Look Up, Miami: It’s All About the Rooftop

With our dazzling high-rise hotels and warm weather all year round, it’s a wonder Miami didn’t hop on the rooftop trend before. But fortunately for us Miamians, it’s finally here… and no one’s complaining about it.

From Brickell and Downtown Miami all the way to Miami Beach, the Magic City is booming with trendy rooftop restaurants, lounges and bars that have become Miami’s sexiest hangouts. And while every spot has better views than the next, a handful of them standout from the pack – like our favorites, listed below.

Pawn Broker

If you’re like most of Miami, then you already know (and love) the Pubbelly Boys. If you don’t know who they are, however, your first trip to Pawn Broker, the group’s hip, retro rooftop bar on top of Downtown Miami’s Langford Hotel, will make you an instant fan. A throwback to the Prohibition era, expect over-the-top cocktails served in avant-garde vessels (like a little bathtub, anyone?), all served in an ultra-cool setting you’d expect of the Pubbelly Boys: one with comfy couches, cozy tables, and DJs spinning the latest tunes.

Rooftop at E11even

Guys always like to say they “only go to strip clubs for the food,” but if they’re talking about E11even… it might actually be true. Sitting on top of this high-end lounge-meets-strip club, Rooftop at E11even is Downtown Miami's only open-air, all-inclusive nightlife destination. Think: an indoor-outdoor restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows and savory tapas, and an outdoor lounge with live music, sophisticated socialites, a retractable roof, cozy fire pits, and plush, stylish couches everywhere you turn. It’s an ultra-trendy living room – on the rooftop.

Sugar

Sitting on top of the 40th floor of EAST, Miami, the haute new hotel located in the dazzling Brickell City Centre, Sugar is inarguably Miami’s chicest rooftop lounge. A haven for Miami’s sexiest socialites, this open-air hangout, bar and garden is best described as an Asian-inspired jungle. It even has hanging lanterns, rooftop topiaries, a Japanese tiki bar, and most importantly, the best 360-degree Magic City views.  

Whisper Cocktail Lounge

When the Viceroy became the W Miami in the middle of 2016, the hotel’s sexy FIFTY Ultra Nightclub changed its name to Whisper Lounge – but its same hotness remained. Indoors, you’ll find edgy designs, bespoke couches, a full bar and floor-to-ceiling windows, and outdoors, an all-white poolside oasis, surrounded by glass, with unbelievable views of Biscayne Bay.

 

Rooftop at 1 Hotel

With 70K+ square feet of deck space, cushioned loungers and all-white daybeds, this trendy hangout doubles as South Beach’s largest rooftop pool and lounge. Adding to its appeal, this adults-only hideaway has hot DJs, St. Tropez vibes, tasty tapas and cocktails, and the best views of South Beach. Need we say more?

Area 31

There are few places more epic than the EPIC Hotel. Hovering over Biscayne Bay from the hotel’s 16th floor, Area 31 is a go-to happy hour spot where Miamians can grab a stiff drink and impeccable views. And because it’s Miami, we’re not just talking about the surrounding skyscrapers and streams of superyachts – the people aren’t bad, either!

Juvia

One of Miami’s longest-standing rooftop haunts, Juvia, which floats high above Lincoln Road Mall, is one of the city’s best buried treasures. Taking up the penthouse level of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed parking garage at 1111 Lincoln Road, this indoor-outdoor spot has Patrick Blanc-designed vertical gardens, an open-air terrace, glass on all sides, eclectic Japanese, French, and Peruvian-inspired plates, and Miami’s finest out for a night on the town.

La Côte

Perched right next to Fontainebleau’s famous pool, the recently-renovated La Côte is where Miami meets the French Riviera. You’ll have two levels to choose from at this bar and lounge, so head straight to the rooftop – it’s where you’ll find Miami’s most beautiful people sipping on Whispering Angel rosé, drinking coconut water out of real Fontainebleau-engraved coconuts, and taking in the views of both the bay and whatever pool party is going on below. (Because at the Fontainebleau, there’s always a pool party going on below.)

By: Jennifer Agress