The 20 Best Rooftop Restaurants in Phoenix
In the Valley of the Sun, people tend to spend a lot of their time outside, even when it gets hot out for most of the year. After all, it’s a dry heat, right? If you find yourself in Phoenix on a hot and dry day, why not cool off in the shade with a refreshing drink and get a bite to eat? There are plenty of great outdoor rooftop options in Phoenix, serving up signature cocktails and dishes for locals and visitors alike. Of all of the rooftop restaurants Phoenix has to offer, these 20 stand out as the best:
1. Bar Smith (130 E. Washington St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
We start off the list with a business that serves as both a restaurant and a nightclub. Bar Smith serves up a lot of the bar food that people come to expect, including sliders, burgers, and fries. To get into Bar Smith, though, you’ll have to be a night owl. That’s because this rooftop joint is only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 pm until 2 am.
2. The Attic Ale House (4247 E. Indian School Rd. – Phoenix, AZ 85018)
If you’re a fan of brews, you’ll find yourself right at home at the Attic Ale House where they have renowned drinks and food. Their burger has been called one of the best in the world, while their lemon chicken pizza is award-winning. Voted as one of the best craft beer bars in the United States, the Attic Ale House is a fantastic spot for visitors and locals alike who want a fun, casual atmosphere.
3. Rustler’s Rooste (8383 S. 48th St. – Phoenix, AZ 85044)
The focus at Rustler’s Rooste first and foremost is making sure that everyone gets to eat a great steak while enjoying a view of the valley. Open daily at 4 pm, Rustler’s Rooste offers up brisket, ribs, and prime rib in addition to their delicious steak options. Of course, a steakhouse wouldn’t be complete without a solid list of beers, wine, and margaritas.
4. From The Rooftop (222 E. Portland St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
Credited by some sources as the top rooftop bar in all of Phoenix, From the Rooftop is atop the Cambria Hotel in the downtown area. Open for dinner most nights (and brunch on the weekends), From the Rooftop offers a special happy hour menu, as well as plenty of vegan options to go along with their wide selection of burgers, wings, and more. Signature cocktails include the spicy mango margarita and “Health Attack.”
5. Floor 13 Rooftop Bar (15 E. Monroe St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
Located atop the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Phoenix, the Floor 13 Rooftop Bar is a sight for sore eyes after a long day of traveling to Phoenix. Though it’s mostly a bar that focuses on drinks, Floor 13 does have some food options that include bruschetta, chicken wings, and ahi tacos. Some favorite cocktails include Into Thin Air and the Master of Suspense.
6. Lustre Bar (2 E. Jefferson St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
Lustre Bar is Hotel Palomar’s sweet rooftop escape. They are serving up craft cocktails and a small menu of organic fare. You can sit poolside and order their Korean tacos with bulgogi beef, kimchi fried rice, and daikon slaw. Their cheddar and chive waffle bites are paired with duck ham and peach jalapeño reserves. Or perhaps one of the flatbreads they offer. The drinks are great too, with local beer, wine, and refreshing cocktails like the Lustre G&T made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, cucumber tonic, and dehydrated limes.
7. Don Woods’ Say When (400 W. Camelback Rd. – Phoenix, AZ 85013)
Located in the Rise Uptown Hotel, Don Woods’ Say When is a retro rooftop bar and lounge with a cozy atmosphere and great views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. Serving fun picture-worthy cocktails and light bar bites to keep you satisfied. Guests love the house-made potato chips served with a dip made up of creme fraiche, dill, chives, and roasted garlic. They can wash it down with one of their mouthwatering cocktails like the Flawless Martini, Tommy’s Margarita, or Sidecar.
8. Upstairs At FLINT (2425 E. Camelback Rd. – Phoenix, AZ 85016)
This open-air rooftop restaurant and bar is located in Phoenix’s Biltmore neighborhood, featuring fresh upscale cuisine and premium cocktails great for any small get-together, or private event. They offer dishes like their wood-grilled lamb chops, pizza from their wood-fired oven, a raw bar with shrimp, oysters, and tuna tartare, as well as Mediterranean-inspired appetizers and small plates. Sip on cocktails like Grapefruit & Chill, made from Mi Campo Tequila, rum, Cointreau, tamarind, jalapeño, and ginger. Or the Amen Break consisting of Tullamore Dew Rum Cask, apricot, honey, and lemon. Dessert under the Arizona skyline is a great end to any meal. Their Olive Oil Poundcake served with fresh berries, citrus, creme Anglaise, and brown butter crumble would be a good choice from their decadent dessert menu.
9. Compass Arizona Grill (122 N. 2nd St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
The Hyatt Regency Phoenix hotel features the intriguing and exciting revolving rooftop destination, Compass Arizona Grill. Patrons rave about the fresh, quality, seasonal dishes like the ribeye steak, lobster, seafood pasta, and Brie fondue. They also showcase an extensive wine selection. All of which you can enjoy while the smooth rotation of the restaurant brings you around to a 360° view of Phoenix. The restaurant is currently closed for renovations, but you can expect some exciting changes to come in December 2022.
10. Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails (2 E. Jefferson St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
Downtown Phoenix is where you’ll find the Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, a gastropub specializing in New American cuisine that is carefully sourced and easily shareable. They offer decadent menu items like lobster mac & cheese, duck breast, pork shank, and fried green tomatoes. Even serving breakfast and brunch. Of course, they have cocktails in the name, so you’ll be happy to know they have a great cocktail menu, with draft beers, wine, and other beverages available. The Sharpie Mustache is made with beefeater gin, knob creek rye, bonal gentian, amaro meletti, and tiki bitters. They also have the Whimsical Day, consisting of pomp & whimsy gin liqueur, St. George pear brandy, brown sugar, cinnamon, lime, and grapefruit soda
11. The Brill Line (901 N. 1st St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
This fun “industrial-chic” joint gives you an open-air dining experience with live music and a view while providing shade from the hot desert sun. They have a massive variety of food and drink options to please any group large, or small. The Brill Line serves up cleverly named pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, breakfast, and a couple of vegan options as well. Patrons thoroughly enjoy the fresh juice drinks, cocktails, smoothies, and wines.
