Escape the street-level noise this summer to head instead to the city’s ever-increasing choice of rooftop hideouts.
Escape the street-level noise this summer to head instead to the city’s ever-increasing choice of rooftop hideouts.
Widok 9 (Puro Hotel)
Loreta channels the spirit of this design-led hotel brand through its funky décor and eclectic art. The terrace, though, is the clincher. As night falls, retreat to an enclosed balcony deck signposted by a neon the colour of bubblegum pink; here, amid cascading greenery and low-slung seating, join other cocktail hounds enjoying inventive house sips that use best-in-class ingredients.
Chmielna 71 (NYX Hotel)
Positioned so you catch the best of Warsaw’s peachy sunsets falling over the Central Business District, watching the night slide in can be an almost empowering experience from this 19th floor bar. Cocktail bills are easily accrued when enjoying one of their open-air concerts, but whilst this place packs out easily, secluded corners can usually be uncovered.
Słowackiego 16/18
Forget the George Clooney lookalikes that dwell in Warsaw’s other sky bars, you’re more likely to find local versions of Pete Doherty. The least dressiest of our selection, this neighborhood legend has a design that rhymes well with the 60s tower it’s found in. The views are pretty uninspiring (a tramline and some kiosks), but the vibe is something special.
Rondo Daszyńskiego 2 (The HUB)
Offering thrilling 21st floor views from one of Wola’s newer towers, The Roof’s sleek furnishings, well-deployed plants and spherical lights cast a cool look that act in concert with a setting that feels fantastically affluent – but as beautiful as the interior is, it’s the outdoor deck that’s easily the biggest draw of this upscale cocktail bar.
Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Bristol Hotel)
Available only for private bookings, the seventh floor Belle Epoque is the final word in luxury – Warsaw has elite-minded rooftops, but none can offer the privacy and exclusivity of this elegant cupola. Specialising in champagne-based cocktails, it’s ideal for moonlit proposals or small-scale gatherings when you want to impress.
Wioślarska 6
Woah – the number of good lookers that flock here is simply off-the-scale. Don’t dare use the words “you should be a model” as a chat-up line, for the answer you’ll receive is “actually I am”. Set on the top floor of a riverside development, the open terrace of this A-list club offers even more to feast your eyes on: the twin sight of the National Stadium and Poniatowski Bridge.
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 9 (Hotel Warszawa)
Head to Floor 6 for there lies Szóstka, a long, slick restaurant decorated with steel tubing, bursts of greenery and a covered glass ceiling. But it’s outside where everyone heads, to a sparsely furnished terrace with killer views of the city below. Clinking glasses out here is the ultimate sunset moment with the tasting menu offering an exciting array of adventurous global tastes.
If you can overlook such flaws as the painfully overwhelmed service, then Amar is one of the standouts of 2023 – luxuriously exotic interiors, fantastic Lebanese food and interesting cocktails all point to much potential. Then there’s the rooftop, an intimate L-shaped space with views not just of Warsaw’s skyscrapers, but also the magically atmospheric Pasaz Norblin down below.
Dobra 42
Unlikely to induce vertigo, this first floor rooftop is a favourite with the local glitterati. Its height ensures you’re at treetop level and that alone makes for an atmosphere that feels tangibly connected to the hip Powiśle vibe. For food and drink, ‘light and seasonal’ are the guiding principles whilst the look feels almost redolent of a luxury cruiser.
Smolna 14
Accessed via an old elevator, reservations for the rooftop seating are recommended to avoid disappointment. More creaky and atmospheric than its glossy competitors, the fourth floor Chopin Taras Café has earned a name for jazzy concerts that take place among the plant boxes.
