In West Hollywood, sprawling rooftop restaurant Sushi Samba offers multi-tiered seating across its main floor, standalone bar and chef’s counter overlooking the grill.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
49 of the best rooftop restaurants and bars to soak in city views
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Nothing beats a view of Los Angeles from above. Peer downtown and you’ll spy City Hall and the US Bank Tower. Head toward Hollywood and you’ll glimpse its rolling, mansion-dotted hills and its eponymous sign tucked between them. Keep going west and you’ll eventually spot the Pacific coastline with its jutting piers, foaming shores and jagged cliffs. And there are countless more neighborhoods between those horizons that boast their own spectacles.
As for where to soak in the sights, you have a slew of options. There’s the reward of hiking to the top of a trail, but with summer at its height, L.A.’s rooftop restaurants and bars prove more tempting, offering incomparable vistas alongside sparkling pools, creative cocktails, prime people-watching and memorable meals.
In Long Beach, you can peer out over the nearby harbor and glimpse the Queen Mary from the highest rooftop in the city. A celebrated global chain landed in a sprawling West Hollywood space, serving sushi, tiraditos and robata-grilled skewers alongside refreshing cocktails. Above a listening bar in Venice is a hidden rooftop speakeasy that’s quietly become a destination for female-produced regenerative spirits and wines.
We get a little loose with the definition of rooftop for this guide, including a multilevel terrace and pool in Silver Lake and a farm-to-table restaurant at the start of Malibu Pier, but we promise you’ll be grateful for these liberties once you take in the panoramas. Some are perfect for a dinner date, while others are great for catching up with friends over drinks and a few are best suited for dancing after dark. Here are 49 of the best rooftop restaurants and bars, overlooking Disneyland resort, Laguna Beach, downtown L.A., Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice and beyond, ranked by height. — Danielle Dorsey
Showing Place Places
Spire 73
Downtown L.A. Californian $$$
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
There’s a shift in perception that occurs in the way you view Los Angeles, and even your place on this Earth, when you are 73 floors up on the rooftop lounge of the tallest building west of the Mississippi. For one, airplanes seem really, really close. Few other places in the city offer views over the tops of L.A.’s iconic skyscrapers and actually make you feel as if you are scraping the sky from the 1,100-foot (counting the spire) Wilshire Grand Center.
One thing: The menu at Spire 73 is weighted toward snacky shared plates rather than serious cuisine. (For fine dining with a non-rooftop view, head down two flights for the hotel’s La Boucherie steak and seafood house on the 71st floor.)
Spire 73’s “mixologist-inspired” (versus mixologist-made?) cocktails run $25 to $27 and go down easy as you watch the glow of the sun setting across the city.
The most fun dish was Spire 73’s rooftop s’mores. Yes, the Graham cracker could have been better, but it’s a not a bad night out when you can set a marshmallow aflame campfire style on a Sterno-flamed mini-grill as the stars twinkle above, the city’s lights flicker below and your fellow diners pose for selfies.
One thing: The menu at Spire 73 is weighted toward snacky shared plates rather than serious cuisine. (For fine dining with a non-rooftop view, head down two flights for the hotel’s La Boucherie steak and seafood house on the 71st floor.)
Spire 73’s “mixologist-inspired” (versus mixologist-made?) cocktails run $25 to $27 and go down easy as you watch the glow of the sun setting across the city.
The most fun dish was Spire 73’s rooftop s’mores. Yes, the Graham cracker could have been better, but it’s a not a bad night out when you can set a marshmallow aflame campfire style on a Sterno-flamed mini-grill as the stars twinkle above, the city’s lights flicker below and your fellow diners pose for selfies.
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La Lo La Rooftop
Downtown L.A. Tapas Cocktails $$
(Shawn Scott)
Located on the 34th floor of the AC Hotel, just across the street from Crypto.com Arena and the L.A. Convention Center, La Lo La Rooftop bar is smack dab in the middle of downtown, with breathtaking, almost-360-degree views of the entirety of Los Angeles. The buzzy tapas bar is a favorite destination before or after an event at Crypto.com, with swooping string lights, bright and fruity cocktails, crowd-pleasing bites and a slate of recurring events such as weekend brunch or live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. And a tip: Check ahead of your visit to see if there are any games or events happening at Crypto.com Arena — traffic and parking can get pretty hairy in this area.
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Yamashiro
Hollywood Hills Asian $$
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Located 250 feet above Hollywood Boulevard and overlooking the Hollywood Hills, downtown skyline and Pacific coastline, Yamashiro isn’t technically a rooftop, but it evokes the same feeling from its multilevel, wraparound patio and historic bungalow (request a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows and you won’t miss the view). Built in 1914 as a replica of a palace in the Yamashiro Mountains near Kyoto, Japan, the grounds remain well preserved with a garden and koi pond that you’ll glimpse if you decide to stroll the expansive property before or after your meal.
The lengthy menu resembles one you might find at Cheesecake Factory, though the dishes typically fall into a modern pan-Asian category, including lobster karaage, pork bao buns, sashimi pizza and loaded cut rolls, plus steak and seafood entrees. There’s a sake list, but the cocktail menu proves more interesting with Japanese whisky and gin featured heavily throughout. Valet parking is $15, or you can try your luck along a narrow stretch of Sycamore Avenue, but prepare yourself for the uphill climb.
The lengthy menu resembles one you might find at Cheesecake Factory, though the dishes typically fall into a modern pan-Asian category, including lobster karaage, pork bao buns, sashimi pizza and loaded cut rolls, plus steak and seafood entrees. There’s a sake list, but the cocktail menu proves more interesting with Japanese whisky and gin featured heavily throughout. Valet parking is $15, or you can try your luck along a narrow stretch of Sycamore Avenue, but prepare yourself for the uphill climb.
