15 Best Rooftop Bars in San Francisco with Epic Views

Reviewed by Elina Ansary
Last updated:

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Here’s the inside scoop on the best rooftop bars in San Francisco for al fresco drinks, tasty bar snacks, and views for days.

Take cocktail hour to the next level with fresh air and a spectacular view at the best rooftop bars in San Francisco

The city’s year-round mild climate pairs well with outdoor drinking, and there’s no shortage of beautiful views across the downtown area and to the bay beyond.

Perched high above the city streets, many places on this list are hidden gems accessed through hotel lobbies or restaurants (and, in one case, a spa). Some are new and buzzy, while others are classic San Francisco experiences.

Whether you’re looking for a fun place to hang out on a sunny day with friends or a glamorous cocktail bar with million-dollar views, you can find the perfect spot in San Francisco.

I’ve created a round-up of the best rooftop bars for any occasion, with my favorites towards the end. I’ve saved the best for last, so keep reading for my top recommendation!

For more SF nightlife tips, check out our article on the best things to do in San Francisco at night.

Note: this post contains affiliate links, which help run this site at no extra cost to you so I can keep providing free travel advice and tips.

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San Francisco Rooftop Bars Map

Archimedes Banya

Best for A post-massage drink
Address: 748 Innes Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94124
Contact info: (415) 206-9000, info@banyasf.com
Vibe: Chill
Happy Hour: 12-4pm, weekdays excluding holidays
Don’t miss: Champagne with a pop
No reservations, but you’ll need a spa pass
Menu

When you’re stressed out, a cocktail on a sunny rooftop with friends is a good remedy. But when you’re really stressed out, hit the spa first. 

Archimedes Banya is San Franciso’s only authentic Russian bathhouse. Enjoy pools, a sauna, and a traditional massage before donning a robe and heading up to the rooftop patio.

The cafe, Zteamers, offers a traditional menu of Russian and European favorites like caviar blinis, smoked fish, and baklava to snack on. 

Drink options include tea, coffee, wine, and beer, plus a more unusual (but delicious)  ice pop dunked in a glass of champagne.

You can only drink here if you have a spa pass, but this does give the spot a pleasant feeling of exclusivity. 

The Bayview location gets more sunshine than other San Francisco neighborhoods, so the fog is less likely here to obscure the views across the San Francisco Bay than in other parts of the city.

Love bars and restaurants that overlook the water? Check out our article on the best waterfront restaurants in San Francisco!

Montesacro

Best for Catching up with friends over pizza and wine
Address: 510 Stevenson St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Contact info: (415) 795-3040, soma@montesacro.com
Vibe: Cozy and welcoming
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: A glass of Italian wine
Reserve a table here
Menu

Catch up with friends for a post-work drink and bite at Montesacro, a modern pinseria inspired by Rome’s traditional pinsa flatbreads. 

The covered second-floor rooftop terrace is heated and open, rain or shine.

Pair a pizza-style pinsa with a glass of Italian wine or one of the local craft beers.

B Restaurant and Bar

Best for After-work cocktails
Address: 720 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Contact info: (415) 495-9800
Vibe: Lively
Happy Hour: 4:30 to 6:30pm daily
Don’t miss: House cocktails
No reservations
Menu

B Restaurant and Bar overlooks Yerba Buena Gardens from an outdoor terrace atop the Moscone Center. 

Grab craft cocktails from an oversized bar that spans the venue, and pair them with small plates from the seasonal menu.

The modern, artistic design fits well with the bar’s surroundings, conveniently close to SF MOMA, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts.

Zingari Ristorante

Best for Fine dining and drinks under the stars
Address: 501 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact info: (415) 885-8850, ciao@zingari.com
Vibe: Sophisticated
Happy Hours: Every day from 2.30pm to 5pm and 9.30pm to closing
Don’t miss: The Negroni
Reserve a table here
Menu

For a private fine dining experience under the stars, reserve The Donatello Rooftop at Zingari Ristorante. You can book the roof for your group of up to 20 guests or a cocktail party for up to 120.

The exclusive rooftop bar has fabulous views of the San Francisco skyline from its downtown location. Zingari Restaurant serves sophisticated Italian fare with an extensive wine list. 

Check out the apertivo bar inside, where you can get an old-school Negroni cocktail, or the Piano Room for live music.

