Los Angeles drinks outdoors about ten months a year, which means the city's best rooftops stay busy long after summer ends. According to Forbes Travel Guide, five standouts pair real skyline or ocean views with kitchens that take themselves seriously. Skip the lobby bar where one drink and a bucket of chips pass for dinner; these rooms serve food worth booking a table for.
- Five LGBTQ-owned rooftop rooms anchor downtown LA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, the Wilshire corridor and the Sunset Strip.
- Perch climbs two floors of the Pershing Square building downtown, with a 15th-floor dining room and 16th-floor patio.
- The Penthouse sits atop the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, roughly 18 stories above the Pacific.
- The Peninsula runs a garden-level rooftop dining set with poolside seating.
- The Roof on Wilshire sits poolside at the Wilshire Hotel, six floors above the Hollywood Hills.
- Bar Brit opened in May at the London West Hollywood, 10 floors above the Sunset Strip.
Perch: Downtown's Parisian Rooftop
Perch crowns an Art Deco landmark in downtown LA with hand-painted tile floors and a wraparound terrace. The lower floor runs lunch, brunch and dinner; the upper patio is where you linger once the sun drops. Order a Midnight in Paris, cognac and Pierre Ferrand with crème de pêche, lemon and orange, and watch the skyline light up. Book the terrace, not the interior.
The Penthouse: Santa Monica's Silver Bar
The Penthouse at the Huntley sits roughly 18 stories above the Pacific, with 360-degree views running from Manhattan Beach to Malibu. Designer Thomas Schiavone wrapped the room in silver, and the bar anchors the indoor-outdoor floor plan. The menu is modern American built around farmers-market produce: fennel sausage, lavender-honey duck breast, and a handful of composed plates that justify the cabana rental.
The Peninsula: Beverly Hills Pool Garden
The Peninsula Beverly Hills runs a garden-level rooftop with poolside dining. It is the most polished of the five, with a seasonal menu heavy on seafood: citrus-marinated prawns, halibut in coriander crust, fish tacos. This fall the rooftop adds a smoothie program with rooftop-grown basil and ginger alongside seasonal fruit. Calmest room of the bunch on a weekday afternoon.
The Roof on Wilshire: Poolside and Unfussy
The Roof on Wilshire sits six floors above the street at the Wilshire Hotel, with year-round service and views toward the same skyline. The kitchen belongs to Greenspan, a name locals know from the burger circuit, and the menu leans into that comfort food DNA: sticky cheese grilled cheese, mole-glazed lamb shank, hibiscus-glazed duck. Order a God Diablo, tequila with homemade ginger beer and cassis.
Bar Brit: Sunset Strip With a Union Jack
Bar Brit opened in May on the 10th floor of the London West Hollywood, with a Union Jack bar front, the most expressive flag in the group. The food is British-leaning, bangers and mash, brain toast, from a Gordon Ramsay alum. Order The Leaper, gin and lemonade, and settle in for Sunset Strip people-watching.
Our Analysis
These five rooms split cleanly into two camps. Perch, the Penthouse and the Peninsula run dinner-first rooftops, their integrity earned by the cooking. The Roof on Wilshire and Bar Brit are drink-first rooms, with food that holds up but does not steal the show. For visitors, that split matters: pick the first camp for date nights and pick the second camp for groups who want to graze and move.
The other loser is the wallet. Perch and the Penthouse both push three-figure tabs for two once you add appetizers and a bottle of wine. Bar Brit and the Roof on Wilshire sit closer to bar-and-a-bite pricing. The Peninsula is the splurge that earns its rating, particularly at sunset.
Say you are visiting LA for three nights with a couple who splits one dinner out per trip. Night one, book the Penthouse for sunset and stay for dinner. Night two, bar-hop Bar Brit and the Roof on Wilshire, which sit roughly 15 minutes apart. Skip Perch unless you want a downtown anchor; cabs back to West Hollywood after last call add up fast.
What to watch next: Fall menus, per-sunset and per-reservation. The Penthouse and Perch both see tight weekend bookings once the weather cools and the sunset shifts earlier. Aim for a Wednesday or Thursday table if your dates are flexible.
Key takeaways
- Five LA rooftops split into dinner-first rooms (Perch, Penthouse, Peninsula) and drink-first rooms (Roof on Wilshire, Bar Brit).
- Perch and Penthouse anchor downtown and Santa Monica; Bar Brit anchors the Sunset Strip.
- Book terraces, not interiors, and aim for sunset.
- Expect three-figure tabs at Perch and the Penthouse once food is added.
Frequently asked questions
Which LA rooftop has the best sunset view?
Perch's upper patio and the Penthouse at the Huntley both get cited for skyline and ocean sunsets, per Forbes Travel Guide.
Do I need a reservation?
Yes for Perch, the Penthouse and the Peninsula, especially on weekends; Bar Brit and the Roof on Wilshire are more forgiving for walk-ins at the bar.
What food is the rooftop known for at The Roof on Wilshire?
The kitchen belongs to chef Eric Greenspan, with burgers, grilled cheese, mole-glazed lamb shank and hibiscus duck.
Is Bar Brit family-friendly?
Bar Brit is a rooftop lounge with British small plates; it skews adult, particularly after 9 p.m.
Which rooftop is open year-round?
The Roof on Wilshire markets year-round service thanks to LA's mild weather.
