NYC's 14 best rooftop restaurants

Finally open again after a two year pause, Manhatta’s downtown views from 60 stories up in the air are as lovely as ever. Its prices have also (for the time being, at least!) dropped. Even at a few bucks under $100, its previous prix fixe menu seemed under market for the place’s fine dining proclivities. But now you can get à la carte items like chips with crème fraiche for $8, oysters for $30 a dozen, lobster rolls ($24), fried chicken ($26) and burgers ($30). Manhatta also just appointed a new executive chef, which portends another menu update in the near future. 

Many of the seats inside Bar Blondeau, located on the Wythe Hotel's sixth floor, have lovely skyline views, and the terrace is open during nicer weather, too. Food includes Japanese fried chicken, bacalao fritters, Wagyu beef tongue sandos, steak frites au poivre and raclette. The long drink list has all the beer, wine, cocktails and frozens you desire, plus more non-alcoholic options than you'll typicially see elsewhere. 

This is the one you don’t want anybody to know about. It isn’t too expensive as these things go, the drinks are strong and expertly prepared (even the frozen margaritas, which isn’t always a given) and—at just two flights up—the view of lower Manhattan is a dazzler. Try not to lean too far into the people seated in the picture window banquettes when you snap that shot, and add the arroz con queso to every order. 

Daintree opened on the top floor of midtown’s Hotel Hendricks last summer. The lovely viewstaurant has room for 180 inside and 70 more on terrace, all in view of the Manhattan skyline and a closeup snap of the Empire State Building. A dedicated martini menu leads its drink list and oysters, steak katsu sliders and lobster rolls are available to snack. 

Saga, near the top of 70 Pine Street's Art Deco dazzler, is very beautiful, very distinctive and very expensive. Its hours-long, multicourse tasting menu is $295 per person, which you must pay in advance. That is before tax, tip and drinks. But, for the most special occasions (or if you're just rich!!), it holds a unique, refreshing space among NYC's fine dining destinations, with menu items that might include five regally-plated fluke presentations, caviar, dry-aged duck and a kicky candy dish. It also has some of the best NYC views that money can buy, making it a particuarly good choice when photographic evidence is part of the value.

Rooftop happy hours are a rarity, but East Hae updates its specials frequently, and Korean fried chicken wings, shrimp burgers, noodle and rice dishes are always on the menu. There’s a bar right up on the roof so you can get your liquor quicker, and the space is illuminated by golden hour rays while they last, and string lights ‘til close.

Once you exit the elevator onto the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel, Electric Lemon is beautiful inside and out. Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the dining room stage whisper about the view outside, but the beautiful landscape, especially of the Hudson River to the west, doesn’t really announce itself until you step out onto the sprawling terrace. Almost every inch of the place is photogenic, with water features, carefully considered lighting, and art throughout. Selections from the brief wine, beer and cocktail menu aren't bad either, and a nice Sancerre paired with chilled oysters will make you feel like the king of the gym. 

A lot of NYC rooftop spots boast metropolitan tableaus of some of Manhattan's most famous skyscrapers. The Rooftop at The Rockaway Hotel has something different to offer: a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Take in the sand and surf with raw bar options, small plates, salads, sandwiches and beer, wine and novel cocktails. 

One of NYC’s shape-shiftiest rooftop spots, Serra by Birreria changes with the seasons. This round’s iteration aims to capture the aesthetic of the Italian countryside across verdant the space and plates. Limoncello-inspired cocktails take flavors from fresh produce and the food menu features many ingredients from the Union Square Greenmarket.

Sushi Lab is the cherry on top of the Sanctuary Hotel. Its $60 omakase includes 10 nigiri selections and a piece of Wagyu. A $100 “lab experiment” option includes 15 courses. À la carte items and a variety of boozy beverages are also available for dining in or take-out. 

Yes, the RH stands for Restoration Hardware, the spendy furniture store. And a long, long time ago this type of retail restaurant was viewed askew. But now it seems like every seller’s in the game, and RH Rooftop is a particularly good page in the catalog. Its showroom-topping restaurant is lined with greenery, and tables are topped with avocado toast, Caesar salads and ribeye steak at brunch, lunch and dinner. Rosé is, as you might expect, all day. 

You want a candid of you and the Chrysler building in the still-recognizable distance, and you’re gonna get a candid of you and the Chrysler building in the still-recognizable distance! There’s even a cocktail named for the occasion, along with a half-dozen “martinis,” two each of low and no-ABV options, and plenty more vaguely Midtown-themed libations. Sweet and savory plates like Benedict takes and blueberry pancakes are available at brunch, and small plates include steak tartare, satay, sliders, and cheese and charcuterie boards for ascending groups. 

Seasonally operated, The Greens at Pier 17 is open for the 2022 season. Like Alma, this is a much lower rooftop than many in the genre, but its skyline, bridge and water views rank it above many restaurants that tower above it. "Deposit" fees for reservations on a slice of green go up to $50 depending on the time and are not applied to the bill, but “a portion” benefits a different charity each month. The menu includes salads, sandwiches and burgers, but the real appeal is the setting. 

Getting everyone to agree on what to eat in less than a few taps in the group chat can be a challenge. That’s what Ainslie’s casual roof deck is for. It has pizza, it has pasta, it has eggs many ways, it has meat for many palates and it has a few salads. It also has another blast from the past: all-you-can-drink brunch on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm.