Vienna: Top 6 Best Rooftop Bars

Dear lilioftheworld.com reader, here is Lili, your co-editor. We all love Vienna for its Opera Haus, the Prater, tasting Vienna schnitzel or Sacher tarte (and of course much more- you can refer to our article Vienna Top 20 Things to Do). However, at some moment we all need to have a break from sightseeing. This is where we offer you to look at Vienna from above. Although there aren’t that many high buildings in the Austrian capital, its rooftop bars will surprise you with their lovely views.

Those of you who follow us for some time, maybe know that we love rooftop bars. Wherever we go, we always try to visit at least one rooftop bar. See the city from above, not in a rush, but rather enjoying it with a glass of Aperolspritz gives different “taste” of the city.

Fir over four years of living in Vienna, we had the chance to visit most of its rooftop bars. Here is our selection and the order is according to our preference.

Top 6 best Vienna rooftop bars:

1. Lamée rooftop bar

It is situated in the heart of Vienna, just 100m away from Stephansdom. In our article Top 20 Vienna attractions we talk about Stephansdom. And there we recommend that instead of climbing its South Tower, you should rather visit rooftop bar Lamée. It offers a magnificent view of the cathedral. Bar Lamée operates only during the summer as the terrace is open. It is overlooking Stephansdom, providing amazing view to the cathedral. You can as well enjoy the nice sunset view in the other direction.

The Lamée rooftop bar is becoming more and more popular, so a reservation might be needed. Besides drinks, they also have a short snack menu. However, our advice is to go there just for drinks. In terms of prices, it is not the most expensive one, but still not very cheap. E.g. the Aperolspritz is around €9.

2. Atmosphere Rooftop bar

I have never stayed in such expensive hotels, but they host one of the best rooftop bars. Atmosphere Rooftop bar is located on the last floor (the 8th) of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, directly on the Ring boulevard, close to Stadtpark. The bar is a bit posh place, so going there in flip-flops is definitely not an option. Maybe you can check in advance, but it is highly probable that there is a dress code.

The rooftop bar is again opened only during the summer due to its open air terrace. Depending on which side you are sitting, you can face either Stephansdom or Karlskirche and Belvedere castle. The sunset is from the direction of Stephansdom.

The prices in this rooftop bar are among the expensive ones- for an Aperolspritz you must pay around €15.

3. Danube tower

The Danube tower can be classified as an attraction, a restaurant or a cafe/bar. The restaurant and the cafe are revolving at about 250 m above ground. The Donauturm (the name of the tower in German) is a bit far from the city center and the easiest way to reach it is by U1 subway line. Either get off at Vienna International Center or at Alte Donau station. Then cross the park and you will see the high tower right in front of you.

The amazing 360° view to whole Vienna is something worth paying the €7 entrance fee. We have been in the restaurant several times and we were very satisfied: the food is good and not as expensive as you would imagine for a revolving restaurant. Make a reservation in advance to make sure you are seated next to the window.

4. Der Dachboden (in 25hours hotel)

I was wondering whether I should put Danube Tower or this one on the 3rd place. They are at par in my heart 🙂 The rooftop bar at 25hours hotel is a hipster place where many young people go for an afterwork drink or to meet friends during the weekend. It is open during the whole year as it has both: indoor and outdoor space. The terrace is the charm of the bar and we highly recommend it.

The terrace is overlooking Vienna’s 1st district and you can clearly see the History museum, the Parliament and also the Rathaus.

The prices here are also at the high end, a cocktail costs about €16. However other drinks like Aperolspritz, the local Weiserspritzer (white wine with soda water) are cheaper. In the evening and especially on the weekends (playing chill out or similar music) the bar gets crowded.

5. Das Loft

The rooftop bar and restaurant Das Loft is located exactly on the Donau Canal. The bar is suitable for every season as it has no terrace- it is inside the building. The place has very interesting ceiling which you can spot even from the outside.

The building is one of the highest in Vienna city center and thus it offers very nice view to the whole first district including Stephansdom. The prices are in the high end, but the view is worth it.

6. 57 Restaurant & Lounge

The highest building in Vienna is the home of this bar. It is located in the business area next to Donau Insel. It has only indoor options- a restaurant and a bar.

We have visited the 57 Restaurant for our 11th anniversary. The only disadvantage is that Vienna skyline is a bit far, but still you have an amazing view of the river and the Prater.

57 Restaurant & Lounge was very calm, romantic place where you can have your privacy. The prices of course are high- for a dinner for two (I had only a starter) and a bottle of wine we paid around €110. It is not for every day, but I can recommend it for special occasions (incl. business dinners).

As we said in the beginning- there aren’t that many high buildings in Vienna which offer the possibility to have a rooftop bar. In the article you will not find the most touristic places (which are definitely the ones opposite Stephansdom- bar Onyx and the restaurant and bar of Do&Co Hotel- they are simply too posh for our taste). However we hope you enjoyed our choice. Vienna is definitely different when seen from above.

For more tips for Vienna and Austria, visit the special section.