Best rooftop restaurants and bars in Los Angeles

Don’t you like the way LA looks from the sky? Look downtown and you will see City Hall and the US Bank Tower. Head to Hollywood and you’ll spot its rolling hills dotted with mansions and its eponymous sign nestled between them. Continue west and you’ll eventually see the Pacific coast with its jutting piers, foaming shores and jagged cliffs. And there are countless other neighborhoods between those horizons that put on their own shows.

As for where to soak up the sights, you have a wealth of options. There’s the reward of hiking to the top of a trail, but as summer approaches, Los Angeles’ rooftop restaurants and bars prove more tempting, offering unparalleled views alongside sparkling pools, creative cocktails, top-notch people-watching and, lately, memorable dining. While delicious food can be a bit of an anomaly for the rooftops, where the focus is often on socializing and drinking, several newcomers stand out with interesting culinary programs in addition to remarkable views.

Chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of AOC launched Cara Cara on the 15th-floor rooftop of the Downtown LA Proper Hotel in late 2021, quickly becoming a local favorite, not just for uninterrupted skyscraper views from downtown, but also for a seasonal menu that rivals the Iberian-inspired Caldo Verde restaurant on the ground floor that opened at the same time.

“I just thought, ‘What would I want to eat if I was sitting on this rooftop looking at all of Los Angeles?'” Goin mused.

Cara Cara is working magic in a small kitchen upstairs and opting for an all-day menu that allows chefs to prepare certain dishes in Caldo Verde’s downstairs kitchen and have plates brought up the elevator all the way. throughout the day.

“The roof is tough competition for Caldo Verde,” Goin explained. “That way we’re able to offer great breakfast and brunch downstairs and offer two different experiences at the same time.”

Perched in these exalted surroundings, it’s hard not to be enveloped in a sense of optimism. It’s like staring out the window on a downhill return flight, silently naming landmarks as they appear, and laughing at flashing brake lights on the zigzag of freeways below. With a distanced and broader perspective, you’ll remember all the reasons you love this city.

We digress a bit with the roof’s definition for this guide, including a century-old pagoda nestled in the Hollywood Hills and a farm-to-table restaurant by the Malibu Pier, but we promise you will. will be grateful. freedoms once the panoramas have been embraced. Some are perfect for a dinner party, while others are perfect for catching up with friends over a drink and a few are better suited for dancing after dark. Here are 49 of the best rooftop restaurants and bars, overlooking Disneyland Resort, Laguna Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice and beyond, ranked by height. —Danielle Dorsey