Find a Rooftop Bar >> Sight Lines • Boozy and Cruisy • Laid-back
BOOZY AND CRUISY
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The Delancey.
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The Delancey
168 Delancey St., at Clinton St.; 212-254-9920
Once again the Lower East Side's standby rock club and goth hangout puts on a happy face by opening its roof deck for, among other things, $5 all-you-can-eat barbecues on Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Grab a burger and sit next to a central fountain surrounded by benches and foliage.
The View: A clear shot of the Williamsburg Bridge.
The Menu: The margarita machine churns out frozen blends for $8 apiece. Meanwhile, bottled beer and well drinks run a reasonable $6.
The Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.–4 a.m.
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Private Roof Club and Garden at Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Ave., at 21st St.; 212-920-3300
Like the downstairs Rose Bar, the indoor space takes its cues from a Renaissance palace; add to that an outdoor space that resembles a tropical greenhouse and you have one of the most coveted members-only hangouts in the city.
The View: A Blade Runner–inspired light installation and paintings by Andy Warhol and designer Damien Hirst are as alluring as the panorama of Manhattan.
The Menu: Cocktails from the downstairs bar and room-service items such as caviar and croque monsieurs.
The Hours: Daily, 6:30 a.m.–midnight. Cocktails are served 5 p.m.–close
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A60
60 Thompson, 60 Thompson St., nr. Broome St.; 877-431-0400
This hangout favored by the Varvatos/Philip Lim set is members only and plays host to scads of fashion-industry events. Haven't received your card this year? Try telling the doorman it got lost in the mail.
The View: The thirteenth-floor terrace showcases the skylines of midtown and lower Manhattan.
The Menu: Mixed drinks with fresh exotic fruits run $10–$14, while the spicy Thai hors d'oeuvre are similarly priced at $12–$16.
The Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.–midnight through Labor Day
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Cabana at the Maritime Hotel
Maritime Hotel, 363 W. 16th St., nr. Ninth Ave.; 212-242-4300
Heat lamps keep Amy Sacco's airy eatery open year-round, but it's best visited in the summer, when jet setters in from L.A. come here to pretend they never left.
The View: Sean Penn, Sam Rockwell, and the sisters Hilton have been sighted in the past.
The Menu: No more frozen mojito, but cool off with a bottle of sake or a martini with fresh litchi juice ($12).
The Hours: Tues.–Wed. 7 p.m.–1 a.m.; Thurs.–Sat. 9 p.m.–3 a.m.; Sun.–Mon. closed.
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The Rooftop at Patroon
160 E. 46th St., nr. Third Ave.; 212-883-7373
With its paper lanterns, grill station, and awning-clad bar, it'd be easy to mistake this i-banker go-to for a Hamptons patio if not for the view.
The View: Buildings rising above the third-floor terrace remind drinkers they have to get back to the office to finish those P&Ls.
The Menu: Flame-grilled sliders can be paired with $14 martinis like the Gibson (made with house-pickled onions instead of olives).
The Hours: Daily, noon–midnight.
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Rare View
Shelburne Murray Hill, 303 Lexington Ave., at 37th St.; 212-481-1999
The Murray Hill summer staple above hamburger joint Rare has doubled in size, meaning there are now ten bed-style loungers, including (take note, birthday revelers) five of them in a VIP area that's obscured by bamboo trees.
The View: A sixteenth-floor bar with outstanding midtown views, including the Chrysler Building.
The Menu: $15 mango margaritas and blood-orange Cosmos.
The Hours: Mon.–Sat. 4:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. closed.
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The Pool Deck
Empire Hotel, 44 W. 63rd St., nr. Broadway; 212-265-7400
The Empire Hotel's rooftop pool bar technically accommodates a maximum of 150 hotel guests, but if you have the know-how to reach the Hudson Hotel’s Sky Terrace rooftop sans room key, we’re thinking you can do the same here.
The View: Central Park's western border and Lincoln Center frame the hotel.
The Menu: Small plates and cocktails.
The Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.–2 a.m.
Eden
Opera, 268 W. 47th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-398-3800
The China Club is now Opera, and its rooftop lounge is now Eden. Got it? Danny Freed's joint boasts an outdoor deck with statues of Asian deities, a somewhat creepy, fake leafless tree, and plenty of standing room. The black leather banquettes in the indoor deck offer places to recline (and more fake vegetation).
The View: The deck's walls are high, but peeks at the Times Square towers are available.
The Menu: A Ty Ku mojito will run you $12; a wild strawberry liquor Champagne cocktail $15.
The Hours: Currently, open Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m.–1 a.m.
Larry Flynt's Hustler Club
641 W. 51st St., at Twelfth Ave.; 212-247-2460
The vision of the West Side Highway from the new "adult rooftop" wouldn't inspire anyone to propose to his girlfriend, but that's just fine for the cigar puffers who aren't thinking of marriage when they're staring at the busty barmaid.
The View: Banker wankers killing bills on silicone sisters.
Menu: The Hustler hasn't served food for a while, so make do with a beer or cocktail.
The Hours: Mon.–Fri. ($20 cover), 6 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sat. ($25), 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sun. (free), 8 p.m.–2 a.m.
Tonic East
411 Third Ave., at 29th St.; 212-683-7090
If you can make it past the throngs of Stern schoolers, up three flights of stairs and beyond the bouncer, you'll be rewarded by a rooftop scene that's slightly less of a crush than the top-40-fueled maelstrom downstairs.
The View: The Empire State Building and a bunch of Murray Hill condos.
Menu: Four types of steak, Sichuan spaghetti, tofu burgers, fried ice cream, and just about every imaginable variety of pub grub your heart desires.
The Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.–11:30 p.m.







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