ATLGuide
The 13 Best Rooftop Bars & Restaurants In Atlanta
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
Weather in Atlanta is more unpredictable than a rush hour commuter with no brake lights. Temperatures frequently jump from sweater weather mornings to flip-flop season by the afternoon. And in between the pollen days of spring and the ungodly humidity of summer, there are a few magnificent days where the outdoors are tolerable. And when that happens, we hit one of these rooftop bars to unwind during Happy Hour, comfort our inner child with soft serve and corndogs, or turn up with a DJ’s clubby beats.
THE SPOTS
Weekend reservations are key at Tesserae in the Thompson hotel since the Buckhead rooftop bar is a hotspot for the celebrity and socialite syndicate. Views stretch from Buckhead to Downtown Atlanta, and a large patio filled with cozy couches and fire pit troughs provide the perfect setting to sip on superb cocktails like the refreshing Rooftop Spritz. Inside, clubby hits pump through the speakers, but the crowd here is too cool to dance. And hopefully you're not too cool to eat or else you'd miss out on their tasty lobster roll overflowing with an infinite amount of fried onion straws.
photo credit: Hard Rock International
This rooftop sits above the Reverb by Hard Rock hotel, just across the street from Mercedes-Benz arena. The sleek, minimal decor of the patio area encourages cocktail-drinkers to hang out, especially before an event at the Benz and soak up the views of the surrounding, buzzy downtown area. They keep the menu minimal too with drink options like lime vodka sodas and classic margaritas while most of the bar bites like wings and guac are overpriced and underwhelming. But despite the menu woes, it’s hard to deny that this rooftop is a sceney spot to catch live music or a sunset photo shoot to flex on all your exes.
photo credit: Tabia S. Lisenbee-Parker
If and when you want to escape the throngs of loiterers in the fake streets of Atlantic Station, hit Azotea Cantina’s rooftop. String lights, a bar on the roof serving up six different margaritas (get their classic Azotea but make it frozen), and a DJ always makes us forget we’re in Atlanta’s most popular teen hangout zone. They serve a full menu on the roof, but we usually stick to the tacos, specifically the tender carne asada or the baja fish. It’s never exactly bumping here (location might be the culprit), but we can physically and figuratively look down on the people scurrying through Atlantic Station and judge them for not making the wise choice to be on this rooftop too.
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
O4W's The Rooftop at Hotel Clermont is gold for your photo timeline since it has one of the best views of the Atlanta skyline and a close-up look at the iconic Hotel Clermont radio tower. Plus, it’s a great place for big groups since it’s spacious and the drinks come in large, pre-mixed batches to keep up with the demand of the swarming, young crowds. And the addition of a taco truck in 2023 provides bites to wash down the heavy-handed drinks. Get the incredibly good elote or queso fundido packed with a sweet chorizo, pico de gallo, and cilantro.
If you’re not a guest at downtown’s Glenn Hotel, then it’ll be $5 (cash only, yikes) to get up to the SkyLounge. And a low-key scene and good drinks will make it worth it. While Reverb may have better downtown views, this rooftop gives you a panoramic outlook that stretches from Centennial Park to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And if not for the Atlanta skyline, the chill Cali-esque vibe, hooded wicker chairs, and live music most nights could convince you you're chilling in some tropical resort rooftop. Easy listening acoustic sets combined with travel-weary hotel guests means we can relax up here—and order at the bar without someone elbowing us in the ribs. Light bites like the savory cheddar bacon and jalapeño dip are overshadowed by excellent cocktails (get the peachy Centennial) that make us forgive the ATM fee-inducing cover.
Spaceman is on the 15th floor of The Hyatt Centric and is technically the highest rooftop bar in Buckhead. So the wide-reaching views makes this place one of the most popular scenes in the bougie neighborhood, which says a lot since the hotel is in a weird location on the rarely traveled outer edge of Lenox Mall. Spaceman’s open-air seating with a series of archways that house stylish patio furniture and bright, tropical mosaic tiles provide a comfy area to take in said views while sipping on a fruity cosmo or a stiff Old Fashioned. There's often an event or live DJ here, which brings in the crowds. And on chiller days, the sophisticated rooftop is usually full of corporate hotel guests and locals who come in to toast to their latest Bloomingdale’s haul.
