We don’t make the rules. Everything — dancing, drinking, talking, eating — is better on a roof. Whether you’re looking for rooftop dining or just a cold margarita in the sun, these bars and restaurants will take you to a higher level. (And, this being Massachusetts, you’ll find some winter-friendly rooftop igloos, too.) If you prefer something closer to sea level, check out The Boston Globe’s Best of the Best picks for best cocktail bars.
Contessa
Contessa Vanessa Leroy/New York Times/File
This modern Italian restaurant, perched high atop The Newbury Hotel, is chic and stylish in a 1960s Hollywood kind of way: lots of mauve and jewel tones; plenty of gold accents and glamor. Plus, there are those jaw-dropping Back Bay views (try for a window table). The food, crafted by the Manhattan-based Major Food Group, the powerhouse behind New York icons such as Carbone and The Grill, is as sophisticated as the setting: twirl your fork through a plate of spicy lobster capellini, a crown of crustacean in peppery tomato sauce, and think: I’ve made it.
Address:
3 Newbury Street, Back Bay
Phone:
617-741-3404
Find online:
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Felipe’s Taqueria
Felipe’s Taqueria Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe
Don’t let the name fool you: Felipe’s is so much more than a taqueria. It’s also an evening hub that has a solution to three of Greater Boston’s biggest nightlife problems: drinks are relatively cheap, the kitchen stays open late, and there’s a roof deck bar with views of Harvard Square. The place has a real come-as-you-are feel. People are friendly, the music isn’t too loud, and conversations seem to flow better under the summer stars.
Address:
21 Brattle Street, Cambridge
Phone:
617-354-9944
Find online:
Long Bar & Terrace
Long Bar & Terrace Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe
Take the elevator up to the 17th floor of the Raffles hotel in the Back Bay: You’re here for an elevated experience. At Long Bar, there’s a swank indoor lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, but the view is best taken in from outdoors, on the black-and-cream-tiled terrace. Settle into comfy cushioned chairs and banquettes, sip one of the signature Singapore Slings (said to have been invented at the original Raffles), and gaze out over the beautiful city.
Address:
40 Trinity Place, Back Bay
Phone:
617-589-1402
Find online:
Rooftop at the Envoy
Rooftop at the Envoy Eric Levin
Seven floors up from the mouth of Fort Point Channel, the rooftop of the Seaport’s Envoy Hotel boasts a sweeping view of Boston Harbor — from the Tea Party ships past the Custom House Tower all the way to the Tobin Bridge. Reserve a table in the casual dining section or order at the bar and find your own seating on big striped sofas under broad umbrellas. Come winter, the rooftop even has “igloo” dining.
Address:
70 Sleeper Street, Seaport
Phone:
617-530-1538
Find online:
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Rooftop@Revere
Rooftop@Revere
If your yoga practice is getting stale, bring your mat to free community yoga on the rooftop of the Revere Hotel on Saturday morning and enjoy the Theater District views. Change to chic-casual and return after noon for a build-your-own poke bowl lunch. After sundown, the 15,000-square-foot rooftop transforms into an elegant night spot with a fruit-oriented cocktail list, several bubblies and rosés, and tasty lobster rolls and Thai shrimp lettuce wraps. It’s open through October 1, as of this writing.
Address:
200 Stuart Street, Theater District
Phone:
617-482-1800
Find online:
Related: See the 2024 list: Boston’s 6 best rooftop bars and restaurants
Saigon Babylon
Saigon Babylon
The rooftop above the Sonder 907 Main Hotel has struggled to find its proper tenant over the years. It was worth the wait for Saigon Babylon. From the team behind Cicada Coffee Bar in Cambridge and the Eaves Vietnamese restaurant in Somerville’s Bow Market, this Viet cuisine hotspot serves food as elevated as the restaurant’s perch overlooking Central and Kendall squares. It isn’t overcrowded like many other rooftops around town, the food and craft cocktails are mouthwatering, and the decor tasteful and eccentric at once.
Address:
907 Main Street, Floor 5, Cambridge
Phone:
617-945-4509
Find online:
