The best rooftop bars in Miami for amazing views

This Brickell hotspot can have a line out the door on weekend nights and Friday happy hour. Brave that line and you’ll be rewarded with 360-views of the city (40 floors up!), pricey (but tasty) cocktails and a swank crowd. Snag a reservation for a guaranteed table, especially if you think you may want to have some food. Sugar is no average night out.

Watr owns its stunning view of the ocean with a Peruvian-Japanese menu and a bar decked in reclaimed wood. The soundtrack is more akin to breaking waves than the usual club bangers you hear in these parts. There’s just something about the laidback vibe of this place that makes us feel like we’re in a spa with frosé on tap—and that ain’t a bad thing.

Serena injects a forgotten strip of South Beach with the vibrancy and energy of Mexico City. It’s pink and lush and worlds away from the Art Deco facades surrounding it, but still holds onto some of the city’s tropical essence. Sunsets up here are magical, even more so with a margarita in hand and the blooming bougainvillea bushes in your purview. At night, linger under the twinkling bistro lights while the DJ spins. If you’re wondering, the very Instagrammable neon sign reads “last one and we’re leaving.” Do snap a photo, but don’t make it your mantra—Serena will make you want to stay awhile.

Area 31’s 16th-floor lounge may not technically be on the roof, but its view of Downtown is hard to beat. A photo op here is one you'll be tempted to caption with “I live where you vacation,” but don't be that guy. The crowd is a nice mix of young professionals and business types looking to ascend from the chaos of street-level Brickell. Save a few bucks on Thursdays and Fridays, when Area 31 offers discounted drinks and bites from 5–7pm, plus a live DJ to set the happy hour vibe.

Go for the sangria at this beautiful, understated escape on the roof deck of the newly minted Esmé Hotel on bustling Española Way. While the pool deck is reserved for hotel guests only, the laid-back scene at The Roof bar is open to all and perfect for taking in a lazy afternoon paired with lighter fare from the all-day menu. You know a place a cool when they serve cocktails by the jug, and The Roof has lots to choose from, including a pitcher of Aperitif Spritz for $65, because yes we will.

The widespread rooftop terrace at the Lincoln Eatery food hall combines plenty of shade, rattan lounge furniture, hookah and chilled-out house music for a more laidback vibe in the heart of SoBe. An ideal spot to kick off a night with a larger group, Sky Yard has the added benefit of easy access to a range of eclectic dining options, from steakhouse fare to Asian dishes to Latin food.

Inspired by the lively lounges of Mykonos, Astra brings a rooftop bar to a still-developing chunk of Wynwood. The place is pretty huge at 10,000-square-feet and offers proper tables for dinner or more casual seating options for sipping and relaxing. Expect Greek, both on the seafood-heavy menu and behind the bar with mastika and ouzo. There are no tall buildings blocking the view at Astra, so you can really see all the way to the Downtown skyline.

Located at the rooftop of the dual-branded AC Hotel Miami Brickell by Marriott and Element by Westin, Rosa Sky delivers the moody lounge vibes you’d expect from the area, with a sleek, modern design, low-slung seating and loads of LED lighting choreographed to a lit program of live DJs. Enjoy the glittering Downtown and Brickell views with your naked eye, or place your peepers into the rooftop’s heavy-duty binoculars for an up-close look at all the action—just be beware what, or who, you might stumble across!

Buildings are rarely taller than three or four floors in Little Havana, which makes the views at the neighborhood’s first open-air, elevated bar and restaurant even more special. Perched atop the equally adorable Life House hotel, Terras loads on the charm with lush greenery, oversize umbrellas and comfy couch set-ups scattered about its retro-tiled and bistro light-lined digs. There’s also an herb garden up top where all kinds of veggies and herbs are grown and plucked to flavor cocktails and for the many plant-based dishes on the menu.

With fewer options to choose from the farther north you go, the Citadel food hall in Little River is a worthy addition to Miami’s rooftop scene. A bustling happy hour and long, south-facing views of Design District, Wynwood, Downtown and beyond set this rooftop apart. The Citadel rooftop features plenty of shaded seating in a family-friendly atmosphere where you can also order table service from any of the many yummy food stalls downstairs.

Vista lives in the charming Upper Buena Vista retail complex and serves some really tasty food that leans toward rustic Italian cuisine. If you can snag a table on the rooftop deck, you absolutely should. It’s on the smaller side, but it’s a rooftop bar nonetheless and where you want to be on a breezy, sun-filled afternoon. Time it right and you could be sipping $8 mules at happy hour (4 to 7pm), watching the sun set.

Highbar, a 1970s-themed playground at the DREAM Hotel, is centered around an infinity pool and has what you need to transition from day drinking to nighttime revelry: a DJ dropping beats, bottle service and private cabanas. It’s also just a quick walk from the beach. As for partying in your bikini? Hey, it happens.