Salon de Ning at The Peninsula New York
This evergreen rooftop has a new Hamptons’ beach chic look thanks to a May 2016 renovation. Get a table on the East Terrace, where you can overlook the shops of Fifth Avenue from 23 stories up. Tables are first-come, first-serve with one exception: the best spot in the house, the “Corner Couch,” which can be reserved in advance. Settle in and order a “Ning Sling,” a gin-based passion fruit mojito topped with lychees.
The Press Lounge at Kimpton Ink48 Hotel
The Big Apple’s larger than life personality and skyline shine in fully glory from this snazzy rooftop lounge on the western edge of Hell’s Kitchen. Here, you'll find no bachelorette parties, no DJs, and no sloppy bridge-and-tunnel folk: Instead, there are twinkling lights, fire pits, artisanal cocktails, and unobstructed panoramas to help you revel in big city beauty.
PH-D Terrace at Dream Midtown
PH-D Terrace is one of the city’s more intimate and well-decorated rooftops, strewn with colorful designer cushions. Sure, there are partial views of Times Square, the Time Warner building, and Broadway from 15 floors up, but you’ll hardly want to take your eyes of your “Pomegranate Rickey”—a fruity concoction of vodka, ginger beer, lime, and pomegranate liquor, swimming around a huge block of pomegranate-seed ice.
Le Bain at The Standard, High Line
The cool kids love to play, stand, and pose at this sky-high bar that crowns the Standard, High Line in the Meatpacking District. Even better? The wraparound views of the Manhattan skyline and Jersey City are sublime as are the pitcher-sized libations. Arrive at 4 p.m. for a chance at grabbing a coveted chair or couch.
Roof Garden Bar at the Met Fifth Avenue
Not into the bar scene but want a piece of the rooftop magic? Head past the Rodins and up to the fifth-floor garden atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art for magnificent views of Central Park. The garden’s current installation, Cornelia Parker’s Transitional Object (PsychoBarn) takes inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and has killer (pun intended) thematic cocktails to match. Think: “A Mother’s Love”—Corralejo Tequila, grilled pineapple juice, tarragon, and lemon juice.
Roof at Park South
Unpretentious fun is the
theme at this bar and lounge above the Park South Hotel. The gregarious crowd, which spans all demographics, can’t get enough of the creative, spirit-forward cocktails like the top-shelf tequila “Margarita;” the frozen, rum-heavy “Overproof Piña Colada;” and the “Duke’s Martini,” frozen Plymouth gin topped with caviar. (The views of the Chrysler Building aren't bad, either.)
Refinery Rooftop at Refinery Hotel
No dating apps necessary: At this grand, industrial chic fusion of indoor- outdoor space, exposed brick, braided lights, a retractable glass roof, and the glow of the Empire State Building join forces to play Cupid. The strong cocktails—several of which come in "caddies" with multiple servings—also help.
Dream Downtown
During the day, you can splash in the glass-bottomed pool at The Beach at Dream Downtown (non-hotel guests gain access weekdays for $60). Come evening, head to the wraparound terrace at Dream Downtown, which has vistas of the Hudson River and sparkling Empire State Building. Regardless of whether it's day or night, the strong and summery “Strawberry Fields”—tequila, fresh strawberries, and fresh basil—is our drink of choice.