8 Queens Rooftop Bars Not to Miss
For a few sweet days each year, it happens. The sun shines, a refreshing breeze blows, the temperature warm, yet not unbearably hot and the humidity low. In other words, the perfect day to spend outside, drink in hand. When those days happen, you need to be ready. Rooftop drinking season is a blink or you’ll miss it time of year. Here are 8 Queens’ rooftop bars to visit on those magical days.
Penthouse808
Gather your squad to share classic summer dishes such as seafood boils paired with cocktails served in smoking Tiki heads at Long Island City’s Penthouse808. Yes, the rooftop bar at the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City is open year-round but it’s only during the warmer months that Penthouse 808 takes on a dreamy quality. The awnings retract, sun sparkles down on the plush cabanas and it’s impossible to do anything but enjoy the moment you’re in.
8-08 Queens Plaza S, Long Island City
Bourbon Street Restaurant
Craving a taste of New Orleans? Find it without the headache of the air travel at Bourbon Street on Bell Boulevard in Bayside. There’s a couple levels to this restaurant but its the rooftop you want for afterworks drinks or a leisurely Sunday brunch.Grab a high table or settle into one of the couches and order a Hurricane and some Blue Point oysters or the rooftop nachos to share and enjoy the live music.
40-12 Bell Blvd., Bayside
Z Roof
Towering over Queens, Z Roof boasts some of the best views in all of New York City. Open April through October (weather dependent) a visit to the Long Island City rooftop includes breathtaking views of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Queensboro Bridge. The menu isn’t the largest, especially if your adult beverage of choice is a beer, but the view alone makes it worth visiting at least once.
11-01 43rd Ave, Long Island City
Profundo Day Club
You could spend those unbearable hot and steamy NYC days hiding inside your air conditioned office or you could head to the Profundo Day Club in Long Island City, float in the rooftop pool, sip frozen cocktails and slurp oysters by the dozen. The rooftop pool which is also part of the Ravel Hotel (proving that this spot needs to be a part of your stay cool survival plans) offers day guests to those not staying at the hotel. Pro tip: reserve a poolside cabana.
8-08 Queens Plaza S, Long Island City
A+ Roof Bar
At least once this summer, take a moment to stop and savor the sunset. With views of CitiField, and Manhattan, the A+ Roof Bar at the Parc Hotel is one of the best places to catch it in Flushing. It’s one of the newer rooftop bars in Queens, and while, I wish the beer and wine list included more New York state options, the gin and tonics are on point and oh so refreshing when the temperatures start to rise.
9-16 College Point Boulevard, Flushing
Leaf Bar & Lounge
Smack dab in the middle of downtown Flushing is the rooftop bar of your dreams. Leaf Bar & Lounge is the go-to Happy Hour spot of our friends at Flushing.com and for good reason. Located on the rooftop of Hyatt Place, the bars offers panoramic views of Flushing and even a glimpse of Citi Field. It can be hard to choose what to order from the long craft cocktail menu but Matthew Reischer, Senior Editor of Flushing.com says his must-tries at the Peach Momotaro with Monkey Shoulder Scotch and the chrysanthemum infused bourbon Old Fashioned. Pair your cocktail with the Salt and Pepper Fried Chicken with Basil or General Tso's Chicken Wings.
133-42 39th Ave Roof, Flushing
Brooklyn Grange
Technically, Brooklyn Grange in Long Island City isn’t a rooftop bar, but it deserves a spot in any rooftop guide. May through October you can book a tour of the rooftop farm for a Saturday (11 a.m. or 2 p.m.), grab a coffee from BB Cafe on your way and spend the next 45-minutes learning about rooftop farming, taking the obligatory selfie and sipping that latte. It’s a truly lovely way to take advantage of the warm weather. Don’t forgot to by some local honey to take home with you.
37-18 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City
Boro Hotel Rooftop Bar
The aperol spritz may be the current trendy summer drink but my go to will also be the classic negroni. Find them on tap in Long Island City at the Boro Hotel’s rooftop bar. Sink into one of the comforty couches and sip one while looking out over Queens and Manhattan. Open seasonally (weather dependent), the rooftop bar is on the smaller side but the intimate space is rarely packed and makes for a nice spot to have a drink with a date or your bestie.
38-28 27th St, Long Island City
This article was update as of May 2019
