7 Best Rooftop Bars in Los Angeles for Drinks With a View

Los Angeles is blessed with good weather almost all year round. Travelers can enjoy the nice weather with a hike in Runyon Canyon or hitting the Santa Monica beach and pier. But this is also weather that is perfect for enjoying some great food and drinks on a rooftop bar. 

LA has no shortage of rooftop bars across the different neighborhoods from downtown to Hollywood, many of which offer creative craft cocktails and expertly made food. If you’re visiting the city, maybe taking our Downtown LA Food and Culture Tour or just exploring on your own, a drink with a view should certainly be on your bucket list.

Here are the best rooftop bars in LA for you to check out. 

1. Broken Shaker

The Broken Shaker rooftop bar on top of the Freehand Hotel in DTLA brings some Miami South Beach vibes to LA. 

Ever since the bar opened in 2017, it’s been one of LA’s most popular rooftop bars. It’s a mini oasis on the hotel’s pool deck on the 14th floor with colorful, tropical decor and the DTLA skyline as the backdrop (see the feature photo above for a glimpse). 

The drinks are approachable but creative, and there’s always a frozen cocktail available. Up for a party? Broken Shaker has a punch bowl that will serve 10-12 people.

2. Grandmaster Recorders

There are three separate dining concepts inside Grandmaster Recorders, which took over a former recording studio of the same name, including a rooftop bar offering a view of the Hollywood Skyline. 

The bar offers easy to drink spritzes and specialty cocktails alongside a menu of Italian antipasti and pizzas. When it was a recording studio, this location had seen the likes of David Bowie and other Walk of Fame stars.

Local tip: Head to this bar after learning about the haunted history of Hollywood or check out other things to do in Hollywood.

3. LA Cha Cha Cha

This modern Mexican restaurant and bar in DTLA’s Arts District is an outpost of a popular rooftop restaurant in Mexico City, Terraza Cha Cha Cha.

The LA Cha Cha Cha has much to offer, from unique cocktails like red bell pepper mezcal negroni to the approachable and ever popular spicy pineapple margaritas.

Taste your way through DTLA and sample the sights

Taste your way through DTLA and sample the sights

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The dinner menu, with tacos and carnitas, has always been solid but the place has also become one of the hottest brunch spots in the city. There is a restaurant area where reservations are recommended, and a bar area that takes walk-ins all night.

4. Umbrella Swim Club

The Umbrella Swim Club is located on top of the SIXTY Beverly Hills hotel on Wilshire Boulevard, and it comes from the team behind one of LA’s best cocktail bars, Melrose Umbrella Company, so you can be sure to get some solid cocktails here. 

The drinks are all perfect for sipping under the sun, from classic tiki drinks like Mai Tai to more intricate ones with toasted sesame and habanero. To accompany the drinks, there’s a menu of pizza, burgers and fresh oysters. With its location, this bar is the perfect bar to wind down after visiting Rodeo Drive.

5. 71Above

71Above is not technically a rooftop bar as it’s not outdoors, but it’s hard to beat the view from this swanky restaurant located on the 71st floor of the US Bank Tower. 

This is where you can head for one of the best views of the LA skyline (and beyond) without risking windy weather. Reservations are recommended at the restaurant, but 71Above does have a bar for customers to walk in and grab a drink.

This bar is also on our suggested route for an Instagram walking tour of DTLA, so grab your walking shoes and end the day with a drink here. The bar faces west so it’s a great place to catch the sunset.

6. Bar Bohemien

Sitting atop Citizen Public Market, a food hall in Culver City, Bar Bohemien is a fun and casual spot to grab craft cocktails in the area. There’s a small indoor seating area that is perfect for dates or an intimate gathering, but the outdoor rooftop area is where the action is at. 

The menu changes seasonally although some favorites have stayed on since the opening like Moonchild, made with Monkey Shoulder scotch, lemon, banana-ginger, orange honey, and walnut bitters. 

Local tip: If you or someone in your party doesn’t feel like partaking in alcohol, the bartender can also make a personalized, non-alcoholic cocktail.

While the bar doesn’t offer food, you can order from any of the vendors in the food hall downstairs.

7. Cara Cara

The Proper Hotel is one of the newest hotels to open in Downtown LA, and with the hotel opening comes Cara Cara, the rooftop restaurant and bar with food and drinks from LA’s dining scene female power pair: Chef Suzanne Goin and sommelier Caroline Styne. 

The cocktails lean on the simpler side that are easy to drink, but don’t miss Styne’s selection of wines that are mostly sourced from California, Spain, and Portugal. Just like how the Spanish fried chicken became an iconic dish at Chef Goin’s other restaurant, A.O.C., the piri piri fried chicken is a crowd pleaser.

Enjoy the views of LA from above

Rooftop bars are certainly a wonderful and relaxing way to enjoy the views that Los Angeles has to offer, but they’re not the only spots that offer a great view. There are several under-the-radar places to spot the sunset.

We also love the Griffith Observatory. Take a tour of Griffith Park and you’ll see the Hollywood Sign, too — an absolute must while you’re in LA!