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Hive & Honey
Irvine American $$
(Timothy Kwon / Hive & Honey)
Hive & Honey is a buzzy bar perched on the 16th floor of Marriott Irvine Spectrum. A host positioned at the elevator bay of the hotel directs the flow to the roof, where a panoramic outlook over Irvine means there isn’t a bad seat in the house, if you can get one. Reservations are recommended since this rooftop bar is popular with groups who settle in on sofas and order bottle service. Those on a date night can grab a high-top table for two to order small plates, while singles circulate with cocktails served in honey-bear bottles. A live DJ spins on weekends, and ambient-colored lighting adds to the party atmosphere. There are clear views of Irvine’s Great Park, the Irvine Spectrum and Saddleback Mountain. .
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Perch
Downtown L.A. French $$
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The brunch crowd comes out in hordes to this 15th-floor, French-inflected restaurant where you’ll be treated to live jazz and clear downtown views in addition to a la carte and prix fixe menus with hits like baked brie, crab Benedict and shrimp scampi, as well as cocktails like bloody marys, bellinis and mimosas. After you’ve filled up on pitchers of sangria, head one floor up to Perch’s 16th-floor bar to keep the party going. Pro tip: You can also order a cocktail at the rooftop bar if you failed to make a reservation and need somewhere to kill an hour while you wait for your table.
In a neighborhood full of skyscrapers, Perch’s rooftop bar feels like a garden in the city with nearly 360-degree views. With mismatched cushions lining wrought-iron benches, trees wrapped in string lights and brick fireplaces, it’s easy to lose an afternoon or evening here. Craft cocktails lean into the garden theme, like the citrusy Summer Solstice and a cucumber-basil Le Jardin.
In a neighborhood full of skyscrapers, Perch’s rooftop bar feels like a garden in the city with nearly 360-degree views. With mismatched cushions lining wrought-iron benches, trees wrapped in string lights and brick fireplaces, it’s easy to lose an afternoon or evening here. Craft cocktails lean into the garden theme, like the citrusy Summer Solstice and a cucumber-basil Le Jardin.
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Cara Cara
Downtown L.A. Californian Portuguese $$
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Gracing the 15th floor of the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel, Cara Cara serves some of the best rooftop cuisine you’ll find in the city. The restaurant from chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne offers a global menu with something for everyone, such as market-fresh pizzas topped with mint and prosciutto, tacos filled with tempura halibut or short rib barcacoa, charcuterie and large-format plates including pistachio-crusted salmon and porcini-rubbed steak. Cocktails are creative and fruity with fresh ingredients, such as a chile cucumber gimlet with Fresno pepper-infused vodka and a mezcal cocktail with beet shrub. A few spirit-free cocktails are available, as well as wines by the glass, with an emphasis on California and Spanish and Portuguese labels. The seating spills across an indoor-outdoor bar area to a covered patio to a lower level of wraparound seating with tables, couches, umbrellas and fireplaces.
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Halo
Long Beach Cocktails $$
(Fairmont Breakers Long Beach)
Just blocks from the beach on the 14th floor of the Fairmont Breakers hotel is Halo, the highest rooftop in Long Beach, with jade tiles, arched entryways and vibrant, jungle-inspired wallpaper on the interior and a sun-drenched, glass-walled terrace with views of the nearby harbor. The cocktail menu is short and sweet with playful renditions of classic drinks, like mezcal and banana bread old-fashioneds and a pisco sour garnished with Luxardo cherries. If you get hungry, you can head to Nettuno on the lobby floor for seafood-driven Italian dishes, or make a reservation for the Sky Room, a historic fine-dining restaurant just one floor down from the rooftop that first opened in 1938.
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Somewhere Special
Downtown L.A. Cocktails American $$
(Scott Strazzante/For The Times)
After a brief closure, the historic space that once housed the Ace Hotel has reopened as the Stile, with Somewhere Special, its freshly launched 14th-floor rooftop, wowing visitors with downtown L.A. views. A packed lineup of events makes it a daily destination, including live DJs spinning everything from reggaeton to emo and old-school r&b. The menu has something for everyone, such as fried green beans, a dumpling platter, chicken taquitos and a cookie trio for dessert. Refreshing house cocktails are easy to crush no matter the time of day, such as a peach margarita, a New York sour with a red wine float and a Shirley Temple spritz.
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The Roof at West Hollywood Edition
West Hollywood Mexican $$
(Nikolas Koenig)
Perched above Sunset Boulevard on the 14th floor of the West Hollywood Edition hotel, the roof here offers seating that’s sandwiched between an infinity pool and a glass-wall border with a garden hedge, giving guests sparkling views of downtown, Mid-City, Beverly Hills and much of the Westside. Should it get too breezy on the exterior, there is an indoor bar with stools and cobalt-blue couches. As it caters to model-slash-influencer-slash-podcast host-slash-producer types who are largely preoccupied with capturing photos for the ’gram, you might not see too many patrons digging into the food menu, but it’s one worth exploring, with a broad Baja Mexican theme. The short rib barbacoa nachos drenched in a melted cheese mornay sauce are a standout. There are also tacos, ceviche and guacamole, in addition to fried chicken and a house burger. The cocktail menu leans into agave spirits and refreshing, herbaceous flavors, including a banana-infused espresso martini.
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Broken Shaker
Downtown L.A. Californian $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
L.A.’s outpost of Miami’s lauded Broken Shaker bar sits on the 14th-floor rooftop of downtown’s Freehand Hotel, dotted with palm fronds, cactuses and bulb lights for a sunny vibe, and drinks and bites that match the atmosphere. The cocktail list leans tropical and fruity with options such as Breakfast in the Moonlight, with two types of rum, cinnamon, passionfruit and pineapple. The food menu offers poolside L.A.-inspired classics: coconut curry shrimp skewers, carne asada fries, jerk brown butter hummus, fried fish tacos and caramel churros.
