Sydney is one of the most popular cities in the world. And it is easy to understand why. For people with a love of food and drinks, this is paradise.
Packed with an abundance of fantastic rooftop bars, luckily you can also find some great restaurants with a view in Sydney, when the belly craves a bit more than drinks and snacks.
We have assembled a list of the 11 best rooftop restaurants in Sydney. A list filled with a great variety of views, atmosphere and food.
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Here’s the The Rooftop Guide´s 11 favorite rooftop restaurants in Sydney. Enjoy!
The charming and stylish The Butler is a hidden oasis nestled amongst the backstreets of Potts Point.
Lush and exotic, here you find a French colonial-inspired dining room with high ceilings and wicker furniture, leading out to a leafy and forest-like garden terrace, offering amazing and panoramic views over Sydney.
Open daily for dinner, and most days also for lunch, The Butler serves an exciting Ibero-American menu. Influenced by a region in the Americas comprising of countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages, the cuisine brings a zesty texture and tangy twist to classic dishes.
The menu includes everything from Tacos and Pan Seared Sea Scallops to Chorizo Ragù. Complemented with a creative selection of cocktails and wines, it is bound to be a fiesta for the taste buds.
Offering a lovely and intimate atmosphere, The Butler is a fantastic venue for a long lunch in the sun or a special date night.
THE BUTLER
When it comes to unique and sky-high dining in Sydney, the luxurious O Bar and Dining is hard to beat.
Perched 47 floors high, the venue has a revolving circular structure, taking you on a constantly turning journey, showcasing dazzling panoramas over all of Sydney and beyond.
Up here you can indulge in celebrated chef and owner Michael Moore's seasonal creations, celebrating the very best of the region’s sea and soil.
From 'Slow Roasted Wagyu Beef' to 'Steamed Aquna Murray Cod Fillet', the food is served as a 2 or 3 course à la carte dinner, a 5 course tasting menu, as well as a 1, 2 or 3 course lunch.
Complementing the food is an awarded wine list, curated to focus on iconic and boutique Australian producers whilst also offering selections from all over the world.
For a more casual dining option, there is also a substantial tapas style menu in the Lounge Bar, paired with a collection of over 400 meticulously curated spirits and creative signature cocktails.
O BAR AND DINING
Located on the southern end of the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, just a short stroll from the historic laneways of the Rocks, Harbour View Hotel invites to old-school hospitality, fabulous food and excellent cocktails over 3 floors.
The charming building, filled with history, houses an elegant public bar and sports bar, two private function rooms, a gaming room, a rooftop cocktail bar, and an á la carte rooftop restaurant.
Mixing stylish interior seating with a breezy outdoor terrace, the rooftop overlooks the harbour, and the majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge is so close you can almost touch it.
The Harbour View Hotel menu features both upscale dishes and more classic pub food, from 'Sydney Rock Oysters' and 'Squid & Crab Linguine', to 'Lamb Shank Pie' and 'The Beef Burger'. Complementing the food is a wide selection of wines, as well as crafted signature cocktails and plenty of brews.
Aiming to provide a friendly atmosphere filled with old-school hospitality, Harbour View Hotel is open daily, from sunny lunches with a view to elevated and celebratory dinners.
HARBOUR VIEW HOTEL
Providing an ideal rooftop location to enjoy beautiful views of the skyline and the waters of Darling Harbor, Café del Mar brings a chic slice of Ibiza to the heart of Sydney.
Mixing an elegant interior restaurant with a bright and buzzing outdoor terrace, Café del Mar aims to provide relaxed sophistication and glamour, and it is a great spot for both elevated food and drinks.
The restaurant menus is inspired by the cuisines of the Mediterranean Coast, with fresh, clean flavourful dishes prepared by the highly skilled chefs in the open kitchen.
Many of the dishes are designed to be shared, either among friends over a vibrant lunch, or with a loved one during an intimate dinner.
The food is complemented with a seasonal selection of fine wines, signature cocktails and champagne, which also can be enjoyed on the outside terrace, along with a smaller food menu of tapas and small plates.
CAFÈ DEL MAR
A popular location, particularly in the last few years, the Coogee Pavilion comes with a huge rooftop terrace, large enough to hold four different bars and a wrap-around balcony to ensure every guest gets a spot.
One floor down, you can find a fantastic restaurant known as "the Pav," a family-friendly venue complete with scrabble, ping pong, and an in-house theater, perfect for entertaining children and adults alike.
The rooftop bar and restaurant is exclusive for adults and serves a fantastic collection of wines, cocktails, beers, and world-liquors, as well as comfortable seating options and a lively yet fashionable atmosphere.
For the hungry ones, there is also an extensive food menu inspired by Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, filled with small plates, large plates and wraps, that you can enjoy to the beautiful views of the Australian coastline.
Whether you're visiting the Coogee Pavilion for drinks or food, keep in mind that this venue is remarkably popular, which means you should get to the venue early or else get comfortable to wait for a while.
COOGEE PAVILION
Located on a 4th floor in Paddington, roughly around 83 meters above sea level, The Light Brigade offers spectacular views of the Sydney skyline.
What's more, the entire four-story building belongs to The Light Brigade, which means you can find four different settings in total, to ensure the fun doesn't run out.
