For info. Claimed 10 best in the city by Gothamist:
Don't be fooled by that snow on your windowsill this morning, for the Polar Vortex has been (mostly) vanquished by the Sword of Spring, and you must move all your drinking activities to the great outdoors. We rounded up a list of excellent rooftop bars last year, and now that warm weather has returned-ish, we're ready for round two, with some old standbys included along with a few new ones. Here, in no particular order, are our favorite rooftop bars in the city; we know you'll leave yours in the comments.
EMPIRE HOTEL: This sleek outdoor lounge is not the place for casual boozing—there's a dress code here (no denim!) and trying to get upstairs on a Saturday night usually requires striking some sort of deal with the devil. But the Empire Hotel's rooftop is well worth a visit on a post-work weekday, boasting lovely views of Central Park and Lincoln Center from its 12th floor perch. Cocktails hedge on the pricey side ($16+), but if you can get in during happy hour, wines are discounted at $6-$8 a glass, and you get a pretty stellar sunset viewing to sweeten the deal. See if you can spot the ghost of Chuck Bass haunting the hotel late at night.
The Empire Hotel is located at 44 West 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway on the Upper West Side (212-265-7400, empirehotelnyc.com).
GALLOW GREEN: Gallow Green made our rooftop list last year, and we're repeating the praise once again. The McKittrick Hotel's bewitching outdoor bar boasts some pretty gorgeous decor, with vintage train tracks and boxcars, lush greenery, live jazz music and—like the sprawling Sleep No More set that lies below—an ethereal, haunting old-world ambiance. The rooftop reopens on April 19th, and plans to roll out a brand new cocktail menu for spring, so check their website this week for more details on this season's drinks. Expect cocktails to run about $15, with punch bowls clocking in around $50/$75.
Gallow Green is located at 530 West 27th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Ave in Chelsea (212-564-1662, mckittrickhotel.com/gallowgreen).
(John Del Signore/Gothamist)
THE IDES AT THE WYTHE HOTEL: The Wythe Hotel is another hotspot that made our list last year, and that spectacular skyline view's landed it another mention. True, you'll probably find yourself waiting on a line winding down North 11th Street if you brave the bar on a weekend night. But once you get up there, you'll be treated to sparkling Manhattan skyscrapers lined up against a midnight blue sky, along with some strong alcoholic libations ($14+) and beers priced in the $5-$8 range. Staff members are fairly unpretentious for the upscale hotel scene, and though the lines are annoying to wait on, they serve their purpose well, since the bar and terrace rarely get too packed to enjoy the sights.
The Ides at the Wythe Hotel is located at 80 Wythe Avenue between North 11th and 12th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-460-8000, wythehotel.com).
THE PRESS LOUNGE AT INK48: This massive elevated drinking spot's got all the fixings for a top notch NYC rooftop bar. There's a stellar, unobstructed panoramic view of the city and the Hudson River, a "dress code" (no fitted caps, flip-flops, beachwear, tank tops, t-shirts or torn clothing allowed), trendy clientele and A POOL. You cannot swim in the pool, but you can look at it and yearn to be inside of it. Cocktails run the usual $16-or-so-a-pop but, naturally, you're paying for the view, so find some rich tourist and drag them along with you if you can.
The Press Lounge is located at Ink48, 653 11th Ave between 47th and 48th Streets in Hells Kitchen (212-757-2224, thepresslounge.com).
LE BAIN AND THE ROOFTOP AT THE STANDARD HIGH LINE: Another star on our 2013 list, the Standard High Line's rooftop still outshines most of the other elevated offerings around town, with naked models, a suspicious bubbling pool, faux grass, a daytime creperie and a whole host of cocktails crafted (and priced) for the West Village drinking set. A trip to the Standard's rooftop is decadence personified, but in the best, most entertaining way possible, and the spectacular views of Midtown, Lower Manhattan and the Hudson River don't hurt either.
The Standard, High Line is located at 848 Washington Street between Little West 12th and 13th Streets in the Meatpacking District (212-645-4646, standardhotels.com/high-line).
Night of Joy, via Facebook
NIGHT OF JOY: For a far more casual rooftop drinking experience, this Williamsburg bar sits right next the the BQE, and eschews $16 cocktails, long lines and fancy attire for graffiti decor and patio furniture. Night of Joy's got a stellar happy hour deal from 5 to 8 p.m., with signature cocktails and (VERY LARGE AND STRONG) frozen margaritas running $6-a-pop. You can also score $4 beers and other discount cocktails, plus it's a lot easier to grab a metal table in the afternoon than in prime Saturday Night Brooklyn time.
Night of Joy is located at 667 Lorimer Street between Jackson Street and the BQE in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-8693, nightofjoybar.com).
POD 39: The Pod 39 Hotel's lovely rooftop bar might sit precariously on the edge of fratastic Murray Hill, but don't let that stop you from stopping in for a summer drink or two. The bar, which opened in 2012, offers a glittering view of the Empire State Building and Lower Manhattan, framed by the hotel's brick facade, twinkling lights and funky archways. Drinks average about $12 here—a steal, by rooftop bar standards— and you can score guacamole and chips from the hotel's in-house eatery, Salvation Taco.
Pod 39 is located at 145 East 39th Street between Lexington and 3rd Aves in Midtown East (212-865-5700, thepodhotel.com).
Z ROOF AT Z NYC HOTEL: The Queensboro Bridge has already earned its merit as one of the city's more romantic sights, but the auroral view of it afforded by this LIC rooftop kicks even Woody Allen's creation up a notch, framed by Midtown Manhattan and a pitch-black East River at night. The hotel's elevated bar doesn't crowd up as much as some of the roofs on the Big Island, and drinks usually don't run more than $12, though you may have to compete with blaring hip-hop if you plan to hold a conversation with someone.
Z NYC Hotel is located at 11-01 43rd Ave in Long Island City, Queens (212-319-7000, zhotelny.com).
LA BIRRERIA AT EATALY: The Italian beer garden of sorts that sits atop Flatiron's famed Mario Batali food mecca is open year-round, but when the weather picks up the retractable roof comes down. And that's when the real fun starts, since there's nothing more wonderful than drinking barrels of beer above ground in the summer. Eataly brews its own cask ales up there, with brews running about $6 a draft, $12 a carafe, and you can also score non-housebrewed beers from the likes of Dogfish Head, Peak Organic and Nastro Azzurro. And since this is Eataly, there's a wealth of tasty appetizers and bar bites to nosh on, like antipasti, cheese and housemade cured meats.
La Birreria is located at 200 5th Ave in Flatiron (212-937-8910, eataly.com).
VU ROOFTOP BAR: One of K-town's lesser known secrets, this bar located on top of the La Quinta Manhattan serves up an awesome laid-back atmosphere unbridled by the non-stop pretension at some of the other elevated offerings around town. Though the view here isn't much, minus a close-up shot of the Empire State Building, the benefit of being outdoors far outweighs a panoramic scene. Plus there's a sweet daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. that includes $3 beers and $5 drinks—that deal runs daylong on Sundays, making it a prime spot for pre-work week summer boozing.
Vu Rooftop Bar is located at La Quinta Manhattan, 17 West 32nd Street between Broadway and 5th Ave in Koreatown (212) 991-8842, vunyc.com).