The 8 best rooftop bars in Australia

It’s time to get high above our fair cities and soak up those sunny rays.

We’ve plucked our favourite skyward spots for a tipple; so cast aside the whisky and start chilling down your riesling.

1. Urban jungle – Taylor’s Rooftop, Sydney

Taylor’s has added a splash of green to Sydney’s bar scene.

Office workers can escape the hard concrete lines of the city and sip cocktails in a lush tropical oasis in the CBD. Its hanging garden is punctured by a colossal steel beam, giving it a chic industrial feel. Gaze up, and the skyline towers above you from this sky-high jungle.

Address: 69-73 Pitt Street

Urban jungle, Taylor’s Rooftop bar, Sydney.

2. Up-cycled – Aviary Rooftop Bar, Canberra

Made from recycled materials this drinking platform is perched atop an assortment of stilts and stacked shipping containers.

Soak in a very Canberran vista of Parliament House, Lake Burley Griffin and the National Gallery from Aviary as you enjoy a cocktail or craft beer, and some cool beats.

Address: 3 Barrine Drive, Acton

Upcycled atmosphere – Aviary rooftop bar, Canberra.

3. Get prime (ministered) – Bob’s Bar, Perth

Perched atop the much-loved Print Hall Bar & Dining Room, Bob’s Bar is named in honour of the late Bob Hawke, our third longest-serving prime minister, perhaps more famed for his skill with a yard glass than any policy.

Open to the sky, make the ascent to Bob’s for a taco and a tipple.

Address: 125 Saint Georges Terrace

4. Feeling Euro – Siglo, Melbourne

Be sure to wear your smoking jacket to this rooftop bar where one can select a cigar from the humidor to complement their caviar and Cognac, should the mood take them.

This open-air treasure above the European will make you feel as though you’ve stepped over to Paris for a nightcap. It may not be a casual drop in, drop out type of place, but it’s worth the indulgence for a unique Melbourne experience.

Address: 161 Spring Street, Melbourne

5. On the luxe list – InterContinental Double Bay, Sydney

Location check. No, it’s not Santorini. That would be Double Bay out there, but the blazing whites, marine blues and sophisticated styling could easily have you fooled, especially when you’ve ascended through the elegant InterContinental Double Bay.

Striped day beds beckon bathers from the rooftop pool while the bar and restaurant help along the relaxed vibe. Anyone can enjoy the facilities up here without a booking until midday, but once the clock ticks over you must book and there’s a rather eye-watering minimum spend per person.

Still, it’s worth splashing the cash for.

Address: 33 Cross Street, Double Bay

Rooftop pool lounge bar, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.

6. On the Fitz – Naked in the Sky, Melbourne

Despite its name, the only topless harlot here is the bar itself. So feel assured the clientele are not encouraged to disrobe on entry.

The bar is the extension of Fitzroy’s Naked for Satan (we didn’t see anyone in the nud there, either) and keeps the vibe and vodka flowing up the elevator shaft. Make the climb for a city sunset view and a vodka shot ice box. Consider the party started.

Address: 285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

7. Bubbles in your glass and your – Limes Hotel rooftop bar

A nod must also go in the direction of the rooftop bar at the Limes Hotel, which raises the sexy stakes with its two in-built hot tubs that seem poised to encourage some Champagne-induced frolicking. On more subdued nights the bar offers an open-air cinema, but you can still dip a toe (nobody needs to know).

Address: 142 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley

8. On trend – 2KW, Adelaide

Popular, pretty and with vivacious vistas over the thriving Adelaide Oval precinct; just a few reasons you should glam up and vie for a front row seat in one of 2KW’s kabanas.

The cocktails are as fresh, modern and well balanced (try the eponymous signature of gin, peach and apple) as the clean and modern Californian-style décor. Both the downstairs restaurant and bar are still seriously on trend, so failure to arrive early may mean disappointment.

Address: 2 King William St (hence 2KW)

Adelaide high society: 2KW Rooftop Bar.