New Realm is one of the most bumpin’ spots off the Eastside BeltLine. And even though there’s 40,000 square feet to spread out, at night almost everyone congregates on the rooftop. So prepare for long bar lines and a fun game of hovering around tables in the hopes that the current occupants will leave. Aside from the crowds, the brewery has a full bar and plenty of beer options to pair with light bites and hearty entrees. Our go-tos are the massive Bavarian pretzel and loaded fries doused with a garlic-miso mayo that we're planning to make our go-to fry dip. An office building now obstructs the skyline views here, but it still has one of the best views on the BeltLine. And endless beer options and reliable food are enough to overcome the perils of developer eyesores.
Big Broadway-style letters spell out Gypsy Kitchen’s name. If those letters aren't enough to lure you up to the Buckhead rooftop restaurant, the sounds of joyful chatter during Happy Hour is the best advertisement that this a happening place to be after work. But it's not all scene and $10 drinks, the food (mostly Mediterranean) is good here. Small plates are usually for sharing, but we struggle to do that with dishes like grilled skirt steak with a spicy pepper relish and nearly perfect brussel sprouts mixed with chimichurri and feta. We also love the seared scallops entree, which sits on whipped potatoes and about a pound of melted butter.
The rooftop at Grana has a lot to offer if you’re a fan of watching cars whiz past on Piedmont Ave, but we prefer to gaze lovingly at the meatball flight on our table. And after a three-story climb to reach this Morningside rooftop refueling is a must, so snag the potato pizza (our fave) drizzled with honey and pistachios. If pizza cramps your style, the Italian restaurant also has a great Happy Hour. Take your cocktails or glass of wine to their comfy lounge area with fire pits or to high-tops beneath string lights. But if there’s no food on the table, you’re kinda doing it wrong.
photo credit: Tabia Lisenbee-Parker
POWERED BY
We like the fun, causal atmosphere at St. Julep atop the Sylvan hotel—because whether your crew comes dressed in suits or scrubs, it’s the perfect bar to unwind after work. Vivid orange walls, sunny flower murals, and upbeat dance hits give this place an air of carefree summer bliss. There’s no pool up here, but handheld snacks like crispy fried corn dogs and a 10-taco flight could convince you you’re at some water park. The cocktail menu changes often but always offers solid concoctions like pomegranate daiquiris, vodka-heavy dirty chai, and boozy soft serve. The view captures more Buckhead condominiums than endless horizon, but we’re usually too focused on slathering mustard on our corn dogs to care.
photo credit: Caleb Jones
The terrace patio at Drawbar is always full because the West Midtown restaurant and bar is the ideal chill stop to kick-off or end a night out in The Interlock's bumping dining and entertainment complex. And you’ll usually find a mix of everyone here: Atlanta scene-chasers who don’t have a membership to Rooftop L.O.A. (in the same complex), groups celebrating birthdays, and people like us who just love a nice free view. Order a chocolate shavings-topped espresso martini (which is way better than L.O.A.'s) and stare pensively at the Midtown skyline jutting into clouds. And after several seconds of that, it’ll be time to direct your eyes toward their Southern menu—and more specifically toward our favorite items like the tender short rib with pillowy mashed potatoes and the thick blackened salmon po’boy.
photo credit: Courtesy of Palo Santo
Downstairs, this upscale Mexican restaurant sets the stage for a mellow, date night with dim, moody lighting and whole heads of cauliflower spinning on spits in the open kitchen. But when you’re ready to level up your night, climb the stairs, which are tinted yellow by a giant neon ombre circle. After 9pm up here, a DJ gets things going for a youthful crowd who passes the 25+ age restriction and has the stamina to stand around high-tops for hours on a Friday night. Get a reservation if you want to enjoy the EDM mix from a seated position, where you'll also have the elbow room to dive into delicious nori tacos and guacamole with housemade blue corn tortillas. A bar line three rows deep offers plenty of time to decide on a fruity paloma or citrusy margarita, but get the tequila-heavy Sunkissed since it’s our favorite.
photo credit: Brandon Amato
Atlantans are suckers for photo ops with a green plant wall. So this rooftop bar above 5Church in Midtown gives the people what they want and even throws in a fun neon sign that reminds them to “Stay sexy Atlanta.” There’s often a line of social-media-happy groups waiting to snap a pic with it, so order a cocktail from Virtue Rooftop's always-changing seasonal menu and wait it out in one of their oval-shaped, turquoise loungers. The views here aren’t exactly stellar since it’s more second-floor penthouse than rooftop. But there's a DJ on the weekends to liven things up, some decent small plates like wings and hummus platters if you're hungry, and the always busy Colony Square gives you some grade-A people-watching.
