Melbourne is a pretty beautiful backdrop, and on days when the sun is shining, there is nothing quite like sippin’ on a drink up on a rooftop bar.
Whether you’re in the burbs or the city, after tinnies or a cigar and a martini, a rooftop is waiting for you.
Naked in the Sky
Fitzroy
It’s impossible to start a list of the best rooftop bars in Melbourne without including Naked in the Sky. This is where you bring your friends and family visiting Melbourne, and it’s guaranteed that they’ll be impressed. Naked in the Sky is the rooftop bar and Spanish tapas-style eatery above Naked for Satan on Brunswick Street, and it has arguably the best panoramic view of the Melbourne skyline. It’s always a fun vibe up there, with music pumping and proper Melbourne fashion in full swing; it’s a great place to people-watch, have a boogie and drink a spritz.
Rooftop at QT
CBD
Head for higher ground at QT’s newly opened rooftop bar, serving bold, playful cocktails and Mediterranean bites. Stepping out to unparalleled cityscape surrounds, guests will be eye-to-eye with Melbourne’s iconic skyline. Sip signature cocktails like the Son of Man with clarified apple and lime, and bite into a snapper cannoli with BBQ jalapeno, all while enjoying a curated playlist from QT’s Music Curator. Daytime is chill, easy and feel-good – perfect for a sun-soaked rooftop. The tempo kicks a notch up as the sun goes down with a revolving line-up of late-night DJs.
Rooftop Bar
Swanston Street
Another iconic Melbourne rooftop, Rooftop Bar, is located on the seventh floor of Swanston Street’s Curtain House; chances are, you’ll have to take the stairs. It’s worth it for the view, trust us. Smack bang in the middle of the CBD, Rooftop Bar has an incredible view of the cityscape and is always bustling with very cool people who are there for a pop-up cinema night, happy hour specials, or just some snacks and drinks with friends. The beauty of Curtain House is there are so many venues, all in one place. If you get hungry for Mexican food, you can go down a single flight of stairs and end up in Mesa Verde, an incredible Mexican restaurant, or go downstairs to Toff in Town for some live music and a late-night boogie. This is the place to be in the CBD in summer.
Johnny’s Green Room
Carlton
A rooftop bar is exactly what you need in the land of Aperol Spritzes – otherwise known as Lygon Street. Johnny’s Green Room sits above beloved gelateria Pidapipo and offers fantastic views over leafy Carlton and the CBD, delish Italian bites, spritz specials for days and Italo disco tunes on repeat. It’s got a more relaxed and refined vibe, so it’s the perfect spot for an afternoon spritz. Aperitivo hour, come at us.
Good Heavens
Bourke Street
Good Heavens sits above Fancy Hanks on Bourke Street and is the best place to stop off for a cocktail after work in the sunshine. This rooftop is Palm Springs-inspired, so expect to find Mai Tais and Pina Coladas on the menu and every staff member wearing a Tiki shirt. It’s always sunny at Good Heavens, and on really hot, sweltering days, they turn on their misting fans, which is just the cherry on top.
Loop Roof
Meyers Place
Loop Roof is set within the hospo hub of Meyers Place, abuzz with restaurants, takeaway joints and cocktail bars in a little laneway just off Bourke Street. Loop Roof acts as versatile art, film and drinking hub downstairs, while upstairs on the roof, it’s all about deliciously simple drinks, fairy lights, sunshine and a view over Melbourne City’s highrises.
Marquis of Lorne
Collingwood
Marquis of Lorne has a lot to offer, but one of its best assets is its rooftop bar. The three-level hotel has stood on its corner for over 150 years, serving delicious food and a great range of wines, pints and cocktails, whether by the fire on a Winter’s night or on the sunny rooftop for a Pina Colada during summer. They also do $5 tinnies on Sundays, which never goes to waste.
Siglo
Spring Street
If cigars, jazz music and martinis are your flavours, then Siglo is the rooftop for you. Sitting above the Melbourne Supper Club on Spring Street, it’s one of the few spots in Melbourne that has its own cigar menu. It’s also a beautiful place to sit; looking out directly over Parliament House, you feel you could be in Europe somewhere. It’s a great place to meet before a show, for an after-dinner beverage, a glamorous date or a solo drink.
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