Top 10 Rome Rooftop Bars

Looking for the best Rome rooftop bars? 

As you can imagine, I've done the research (you're welcome!), and have come up with my 10 favorite Rome rooftop bars.

Not only that, I've got suggestions for where to eat nearby afterwards.

Rooftop Bars in Rome
Spoiled for Choice

When I first moved here in 2001, it was not really a "thing" to visit a rooftop bar in Rome. A few of Rome's luxury hotels had rooftop bars, but it was something special to go there. It felt posh and exclusive.

Now, thanks to social media, bloggers, vloggers and guides to Rome (like this one), the interest in visiting a Rome rooftop and having an apertivo overlooking some beautiful Roman vista began to soar.

Now there are scores of Rome rooftop bars. Some AirB&B's, less fancy hotels, standalone restaurants and even a department store are all jumping on the bandwagon, and we are spoiled for choice. 

How Do You Rank the Rooftop Bars in Rome?
Here's How I Rank Them:

Whether it's to take visiting friends and family, or to meet friends or colleagues for fun and aperitivo, I've done quite a lot of rooftop hopping in Rome.

So this page is fully researched by yours truly, and based on my own experiences visiting some fabulous Rome rooftop bars.

Now that there are Rome rooftop bars on just about every corner, I can be selective and tell you which are my top 10 favorites.

I am basing my list on several factors:

• The "wow" - self-explanatory
• Location - Is it easy to get to, in a nice environment, and easy to find a place to eat nearby afterwards? Also, is it close to other stuff you might want to do in Rome?
• Easy access - How hard is it to visit without booking in advance, or how hard is it to book at all?
• The Zen - Although it might seem anathema, sometimes I actually want my rooftop experience to be quiet and mellow.
• The snacks - This applies to both the complimentary stuff they bring out with your drinks, and to what's available to order. The offerings around Rome rooftop bars are really varied.

Speaking of snacks, most Rome rooftop bars serve only finger food or otherwise have a limited menu and don't really serve dinner food, so I'm including my recommendations for where to eat dinner near all the places I list on this page.

My Top 10 Favorite Rome Rooftop Bars

These are my top 10 favorite rooftop bars in Rome. For me, they all offer something special, and I'll tell you why.

If you want more choices, I've listed quite a few more below.

For a map of the Rome rooftop bars I list on this page, see the bottom of the page.

1. Minerva Roof Garden at Grand Hotel de La Minerve

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2. La Grande Bellezza at Hotel Eitch Borromini 

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3. Terrazza dei Papi at the Mecenate Palace Hotel

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4. Les Etoiles at the Hotel Atlante Star

Details: Via Giovanni Vitelleschi, 34. Tel: 06 6873233. Open daily from 10am - 1am for lunch, cocktails, and dinner. Reservations suggested.

5. CESARI

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6. The Terrace of the REsidenza Paolo VI

Details: Via Paolo VI. Tel: 06 68487550. Open daily from 4pm - midnight. Reservations not necessary.

7. The American Roof Bar at the HOTEL FORUM

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8. The Terrazza of the Sina Bernini Bristol Hotel

Details: Piazza Barberini, 23. Tel: +39 06 488931. Open daily

9. Otium Hotel

Details: Via d'Aracoeli 11. Tel: +39 0640410547. Open daily HOURS . Reservations suggested.

10. La Terrasse at Sofitel

This is actually my top favorite of all the Rome rooftop bars. So why is it down here at number 10? Because when I went to check their hours and contact details, I saw a note on their website that said "Total refurbishment, reopening March 2019". So until then, I don't want to go on and on about them too much, and disappoint you when you find you cannot go in 2018. Stay tuned and I will be updating this page for the rooftop season beginning in spring 2019.

Details: Via Lombardia, 47. Tel: +39 06 478021. Reservations suggested. Open daily from 11am - midnight.

Some More Interesting Rome Rooftop Bars

There are certainly more than 10 fabulous Rome rooftop bars. Here are a few more that I love too:

Castel Sant'Angelo

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Forty Seven

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Hotel Raphael

Details: Largo Febo, 2. 06 9480 6631. Open daily 12pm - 10pm. It's not possible to book the bar tables, but you can book for dinner.

Capitoline Museums and Terrazza Caffarelli

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Zuma

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Up Sunset Bar at Rinascente

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FIRST LUXURY ART HOTEL AQUAROOF

Hmmm, I really wish this bar had been open when I wrote this article, but for all of the Rome rooftop season of 2018, they have been "under renovation", so I really can't recommend them right now. 

