The Best Rooftop Bars in Paris

The Terrass Hotel sits on the crest of Montmartre and the rooftop bar faces south over the entire city from a height that makes the Eiffel Tower appear at eye level rather than below. The bar has been here since 1911 and the view has not changed: the whole of Paris spread under a wide Ile-de-France sky. The cocktail menu is classic Parisian with an accent on French spirits and champagne. The Sacre-Coeur basilica is visible from the north terrace.

Order: Kir Royale with Briottet creme de cassis and Laurent-Perrier Brut

Hotel National des Arts et Metiers occupies a 19th-century building in the upper Marais and the rooftop bar faces west toward the Eiffel Tower through a gap in the Haussmann roofline. The bar program is among the best in Paris — a cocktail menu developed by a serious bar team with a focus on French spirits and locally sourced botanicals. The terrace is small and fills quickly. Make a reservation or arrive before 7pm.

Order: Paris Negroni with Citadelle gin, Dolin Rouge, and Campari, served with a twist of Corsican orange

The free rooftop terrace above Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann is the best free view in Paris and the bar that operates there during summer evenings turns a tourist obligation into a genuinely pleasant hour. The Eiffel Tower, Sacre-Coeur, and the Opera are all visible from different angles of the terrace. The cocktails are straightforward and priced fairly. Bring someone who has not been to Paris before — the reaction is worth the trip.

Order: Champagne by the glass, Moet et Chandon house pour, best enjoyed during the golden hour

Le Perchoir is the bar that defined the Paris rooftop bar scene in the east of the city and it remains the best of its generation. The terrace looks west over the rooftops of the 11th toward a full Eiffel Tower view and the crowd is the east Paris creative industries. The cocktail menu is seasonal, ambitious, and priced at a level that regular Parisians can actually afford. Come on a weeknight for the best version of the experience.

Order: The Perchoir Spritz, a house version with Lillet Blanc, Aperol, and fresh grapefruit soda

Sinople is Pigalle's rooftop natural wine bar and it operates with the relaxed confidence of a bar that knows exactly what it is and has no interest in being anything else. The wine list is entirely natural, entirely French, and annotated by staff who have tasted everything on it. The cocktail menu is short: four options, all excellent. The view looks north over the southern slopes of Montmartre. One of the most genuinely enjoyable bars in Paris at any altitude.

Order: Gamay-based natural wine from Beaujolais, served at cave temperature in a proper glass

Mama Shelter Paris East sits above Belleville with a rooftop that looks across the rooftops of the 20th arrondissement toward the Sacre-Coeur. The bar is deliberately irreverent and the crowd reflects it — young, mixed, and there to enjoy themselves. The cocktail menu is fun rather than serious, the pricing is accessible, and the DJ evenings from Thursday to Saturday are among the most genuinely lively events on any Paris rooftop. No reservation required during the week.

Order: Frozen Aperol Spritz, the house frozen version with fresh blood orange

Les Jardins du Marais occupies a converted 19th-century workshop in the heart of the 4th and the rooftop garden terrace is one of the best-kept secrets in central Paris. The bar looks over internal courtyards and the rooftops of the historic Marais rather than the city's major landmarks. The cocktail program is focused on French spirits and the seasonal menu changes monthly. Reservations are essential — this is the bar where Parisians bring people they want to impress.

Order: Chartreuse Smash with Green Chartreuse, fresh mint, lemon, and honey from Provence

Bar Botaniste operates on a terrace above one of the Marais' renovated mansions and specializes in herb-forward cocktails built around the seasonal kitchen garden on the roof. The drinks change weekly based on what is growing. The view is not the Eiffel Tower — it is the quiet internal landscape of the historic Marais, which is more interesting to anyone who knows Paris well. The bar seats 24 people at maximum. Reservations open 14 days in advance.

Order: Seasonal herb martini, built around whatever is flowering in the roof garden that week

The Hotel Raphael's rooftop terrace on avenue Kleber is the only bar in Paris from which you can see both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe simultaneously. The clientele is old Paris money and international luxury travel, which means the service has the kind of precision that only comes from decades of practice. The cocktail menu is classic Parisian but the bar team can make anything from the pre-war golden era of the Paris bar scene if you ask.

Order: Champagne Cocktail, made with a sugar cube soaked in Angostura, topped with Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle

Tigre Jaloux is the Oberkampf neighbourhood bar with a rooftop terrace that the locals use on a Friday evening without making any special occasion of it. The drinks are straightforward and affordable. The view is east Paris rooftops under the first stars. The crowd is the people who actually live in the arrondissement rather than the people passing through it. This is the bar that explains why Paris has a better drinking culture than almost any city in the world.

Order: Pastis 51 with cold water, served at the bar's outdoor table as the evening begins to cool