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At LA's Best Rooftop Bars, The Drinks Are As Good As The Views
Patrons gather at a rooftop bar for some drinks and fun.
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Ori Song/Unsplash
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https://unsplash.com/photos/dSU0X6EGlpM
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We are so lucky in Los Angeles. The temperate weather means we have scads of beautiful spots where we can sip cocktails al fresco year-round. But when it comes to rooftop bars, gorgeous views don't go hand-in-hand with quality libations. Fortunately, we've found the best places to pair delicious drinks with shimmering city lights.
A cocktail at the Broken Shaker in DTLA.
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Caroline Pardilla for LAist
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Broken Shaker at the Freehand Hotel
DTLA rooftop bar Broken Shaker, with its lush greenery and floaties-filled pool, is one of the best places to showcase L.A. to out-of-towners. Poolside-friendly drinks such as the Supernova Lava Burst, made with gin and a pineapple cacao nib shrub, and the PB&J Old Fashioned, with peanut butter fat-washed rye and guava cordial, will divert your focus from the cityscape and that gorgeous pool. You don't need to make reservations but before 7 p.m., non-hotel guests must spend at least $45.
- 416 W 8th St., Downtown L.A.
The rooftop bar at LA Cha Cha Cha in DTLA.
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Wonho Frank Lee
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LA Cha Cha Chá
If it wasn't for the spectacular view of the downtown L.A. skyline, you could easily mistake LA Cha Cha Chá as a Palm Springs oasis. With its desert pastels color scheme, its midcentury decor and more than 150 plants effectively block the neighboring buildings, it's a rooftop oasis. Keep the vacation fantasy going with a spicy pineapple margarita. Although LA Cha Cha Chá is primarily a restaurant, walk-ins looking for a drink are always welcome.
- 812 E. 3rd St., Arts District.
A drink at rooftop bar Umbrella Social Club in Beverly Hills.
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Caroline Pardilla for LAist
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Umbrella Social Club
There's exciting cocktail news from Beverly Hills. The team behind Melrose Umbrella Co. has taken over the food and beverage program of the Sixty Hotel on Wilshire Blvd. You can drink tropical cocktails during the day or take in the night air while lounging on the jungalow-decorated patio. The upper pool area, Umbrella Swim Club, is for members only but the social club below offers lovely views of the sunset and downtown LA.
- 9360 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills.
The Green Room at the Castaway restaurant in Burbank.
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Courtesy of The Green Room
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The Green Room
Technically, The Green Room isn't a bar on a roof. It juts out of the Burbank foothills as part of the Castaway restaurant. But it still offers up views of the sunset and the twinkling lights of the San Fernando Valley. So, yeah, that counts. It's definitely a special occasion spot where you'll want to dress up. You're greeted with a cocktail from a fountain and the immersive drinks range in price from $21 for a martini to $36 for a large batch rum cocktail poured out of an airplane.
- 1250 E. Harvard Rd., Burbank.
The rooftop bar at the Ace Hotel in downtown L.A.
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Spencer Lowell
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Upstairs at the Ace Hotel
Upstairs at the Ace Hotel, atop the former United Artists building, has had a party atmosphere with DJs, live bands and a young, artsy crowd since opening in 2014. To fuel the fun, it serves Aperol Spritzes and mezcal negronis. This rooftop features a shallow concrete pool where you can lounge around while taking in sights such as the gorgeous Art Deco Eastern Columbia building.
- 929 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
A cocktail at Cara Cara, the rooftop bar at the Proper Hotel in downtown L.A.
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Courtesy of Cara Cara
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Cara Cara
The Proper Hotel downtown's 5,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant Cara Cara boasts unobstructed views of the city as well as an elevated dining area where you can enjoy Chef Suzanne Goin's all-day menu of roasted cauliflower tacos and a "hangover burger" with mahon and grilled onions. Drinkers can also kick back by the firepit or pool on the lower lounge and order a cocktail, wine or beer. When it first opened, the rooftop shared the same cocktail menu with downstairs restaurant Caldo Verde but its own expanded menu is in the works. For now, relax by sipping a Barrels on Barrels, made with Japanese whisky, sherry cask rum, sherries and barhi dates.
- 1100 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
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