Stars Rooftop ★ 4.2
$$$$
$16 cocktails, walk-in, no reservationsUpper King And CannonboroughMon-Thu 15:00-01:45, Fri-Sun 12:00-01:45.
Stars Rooftop on Upper King runs the open-air bar on top of the restored Arts and Crafts building at 495, with a 360 degree view across the peninsula and a small kitchen of flatbread pizzas and smashburgers.
TipThe downstairs grill room closed August 2025; the rooftop bar continues as Stars Rooftop (also branded Satellite Bar). Walk-in, no reservations.
Citrus Club ★ 4.4
$$$$
$16 to $18 cocktails, 21+, walk-inDowntown And The French QuarterDaily 16:00-00:00.
Citrus Club on the eighth floor of The Dewberry is the city's highest rooftop, a chic terrace shaded by olive trees with citrus-driven cocktails and a 360 degree view across the peninsula.
Tip21+ only. First come, first served via the lobby concierge; weekend evenings fill fast. Cocktails around $16 to $18.
The Rooftop at The Vendue ★ 4.3
$$$$
$14 cocktails, walk-in, smart casualDowntown And The French QuarterMon-Thu 11:30-22:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-00:00, Sun 11:30-22:00.
The Rooftop at The Vendue, named Best Rooftop Bar by the Charleston City Paper every year since 2007, sits above Waterfront Park with a sweeping view of the harbour and the Ravenel Bridge.
TipNo reservations taken; lunch through late evening seven days. Live music on weekend nights; arrive before 18:00 to claim a bridge-side rail seat.
Prohibition ★ 4.3
$$$$
Upper KingMon-Wed 16:00-02:00, Thu-Sun 11:00-02:00.
Prohibition on Upper King runs a 1920s speakeasy theme across a 300-seat room, with the 547 Manhattan and a Bacon Maple Old Fashioned anchoring the bar list and a dance floor that opens after dinner.
TipBrunch Thursday to Sunday 11:00-14:30; dinner nightly until 22:00. DJs Friday and Saturday 22:00-02:00, 23+ on the dance floor.
The Gin Joint ★ 4.5
$$$$
Downtown And The French QuarterMon-Thu 17:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 15:00-00:00, Sun 15:00-20:00.
The Gin Joint on East Bay is the long-running craft cocktail room from MariElena Raya and Joe Raya, with a no-reservations house rule and a dealer's choice menu built around a written flavour brief.
TipNo reservations or call-aheads; walk-in only, first come first served. Closed early on Sunday at 20:00.
The Cocktail Club ★ 4.4
$$$$
Upper KingTue-Sun 17:00-02:00. Closed Mon.
The Cocktail Club on Upper King runs an upstairs cocktail room in an 1881 building, with reclaimed timber, a rooftop garden of cocktail garnishes and a Thursday to Saturday live music slot.
TipTuesday to Sunday 17:00-02:00. Live music Thursday to Saturday from around 21:00; walk in early to grab the back room sofas.