Rooftop at VIA

Best for: A date night
Address: 138 King Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Contact info: (415) 200-4977, info@hotelviasf.com
Vibe: Resort
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: Classic cocktails
No reservations, but you’ll need to be a hotel guest or at a private event
Menu

The Rooftop at VIA Hotel is reserved exclusively for guests and private events. It’s one of the trickier rooftop bars in San Francisco to drink at because of its guest-only policy, but keep an eye on the hotel’s Instagram for events you can attend.

The expansive hotel bar has cabana-style seating, where you can chill with delicious cocktails and tasty tapas as the sun sets. 

Heat lamps and fire pits keep things cozy. Enjoy stunning views of the downtown skyline, Bay Bridge, and the South Beach neighborhood from this 12th-floor spot.

The hotel is near Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, so it’s the perfect place to stay if you’re in town for a game.

620 Jones

Best for: A fun night out with friends
Address: 620 Jones Street, San Francisco, 94102
Contact info: (415) 845-2257, private@620-jones.com
Vibe: Urban oasis
Happy Hour: Weekdays, 4pm to 6pm
Don’t miss: A fruity signature cocktail
Reserve a table here
Menu

Surround yourself with lush greenery while unwinding with a signature cocktail at 620 Jones, San Francisco’s most extensive rooftop bar. 

Although just one story up, it’s one of the buzziest rooftop spots in the city, serving inventive cocktails in a tropical oasis setting. 

Plus, they offer a weekday happy hour from four to six for the after-work crowd.

Located just four blocks from Union Square, 620 Jones offers a delicious weekend brunch, where you can sip frozen cocktails or a breakfast martini under the palm trees, perfect for fuelling your shopping trip.

Fiorella Sunset

Best for: Dinner and drinks
Address: 1240 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Contact info: (415) 404-6997
Vibe: Laid-back 
Happy Hour: no
Don’t miss: Hand-crafted cocktails
Reserve a table here
Menu

For a delicious meal at a San Francisco rooftop restaurant, head to Inner Sunset for dinner at Fiorella’s newest location. 

This Italian pizza and pasta restaurant features a heated roof deck with string lights, heaters, and a retractable awning for chilly nights.

If the fog makes outdoor drinking too cold, head down a corridor to Bar Nonnina, a cozy indoor space tucked away on the second level. Bartenders will serve you specialty cocktails while you warm up next to the real fireplace.

Dirty Habit

Best for: Date night
Address: 12 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Contact info: (415) 348-1555
Vibe: Relaxed cool
Happy Hour: no
Don’t miss: The inventive cocktails
Reserve a table here
Menu

If you’re looking for a rooftop bar in the downtown area, you *could* head to the rooftop-view lounge area at the Cheesecake Factory.

But why would you, when Dirty Habit is the trendiest of San Francisco’s rooftop bars, and it’s just down the street on the fifth floor of Hotel Zelos?

Enclosed by buildings and framed with lush greenery, the attraction is not the views but the excellent cocktails, moody decor, and thoughtful bar snacks ranging from chicken wings to whipped duck liver.  

Once a month, Dirty Habit hosts Night Bruch, a “drag brunch” where you can enjoy dinner and a show. 

The outdoor seating stays cozy with heat lamps scattered across the patio—no need to be a guest at Hotel Zelos. Dirty Habit is open to all.

Top of the Mark

Best for: An iconic San Francisco experience
Address: 999 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Contact info: (415) 616-6916
Vibe: Glamor
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: Champagne and caviar
Reserve a table here
Menu

If you’re looking for the most iconic rooftop bars that San Francisco offers, go straight to Nob Hill for Top of the Mark, the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins’ 19th-floor bar. 

Unlike most rooftop bars, Top of the Mark is fully enclosed with floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the incredible views while you stay warm inside.

Top of the Mark is one of the best bars in San Francisco for dazzling city views, popular with locals and visitors alike. 

You don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to sip martinis here; you can book a table online or get a seat as a walk-in.

Cityscape Lounge

Best for: Stunning city views
Address: 333 O’Farrell Street, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, CA 94102 
Contact info: (415) 923-5002
Vibe: Upscale
Happy Hour: 5pm to 6pm
Don’t miss: Locally-inspired cocktails
Reserve a table here
Menu

For a bird’s eye view of San Francisco, head up to Cityscape Lounge, the Hilton Hotel rooftop bar in Union Square. 

Cityscape Lounge is the tallest rooftop bar in San Francisco, offering dazzling 360 views of the San Francisco skyline and beyond.

Celebrate a special occasion with a bottle of champagne from the private reserve list, or turn up for Happy Hour for discounted drinks from the full bar. Bar bites are also available to snack on as you soak up the views from the 46th floor.

Rooftop 25

Best for: Quick bites and a beer
Address: 25 Lusk Street, San Francisco, CA
Contact info: (415) 495 5875, events@25lusk.com
Vibe: Casual and fun
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: Wood-fired pizzas
No reservations
Menu

Rooftop 25 is a new San Francisco rooftop bar where you can enjoy music, beer, and pizza in the fresh air in Mission Bay.

This spot is one of the best rooftop restaurants in San Francisco, offering Neapolitan-style pizza, burgers, and hot dogs served at wooden communal tables under glowing string lights.

Still hungry for pizza? Read through our picks for the best pizza places in San Francisco.

Good Good Culture Club

Best for: Meeting friends
Address: 3560 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact info: hello@ggccsf.com
Vibe: Upbeat
Happy Hour: no
Don’t miss: crying tiger shrimp
Reserve a table here
Menu

Good Good Culture Club in the Mission is generating lots of buzz for its delicious Asian-inspired menu, with dishes like Lao sausage and tiger shrimp served tapas-style on small plates.

Formerly Liholiho Yacht Club, the team has moved the popular Asian sister restaurant to a new location and opened Good Good Culture Club. 

Good Good Culture Club is a great spot to grab a refreshing cocktail with friends that has a casual, fun vibe and a leafy outdoor space.

Kaiyo Rooftop

Best for: Dinner and drinks in the sky
Address: 701 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Contact info: (415) 800-8141
Vibe: Tropical vacation
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: Japanese whisky
Reserve a table here
Menu

Kaiyo Rooftop is another of San Francisco’s newest hotspots, located near Oracle Park atop the Hyatt Place Hotel San Francisco. 

This place is the best San Francisco bar for the whole package – stunning city views, great food, and inventive cocktails.

The decor of this rooftop restaurant and bar evokes a tropical oasis with its emerald green tiles, curved arches, hanging woven lanterns, and greenery. The food is Japanese Peruvian fusion, so think sushi and ceviche.

Pair this with one of Kaiyo’s refreshing cocktails or a Japanese whisky from the bar’s impressive collection for a memorable night out.

El Techo de Lolinda

Best for: Casual drinks with friends
Address: 2516 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact info: (415) 550-6970
Vibe: Lively
Happy Hour: 4pm to 6pm on weekdays
Don’t miss: Chips and dip, empanadas
Reserve a table here
Menu

El Techo is a lively Mission District bar located above theArgentinian steakhouse, Lolinda.

Although the bar and the restaurant have the same owners, El Techo also has its own food menu of small plates and tasty chicharrones. 

The Mission is one of San Francisco’s sunnier neighborhoods, so you’ve got a better chance of sipping a cerveza outdoors without Karl the Fog gatecrashing your party.

A one of the most popular San Francisco rooftop bars, El Techo is filled with music and people enjoying Latin American street food alongside beers and cocktails. 

El Techo also has plenty of small tables where you can sit and admire the view, sheltered from the elements by glass wind guards.

Charmaine’s

Best for: When you want to impress someone
Address: 45 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact info: (628) 895-2039, info@charmainessf.com
Vibe: Upscale
Happy Hour: No
Don’t miss: The cocktails
Reserve a table here
Menu

Searching for romantic rooftop restaurants in San Francisco for a special night? Located 120 feet above Market Street, Charmaine’s–the rooftop bar at the San Francisco Proper Hotel– is the perfect setting. 

Settle into one of the comfortable chairs around the cozy fire pits and watch the sun go down over the San Francisco skyline as you relax with a cocktail or a bite to eat. 

The bar menu comes from a pair of esteemed local bartenders, Josh Harris and Morgan Schick (of Trick Dog and The Bon Vivants).

Sophisticated but friendly, the intimate setting at Charmaine’s Rooftop Bar at the Proper Hotel has serious date night vibes. 

If you are going as a group, remember there is a $65 minimum spend per person for three or more guests.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Sarah McDonald

Sarah McDonald is a travel writer based in the Bay Area. She writes for the national parenting website Red Tricycle and on her own family travel blog, Tiny Trailblazers. She loves exploring California’s outdoors and has a weakness for a national park gift shop.

Sarah enjoys sharing her Bay Area expertise with readers curious to try popular restaurants and off-the-beaten-path adventures in California. When she’s not writing reviews and travel guides, you’ll likely find her trying to keep up with her kids on a hiking trail or deciphering the menu at a new restaurant.


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