Bars with the best view

This super-smart hotel also features a suitably sexy roof terrace from which to gaze out over the rooftops of Zurich. Best enjoyed accompanied by one of their classic cocktails.

Lakeside views don’t come much better than at Alex, a luxurious hotel in an enviable position. Pick something from the dizzyingly large wine list and soak up the setting.

This buzzing beer garden and restaurant offers all manner of superb views from its terrace on the banks of the Limmat river  – take your pick from Lake Zurich, the Old Town and even the Alps in the distance. 

Terrasse, as you might expect, has one of Zurich’s loveliest garden terraces, where you’ll feel you’ve escaped the city and found a little slice of green and pleasant heaven. The food and wine are also excellent, which is a pretty great bonus.

Thanks to its location on the fifth floor of Haus Ober, above the casino, the restaurant-cum-bar enjoys enviable views over Zurich’s rooftops. 

Divided into a mixed and women-only swimming area during the day, Seebad Enge turns into a bar and live music venue after 7pm. Watch out for some of the city’s finest acoustic concerts during the summer months.

Hotel Helvetia’s rooftop bar is decadent Zurich summertime at its best. It may be small, but its views over the leafy inner city are a big payback.

During the day it’s women-only in this Badi right next to Zurich’s town hall, but in the evening the location turns into the 'Barfussbar' with weekly concerts and cultural events. Be careful not to fall into the pool when dancing the night away under the stars.

Seerose is Zurich’s answer to Saint Tropez. Suspended above Lake Zurich, its wooden terrace complete with pristine white lounge furniture mimics the deck of a luxurious yacht. 

Formerly known as Sky Bar in the Eden au Lac hotel, this impressive bar is now La Muña and the hotel that houses it has been renamed La Réserve Eden au Lac after an extensive refurb. Thankfully, La Muña can still lay claim to being one of the most stylish rooftop bars around thanks to its panoramic city views from six floors up.

This listed building by the Lindenhof on the banks of the Limmat is partially hidden beneath the shade of several linden trees. It’s a great no-frills place to go in summer and autumn, thanks to a terrace with marvellous waterside views.

Built to resemble a 19th century ‘washing boat’, this bar-café is a lovely spot to go for a drink, a light lunch or an apéro as the sun goes down. In summer the rooftop terrace is a great spot to linger, soaking up the sun with the sound of water lapping at the side of the boat. 

The main reason to visit this rather slick bar is, as you might guess, its rooftop, where you’ll find good cocktails, a varied food menu and regular DJ sets that continue into the small hours.

Set within ever-popular Bains des Pâquis, this casual venue is a great place to hang out in the sun right next to the lake, whether for coffee, drinks or a light bite. 

Within spitting distance of the jet d’eau and the Jardin Anglais, the five star Swissôtel Métropole doesn’t shirk on great views across Lake Geneva.

Located in the five-star surroundings of Grand Hotel Kempinski, Stage 22 is a rooftop bar that offers panoramic views across the city and classy cocktails – what’s not to love?

Ready for some glorious sky-high views? Head to the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa, where you’ll find Sky Lounge, a cool and contemporary bar with excellent views across the city, Lake Geneva and the Alps in the distance.

The Sky Terrace bar perches atop the Schweizerhof Bern with delightful 360-degree views over the city’s UNESCO World Heritage old town. 

On a sunny day, this charming venue in what’s surely Bern’s most beautiful park is the perfect place to relax and drink in views of the UNESCO rooftops – and those rooftops look even better at sunset.

Tucked within the steeply raked Lavaux vineyards between Lausanne and Montreux, Le Deck enjoys an impossibly scenic position overlooking Lake Geneva and the mountains.