Empire Journal | Dining
Rooftop Bars Los Angeles: Downtown, Hollywood and the Westside
The rooftop bars in Los Angeles that are worth the drive — downtown high-rises, Hollywood pool decks, West Hollywood terraces, and which ones need a reservation.
Rooftop Bars Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the best rooftop city in America and the hardest one to do casually, because the good rooftops are spread across four neighborhoods that are twenty to forty minutes apart. Choosing rooftop bars in Los Angeles is therefore a geography decision first: pick the neighborhood you are sleeping or eating in, then pick the roof.
Here they are, by area.
Downtown: the high-rise tier
Perch — DTLA. Fifteenth and sixteenth floors, French-leaning menu, fire pits, and the closest view of the downtown towers. The default answer for a downtown rooftop night, and it takes reservations — use them. Venue site.
Spire 73 — InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. Seventy-third floor, the highest open-air rooftop bar in the Western Hemisphere. Cocktails and small plates; go for altitude, and bring a layer because it is genuinely windy up there. Hotel site.
Broken Shaker — Freehand Los Angeles. Rooftop pool bar on a 1920s building, and the best drinks list downtown. More relaxed than the towers, and better for a long evening.
Hollywood: the pool-deck tier
Highlight Room — Dream Hollywood. Rooftop pool, restaurant and view straight up to the Hollywood sign. The most complete Hollywood rooftop, and the busiest — book ahead.
Mama Shelter Hollywood. Rooftop with a retractable roof, table games and an unpretentious crowd. The value pick in Hollywood.
West Hollywood: the terrace tier
Harriet's Rooftop — 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Rooftop lounge and pool deck looking across the basin to downtown on a clear day, with the hills behind you. The most polished rooftop on the Westside. Hotel site.
The Sunset Strip hotel terraces trade altitude for the view down over the city lights, which after dark is the better trade.
The ocean version
Santa Monica's hotel rooftops and upper terraces put the Pacific in the frame instead of the skyline. Go at sunset — this is the only part of LA where the sun sets over water — and expect the marine layer to win in May and June.
Practical notes
- Reservations: essential at Perch, the Hollywood pool decks and the West Hollywood hotels on weekends. Use Resy or OpenTable.
- Dress code: LA's rooftops are stricter than the city's reputation suggests. No athletic wear at the hotel lounges; closed shoes at the club-adjacent rooms.
- Bring a layer. LA drops 20 degrees after dark year-round, and downtown high-rises are windy.
- Best months: September and October, then March through May. June is famously grey on the Westside.
- Guest-list nights: several West Hollywood rooftops run door policies late on weekends. Booking a table is how you skip that entirely.
Where to stay
Downtown for the towers, Hollywood for the pool decks, West Hollywood for the terraces, Santa Monica for the ocean. Compare Los Angeles hotel rates through our Expedia partner link, and for a rooftop pool day without a room, ResortPass lists LA hotel day passes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rooftop bar in Los Angeles?
Perch for the downtown view and the food, Spire 73 for sheer altitude, Harriet's Rooftop at 1 Hotel West Hollywood for the most polished experience, and Broken Shaker for the best drinks.
Which LA rooftop is the highest?
Spire 73 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, on the seventy-third floor — the highest open-air rooftop bar in the Western Hemisphere.
Do Los Angeles rooftop bars require reservations?
On weekends, yes, at the hotel rooftops and pool decks. Weeknights are frequently walk-in before 7 PM.
Which rooftop bar has Hollywood sign views?
Highlight Room at Dream Hollywood has the clearest sightline. Several Hollywood hotel rooftops face the hills.
What is the dress code at LA rooftop bars?
Smart casual and up. Skip athletic wear and flip-flops; the West Hollywood lounges enforce it at the door.
