Since last summer, Melbourne has gained at least a dozen rooftop bars as the city proves its thirst for a drink with a view knows no limits. Even pubs in regional towns are going up, as venues such as Hotel Sorrento add open-air spaces that might just challenge the popularity of the beer garden.

For a long time, Melbourne CBD had the lion’s share of rooftop venues, but they have since leaped out of old city office blocks and are now above shopping centres in the ’burbs or the showpiece of new apartment developments. Rooftops are no longer just spots for drinking, either. Some have waiters in jackets who serve you dinner. Others are creating bar snacks that showcase Greek, Filipino and Italian flavours. In fact, the hardest part isn’t finding a rooftop on a sunny day; it’s choosing which one suits your mood.

The rooftop no one knows about: Gigi, Prahran

At Entrecote’s moody little sister bar, the seat you want in summer is out on its terrace. Slender, with a chic garden party look and palette of green and white, it’s the spot to sip a Mamita – a refreshing drink of rum, mango and Espelette pepper – as you snack on caramelised French onion dip and three-point chicken sandwiches.

143 Greville Street, Prahran, gigimelbourne.com.au

The beach holiday rooftop: Hotel Sorrento

This sandstone pub overlooking Port Phillip Bay has never skimped on the good times, but its new rooftop for 320 people really raises the bar. Big booths, glass walls with unrivalled bay views, and snacks such as spicy fried calamari join fun drinks like Pornstar Martinis.

5 Hotham Road, Sorrento, hotelsorrento.com.au

The island fantasy rooftop: Olympia

There are no panoramic ocean views but everything else screams Santorini at this bar above Oakleigh, Melbourne’s Greek heartland. Bold blue shutters, whitewashed walls and ouzo snuck into watermelon-gin cocktails are as good as an island holiday on a hot day. Be sure to add kolouri, the ring-shaped sesame bread, paired with taramasalata.

12-18 Chester Street, Oakleigh, olympia.wine

The hot new rooftop: Mid Air

A quirky fitout big on colour and texture. A tongue-in-cheek menu featuring ice-cream sundaes and wedges. And a 12th-storey perch that faces north, drenching the space in sunshine. Mid Air arrived to Melbourne’s busy rooftop scene blessed with many advantages. See what all the fuss is about at breakfast, lunch or after dark.

130 Russell Street, Melbourne, melbourneplace.com.au/midair

The party rooftop: Moon Dog Wild West

You might have heard about the bucking bull that now dominates the former showroom of Franco Cozzo. But there’s a whole other side to Moon Dog’s Footscray venue. Its open-air top floor has city views, two bars, cacti and bright furniture, with loads of room for groups. Grab limoncello slushies, house beers, or shots in tiny cowboy boot glasses.

54 Hopkins Street, Footscray, moondog.com.au/wild-west

The city rooftop in the ’burbs: Gambino

Get a fresh perspective and climb up to this Glen Waverley rooftop bar, which looks over the Dandenong Ranges and Mornington Peninsula. Spritzes and crisp yellow-and-white upholstery set the Amalfi tone. Chef Adrian Li (ex-Studio Amaro) completes the illusion with crudo, baked pastas, and puffy bread to load with grilled artichokes, mortadella and more.

Level five, 73-75 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, gambino.au

The rooftop for cocktail adventures: Inuman

No other Melbourne venue is doing drinks like Inuman, the bar perched atop hatted restaurant Askal. Like its sibling, Inuman celebrates Filipino culture via fresh concepts including Ais Cendol, a cognac cocktail riffing on the pandan and coconut dessert of the same name. The creativity extends to snacks, such as oysters with a granita of sinamak, the spiced vinegar.

167 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, inumanmelbourne.com

The posh rooftop: La Terrasse at Maison Batard

Melbourne melts away amid the gentle hum of this third-floor European-style courtyard, with its central maple tree shading elegant wrought-iron furniture and crisp linen. There are no views (apart from those of your glamorous neighbours), but there are plenty of other distractions, from spanner crab linguine to ultra-briny dirty martinis. Dress to impress.

23 Bourke Street, Melbourne, maisonbatard.com.au

The rooftop for brunch: Rombe

Burwood Brickworks looks nothing like most shopping centres, so it makes sense that it’s home to Rombe, a rooftop that combines the best of the indoors and outdoors. Pitched ceilings, stone floors and floor-to-ceiling windows are very heritage barn, while the rooftop garden grows produce you might find on your plate or in your martini. Brunch is served all day and dinner is a new addition for 2025.

70 Middleborough Road, Burwood East, rombe.com.au

The rooftop for dinner: Amatrice

Roman pastas are the drawcard at this glass-wrapped restaurant with head-spinning views. Settle in among the white linen, red velvet and dark marble with a bowl of carbonara or all’amatriciana as you look over city skyscrapers, Richmond and beyond. Amatrice is proof that Melbourne rooftop culture is all grown up.

16 Stephenson Street, Cremorne, amatrice.com.au

With Sidney Venus