There’s limited seating at the bar and its scant tables, but for the ultimate rooftop experience, opt for the cordoned-off pool area (even if you don’t intend to swim): Access to the pool and its lounge chairs aren’t limited to hotel guests, but it is first come, first served. A poolside happy hour runs every day from 4 to 7 p.m., with discounted cocktails, bites and a burger and beer combo for $17. Note: Kitchen hours are limited, with food served from 12 to 7 p.m. most nights of the week and from 12 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
There’s limited seating at the bar and its scant tables, but for the ultimate rooftop experience, opt for the cordoned-off pool area (even if you don’t intend to swim): Access to the pool and its lounge chairs aren’t limited to hotel guests, but it is first come, first served. A poolside happy hour runs every day from 4 to 7 p.m., with discounted cocktails, bites and a burger and beer combo for $17. Note: Kitchen hours are limited, with food served from 12 to 7 p.m. most nights of the week and from 12 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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Bar Clara
Downtown L.A. Spanish $$
(Bar Clara)
This landmark 12th-floor rooftop in a historic building — formerly the L.A. headquarters of Bank of Italy (which later became Bank of America) — is immediately recognizable for its poolside replica of the face of underworld god Orcus, based on an architectural folly in a northern Lazio, Italy, garden. Located at the far end of the pool, its gaping mouth occasionally serves as a cool-weather firepit, and its backdrop is downtown L.A.’s skyscraper horizon. Hotel Per La’s showcase dining room might be the ground-floor Per L’Ora restaurant, but the rooftop patio at Bar Clara is where you want to soak up the al fresco life, especially around sunset. The abbreviated Mediterranean-esque menu has a few bar snacks (the harissa-seasoned fries are addictive), salads (Greek, say) and mains ( prawn tacos and a crispy chicken wrap, but it’s an ideal location to start the evening with a first round or two of drinks.
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Gemma
Beverly Hills Pan Asian $$$
(Danielle Dorsey/Los Angeles Times)
On the 12th floor of the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, Gemma is a spacious new rooftop with a marble-clad bar, plush olive booths that can be optionally partitioned off with long terra-cotta drapes and expansive views of the surrounding neighborhood. The pan-Asian menu from executive chef Peleg Miron features sashimi, sushi, crispy rice topped with tuna or Wagyu, a variety of dim sum including lobster wontons and shrimp har gow, large plates such as beef stir fry and Maine lobster over Singaporean curry noodles and orange chicken, plus weekend brunch plates that make the airy rooftop an anytime destination. The cocktails lean tropical and refreshing, such as the Watermelon Mirage with rum, aloe, watermelon, mint and lime and a scorpion bowl meant for sharing with two types of rum, cognac, gin and passion fruit.
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Rooftop at the Wayfarer
Downtown L.A. Mexican Californian
(Eddie Sanchez / Hungry in L.A.)
With a shallow wading pool (complete with a floating rubber ducky), scalloped umbrellas and fire pits, the 12th-story rooftop at the Wayfarer is a convenient day-to-night destination. The all-day menu features fire-roasted esquites, a trio of taco options (beef birria quesatacos, beer-battered shrimp, slow-roasted chicken tinga) and mains such as steak frites and rigatoni alla vodka. The cocktail menu is tiki-inspired, with large-format scorpion bowls available for groups, in addition to a few frozen options and even a couple of warm cocktails for those chilly downtown nights.
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Top of the V
Anaheim Spanish $$
(Ralph Esposito / VRX Studios)
Top of the V sits on the 12th floor of the Viv hotel, reopened this past February, with a menu from executive chef Jayro Martinez that’s as much a draw as the sweeping views of Anaheim.Plush seats and dim lights set the romantic mood, with velvet curtains pushed back to reveal a bird’s-eye view of Disneyland and California Adventure. Chef Martinez borrows inspiration from Spanish cuisine with dishes like grilled octopus, paella with New Zealand prawns and a selection of steaks served with house sauces and sides such as patata bravas. Signature cocktails follow the same theme, including a carajillo and a Spanish 75 with Spanish rosemary gin. At 9:30 p.m. the lights go down so you can take in Disneyland’s fireworks show, which is when you should order the Basque cheesecake, incredibly creamy and perfectly scorched.
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Harriet's
West Hollywood Californian $$$
(Wonho Frank Lee / Harriet’s Rooftop)
On the 11th floor of 1 Hotel West Hollywood, Harriet’s looks out over the center of the city and, on a clear day, as far as the beach, with glass walls and potted plants partitioning guests without disrupting the view. There’s no pool on the rooftop, but with string lights, fringed umbrellas and green-striped booths, it feels like a place where you could easily laze away an afternoon in the sun. Cocktails help the time slip by, like citrusy Garden Party with tequila, yuzu sake, lemongrass, and grapefruit. The menu spans decorated sushi rolls, skirt steak tataki and loaded umami tater tots, with plenty of vegetarian options, including roasted shishitos and roasted soy mushroom bao buns. The dress code stipulates that crowns, tiaras and sashes are not welcome, indicating that the rooftop might also be a popular option for bachelorette and bridal parties.
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Bar Lis
Hollywood Bar Bites $$
(Michael Mundy)
On the 11th floor of the Thompson Hollywood, Bar Lis is a swanky rooftop that evokes the French Riviera with velvet jewel-toned furniture, fanning palms and framed photos of vintage Mediterranean beach scenes. The menus follow suit with mezze, Dungeness crab cakes and steak frites, plus cocktails named after the starlets who famously lounged along the Cote d’Azur, including the Bardot (tequila, watermelon, strawberry, agave, lime) and Jane Birkin (vodka, St. Germain, mint, lime, cucumber). Roaming the rooftop, you’ll encounter a fountain overflowing with foliage near the bar and a glass-walled terrace that overlooks Hollywood and its lush hills.
