Cienega and Melrose—and while everyone is invited, not everyone may feel like they fit in with the try-hard, young-or-wish-they-were-still-young crowd. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for E.P. & L.P. in your rooftop bar lineup, however; the venue feels far more accessible at happy hour, the views are always amazing and L.P.’s central location makes it a great halfway point for meetups with friends. For similar vibes a bit to the east, head to new sibling Grandmasters Recorders in Hollywood, though you’ll have an in-your-face view of the AIDS Health Foundation’s “Sick of STDs?” billboard. Walk-ins only.

Named after a Mojave wildflower, Desert 5 Spot is a Tinseltown simulacrum of a roadside country saloon, complete with blinking pseudo-broken neon sign, that happens to be Hollywood’s least douchey new rooftop bar. Unlike sibling Bar Lis around the corner (the polar opposite in every way), the bar draws a casually dressed, youngish crowd full of folks happy to unironically don a cowboy hat. The bar’s kitschy aura and weekday-only happy hour (6–8pm) with $10 cocktails contributes to Desert 5’s appeal as a casual rooftop destination, but the still-quite-flashy aesthetic and breathtaking views make the bar are just as enticing for out-of-towners and outings where you want to impress. Walk-ins only.

While technically more of a second-floor restaurant than a rooftop bar, that’s still not enough of a reason to keep this building-sized slice of Mexico City off this list. Head past all the palms, yuccas and cacti to the covered bar area of this gorgeous, indoor-outdoor space in the Arts District, or opt for their stunning open-air bar at the center of the action. On hand are plenty of delicious, snackable bar bites, including tacos and sopas, plus a wonderfully ginger-y penicillin and Cha Cha Chá’s ultra-popular strawberry milk punch. Our go-to? A few sips of paradise from the cachaça, rhum and mandarin Jarritos-based painkiller. Bar seating walk-ins only, restaurant accepts reservations.

The upscale Mediterranean food might be mediocre, but the Goop-on-steroids aesthetic and breezy, fairly pricey cocktails keep this impeccably designed rooftop oasis top of mind whenever we’re drinking on the Westside. Located a few blocks from the Pacific, Calabra’s lounge seating and hidden poolside alcoves are the perfect place to impress folks coming in from out of town. The views from this seventh-floor hotel lounge don’t include the Santa Monica Pier, however, but the extremely chic elements of Calabra itself, fashionably dressed clientele included, provide more than enough eye candy to make up for it. Reservations strongly recommended.

Across the street from Culver City’s Platform mall, this low-key poolside spot at the Shay Hotel offers breezy cocktails and generally decent—we wouldn’t exactly say great—California-inspired fare. Cocktails run on the lighter side in terms of booze content, and the food isn’t the best in town, but this quieter rooftop restaurant and bar still lets you watch killer sunsets without the tryhard clientele further west in Santa Monica and Venice or the crowds that flock every weekend to Downtown L.A. and Hollywood. Reservations and walk-ins.

Wraparound views of the hills, poolside DJs and bottle service ensure the party never stops at this nightlife-oriented Hollywood rooftop bar. Located atop the Dream Hotel, you’ll find both evening and afternoon events here every weekend in the summer (full calendar here), including an ultra-popular Sunday afternoon day club, featuring the kind of freewheeling crowd that’s always down for another shot. If you’re in the mood for a less-booze-fueled experience, stop in for brunch or dinner at the Grill—the Highlight Room’s black-and-white checkered dining room with the Hollywood Sign as the backdrop. Bottle service, reservations and walk-ins.

This glitzy West Hollywood hotel rooftop bar offers stunning views of more than one kind of star. Like nearby Saddle Ranch on the Sunset Strip, Harriet’s is known for its magnetic ability to attract celebrities and influencers. Compared to other rooftop bars on this list, you’ll find a more club-like atmosphere here most nights of the week, plus pricey bar bites, standard cocktails and flashy bottle service. Sure, Harriet’s cocktails are a little watered down for how much they cost, but don’t the views just take your breath away? Bottle service, reservations and walk-ins.

This West Hollywood hotel hotspot isn’t a rooftop in the conventional sense (it’s situated at about ground level, but high up on a hill), but the beautiful city views and nightlife cred make it a worthwhile destination for a wild night on the town. While Skybar is one of the rare poolside bars where people really do jump in after a long night of cocktails, you’ll typically find a more relaxed crowd lounging within its cabana, which also hosts one of its bars. The all-ages clientele ranges from wide-eyed ingénues to grizzled old sugardaddy types, but no matter where you fall on the spectrum, the Mexican-style oasis of flowering walls and gorgeous nooks will win you over—especially with one of their passion fruit margaritas in hand. Our tip: Get there early, because nightly programming like DJ sets and pool parties make this one of the hottest spots to be, especially in the summer. Bottle service, reservations and walk-ins.

Alright, Ballast Point isn’t technically a rooftop bar, but this Long Beach brewery still offers stunning sunset views from its two-story space right on the water. Head upstairs for the best seats in the house, throw in the straightforward food menu and a couple of fire pits and Ballast Point easily wins the title for brewery with the best views in L.A. County. If you’re looking for ordering recommendations, we like the Baja fish tacos, Filipino-inspired pork ribs and garlic fries, and you can’t go wrong with Ballast Point’s chicken wings and fish and chips. Walk-ins for parties of 9 or fewer.

This newer hotel rooftop is Mid-Wilshire’s first, and only, rooftop bar. While the California cuisine is downright forgettable, the drinks here are well-made—they come from the same minds behind West Hollywood’s Employees Only. Think a savory-sweet espresso martini with Parmesan cheese shaved on top, or a delightful shiso-spiked green cocktail served in a chic coupe glass. What Videre does have going for it, however, are glittering eighth floor views of the hills, without all the pomp and circumstance of Beverly Hills or the drunken Hollywood crowds. Walk-ins and reservations.

Perched 73 floors above Downtown in a luxury hotel, Spire 73 claims the title of tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere. What does this mean for you? Little to no protection from the weather, so bring a jacket to this sky-high lounge or face high-altitude wind chill like no other. Spire 73 is by reservation only, with a $60 per person spending minimum, which automatically demotes it to “tourist trap” in our eyes, but if you must go, you’ll find fire pits, classic cocktails and swanky lounge seats as you peer down on the rest of us mere mortals. What you won’t see much of is the recognizable Downtown L.A. skyline—since you’re literally part of it. Reservation only.