7 Best Rooftop Bars in Rome (Plus Practical Tips & Photos)

Things to Know about the Rooftop Bars in Rome

Make Your Reservation in Advance

Some rooftop bars take reservations and some rooftop bars are first come, first serve. We suggest making a reservation in advance for each of these rooftop bars, unless otherwise noted. Several of these are extremely popular spots and book up in advance.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit a Rooftop Bar?

When we did this in September 2022, on average, we paid 15 to 25€ for a cocktail. Appetizers/small plates ranged from 10€ to 20€, depending on the place and what was on the menu.

Expect to pay a minimum of 15€ per drink, plus extra if you want a small plate of food. The cocktails at the rooftop bars are expensive, much more so than if you were going to get a cocktail at a restaurant or bar elsewhere in the city…but what you are also getting is the view.

We give the link to each rooftop bar and from here you can check the menus and pricing.

Hours of Operation

We recommend checking the official website for hours of operation. The hours listed on Google Maps are not always accurate. The links are included for each rooftop bar in this article.

Dress Code

For all of these rooftop bars, smart casual clothing is recommended. Some rooftop bars are very casual, such as Up Sunset Bar and Garden Roof Trevi, while others are more upscale, such as Cielo Terrace and The Court at Palazzo Manfredi.

Note: Many of these rooftop bars are located on top of hotels. You do not have to be a guest of these hotels in order to visit these rooftop bars in Rome.

Best Rooftop Bars in Rome

1. AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari

Location: Hotel The First Arte
View: Villa Borghese Gardens, Trinità dei Monti church, Rome skyline
Hours: Noon for lunch, aperitifs, and dinner
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: acquaroof.it

Located near Piazza del Popolo, this rooftop restaurant and bar has a very nice view across the rooftops to the Villa Borghese Gardens and the Trinità dei Monti church. It is open for lunch, late afternoon cocktails, and dinner. Since it can be visited all afternoon, it’s one of the best rooftop bars in Rome to add to your list.

AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari

AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari

We had lunch here and at this time of day it was a quiet spot. The food was delicious. I ate the spaghettoni with clams in a buttery garlic sauce and Tim had pasta with tomato sauce and lobster.

I imagine that AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari would be a great spot for sunset views and dinner and drinks.

AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari opens at noon for lunch. Our waiter recommended having a reservation for lunch or dinner. If you just want to have a drink and enjoy the view, come between 6 and 8 pm.

2. Terrazza Nainer

Location: Palazzo Nainer
View: Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese Gardens
Hours: 6 pm to 10 pm (open until midnight in summer)
Reservation: Highly recommended although walk-ins are accepted
Website: palazzonainer.com

This beautiful rooftop bar has views over Piazza del Popolo and the Villa Borghese Gardens. It is just a short walk from AcquaRoof so you could visit both on the same evening (visit Terrazza Nainer for an aperitif and AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari for dinner).

Terrazza Nainer | Best Rooftop Bars in Rome

The view of Piazza del Popolo from Piazza Nainer

If you are not a guest of the hotel, you should make a reservation in advance. Hotel guests are welcome to get a drink without a reservation.

Non guests should make a reservation for drinks or dinner using the hotel website. Hotel guests should make a reservation for dinner but are welcome to get a drink without a reservation.

3. Cielo Terrace

Location: Rocco Forte Hotel de la Ville
View: Panoramic views of the Rome skyline
Hours: Noon to midnight
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: roccofortehotels.com

This rooftop bar and restaurant is located on the seventh floor of Hotel de la Ville. With a location just a short walk from the top of the Spanish Steps, this rooftop bar is located on one of the highest points of the city. From here, you can gaze across the rooftops for panoramic views of Rome. You look across some rooftops near the hotel, but beyond that you can see St. Peter’s Basilica, the dome of the Pantheon, and the Altar of the Fatherland.

Cielo Terrace | Best Rooftop Bars in Rome

The cocktails are delicious and served with small snacks (olives, potato chips, and nuts). The terrace has tables and chairs plus a few sofas. Red striped umbrellas shade guests from the afternoon sun.

From noon to 5 pm, you can have cocktails and small plates. Dinner is served in the evening. This is one of the more expensive rooftop bars that we visited, with cocktails costing €25.

4. Divinity Restaurant & Lounge

Location: The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel
View: Pantheon, Church of St. Ives (the corkscrew)
Hours: 11:30 am to midnight
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: thepantheonhotel.com

Divinity Restaurant & Lounge is located in the historic heart of Rome, just a short walk from the Pantheon.