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Inanna Bar
Downtown L.A. Mediterranean $$
(Danielle Dorsey/Los Angeles Times)
Taking over a section of the former Cabra space on the 10th-floor rooftop of the Hoxton hotel in downtown L.A. is this Mediterranean-inflected lounge with comfortable seating and high-rise views. The compact dinner menu features crowd-pleasing items such as grilled prawns doused in a harissa butter sauce, sumac wings sticky with Aleppo honey and steak frites with roasted garlic yogurt, while drinks take a light, refreshing approach, including the Sultan’s Emerald, a gin cocktail that glows gem green with kiwi puree, Persian cucumber and dill.
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Dante
Beverly Hills Italian $$$
(Giada Paoloni/Dante)
New York-founded Dante is perched on the ninth floor of the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills. If you’re lucky enough to snag a reservation or get a seat at the bar, opt for one of Dante’s signature cocktails. A handful of martinis and negronis are available, such as a caviar martini with half an ounce of caviar and the Last Sip negroni that was developed with Italian chef Massimo Bottura. Sample martini options during the daily Martini Hour, when they’re discounted to $10 each from 3 to 5 p.m. The poolside wood-fire oven churns out an array of pizzas, in addition to pastas, a selection of steaks and Italian classics like veal Milanese. For dessert, the panna cotta served with a perfectly tart berry sauce was a memorable treat.
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Desert 5 Spot
Hollywood Bar/Nightclub $$
(Michael Mundy)
First things first — there’s no dedicated food menu at this ninth-floor rooftop. The agave-focused beverage menu, on the other hand, gets creative not just with ingredients but by naming the cocktails in honor of country hits like “Walk the Line” (with mezcal, cucumber, mint and lemon) and “Jolene” (with tequila, watermelon, strawberry, agave and lime). The decor feels like a meticulously designed, ’70s-inspired Pioneertown Airbnb, with mismatched jewel-toned furniture and cover bands crooning Fleetwood Mac hits on the indoor stage. There’s also a wraparound patio with a pool that’s open to the public every Sunday from 2 p.m. to sunset and a mechanical bull that makes special-event appearances. Desert 5 Spot hosts a lineup of regular events, including poolside movie screenings, karaoke, line dancing lessons and happy hour with discounted drinks and tacos until 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. It’s one of the better people-watching venues in Hollywood (which is truly saying something), attracting cowboys in Stetson hats, TikTok celebrities and tourists in equal measure.
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Level 8
Downtown L.A. Global Bar/Nightclub $$$
(Michael Mundy)
Head a couple dozen floors down from La Lo La Rooftop to Level 8, a labyrinthine dining and nightlife destination from Mark and Jonnie Houston (No Vacancy, Break Room 86) that’s taken over the eighth floor of the Moxy / AC Hotel across the street from Crypto.com Arena downtown. Inside, you’ll find far-ranging food and drink concepts, such as Que Barbaro, a live-fire restaurant rooted in South American cooking traditions from chef Ray Garcia and Sinners y Santos, a church-themed bar with dripping candles and stained glass, where a wrestling ring is set up on hydraulics for lucha libre matches. A few options are entirely al fresco with sweeping downtown views, including cocktail-focused Golden Hour, which offers a pool and a view beneath a rotating carousel bar.
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Poza
Beverly Hills Californian Cocktails $$$
(Danielle Dorsey/Los Angeles Times)
Tucked on the eighth floor rooftop of the L’Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel is Poza, a lowkey restaurant with power lunch potential and panoramic views across the city. The menu spans gochujang-glazed wings, a Maine lobster cobb salad with Boursin lemon-tarragon dressing, a blue fin tuna poke bowl and rotating popsicles for warding off the summer heat. Cocktails are fruity and light, including an espresso martini take with coconut cream and the non-alcoholic Love in the Clouds that combines strawberry, lychee, pink grapefruit and rosemary.
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Calabra
Santa Monica Mediterranean Californian $$
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Stepping out of the elevator into Calabra, the seventh-floor rooftop on the Santa Monica Proper hotel, you’ll catch one of the restaurant’s best views of Santa Monica Beach as you walk to the dining area. While the rooftop offers unobstructed views of the sky, the height of bordering walls and planters makes it difficult to take in the neighborhood sights. The only other places to catch a view are near the bathrooms behind the dining area or by the pool as a hotel guest. But the panoramas aren’t the only reason to visit Calabra. The Mediterranean menu beckons with an array of dips served with fresh grilled za’atar naan and phyllo-baked feta with a crispy-crunchy crust and a soft, creamy interior. Seared salmon, grilled branzino and a house burger round out the large-format options, and a labneh cheesecake with sumac cream cheese is worth saving an appetite for. Cocktails like the Golden Hour Fizz with tequila, vermouth, za’atar, citrus and saffron, embrace the beach atmosphere.
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I|O Rooftop
Hollywood Global $$
(The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood)
The seventh-floor I|O Rooftop on the Godfrey Hollywood hotel features 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including two bars, a pool with loungers and umbrellas, a glass-wall border with barstools tucked underneath and palm trees that reinforce your place in the sky. Standard rooftop bites such as chicken wings, guacamole and chips and a house burger are on offer, in addition to a trio of pizzas and brûléed cheesecake for dessert. A selection of wines by the glass and beer is available, but it’s hard to resist the drink tower with a ranch water, a paloma and a passionfruit margarita. sipping a frozen margarita on a sunny rooftop.
