The Mountaineering Club opened in 2019 on top of the new Graduate Hotel, offering some of the best views of Seattle from any bar or restaurant. The spirits and cocktail list is expansive, with good choices for Bourbon, Irish, Canadian, and Japanese whiskeys as well as brandy, tequila, gin, and rum; there’s also a list of house cocktails. The food menu includes appetizers like shrimp cocktails as well as several sandwiches and entrees like baked lamb ziti and a boil made with shrimp, corn, potato, and sausage served with bread. Reservations are recommended.

As the name would suggest, this Queen Anne brewery’s space is made for outdoor imbibing. The rooftop patio is outfitted with picnic tables, ideal for a few rounds with friends over board games (dogs and kids are allowed, too). There’s usually a food truck in the parking lot, and heaters and a basket of heavy blankets if the evening turns brisk (online takeout options can be found here).

Sporting an epic rooftop patio with views of Lake Union, the Space Needle, and myriad cranes soaring above the booming SLU neighborhood, Mbar is one hell of a spot to soak up the sun. It’s made even more memorable with a robust Middle Eastern menu with dishes like smoked eggplant croquettes, muhammara, falafel, and grilled lamb chops from the same restaurant group that owns Mamnoon, as well as some potent cocktails.

Set atop the Charter Hotel, Fog Room brings views of downtown center stage. Guests can watch construction workers defy gravity, scope out the Great Wheel, and peek at the waterfront while sipping a fantastic rotation of terrific cocktails (including a selection of high balls) and choosing from a well-executed food menu featuring charcuterie boards, oysters, lobster rolls, and steak.

This downtown hotel’s rooftop bar, easily accessible from Pike Place Market, overlooks the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains and was taken over by “Chopped” winner chef Kaleena Bliss, who also runs the Conversation Seattle restaurant downstairs, when it reopened after being closed for part of the pandemic. A 3,500-square-foot lounge offers table and bar seating, indoor and outdoor space, and floor-to-ceiling windows to emphasize the view even from inside. Small plates are complemented by classic cocktails, such as sidecars.

Ben Paris, a new restaurant on an eighth-floor terrace offers great views of Pike Place Market and the Seattle Great Wheel and offers lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend brunch. The dinner menu includes dishes like scallop crudo, grilled octopus, and duck confit, while the lunch menu offers burgers and buttermilk hushpuppies. There’s also an extensive spirits list.

The rooftop at this Pike Place Italian institution provides a great view of the Seattle Great Wheel and the Puget Sound. The menu offers plenty of well-crafted pasta selections, including linguini with baby clams and pancetta in a white wine sauce and a popular spinach lasagna.

The speakeasy-style bar at the historic Smith tower has an unparalleled view of the Seattle skyline. Drinks include in-house barrel-aged liquors, which show up in classic cocktails like Manhattans and old fashioneds, accompanied by snacks.