This rooftop bar and restaurant has a spectacular view of the corkscrew (the top of the Church of St. Ives at the Sapienza) and you can see the dome of the Pantheon.

Divinity has two parts: an outdoor lounge bar and a restaurant. If you dine at the restaurant, there is indoor and outdoor seating. For the best view, request an outdoor table when you make your reservation.

The view from the Divinity Lounge Bar at sunset

Divinity Lounge 

View of the Pantheon from the lounge bar

View from the Divinity Restaurant

This is one of our favorite rooftop bars in Rome. The food and drinks are excellent, gazing out at the corkscrew is beautiful, and this rooftop bar has a fantastic location in the city center.

The outdoor lounge bar opens at 11:30 am. The views from this part of Divinity are the best, with a view of both the corkscrew and top of the Pantheon. Dinner is served at 7 pm. The view isn’t as good from the outdoor restaurant, but the food is phenomenal. Come early for an aperitif at the lounge bar and follow that with dinner to get the full experience.

5. Oro Bistro

Location: Hotel NH Collection Roma Fori Imperiali
View: Altar of the Fatherland, Trajan Forum, Roman Forum
Hours: 4 pm to midnight
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: orobistrot.it

This is our favorite rooftop bar in Rome. We had an amazing experience here, and I will admit that was partly because the sunset was spectacular during our visit.

There are two sections of Oro Bistrot: an outdoor lounge bar and an outdoor restaurant.

We started with aperitifs at the lounge bar and then moved over to the restaurant for dinner at 7 pm. During the several hours we spent here (our visit was in mid-September), the sky put on a dramatic show with a pastel sunset. Looking out over the Trajan Forum to the Altar of the Fatherland was magical.

The drinks and the food are wonderful, the views are some of the best from a Rome rooftop bar, making this one of the best rooftop bars in Rome. Definitely make your reservation in advance for both the cocktail lounge and the restaurant.

Oro Bistrot Lounge | Best Rooftop Bars in Rome

Oro Bistrot Restaurant

View of the Altar of the Fatherland at sunset

View from the Oro Bistrot Restaurant in the evening

6. Garden Roof Trevi

Location: Relais Trevi Fountain Rome
View: Trevi Fountain
Hours: Noon to 2 am
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: relaisfontanaditrevi.com

On our first night in Rome, Tim and I had trouble sleeping, so at 1 am, Tim says “let’s go see the Trevi Fountain.” From our hotel, we walked through the quiet city streets to the Trevi Fountain, where we were surprised to still see about 20 to 30 people hanging out by the fountain.

Even at this late hour, Garden Roof Trevi was still open, so we rode the elevator to this rooftop bar for a view over the Trevi Fountain.

This rooftop bar is tiny but it does give you a bird’s eye view of the fountain. Since it opens so early (at noon) you can put this rooftop bar on your list as a place to visit as you walk through the historic heart of Rome…or visit late at night like we did.

Garden Roof Trevi

View of the Trevi Fountain

7. The Court

Location: Palazzo Manfredi
View: The Colosseum
Hours: 5 pm to 1 am
Reservation: Highly recommended
Website: manfredihotels.com

The Court is a cocktail bar with one of the best views of the Colosseum. It does not sit on the rooftop of the Palazzo Manfredi, but the view is still astonishing, since you gaze across the Ludus Magnus gladiator school, giving you an unobstructed view of the Colosseum.

We did not have a drink here, although I wish we had, since the view looks phenomenal (you can see photos on the official website). They do not open until 5 pm so it did not work with our schedule, but it’s something to consider if you will be in this area in the late afternoon.

This lounge bar is located in Palazzo Manfredi, a 5-star hotel, so cocktails here will be more expensive than others on this list.

For dinner, for another breathtaking view of the Colosseum, make a reservation at Aroma, the rooftop Michelin-starred restaurant of Palazzo Manfredi.

Three More Suggestions

These following suggestions are not rooftop bars, but they do offer amazing views of Rome. One is a Michelin-starred restaurant and the other is the private terrace of a hotel on Piazza Navona.