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Lost
Downtown L.A. Mexican Cocktails $
(Jennifer Johnson)
Issa Rae’s hospitality group is behind this seventh-floor rooftop in downtown L.A., and you’ll find their Hilltop Coffee shop on the ground floor. With astroturf, potted palms and strung lights, it’s tempting to get lost in this Mexico City-inspired oasis, which further entices with chilaquiles and French toast sticks for brunch and potato flautas, shrimp ceviche and churros on the all-day menu. Cocktails like the Triple Weight (tequila, walnut liqueur, Mr. Black, cold brew) combined with late-night DJ sets will keep you dancing until the wee hours.
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Videre
Beverly Grove American $$
(Roberto Amado-Cattaneo III)
At the edge of Beverly Hills and next to Fairfax, Videre is a seventh-story rooftop restaurant and bar on the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire. The open-air restaurant is open every day, so you can start or end your week by grazing and lounging in the sun with 360-degree views that stretch to Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign. The something-for-everyone menu offers bagels, pastries and pancakes for breakfast; seared prawns and a crab Benedict for brunch; and salads, skewers and large-format plates such as yellow tomato and saffron pasta and roasted half chicken over polenta-style corn. A three-course prix fixe lunch is available on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $30, with options such as burrata topped with chile ginger vinaigrette, a fried chicken sandwich and chocolate chip cookies. The craft cocktail menu puts a California spin on classic drinks, including a guava jasmine mimosa and a bourbon old-fashioned with California amaro and California citrus-infused maple syrup. Just around the corner from Television City, the rooftop hosts watch parties for “Love Island U.S.A.” and World Cup matches.
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Butterfly
Culver City Mexican Cocktails $$
(Katrina Frederick)
Peer out over Culver City and beyond at Butterfly, a lush, sixth-floor perch atop the Shay Hotel from José Andrés’ restaurant group, with the Mediterranean Zaytinya restaurant anchoring the ground floor. The food leans casual with chips and dips (try the queso fundido with spicy chorizo), a handful of taco options (the tempura-battered rockfish is a standout) and ceviches, while cocktails span Andrés’ iconic salt-air margarita, a Oaxacan negroni and a host of mezcal concoctions. A neon sign in the shape of a butterfly makes for an ideal selfie station, or settle into a lounger and relax by the pool.
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Flora Rooftop
El Segundo New American $$
(Flora)
On the sixth floor of the AC Hotel’s South Bay location in El Segundo sits Flora Rooftop, bordered by blooming herb and flower gardens, with draping lights, umbrellas, a lengthy central fire pit with communal seating on both sides and plenty of plush couches and chairs. There’s something calming about watching the planes fly in and out of nearby LAX, and the garden-inspired cocktails and cuisine make a visit here feel truly immersive. Shareable plates include truffle fried mushroom, carne asada fries and flatbreads. Cocktails are floral and herbaceous, with garnishes picked straight from the rooftop garden.
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Lemon Grove
Hollywood Californian $$
(The Aster)
On the sixth floor of Aster membership club, Lemon Grove is open to all with Hollywood views that include the nearby Capitol Record building. The menu from Beauty & Essex vet Daniel Pfiefer-Kotz is seasonally driven with standouts such as charred cabbage tikka masala and salmon crudo with kumquat and Fresno chiles, with hearty options such as fennel sausage rigatoni and seared cod with mushroom confit and roasted marble potatoes . Head to the bar and lounge area for golden hour Tuesday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., for discounted bites and drinks. $12 negronis and other classic cocktails, $10 house wine and $8 beer. Live music, DJs and film screenings make it a one-stop destination.
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Osa Rooftop
Pasadena Californian Cocktails $$
(Osa Rooftop)
Find Pasadena’s only rooftop restaurant on the sixth floor of the AC Hotel, with sweeping views of Old Town and the San Gabriel Mountains is Osa Rooftop. Chef Pablo Ibarra heads a global menu that spotlights local ingredients, including charred strawberry gazpacho with goat cheese mousse, chorizo- and queso Oaxaca-stuffed arancini and grilled swordfish served over creamy Brentwood yellow corn, with gelato for dessert. Cocktails take similar inspiration, including a cucumber vesper with California and French vermouths and Drop the Beet, a tart, garden-forward tequila drink with beets, raspberry and lime. An olive tree with wraparound seating anchors the patio, while an interior bar with hanging plants offers TVs that screen live sports.
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The Roof Garden at the Peninsula
Beverly Hills European $$
(Ryan Forbes)
It’s easy to get distracted on your way to the fifth-floor Roof Garden at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel. Hotel guests milling around the lobby have that vaguely distracted “they might be famous” air, and in the Living Room, clusters of women in sloping hats and circle skirts delicately pluck scones from tiered towers. Take the elevator to the Roof Garden that’s just a few steps down from the hotel pool and cabanas. The food here is light and inoffensive, with the usual frittatas, toasts and omelets on the breakfast menu, and slightly more exciting choices offered all day, including pollo a la brasa and grilled octopus with chorizo. An arrangement of striped umbrellas blocks out the sun and the hedges obscure all but the tallest palm trees from view, but the cozy space and relaxed atmosphere still make for an above-average al fresco setting. This feels like somewhere a transplant would take a visiting friend or relative who wants to experience a slice of Beverly Hills without outrageous prices or formal attire required.
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The Fifth
Anaheim American $$
(The Fifth)
This Anaheim rooftop bar and restaurant can be found on the fifth floor of Grand Legacy at the Park, directly across the street from Disneyland on South Harbor Boulevard. The open-air outdoor space is the perfect place to grab a drink post-Disney, and the bar even offers a 10% discount to cast members and Magic Key holders. . Standard bites like mac n cheese bites and entrees like a craft burger served on a brioche bun are available. The best nights to visit are Tuesdays, when the bar hosts Tiki Tuesday and serves $14 classic tiki drinks such as Three Dots & a Dash and Jungle Bird, or any night fireworks are scheduled at Disneyland, since the Fifth has a perfect outdoor view of the show.