12. HULA’S Modern Tiki Uptown (5114 N. 7th St. – Phoenix, AZ 85014)
Located in Windsor Square in Phoenix, HULA’S Modern Tiki Uptown is a stylish and fun old-school tiki-style joint with Polynesian flair. Authentic and playful dishes like Loco Moco, island-style poke, Hawaiian ceviche, and the “Jawaiian” jerk pork plate have gained the attention of patrons. Although, the Tiki Bar inspired drinks are what really keep them coming back. With signature cocktails like Hula’s Painkiller made with Bacardi gold rum, coconut, pineapple, and orange juices. Dr. Funk is made with coconut rum, vodka, creme de banana, pineapple, and orange juices. HULA’s also has mocktails, wines, and brews.
13. Pedal Haus Brewery (214 E. Roosevelt St. – Phoenix, AZ 85004)
Having won numerous awards for its quality brews, Pedal Haus Brewery is a must when you find yourself in Phoenix. They offer their Light Lager, the silver medal winner in 2017, Bière Blanche Belgian Wheat, the gold medal winner in 2018, as well as plenty of their other award-winning beers. Now for the food, they mostly offer standard bar fare, with dishes like their beer-battered fish n chips, Bavarian pretzels, shepherd’s pie, and piled-high nachos. Fortunately offering plenty of gluten-free and vegan dishes and sides for those with particular diets and/or food sensitivities as well.
14. Lylo Swim Club (400 W. Camelback Rd. – Phoenix, AZ 85013)
Located in the Rise Uptown hotel, Lylo Swim Club features a poolside bar and restaurant, serving Hawaiian-Japanese inspired fare and expertly crafted summertime cocktails. Small plates of mostly fresh seafood dishes make up the small, but tempting menu. They serve Togarashi fries topped with crispy garlic, lemon mayo, jalapeño, and cilantro. Tuna tostada with a Thai vinaigrette, creamy avocado, Maui onions, cilantro, and lime. Their refreshing, fruity, summery drinks are really a treat to be had underneath the hot desert sky. Lazy Daze is made with Del Maguey Vida mezcal, fresh mango, passion fruit, lemon, and orange bitters, finished with Jarritos grapefruit soda, and paired with a spiced mango spear. Or try their Solero, made with passion fruit, Sobieski vodka, and Giffard vanilla liqueur, combined with fresh passion fruit puree and half & half.
15. Outrider Rooftop Lounge (7142 E. 1st St. – Scottsdale, AZ 85251)
With a view of the entire valley, the Outrider Rooftop Lounge is known for being a great way to spend a day cooling off in the pool and getting some great food and drinks. Outrider’s kitchen is open from 11 am to 9 pm every day, staying open a bit later for drinks atop the Canopy by Hilton in Scottsdale. Make sure to grab a spot early, as no reservations are taken for the first-come first-served cabanas.
16. The Spire Bar (2400 E. Missouri Ave. – Phoenix, AZ 85016)
Open every day from 4 pm until 11 pm, the Spire Bar has one of the most scenic lounge areas in all of Arizona. With fire pits and a pool to boot, you can spend all day at the Spire Bar and not get bored. A favorite for sporting events on the weekend, Spire Bar offers signature sliders to munch on while your team is playing, as well as tacos, sliders, sandwiches, and more. Wine, beer, and spirits are also available all day.
17. Skysill (11 E. 7th St. – Tempe, AZ 85281)
Located in the college suburb of Tempe, Skysill has some of the best panoramic views in the desert and plenty of open hours to enjoy these views. Open until at least 10 pm every night, Skysill has menus for both lunch and dinner with some of the local favorites including the roasted street corn, Skysill nachos, and bacon-wrapped bison meatloaf. For those looking to just grab a drink late at night, Skysill has an extensive cocktail menu with drinks like the Razzle Dazzle and the Sun Devil, named after Arizona State’s mascot.
18. Rockbar Inc. (4245 N. Craftsman Ct. – Scottsdale, AZ 85251)
A nighttime hotspot, the Rockbar in Scottsdale also serves as the home for Philadelphia Eagles fans in the Phoenix area. Equipped with a pool, Rockbar Inc. has a long beer menu that ranges from your commonly seen lagers all the way up to local favorites like the Mamitas Paloma. On the food menu, Rockbar Inc. is serving up flatbreads, wings, pizza, and much more for those late-night munchies.
19. Alibi (108 E. University Dr. – Tempe, AZ 85281)
Open both to the public and available for private parties, Alibi in Scottsdale has a menu for light poolside eats including a poke bowl, street tacos, and short rib sliders. The drinks in the hot sun tend to be the more popular options at Alibi, though, with a long list of specialty cocktails. Among the fan favorites are Kissed By a Rose, Tamarind Mule, and Electric Strawberry, but the options don’t end there.
20. Topgolf Phoenix-Scottsdale (9500 Talking Stick Way – Scottsdale, AZ 85256)
With over 100 bays in which patrons can hit golf balls onto a massive driving range, Topgolf also serves as a restaurant and bar with a great view. Topgolf features many signature dishes, though it’s the Asian sesame wings that have golfers taking breaks in between swings to get their hands dirty. There are also signature cocktails at Topgolf, including ones served in a glass resembling a golf bag.
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