There’s no shortage of glamour and glitz on the menu at RH Rooftop Restaurant Marin, the restaurant offshoot of luxury furniture store RH. The restaurant has stately trees and cushy couches to sink into as you enjoy a salad and lobster roll with a glass of something bubbly.
We’re not the coldest of metropolitan areas in the U.S. But it’s fair to say the Bay Area gets its fair share of wind and fog. Still, pretty much everyone enjoys a rooftop bar, and fortunately, the scene has seen some new entrants in recent years — ones embracing the cold air with warm heaters and stiff drinks. Here are 20 scenic rooftop bars and restaurants offering both strong cocktails and stunning views from San Francisco to San Jose.
RH Rooftop Restaurant Marin
1750 Redwood Hwy, Corte Madera, CA 94925
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Fiorella Sunset
You’d never know it at first glance, but there’s a slender rooftop patio perched atop Fiorella’s newest outpost in the Sunset. Hung with string lights and armed with heaters, it’s a cozy setting for sharing wood-fired pizzas and fresh pastas.
1240 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
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Good Good Culture Club
In early 2022, the former Dear Inga space flipped into Good Good Culture Club, a team effort from a trio of Liholiho alums: general manager Aimee Arcilla, chef Kevin Keovanpheng, and chef Brett Shaw. The menu splits two ways, savory and sweet, with plates inspired by Arcilla’s Filipina heritage and Shaw’s Laotian upbringing. The roof is easily the best seat in the house with lots of plants and a vibrant color scheme.
3560 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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El Techo
El Techo has long been one of the city’s best options for outdoor drinking, day or night. Head up to the rooftop patio overlooking Mission Street for margaritas, small plates, and an excellent weekday happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. There are heaters scattered around the roof, and if you want the best views, belly up to the drinking rail.
2516 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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Jones
One of the city’s biggest rooftop spaces means plenty of room to gather for cocktails and occasional live music. The greenery scattered throughout gives it a lush vibe, though it’s in the midst of the Tenderloin, surrounded by hotels and apartment buildings.
620 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102
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Charmaine's Rooftop Bar & Lounge
Look up and down Market Street’s windy corridor from the glass-enclosed patio of Charmaine’s, perched atop the well-heeled Proper Hotel. It’s got drinks designed by Bon Vivants Hospitality (Trick Dog), snacks by Jason Fox of the late Commonwealth, and high style to match. The best seats are around one of the fire pits.
1100 Market Street Entrance at, 45 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102
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Rise Over Run
Head up to the top floor of the LINE SF hotel to find cocktails from longtime San Francisco bartender Danie Louie and a tight food menu from chef Joe Hou. There’s also a covered solarium, packed with plants, for days when the weather’s not quite right, plus firepits to warm up around outside.
33 Turk St, San Francisco, CA 94102
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Chotto Matte
Chotto Matte has a clubstaurant vibe, but so long as you don’t mind, the restaurant and lounge deliver elegant views of Union Square from a little-seen vantage point. For food, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure experience with multi-tiered pricing for tasting menus.
50 Ofarrell St, San Francisco, CA 94108
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Dirty Habit
On the fifth floor of Hotel Zelos, Dirty Habit is a hidden-away lair secluded by SoMa’s high-rise buildings. It’s dark and luxe indoors, but it opens out onto fire pits and lounge-worthy sofas. Sip from a menu of craft cocktails, which switches up with the seasons, and snack on oysters and shishito peppers, or go all-in on wild halibut or barbecue short ribs.
12 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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Shelby’s Rooftop
Some locals may remember this space as Everdene — back when the building was under the Virgin Hotels brand — but that was a whole lawsuit ago, and Hilton has since taken over. Despite that shift in ownership, the rooftop remains a solid place for drinks and fresh air; on cold nights, stick near the heaters and order one of the house-aged classics, such as the Negroni or Old Fashioned.
250 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Barebottle Beer Garden at Salesforce Park
Crushing a beer in a park that sits above the busy SoMa streets is a worthwhile experience — and one that’s easy to find thanks to Barebottle Brewing’s taproom at Salesforce Park. Enter at 425 Mission Street at Fremont Street then meander your way down the park’s paths until you find the shipping container-turned-beer garden. There’s Joyride Pizza available to pair with your drink.
Natoma St (btwn Beale & 2nd St), San Francisco, CA 94105
Rooftop 25
Atop SoMa’s 25 Lusk is a lovely rooftop bar serving wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and other bar snacks. Frozen cocktails, beers, and wines are attractive orders, particularly when the heaters come on to combat Bay Area winter (or notoriously cool summer) weather.
25 Lusk St, San Francisco, CA 94107
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Kaiyo Rooftop
Decked out with swaying palm trees and a lush plant wall, this tropical rooftop bar and restaurant is perched high above the SoMa skyline atop the Hyatt Place hotel. From the team behind Cow Hollow’s Kaiyo, expect a menu of Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei food and drinks including inventive sushi rolls, a variety of ceviches, and tropically-inspired cocktails — tiny umbrellas and all.
701 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
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Cavaña
There’s probably no better view in Mission Bay than from the stylish rooftop bar Cavaña, just a few blocks away from Oracle Park. It’s the latest from restaurateur John Park (Kaiyo, Kaiyo Rooftop, Novela) and a roster of experienced bar industry pros. They’re pulling inspiration from across Latin America including Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico so the cocktails feature flavors like hoja santa, papaya, mole spices, and poblano peppers. On the food menu, expect aguachiles, arepas, and flaky pastel de carne.
100 Channel St 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158
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Oeste
This Old Oakland bar and restaurant has the ideal rooftop for snacking on shrimp and grits, fried brussels sprouts, and steak frites. Cocktails, beer, wine, and weekend brunch that starts at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday are all extra reasons to stop by.
