Living in Los Angeles with the sounds of highways and car horns, one would wonder how you can have a fun night outdoors in the city. We have put together 4 of the best rooftop bars to visit that will make you forget you are in the City of Angels.
Atop the Kimpton ~ The Hotel Wilshire is what is considered L.A.’s best roof-top pool hangout, The Roof on Wilshire. Covered in Canary yellow umbrellas and overlooking the Hollywood Hills this paradise-in -the-city-sky offers creative cuisine exclusively created by celebrity chef Eric Greenspan. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served day or night where diners of all ages are invited to come take a dip and relax.
The crystal clear pool is always full of life and surrounded by cabana like booths. Both the booths and tables are arranged in such a way that no seat is a bad seat. To top it off, they have a great deal on brunch-time mimosas to keep that perfect party weekend going. On weekends, when the entire dinner crowd has finished their meals, the space magically converts into a popular stand-up lounge with designer cocktails and great music that seems to flow into the evening stars.
Outpost-Drink-Final-22.jpg
There is also a fire pit which lights up the space adding to the beauty of the sea of lights illuminating the city. The food is reasonably priced and cocktails are created by Mike Tipps who uses the freshest ingredients to provide some of the best tasting drinks around. Overall, the views are amazing and the ambiance is casual and upbeat – like hanging out in your living room in the sky.
Our next rooftop favorite is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, with a view overlooking the historic Central Library, atop a historic downtown building is Perch LA. This building with its vintage elevators, European style set-up and French cuisine is mystical and enchanting. It stays pretty low-key during the week but becomes a very busy scene on the weekends. They have live music nightly which adds a relaxed feeling while delivering one of the best views of downtown anywhere in the city.
There is usually a lot of space but we still recommend that you make a reservation as the wait can get a bit long depending on the night. The patio wraps around the entire rooftop giving a full range of view of the sparkling lights shimmering in the downtown life. They serve food for all parts of the day and have a fantastic cocktail menu. This is a great place for a date because you can have intimate conversations without being interrupted by the hustle and bustle below. The relaxed, stress-free atmosphere literally makes you forget about the highways and traffic buzzing below, giving you that feeling of floating on a tranquil cloud high above the magnificent energy of the city of Los Angeles.
Our next destination is another amazing place to grab food and drinks — Moonshadows Malibu. While this is not a rooftop bar the outdoor lounge does give the illusion of height as it sits right above the pacific waters. Possibly one of the most relaxing and beautiful places to kick back with friends or a date on a sunny afternoon or starry night. The lounge is covered with curtained booths and white beds for relaxing privacy making the who place very clean and chic. You can get here during the day for brunch to grab a mimosa and soak up the sun or you can grab dinner on the sun deck and relax through the evening with margaritas in hand. If you’re lucky, you can catch a glimpse of pod of dolphins or whales off the shore.
Created by Andrea Bullo, Moonshadows’ cuisine consists of a mouthwatering mix of seafood and signature dishes with Asian fusion, Italian and American influences. Let your senses run wild here while you watch the water swallow up the sunset and the stars ignite the sky.
Our last recommendation is Skybar at Mondrian. This chic poolside lounge has one of the best views of Los Angeles you can find anywhere in the city. The ivory covered rooftop sets a mood unmatched in LA. This place is popular no matter what day or time you visit. The food rules the day and the world-class DJs, celebs, and cocktails power the night. The ambiance here is incredible and everyone is there is set to have a good time. The open hut and star covered sky is inviting to absolutely everyone. It can get a bit crowded so we recommend calling ahead to gain access on nights later in the week. But we feel it is worth it for an experience unlike any other in Los Angeles. We recommend visiting all of our rooftop choices for a quick trip to your neighborhood oasis in the sky!