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Kassi
Venice Cocktails Bar/Nightclub Mediterranean $$
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
The hospitality group behind nearby hot spots Belle’s Beach House and Elephante recently debuted a fifth-floor rooftop destination at Hotel Erwin. The lush, Grecian-inspired escape features a coastal palette with umbrellas, tables and comfortable couches for wasting away a summer day, all with a clear view of the crashing waves at Venice Beach. The beverage program fits the theme with strawberry and cucumber slushies that can be swirled together, a Mediterranean ranch water packed with fresh herbs and an olive oil washed vesper. The food menu from chef-partner Thomas Lim includes shareable bites such as mezze, skewers, crispy halloumi and a refreshing watermelon salad topped with whipped feta. The rooftop is popular with remote workers during the day but turns clubby with DJs in the evenings and on weekends; patrons are a healthy mix of locals and tourists.
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Sushi Samba
West Hollywood Brazilian Japanese Peruvian $$$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The esteemed international chain recently landed in a fourth-floor rooftop space in West Hollywood’s Design District with an intimate chef’s counter, a chic open-air dining room to see and be seen and a bar with lounge seating for whiling away the night with live DJ performances. The encyclopedic menu blends Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian influences in ceviches, tiraditos, robata-grilled meats and creative sushi rolls, plus a large-format churrasco with ribeye, linguiça and Wagyu picahna, and a moqueca bobbing with shrimp, squid, sea bass and mussels. The beverage program for the brand’s first West Coast location is dialed in with signature cocktails that layer house-made ingredients such as mint wine, Kobe-fat-washed whiskey and hibiscus-infused mezcal. Weekend brunch invites guests to mix and match three courses, with highlights such as pao de queijo, yuzu blueberry pancakes and a salmon maki roll inspired by a lox everything bagel, with daytime appropriate Bloody Marys and a cachaça-spiked carajillo.
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Topside Roof Deck
Newport Beach Californian $$
(Sarah Mosqueda / O.C. Times)
Lido House opened in 2018, on the site formerly occupied by Newport Beach City Hall, and the boutique hotel’s fourth-floor Topside Roof Deck has been a champagne-sipping hot spot ever since. Outfitted with navy-striped lounge furniture, Topside offers views of the city and overlooks the hotel’s saltwater pool. While the atmosphere is reminiscent of a casual beach house, there is a dress code forbidding tank tops and board shorts, making Topside an obvious choice for a nightcap after dinner at the Mayor’s Table restaurant downstairs. Executive chef and partner Riley Huddleston oversees all of the hotel’s food and beverage concepts and has curated an almost exclusively French sparkling wine list as well as a thoughtful zero-proof cocktail menu. The food menu includes yellowtail ceviche with pickled watermelon or whipped feta dip with house hot honey.
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Bar Funke
Beverly Hills Italian $$
(Eric Wolfinger / Funke)
Perched on a third-floor rooftop, atop Funke’s two floors that serve delicate, heritage-minded handmade pastas and pizzas, Bar Funke lets diners partake in menu highlights from Mother Wolf and Felix chef Evan Funke, and is a slightly easier reservation to score than the downstairs dining room. The light-pink marble bar practically glows around sunset, a chic setting for a Negroni featuring the chef’s favorite olive oil, boulevardiers tinged with single-origin coffee and grappa sours made with rhubarb. Walk in and sit at the bar and you’ll be met with a brief food menu that echoes the regional Italian dishes being served downstairs but is missing the signature pastas, with dishes that skew smaller and more snackable. While stools at the bar are limited, tabletops covered in white tablecloths allow for breezy views of the garden-hedged rooftop, a bevy of palm trees and the neighboring Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
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Rooftop Lounge
Laguna Beach Californian $$
(Wales Communications)
Laguna Beach’s La Casa del Camino Hotel is home to the third-floor Rooftop Lounge, a destination popular among locals and vacationers. Just steps from Cress Street Beach, enter through the Spanish-style hotel lobby and go up the stairs to the right to get to the ocean views. This bar is beach-casual and opens at 11 a.m. during the week and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, making it the perfect place to grab breakfast after a morning surf session. The Rooftop Lounge is known for fresh fruit mojitos made with Mahina Platinum rum and available in flavors like tropical, mango, berry or classic mint. The food menu offers shared plates such as jumbo shrimp cocktail and steak skewers and more substantial fare like a crispy chicken sandwich, with hot honey, pickles and slaw. As an added bonus, Rooftop Lounge is dog-friendly.
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Eden on Brand
Glendale New American $$
(Eden on Brand)
The food served at Eden on Brand’s three-story restaurant is largely on point. I recommend the burger, which leans on truffle flavor a bit, but if that doesn’t bother you, you’ll be rewarded by a simple, good-quality patty with aged cheddar cheese and a mountainous frizz of potato strings on a peppery brioche bun. It’s reminiscent of the very good Everson Royce Bar burger, though at $30, it’s considerably pricier. But you’re paying for the plush banquettes and clubby feel, right? Speaking of which, there was a covering on the roof during my visit, which is great for bad weather but also meant the views were less than panoramic. The ambience, while sleek and airy, felt more like a breezy terrace.
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Élephante
Santa Monica Italian $$$
(Jakob N. Layman/Élephante)
Élephante feels like a scene from a summer vacation in the south of Italy. The Sunset Room is a high-demand dining area with vistas of Santa Monica that roars with conversation, making it difficult to hear at your table. However, should you wish for a quieter enclave, the Cactus Room, toward the entrance of the restaurant, allows for more connection at the expense of the view.
