20 rooftop bars worth the night across France, editor-ranked. All France guides.
Le Tout-Paris at Cheval Blanc ★ 4.6 · Paris
1er · 8 Quai du Louvre, 75001 Paris
Le Tout-Paris on the 7th floor of Cheval Blanc Paris in the 1er is the Arnaud Donckele brasserie with a Seine-facing terrace looking straight at the Pont.
Tip: Bar at the corner of the terrace takes walk-ins after 22:30 once dinner clears; reserve a table for the sunset 19:30 service.
Le Capian ★ 4.5 · Marseille
Vieux Port (2e) · 1 Place Daviel, 13002 Marseille
Le Capian on the first floor of the InterContinental Marseille Hôtel-Dieu in the 2e is the open-air bar perched above the Vieux Port, with 50-plus signature.
Tip: Cocktails €18-24; book a Vieux-Port-facing terrace banquette for sunset. Closed shoes and shirts only, no sportswear.
Le Melhor at Sofitel Lyon Bellecour ★ 4.4 · Lyon
2e · 20 Quai du Docteur Gailleton, 69002 Lyon
Le Melhor in Lyon's 2e is the 8th-floor cocktail bar at the Sofitel Bellecour overlooking the Rhone, with live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights and house-made foams, syrups and bitters behind the mixology counter.
Tip: Book a Rhone-facing window for sunset, cocktails 17-€22; the jazz set Fri-Sat starts around 21:00 with no extra cover.
L'Officine ★ 4.4 · Lyon
2e · 3 Cour Saint-Henri, Grand Hotel-Dieu, 69002 Lyon
L'Officine in Lyon's 2e Grand Hotel-Dieu is the Lyon d'Or 2020 cocktail bar tucked in Cour Saint-Henri, with a speakeasy-style room and a rooftop terrace looking onto the dome of the 17th-century hospital.
Tip: Book the rooftop terrace for sunset; the indoor jazz-lit bar is the walk-in fallback. Cocktails 13-€16, custom orders by spirit and flavour.
Rooftop Les Bords de Mer ★ 4.4 · Marseille
Endoume (7e) · 52 Corniche Kennedy, 13007 Marseille
Rooftop Les Bords de Mer above the Catalans beach in Marseille's 7e is the hotel's small-pool terrace perched on the Corniche, with Fontenille wines.
Tip: Reserve a Sunday table for the 11:00 opening; cocktails €15-20 and the heated plunge pool is for hotel guests only.
Moon Bar Aston ★ 4.4 · Nice
carre-d-or · 12 Avenue Felix Faure, 06000 Nice
Moon Bar at Hotel Aston La Scala runs the city's most cited rooftop terrace on the seventh floor of Avenue Felix Faure, panoramic view of Vieux Nice and Mont Boron with a swimming pool and palm trees.
Tip: Live concerts every weekend Friday and Saturday; afternoon visit for the swimming pool and solarium access.
Le Perchoir Ménilmontant ★ 4.4 · Paris
11e · 14 Rue Crespin du Gast, 75011 Paris
Le Perchoir Ménilmontant in Paris's 11e is the original 7th-floor rooftop above an industrial building, with 360-degree views to the Sacré-Coeur.
Tip: Roof has no reservations; arrive 18:00 for a sofa or 21:00 once the early crowd thins. Lift goes only as far as 6e.
Yndo Rooftop ★ 4.3 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 108 Rue Abbe de l'Epee, 33000 Bordeaux
Yndo Rooftop on Rue Abbe de l'Epee is the boutique hotel's small summer rooftop, with a tight cocktail list, charcuterie and an elevated view.
Tip: Reservation only; the rooftop opens in May and runs through September with weather permitting.
Le Crayon at Radisson Blu ★ 4.3 · Lyon
3e · 129 Rue Servient, 69003 Lyon
Le Crayon in Lyon's 3e Part-Dieu is the 32nd-floor bar and restaurant on top of the Tour Part-Dieu, the 150-metre pencil-shaped skyscraper, with a 360-degree view over the Rhone valley and a European-inflected cocktail list.
Tip: Book ahead and ask for the Fourviere-side window; cocktails 16-€20, dress code is smart, lift access from the hotel lobby.
Le Plongeoir Lounge ★ 4.3 · Nice
mont-boron · 60 Boulevard Franck Pilatte, 06300 Nice
Le Plongeoir Lounge on Boulevard Franck Pilatte runs the cocktail bar below the helical diving board restaurant at Cap de Nice, sunset DJ sets above the rocks of the Baie des Anges.
