4 rooftop bars in Bologna, editor-picked by TableJourney. All Bologna nightlife.
Terrazza Mattuiani ★ 4.4
Piazza Maggiore · Via De' Mattuiani 1/2, 40124 Bologna
Terrazza Mattuiani opens for the warm months on the fifth floor of Hotel Touring Bologna with a cocktail bar, loungers and an in-deck jacuzzi, looking across the rooftops toward San Petronio and the Two Towers a few streets north.
Tip: Reservations are required; the jacuzzi slot runs 30 minutes per booking. Open May through September only, hours can shift if the weather closes the deck.
Roof Garden at Hotel Metropolitan ★ 4.3
Piazza Maggiore · Via dell'Orso 6, 40121 Bologna
The Roof Garden sits on the fifth floor of Hotel Metropolitan a couple of streets from Via dell'Indipendenza, with loungers, dining tables and a sightline that runs from San Luca on the hill to the Bologna rooftops.
Tip: Aperitivo runs from 17:00 and the kitchen sends a short bites list at the bar. Closed October to February so plan for the warm months.
Aemilia Hotel Rooftop ★ 4.1
Mazzini · Via Zaccherini Alvisi 16, 40138 Bologna
The Aemilia Hotel rooftop runs from the seventh floor of the Savhotel on Via Zaccherini Alvisi, a wide terrace with a lounge corner and a panorama that takes in San Luca, the Two Towers and the eastern university quarter beyond Porta San Vitale.
Tip: The hotel sits a 10 minute walk east of the centre; the terrace is quieter than the central hotels and the cocktail list runs cheaper. Sunset over San Luca is the time slot.
I Portici Rooftop Terrace ★ 4.2
Piazza Maggiore · Via dell'Indipendenza 69, 40121 Bologna
I Portici tucks its rooftop deck above a 19th-century palazzo on Via dell'Indipendenza, with a cocktail bar that looks across the green of Parco della Montagnola toward the hills and a separate Michelin-listed dining room two floors below.
Tip: Cocktails from 18:00 with a short bar menu; the room downstairs takes the dinner crowd so the rooftop stays drink-only. Reserve through the hotel for a terrace seat.