Best NYC Rooftop Bars in Cold or Rainy Weather

POSTED BY
Evelyn Kanter

Oh, the weather outside can be frightful, but in here it’s so delightful at these NYC rooftop bars where you can soak up skyline views and stay warm via tempered glass walls, roofs, space heaters, cozy blankets, even private igloos.

Go early enough to enjoy the sunset, and be prepared for wine and cocktail prices that are as lofty as the rooftop locations, around $15 each, or more.

It’s a good idea to call first to make sure the space is not off-limits for a private event such as a birthday party or bachelor or bachelorette event.

Note that we are including only affordable rooftop bars.

There are plenty of others with an admission price or drink prices which put them well beyond the limits of NYC on the Cheap, even as a splurge.

In alphabetical order, because that’s the only fair way.

Gansevoort Park

Indoor and outdoor fireplaces, stunning views of the Empire State Building and midtown, and a creative drink menu are the stars of this three-level penthouse bar.

At 420 Park Avenue South. Hotel website.

Haven Oasis

This heated rooftop lounge has been turned into a scene out of 1,000 Arabian Nights for the winter, with belly dancers and huge Moroccan-style lounging pillows.

Atop the Sanctuary Hotel , 132 W. 47th St.

Mr. Purple

Another hotel rooftop lounge, this one on the Lower East Side, 15 stories high at the trendy Hotel Indigo, hence its name – the color indigo is a kissing cousin of the color purple.

Designed and operated by nightclub specialists Gerber Group, there are both indoor and outdoor spaces, all with sweeping views of Midtown and beyond.

Indoors is a massive bar with seating and a bar menu. There’s also an outdoor section with a rooftop swimming pool that’s not winter-friendly, but the bar is.

180 Orchard St., 212-237-1790

Roof at 66 Park

This recently-opened lounge atop the The Kitano Hotel is named for its address. There are light bites and cocktails, with both indoor and outdoor options.

Choose the the east terrace for views of the Empire State Building, or the west terrace for views of the Chrysler Building.

Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5pm-midnight.

66 Park Ave., 212-885-7066

St. Cloud

On the corner of 42nd St. and Broadway, overlooking Times Square, this indoor-outdoor bar sits atop a 1906 office building that was turned into the luxury Knickerbocker Hotel.

This is a prime destination for New Year’s Eve, since it is across the street from the legendary glittering Ball Drop. Don’t even think about it unless your bank account has a lot of zeroes.

There’s also a special cigar area here.

230 Fifth

That’s both the name and the address of this rooftop bar, atop an office building in Flatiron, which hands out fluffy red blankets if the heaters aren’t keeping you warm enough.

230 Fifth is on the rooftop of the 230 Fifth Avenue building.

Evelyn Kanter is a native New Yorker who has written for the NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post, New York Magazine, and is a former on-air reporter for WCBS Newsradio 88 and WABC-TV Eyewitness News.