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

Rare View at Fashion 26 Hotel

• Price band: 2/4

This spot draws an after-work crowd with DJs and dancing every night. This location atop Chelsea’s Hilton Fashion District Hotel boasts a retractable roof for all-weather viewing of the Empire State Building. Mon–Fri 4:30pm–1am; Sat 2pm–1am; Sun 2pm–1am. 212-807-7273, rarebarandgrill.com.

The Rock Shop

• Price band: 1/4

This bi-level Park Slope bar is best known for concerts—hence the name—but the hidden gem is the roof deck, a welcome respite from the overpriced elevated perches you’ll find throughout Manhattan. The no-frills space, which has views of such landmarks as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and One World Trade Center, attracts a laid-back crowd. Friendly bartenders chat up the regulars and pour local brews like Brooklyn Summer Ale ($6), as well as daily happy-hour specials ($4 Stoli drinks on Wednesdays, $6 beer-and-a-shot combos on Fridays).

Salon de Ning

• Price band: 4/4

You’ll find well-heeled types at this refined, Asian-inspired roof bar—and prices to match—but that does afford one elbow room at a table plus views of Fifth Avenue. To make a day of it, hold out for the three-course prix-fixe summer brunch menu ($45) on Sundays, then take your Bloody Mary buzz to one of the Chinese daybeds.

Sky Room

• Price band: 2/4

This open-air destination is way up on the 33rd and 34th floors of the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Times Square. The 7,500-square-foot lounge takes inspiration from its location; check out the ceiling’s LED lighting display, which mimics the blaze of Times Square; you can compare it with the real deal from the north terrace. Or lounge in the south terrace, where you’ll find cabanas and illuminated furniture and floor tiles. No matter where you end up, enjoy the aptly named Mile-High cocktail ($15), with Bombay Sapphire gin, peach liqueur, Chambord and prosecco.

Top of the Strand

• Price band: 4/4

The Strand Hotel’s 21st-floor drinkery boasts an uninterrupted sight line of the towering Empire State Building and first-come, first-served benches that offer a front-row seat. Don’t let the imposing main attraction blind you to the rest of the skyline—to your left is the lit-up crown of the Setai at 400 Fifth Avenue, and over to your right is the illuminated double-fin roof of the Epic. The price of admission for this light show? Specialty cocktails are $15 and bottles of beer $9. If you’re rolling deep, reserve a cabana (e-mail ddunn@thestrandnyc.com) and don’t worry about the weather, a retractable glass roof ensures a warm viewing platform safe from the elements.

230 Fifth

• Price band: 2/4

It’ll take you a while to get into 230 Fifth's massive rooftop garden and bar—not because of the door policy (it’s surprisingly lenient, just don’t dress for the Jersey Shore), but because of its popularity. Despite this, you’ve got a good chance of bagging a seat on one of the many wooden benches under yellow-and-white canopies. You could stare at the Empire State, MetLife and Chrysler Buildings, but you may find your eyes drawn to the hordes of prowling hotties instead.

Upstairs

• Price band: 2/4

This 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar on the 30th floor of the Kimberly Hotel features ivy-covered walls, old-fashioned globe street lamps and a retractable roof that makes it possible to enjoy the 360-degree views year-round. It’s best experienced at night, when the web of lightbulbs above the terrace gives a sparkling ambiance in which to appreciate the view of the Chrysler Building. In addition to signature cocktails ($18), drinkers can choose from a selection of bottled beer and wines. Booze-friendly foods include grilled calamari ($16) and crispy baby artichokes ($15).

Vu Bar

Among the swanky midtown rooftop set, Vu Bar (formerly Mé Bar) is a refreshing oddity, serving reasonably priced drinks on a plain patio above the La Quinta hotel with no doorman to negotiate. There’s no wide-open vista here, but the Empire State Building towering above you certainly makes an impression. Mon–Thu, Sun 5pm–1am; Fri, Sat 5pm–2am. Open year-round. 212-991-8842, vunyc.com