The ground floor is where the Brigade Bar is located. This quaint sports bar shows live sports and serves pub classic in a lively yet traditional atmosphere.
The second floor, Brigade Bistro, is a fantastic casual dining destination. Perfect for eating before or after watching the big game.
The third floor, the Brigade Lounge, is a posh cocktail bar with a chic 1920's Art Deco feel that specializes in classic and signature cocktails and is the perfect place for people looking for something more exclusive.
The fourth floor is where Brigade Rooftop is, and up here you can enjoy wood-fire pizzas, delicious burgers, mains like 'Steak Sandwich & Chips' and 'Pan-Roast Salmon', as well as classic cocktails, beers on tap, and wines. Enjoy food and drinks as a sunny lunch or relaxing evening with friends.
Though the best views can be found in the rooftop, there's still plenty to see in the entire building, making The Light Brigade an excellent destination to visit over and over again.
THE LIGHT BRIGADE
Found on top of the Westfield Sydney shopping mall, Babylon is a lush and sprawling rooftop restaurant and bar, bringing Middle Eastern vibes to the heart of Sydney.
Covering 1200sqm, the spacious rooftop is an imagined and beautiful recreation of the ancient city Babylon, and up here you find a restaurant, two large bars, a wood-fired kitchen and a large outdoor terrace.
Surrounded with majestic views over the surrounding Sydney, the rooftop serves a menu split into flora, fauna and ocean, created by Head Chef Arman Uz.
Made perfect to share, the dishes take inspiration from the rich and flavourful Levantine cuisine of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, complemented with a hand-picked selection of Old World and New World wines and signature cocktails.
While the largest food menu is found at the indoor restaurant, the terrace bar menu also includes plenty of Meze and Grill to keep everyone happy.
BABYLON ROOFTOP
Found in the heart of The Rocks, The Glenmore is a modern and fun pub-style rooftop, mixing a vibrant atmosphere with panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney skyline and the Opera House.
Offering old colonial English tradition with a modern touch, the three level establishment has been an Aussie icon since 1921. Here you find a ground floor public bar, followed by a cocktail bar and private rooms, and then the rooftop bar and restaurant up top.
With a retractable roof, the rooftop can be enjoyed in any weather, and there are also heaters, making it a year-round destination.
Serving a filling menu of gastropub dishes, here you can dig into everything from burgers and sharing plates to Chicken Schnitzel and Grain Fed Scotch Fillet. Complementing the food is a long selection of beers, wine and cocktails.
Open daily for lunch and dinner, you can also visit the Glenmore rooftop for fun and vibrant bottomless lunches during the weekends.
THE GLENMORE
Above the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay, Bar Ombré Rooftop offers an inner-city rooftop haven, mixing Italian flavours with views.
Surrounded with beautiful views over the skyline and across the Harbour Bridge, the lush and colorful terrace is a laid-back and intimate venue to indulge in everything from an afternoon aperitivo to late night fun.
The Bar Ombré rooftop menu comes filled with all the Italian influnces one could wish for, with everything from house-made cheese, antipasto platter, pasta, pizza and dolce. Complemented with a fine selection of crafted cocktails, champagne and organic wines, you are almost on the Riviera.
Open 7 days a week, it is pretty much always a good idea to say cin-cin and head up to the Bar Ombré Rooftop.
BAR OMBRE
Found on the corner of Palmer & Liverpool streets in the heart of Darlinghurst, East Village Sydney offers three floors of food, beverage and good times.
From the ground level and pub-ish Public Bar, to the second floor The Athletic Club sports bar and, best of all, the top floor Terrace Rooftop.
A year-round destination, the rooftop is bright and colorful during the warmer months, and more of a cosy winter garden under the retractable roof during the colder season. But always surrounded with amazing views over the Sydney skyline.
The East Village rooftop menu includes modern and fresh dishes, many made perfect to share. There are tapas like Pork Belly and Porcini Croquettes, as well as bowls, salad, burgers and some really filling main dishes.
To get the very best mix of plenty of good food, drinks, views and vibes, a good idea is to visit East Village rooftop for a weekend bottomless brunch.
EAST VILLAGE
Found north-west of central Sydney, in the suburb Macquarie Park, The Governor Hotel is a vibrant four-level venue.
Offering a large downstairs bistro and bar, the place to go for al-fresco vibes and 360-degree is the spacious rooftop garden, called The Governor's Rooftop.
A perfect spot for sunset drinks and afternoon knock-offs, as well as vibrant weekend nights with live DJs, the rooftop also offers plenty of options to keep the belly happy.
While the really filling pub-style lunches and dinners are served in the bistro, the rooftop all-day menu includes a cople of light meals, like 'Hand Crumbed Schnitzel' and 'Cheeseburger'. There is also bites to share and a large selection of pizza.
Come weekend, and The Governor's Rooftop is the go-to place for a great brunch. Share a selection of antipasto, breakfast and sweet treats served on high tea stands, and add bottomless cocktails to enjoy the full and fun experience.
THE GOV'S ROOFTOP
Rikard has spent the last 10 years exploring, enjoying, researching and working with rooftop venues. During these years he has visited more than 700 rooftops across the globe. The experience he has gained is used to create helpful, in-depth and accessible content, and to share his knowledge and rooftop expertise with fellow rooftop-lovers.
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