In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, the menu features light yet flavorful pastas, salads and fluffy-crust pizzas smeared with tomato sauce and copious amounts of olive oil. Many of the items are shareable, including the drinks: Any of the sweet yet strong craft cocktails can be super-sized into a punch bowl, perfect for celebrations. And the whipped eggplant dip and salted Puccia bread are group favorites to keep coming back for.
In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, the menu features light yet flavorful pastas, salads and fluffy-crust pizzas smeared with tomato sauce and copious amounts of olive oil. Many of the items are shareable, including the drinks: Any of the sweet yet strong craft cocktails can be super-sized into a punch bowl, perfect for celebrations. And the whipped eggplant dip and salted Puccia bread are group favorites to keep coming back for.
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Terra
Century City Italian $$
(Eataly L.A.)
Atop the Italian bazaar Eataly at Westfield Century City sits Terra, the third-floor terrace restaurant with a focus on wood grilling. The menu offers charred dishes including lamb chops, rotisserie chicken and skewers pierced with king trumpet mushrooms and stuffed pork shoulder, as well as house-made pastas. For a larger group, consider ordering the family-style tasting menu for $66 per person with house burrata over roasted Japanese eggplant, ravioli primavera and branzino.
As day turns into night, the vibe morphs from a place for drinks with the girls to a dimly lit date-night spot. There’s seating inside, but with string lights, heat lamps, fire pits and an open-air grill to keep you warm, the spacious patio is the move. Take your pick from tables, lounge-y couches or stools at the greenhouse-inspired bar, but the closer you are to the barriers of the roof, the more you can see north to the Los Angeles Country Club, with office buildings to the west. Regardless of where you’re sitting, fire-kissed Italian cuisine and a comfortable setting make Terra worth returning to.
As day turns into night, the vibe morphs from a place for drinks with the girls to a dimly lit date-night spot. There’s seating inside, but with string lights, heat lamps, fire pits and an open-air grill to keep you warm, the spacious patio is the move. Take your pick from tables, lounge-y couches or stools at the greenhouse-inspired bar, but the closer you are to the barriers of the roof, the more you can see north to the Los Angeles Country Club, with office buildings to the west. Regardless of where you’re sitting, fire-kissed Italian cuisine and a comfortable setting make Terra worth returning to.
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Margot
Culver City Italian $$
(Margot)
Don’t sleep on Culver City’s rooftop scene. For one, Margot’s third-floor rooftop is stumbling distance from Butterfly, which you’ll also find on this list. Secondly, while the view is mostly obscured by the flowering rosemary and lavender bushes that border the space, it still stands out as one of your best elevated options for just about any occasion. Ask to sit at the edge of the patio if you want a view, but even listening to the occasional Metro train buzz by below makes for a pleasant visit. Each table is allotted its own heating lamp, and there are cozy couches for those who plan to linger longer over drinks, plus an interior that recalls a greenhouse with glass panels throughout. The menu features raw seafood, piled-high salads, grilled vegetables, pastas and entrees like a bone-in pork chop and swordfish. Cocktails are refreshing and fruit-forward — go for the watermelon-basil spritz if you prefer a low-alcohol option, or the passion fruit margarita if you need something stronger.
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Tomat
Westchester Californian $$
(Mike Harriel)
It’s not unusual for L.A. restaurants to boast farm-to-table sourcing, but this spot just a few miles from LAX takes it a step further with a third-floor rooftop garden with native Southern California plants. On the rooftop, pull a stool up to the glass-walled partition and watch the sunset spotted with airplanes taking off and landing at nearby LAX. The menu from husband-and-wife team Harry Posner and Natalie Dial blends influences from their time in London and Posner’s Persian heritage, with Japanese and plenty of local influence thrown in. Start with fluffy barbari bread and grilled veggies from their nearby urban garden, split mains like lamb kofta pizza and wood-fired chicken with peri peri tamari, but save room for desserts such as sticky toffee pudding and roast koji gelato. The beverage menu spans an approachable wine list, beer and cocktails that follow a similar seasonal approach. Wednesday is board games night and trivia is hosted on the rooftop every Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
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Blondie
West Hollywood Cocktails American $$
(Danielle A. Adams)
When one door closes, a window opens. While famed West Hollywood rooftop E.P. and L.P. recently shut its doors for good, on the other side of La Cienega, a second-story terrace destination is now welcoming diners onto its sprawling indoor-outdoor patio with swaying string lights, climbing ivy and sunset views. The menu at Blondie is the kind that you can spend hours working your way through — starting with French onion dip and lemon-pepper-coated Marcona almonds, followed by prawn toast and fried baby artichokes, and finishing with a flame-kissed spicy mezcal pasta or a burger with sinus-clearing horseradish onions, oh and don’t forget the eponymous Blondie bar that’s sticky with caramel and topped with a thick layer of vanilla cream. Hoping to stand out among West Hollywood’s fine dining restaurants, the relaxed rooftop prices cocktails between $14-16 and bottles of natural wine for just $55 each, with wine by the glass for $15. Look for live DJs on the weekends as the brand-new bar hits its groove.
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CineOpera
Downtown L.A. Cocktails Italian $$
(Yewon Perry)
In the former LA Cha Cha Cha space from the same owners, with chef Paco Moran (Loreto) helming the kitchen, is Cineopera, a second-floor rooftop and all-day destination for the Arts District, with a coffee menu in the morning, aperitivo in the afternoon and classic movies and live sports played on a shared screen in the evenings. The menu now leans Italian with a beef Milanese on grilled schiacciata and bucatini alle vongole, with creative shareables like proscuitto-and-provolone-stuffed spicy cherry peppers and cheese and corn empanadas. A handful of classic cocktails are available, including a negroni and spritz, as well as beer and wine by the glass.
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Force of Nature
Venice Cocktails Wine Bars $$
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Head past the host stand at Only the Wild Ones and up the stairs, then behind the DJ booth where you’ll find a door that opens to a narrow staircase. At the top, you’ll find Crudo e Nudo co-owner Leena Culhane’s attic speakeasy opened in collaboration with Heather Tierney, founder of the downstairs bar and Butcher’s Daughter restaurant group. Force of Nature features a small bar with a short and rotating list of wines, cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages. Bottles and ingredients are sourced from women makers utilizing regenerative practices. The interior is bordered with cushioned benches and side tables, while the balcony draped with string lights and communal benches overlooks the adjacent Cooks Garden.
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Malibu Farm at the Pier
Malibu Californian $$
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Sitting high above shore near the entrance of the Malibu Pier, the cafe and restaurant from Helene Henderson sources liberally from her home garden and offers sustainable options on its seafood-rich menu. In addition to catch-of-the-day fish tacos, grass-fed steak and lobster mac ’n’ cheese, a range of plant-based items is available, from a tofu banh mi to a coconut ceviche. The bar menu features simple, ingredient-forward concoctions organized by fruit or flavor — for example, Papaya features papaya-strawberry-infused tequila, organic agave, lime juice and a lava sea salt rim. A selection of beer and wines by the glass and bottle is available, and a full coffee menu and selection of pastries can be ordered to go at the host stand. .
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Marco Polo Trattoria & Bar
Silver Lake Italian $$
(Silver Lake Pool & Inn)
You’ll find Marco Polo Trattoria & Bar on the winding, jungle-like second-floor terrace of the Silver Lake Pool & Inn. However, the neighborhood’s only rooftop pool is just a few steps above it with lounges, couches and an additional bar area. It’s the combination of both venues being so close and accessible that makes the quirky, retro-inspired inn a tempting setting for a staycation. Marco Polo offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus, including a coffee bar, light Italian-inspired plates, creative cocktails and wines by the glass and bottle. Swimming and lounge chairs are reserved for hotel guests, but limited tables are available to reserve to enjoy poolside cocktails or bites. Wednesday pasta parties price rotating pastas at just $15 each, happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. A weekly pool day is hosted every Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., with a RSVP link shared via Instagram stories every Tuesdya.
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Mozambique
Laguna Beach South African Seafood $$
(Mozambique)
Pet parrots greet guests at this South African-inspired restaurant in Laguna Beach. You can book your choice of a labyrinth of private dining rooms and lounges, but the most coveted spot is on the second-floor veranda rooftop that overlooks Pacific Coast Highway and the Laguna Beach coastline. The menu highlights Portuguese traditions and wood-fired steaks, but Mozambique is best known for its peri-peri dishes featuring African bird’s eye chile peppers. A crowd gathers Thursday through Sunday for live music ranging from reggae to jazz, and happy hour is offered Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and on the weekend from 2 to 4 p.m. with $8 margaritas and $15 plates of peri-peri chicken and flaky South African pie. .
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Openaire
Koreatown Californian $$
(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
It’s all about that big, lush, beautiful greenhouse at Openaire, on the second floor of the Line Hotel in Koreatown. Have you heard of Instagram? I imagine you’ve seen it posted there once or twice. It’s great to sit at an exterior table to soak up the rays and get that true rooftop experience. Food options from chef Josiah Citrin (Citrin, Mélisse) are decent. A respectable ahi tuna tartare comes swimming in citrus and creamy avocado, and the veggie burger, while a bit loose texture-wise, features a house-made patty that tastes pleasantly earthy, almost smoky. I’ll take it over Impossible meat any day of the week.
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Sora Temaki Bar
Fairfax Japanese $$
(Jesse Hsu)
Find the hand-roll concept from owner Vincent Benoliel in the second-floor space above his Cal-Italian Satva restaurant. Here, temaki is topped with Wagyu imported from Japan and uni caught in Santa Barbara, with classic sushi rolls, sashimi and starters like red snapper with truffle yuzu rounding out the menu. The cocktail menu leans classic — my order flips between a passionfruit margarita and a mojito, depending on the mood. Views of the surrounding parking lot and Trader Joe’s across the street may be a little underwhelming, but there’s something invigorating about sitting above the bustling, almost-century-old market. The interior counter, where chefs place warm hand rolls on wooden blocks for you to grab from, is my preferred seat.
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Updates:
1:55 p.m. July 24, 2026: This guide was updated July 24, 2026, including the removal of Rooftop by JG, Merois, Cabra, Ella, High Rooftop Lounge, Mother Tongue, Grandmaster Recorders, Skybar at the Mondrian, Cork & Batter, E.P. & L.P., LA Cha Cha Cha and Bar Bohemien. New entries include Blondie, Gemma, Halo, Inanna Bar, Osa Rooftop, Poza, Sushi Samba, Kassi Klub, CineOpera, Force of Nature and Somewhere Special. Updated information was added throughout.
2:53 p.m. May 23, 2025: This guide was updated May 23, 2025, including the removal of Mama Shelter, Spruzzo, Agua Viva, Highlight Room, Canopy Club, Coco Club and Reunion, and the addition of Butterfly, Tomat, Lost, Sora Temaki Bar and Level 8. Updated information was added throughout.
1:28 p.m. Aug. 29, 2024: This guide was updated Aug. 30, 2024, including the removal of Upstairs at the Ace Hotel and Sant’olina, both of which closed, and the addition of Coco Club, Videre and Mother Tongue. New information was added to Canopy Club, High Rooftop Lounge at Hotel Erwin, Bar Funke, Cork & Batter and E.P. and L.P entries.
3:01 a.m. Sept. 15, 2023: This guide was updated Sept. 15, 2023, including the addition of Dante and Marco Polo Trattoria and Bar. New information was added to the Bar Bohémien and La Lo La Rooftop entries.
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