In 2017, they would have been in my top 10. Let's see what happens in 2019. Stay tuned.

Rome Rooftop Bars that Don't Actually Have Much of a View

There are lots of Rome rooftop bars that you might think would offer a view but don't. At least not much of a view.

I love all these rooftops, and think they offer something special too. They can be an excellent alternative to some of the ones I list above, if you are looking to simply enjoy eating and drinking outside, but away from traffic and street-vendors. They are also great choices if you are staying at these hotels, or nearby, or if you want a pool.

Hotel Victoria

Hotel Victoria near via Veneto. They have a beautiful flower-filled rooftop.

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The Corner

The Corner, near Circus Maximus. They have a lovely rooftop for drinks and for dining, and the 1* Michelin restaurant is excellent. It's also a pretty romantic place to eat or drink, due to the beautiful mix of flower-filled trellises, cozy garden furniture and gazebo-like gathering spots dotting the rooftop.

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Palazzo Manfredi

Palazzo Manfredi overlooking the Colosseum. The 1* Michelin restaurant Aroma offers one of the most stunning views in Rome. But you need to eat at the restaurant to get that view. The rooftop bar is in the back with some limited views of the Colle Oppio park.

Details: Via Labicana, 125. Tel: 06 7759 1380. Restaurant open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lounge bar only for drinks in the evening. Reservations for the restaurant are a must, even days in advance. For the lounge, reservations are suggested, especially during high season weekends.

Hotel Aleph

Hotel Aleph near via Veneto. There is a gorgeous rooftop bar, complete with pool and comfy, chic furniture.

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Il Palazzetto

Il Palazzetto wine bar on the Spanish Steps. You can have drinks right on/above the Spanish Steps, with a view mostly of the Steps themselves.

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Radisson Blu Zest Bar

Radisson Blu Zest Bar near Termini station. There is a stunning rooftop pool and two places to eat on the 7th (top) floor, but only one of the restaurants serves drinks (Zest Bar), and it's not overlooking the pool.

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Palazzo Naiadi

Palazzo Naiadi, formerly known as the Hotel Exedra, in Piazza della Repubblica. They have a gorgeous rooftop bar, and some tables inside that overlook the pool. You will see some rooftops and part of Piazza Exedra when you have a drink there.

Details: Piazza della Repubblica, 47. Tel: 06 489381. Open daily 6pm - midnight.

Hotel Savoy

Hotel Savoy near via Veneto. I eat here often for lunch, and there is an outside that has both a covered part and a completely un-covered part. So you can have drinks on the roof, and there is a bit of a view if you go to the very top.

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Rome Rooftop Restaurants that Don't Really Have a Place for Drinks

The whole culture of "having drinks", which for Anglo-Saxons means "a drink before dinner", is relatively new in Italy. In Italian it's called aperitivo, and it's taken on a life of its own here in Rome.

An aperitivo in Rome typically means that the first drink has a set price, and there are snacks. Hopefully the snacks are sort of substantial but not quite enough to be considered dinner.

Sometimes the snacks are served to you. And sometimes, you will find a generous buffet. You can simply stay here and eat and drink, which turns this adventure into an aperi-cena, meaning a mix of pre-dinner drink with a food pairing that turns into a sort of inexpensive dinner.

But for myself and most people I know, a drink before dinner is just that. And some of Rome's rooftop establishments are pretty specifically ONLY about having dinner, with no bar or place for "just drinks" to speak of.

I can recommend all of the below places. They are really beautiful, special, and romantic. These are pretty much Michelin star restaurants, offering superb food and service. And in every case, the view is spectacular. But they are not someplace to go for aperitivo.

These include:

• Hotel Waldorf Astoria Rome Cavalieri and 3*Michelin restaurant La Pergola
• Hotel Splendide Royale, and 1*Michelin restaurant Mirabelle
• Hotel Eden and 1*Michelin restaurant La Terrazza 
• Hotel Hassler and 1* Michelin restaurant Imago
  

Rome Rooftop Bars that are actually not easy to visit

There are also some rooftop bars in Rome that you cannot visit unless you are a guest of the hotel, or are planning an event there.

These include:

• Hotel Locarno (love their garden bar, which IS open to the public)
• Hotel Senato at the Pantheon
• Grand Hotel on via del Corso

Rome Rooftop Bars - A Map

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