Rooftop bars in NYC: visit the city’s best elevated bars

Hudson Terrace

• Price band: 2/4

Uninterrupted views of the Hudson, cabanas, food from the grill and AC to fight the humidity put this plush deck with a retractable cover in the upper echelons of Manhattan’s high-class roof bars. Check its website for updates on programming—last year featured a visiting brewery every Friday—or start the season early with DJs and bottle service on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Ides at the Wythe Hotel

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

This outdoor terrace bar on the Wythe Hotel’s sixth floor affords sweeping views of the East River and Manhattan, and it’s an ideal vantage point for watching summer sunsets while lingering over a Professor Fritz Briem tall boy ($16) or a quaff made from local small-batch spirits. Sure, the crowd comprises mostly globe-trotting cool kids from outside the five boroughs, but consider that another avenue to finding a guilt-free summer fling.

Juliette

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

When you tire of Williamsburg’s dive bars, head up the stairs of this French bistro for a glass of vin on the wooden terrace that’s dotted with trees. The roof deck is now more conducive to drinkers: The same menu is offered as in the restaurant below, and DJs are occasionally spinning.

La Piscine at the Americano

Sufferers of vertigo beware: Access to Hôtel Americano’s rooftop pool bar on the 10th floor is by an external glass elevator. Those who brave that ride, however, get to appreciate a view of Chelsea—including the High Line—while sipping specialty cocktails. Keep cool by dipping your toes in the four-feet-deep pool. Keep an eye on the website for announcements about live music and deejayed parties in the summer. Mon–Thu 6pm–midnight, Fri–Sun noon–midnight. 212-525-0000, hotel-americano.com

La Birreria

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

High atop the culinary wonderland of Eataly sits this 8,000-square-foot beer spot, a collaborative effort between lead brewer Peter Hepp Jr., Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione, and two Italian brewmasters, Teo Musso (Baladin) and Leonardo Di Vincenzo (Birra Del Borgo). Belly up to the bar and try one of the three house brews—two year-round offerings, and one seasonal—such as Patrizia ($10), an American dry stout brewed with Wellfleet oysters. Take your pint to one of the tables in the 15th-floor space overlooking midtown.

Le Bain

• Price band: 2/4

Getting past the doorman can be tough work at the rooftop bar of the still-trendy Standard Hotel, but your trials will be rewarded with stunning views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan. The bi-level boîte boasts an artificial-turfed alfresco bar with garden chairs and large, round pouf ottomans that can easily accommodate upward of three reclining friends. Don’t just bypass the lower-level room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a Jacuzzi—it plays host to appropriately hip parties with top-notch DJs, like the weekly Nouveau York bash (Sun 9pm–3am; free).

Lounge at Pod 39 Hotel

In balmy weather, midtown partygoers and backpack-lugging budget travelers alike can be found atop this Murray Hill hotel. Red brick and lofty arches lend Spanish flair to the outdoor terrace, which boasts spectacular views of the Empire State Building. Bar nibbles from April Bloomfield’s Salvation Taco, such as gazpacho ($8) or chips and fresh guac ($11), are also available. Sip a Salvation Margarita ($13), a mix of Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila, fresh lime juice and Combier triple sec, rimmed with a zingy guajillo chili salt; or opt for a Devil’s Plaything ($8), a citrusy IPA produced exclusively for the eatery by Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.

mad46 rooftop lounge

Atop the 19th floor of the Roosevelt Hotel, you’ll find the usual luxe environs with cabanas reserved for bottle service (upon request) and a spectacular vista of midtown buildings. Watch for the return of the summer movie series, that pairs crowd-pleasing movies with drinks specials. Apr–May Wed–Fri 5–10pm; May–Oct Mon–Sat 5pm–midnight. 212-885-6095, mad46.com

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden Café

• Price band: 2/4

The Met’s roof-bar-cum-gallery offers some of the city’s best views of Central Park. But you’re not there just to peek over the side: This year’s installation is by Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, who covered the roof in large swaths of red paint—some of it used to depict foliage, some applied as messy splotches. A selection of this year’s cocktails are informed by the artist’s home country: Try the gola ganda ($6–$14), a traditional Pakistani shaved-ice concoction, with your choice of rosewater, mango or pomegranate syrup. (You can request a shot of vodka for an added kick.)

Night of Joy

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

You’ll find this eclectic Williamsburg watering hole on an unassuming corner beneath the BQE.  Make your way around the antique furniture in the dim lower-level bar and head upstairs to the buzzing rooftop patio, lined with mesh lanterns and box planters. Once you’ve settled in, peruse the handwritten list of cocktails, made using all-natural ingredients such as fresh fruit and herbs: We liked the jalapeño-and-black-currant tequila ($9); its spicy kick comes from a base of hot-pepper-infused Milagro Silver.

Penthouse808

• Price band: 2/4

Tucked under the Queensboro Bridge, this bar atop Long Island City boutique hotel the Ravel offers a stunning vista of New York’s most famous borough. Relax and enjoy the view during the day while swigging frozen drinks ($12–$14), but if you go in the evening, be prepared for a party atmosphere and bottle service.

The Press Lounge

Apropos its minimalist, modern ideal, this upscale spread’s pièce de résistance is a glowing 70-foot-long reflecting pool. Translation: Skip the flip-flops if you want to fit in with the midtown crowd that congregates here to watch the sun set after work. You won’t be disappointed with the 16th floor’s 360-degree vistas either. There’s plenty of space to lounge on the generously sized deck, and there’s also a glass-enclosed lounge where you can grab a beer or a cocktail. Mon, Tue 5pm–1am; Wed, Thu 5pm–2am; Fri, Sat 5pm–3am; Sun 5pm–midnight. Open year-round. 212-757-2224, pressloungenyc.com

Plunge

• Price band: 4/4

Satisfy yourself with the excellent views of the Meatpacking District at this rooftop lounge at the Gansevoort. Unless you want to flash the cash for bottle service or cram into the back garden on the bumping weekend evenings, we recommend going midweek to enjoy the vista in peace while nursing a $15 cocktail.