Cabaret Fledermaus ★ 3.7
€€innere-stadtMon and Thu-Sun 21:00 to 04:00, closed Tue-Wed
Cabaret Fledermaus sits behind a discreet Spiegelgasse facade in the 1st district, running themed live music and party nights from pop and salsa to rock cover sets in an old-Vienna theatre room.
Tip: Free entry from 21:00; cocktail prices match the postcode. The stage runs live music most nights, DJ sets after.
Sky Bar at Steffl ★ 4.2
€€€innere-stadtMon-Sat 10:00 to 24:00, Sun and holidays to 24:00
Sky at Steffl runs on the seventh floor of the Steffl department store on Kärntner Strasse, reached by a glass panoramic lift that opens straight onto a wraparound terrace over Stephansdom, the rooftops and the Inner City.
Tip: Walk-in Friday and Saturday 17:00 to 01:00 without reservation. Sunset arrival on a clear day is the calmer way in.
Der Dachboden ★ 4.4
€€neubauDaily 15:00 to 01:00
Der Dachboden sits on the eighth floor of the 25hours Hotel above the MuseumsQuartier, with a long timber deck looking across the Hofburg, the Burgtheater and the Volkstheater rooftops, and a list of well-priced local cocktails.
Tip: Lift access from the hotel lobby on Lerchenfelder Strasse. Sunset queues build from 19:00; weeknight afternoons are calm.
Das Loft ★ 4.5
€€€€leopoldstadtMon-Thu 16:00 to 01:00, Fri-Sat 16:00 to 02:00, Sun 17:00 to 01:00
Das Loft runs on the 18th floor of the SO Vienna hotel on the Donaukanal across from the Urania, with a Jorrit Tornquist multicoloured glass ceiling and a 360 view that takes in the Stephansdom spires, the canal and the Prater.
Tip: No reservation needed at the bar; tables fill on Friday and Saturday. The rooftop is glass-enclosed, so winter visits still work.
Atmosphere Rooftop Bar ★ 4.3
€€€€innere-stadtDaily 17:00 to 01:00, seasonal mid-April to late summer
Atmosphere sits on the eighth floor of the Ritz-Carlton on the Ringstrasse, opening seasonally from mid-April with a California Soul concept, sundowner cocktails and a view across the Stadtpark to the Belvedere.
Tip: Open weather permitting from mid-April to late summer; reservations recommended for the prime terrace seats on warm evenings.
Tür 7 ★ 4.7
€€€josefstadtMon-Sat 19:00 to 02:00, closed Sun
Tür 7 hides behind a plain Josefstadt door marked only with a brass 7, with a 35-seat parlour room, no printed menu, and bartenders building bespoke cocktails to each guest in turn.
Tip: Ring the bell and wait; if full nobody enters. Reserve by email for groups over two and brief the bartender on a spirit you like.