Tip: Sunset is the canonical service; the lounge bar is the cheaper alternative to a restaurant table upstairs.
Skybar Paris ★ 4.3 · Paris
14e · 19 Rue du Commandant René Mouchotte, 75014 Paris
Skybar Paris in the 14e is the 32nd-floor private rooftop on top of the Pullman Montparnasse, 115 metres above the city, with floor-to-ceiling glass and DJ.
Tip: Strict door, email-only bookings opening 30 days out; cocktails €18-24 and the Eiffel-side window booths book up first.
Café Lapérouse Concorde ★ 4.3 · Paris
8e · 2 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
Café Lapérouse Concorde in Paris's 8e Hôtel de la Marine is the Cordelia de Castellane brasserie with two arcaded terraces, one over Place de la Concorde.
Tip: Skip the indoor room and book the Concorde-facing terrace for sunset; cocktails €18-22, oysters by the half-dozen.
Mama Shelter Rooftop ★ 4.2 · Lyon
7e · 13 Rue Domer, 69007 Lyon
Mama Shelter Rooftop in Lyon's 7e Guillotiere is the colourful sixth-floor terrace above the Philippe Starck-designed hotel on Rue Domer, with house cocktails, Rhone valley wines and weekend DJ sets above the Garibaldi rooftops.
Tip: Sundown 19:00-21:00 is the busiest stretch; arrive earlier in summer for a sofa, cocktails 12-€15 and small plates from the bar menu.
La Rotonde ★ 4.2 · Nice
promenade-des-anglais · 37 Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice
La Rotonde at Le Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais runs the Belle Epoque carousel bar of the historic palace hotel, the hand painted wooden horses overhead and a hotel pianist in the evenings.
Tip: The hotel pianist runs through the apero service; book a table for dinner to extend the evening.
Mama Shelter Rooftop ★ 4.1 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 19 Rue Poquelin Moliere, 33000 Bordeaux
Mama Shelter Rooftop in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the seventh-floor terrace of the Philippe Starck-designed hotel, with one of the only working rooftop.
Tip: Opens April to October; no reservations on the deck, only at the indoor bar.
L'Azur Rooftop at Rowing Club ★ 4.1 · Marseille
Pharo (7e) · 34 Boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Marseille
L'Azur Rooftop above the Rowing Club Marseille in the 7e Pharo is the garden-themed terrace beside the Palais du Pharo, with a 180-degree view across.
Tip: Reserve a Saturday-evening table for the DJ slot; the Wednesday lunch terrace is the easier walk-in if you just want the view.
Le Bistrot Plage ★ 4.1 · Marseille
Vallon des Auffes (7e) · 60 Corniche Kennedy, 13007 Marseille
Le Bistrot Plage on the Corniche above Vallon des Auffes in Marseille's 7e is the lifeguarded private beach and tapas terrace looking out to the Frioul.
Tip: Cocktails €12-16 from 18:00 on the terrace; the private beach below charges a daybed fee but is free to walk through.
The Ranch at Terrass Hotel ★ 4.1 · Paris
18e · 12-14 Rue Joseph de Maistre, 75018 Paris
The Ranch on the 7th-floor roof of the Terrass Hotel in Paris's 18e Montmartre is the western-styled cocktail lounge with desert plants and a view that takes.
Tip: No reservations on the roof; Sunday afternoons are calmer than Friday evenings. Tapas and cocktails from €14.
Mama Shelter Toulouse Rooftop ★ 4.1 · Toulouse
saint-aubin · 54 Boulevard Lazare Carnot, 31000 Toulouse
Mama Shelter Toulouse Rooftop on Boulevard Lazare Carnot is planted-terrace hotel rooftop with frozen margaritas, sunset views over the Canal du Midi and DJs.
Tip: Sunset to midnight is the busier service; the frozen margarita and the bao bun pair is the canonical summer order.
Le Night Beach Darwin ★ 4.0 · Bordeaux
bacalan · 87 Quai des Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux
Le Night Beach at Darwin Ecosysteme is the summer outdoor bar on the Garonne quays in Bordeaux's Bacalan, with a sand floor, DJ sets and a young alternative.
Tip: Open June through September; tram A to Stalingrad then walk over the Pont de Pierre.