Imàgo

Location: Hotel Hassler Roma
View: Spanish Steps, Rome skyline
Hours: 7 pm to 10:30 pm, closed Sunday and Monday
Reservation: Make your reservation at least one month in advance
Website: hotelhasslerroma.com

Imàgo is a Michelin-starred restaurant that is located on the upper floor of Hotel Hassler Roma. From this restaurant, you have stunning views across Rome. You look out over the Spanish Steps and can see famous landmarks, including St. Peter’s Basilica and Trinità dei Monti. The restaurant is indoors (it is not an open terrace) but the walls are mostly windows. For the best experience, reserve a table next to a window.

We did not eat here because we were not able to get a reservation (make your reservation at least several weeks in advance) but it’s a restaurant we plan to visit on our next visit to Rome.

The view from Imàgo

Lifestyle Suites Rome

Lifestyle Suites Rome is a small, boutique hotel that is located on Piazza Navona. We stayed here on our most recent visit to Rome, choosing it for its views of the square.

The highlight of the hotel is the rooftop terrace and from here you have a bird’s eye view of Piazza Navona. The hotel serves wine, so you can sit here at the end of the day and enjoy the view with a glass of wine. The rooftop terrace is only open to hotel guests so there’s a good chance you could have it all to yourself (we did).

Terrace on top of the Lifestyle Suites Rome hotel

Overlooking Piazza Navona

Terrazza Borromini

Sitting on top of Palazzo Pamphilj, overlooking Piazza Navona, is Terrazza Borromini. On the 4th floor is a fine dining restaurant and on the 5th floor is a cocktail bar. Learn more on the official website.

Best Rooftop Bars in Rome: On a Map

Best Rooftop Bars in Rome: Our Recommendations

Rooftop Bars with the Best View

We loved the sunset views from Oro Bistrot. You also get a wonderful view from Divinity Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Terrazza Nainer, AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari, and Cielo Terrace.

Most Expensive Rooftop Bars in Rome

• Cielo Terrace
• The Court at Palazzo Manfredi
• AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari

Rooftop Bars Serving Drinks and Food

Oro Bistrot, Cielo Terrace, AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari, and Divinity Restaurant and Lounge Bar all serve cocktails and dinner.

Our Favorite Rooftop Bars in Rome

Our three favorite rooftop bars are Oro Bistrot, AcquaRoof Terrazza Molinari, and Divinity Rooftop.

More Information for Your Trip to Rome

For a full list of things to do in Rome, check out our article Best Things to Do in Rome. For the best viewpoints of Rome’s famous landmarks, take a look at our article Best Views of Rome.

Learn how to plan your time with our One Day in Rome Itinerary, 2 Day Rome Itinerary, 3 Day Rome Itinerary and 4 Day Rome Itinerary.

Don’t miss our detailed guides about How to Visit the Colosseum and How to Visit the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

For advice on where to eat, read our guide about Where to Eat in Rome, which has restaurant recommendations near the Colosseum, Vatican City, and the historic heart of Rome, plus some great rooftop restaurants.

Get recommendations on where to stay in Rome in our Rome Hotel Guide.

ROOFTOP BARS IN FLORENCE: If you will also be visiting Florence, don’t miss our article Best Rooftop Bars in Florence. There’s some great rooftop bars here with views of the Duomo and Arno River.

If you have any questions about the best rooftop bars in Rome, or if you would like to share your favorites, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information for Your Trip to Italy

ITALY ITINERARIES: If you are just beginning to plan your Italy itinerary, take a look at our 10 Days in Italy Itinerary for five different ways to spend 10 days in Italy. We also have a detailed 10 day itinerary that includes Rome, Florence, the Cinque Terre, and Venice and a 10 day southern Italy itinerary that includes the Amalfi Coast, Matera and Puglia.

VENICE: Learn more about what to do in Venice in our Venice Bucket List. To help you plan your time, we have a detailed one day Venice itinerary and a 2 day Venice itinerary.

FLORENCE & TUSCANY: If this is your first visit to Florence, read our guide to the Best Things to Do in Florence and how to spend two days in Florence. If you plan to visit Tuscany, learn about the Best Things to Do in Tuscany, how to spend One Day in Siena, the best things to do in Montepulciano, and check out our guide to the Best Day Trips from Florence.

PHOTOGRAPHING ITALY: For some of the best views in Italy, here are 20 gorgeous views and exactly where to photograph them.

AMALFI COAST: Learn how to travel from Rome to the Amalfi Coast and you have the option to visit Pompeii on the way. We also have a guide to the best towns on the Amalfi Coast, how to hike the Path of the Gods, things to do in Positano, and things to do in Ravello. And don’t miss our guide to the best things to do in Capri.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.