A more luxurious experience than your average ground-level lounge, rooftop bars are often located in glamorous boutique hotels with killer views.
Hitting the rooftop bars of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and beyond is an incredibly romantic way to spend steamy summer evenings in Israel. A decidedly more luxurious experience than your average ground-level lounge, rooftop bars are often glamorously located in modern boutique hotels, some overlooking historical landmarks and others overlooking the lapping waves of the Mediterranean.
Hitting the rooftop bars of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and beyond is an incredibly romantic way to spend steamy summer evenings in Israel. A decidedly more luxurious experience than your average ground-level lounge, rooftop bars are often glamorously located in modern boutique hotels, some overlooking historical landmarks and others overlooking the lapping waves of the Mediterranean.
Ever classy and just a bit breezier and cooler than down below, many rooftop bars are the picture-perfect location for a killer selfie or Instagram shot of that ice-cold cocktail.
- Mamilla Hotel Rooftop Lounge and Restaurant, Jerusalem
Located high above the upscale Mamilla pedestrian mall next to Jerusalem’s Old City, the luxurious Mamilla Hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar offers both gourmet delights and historical perspective.
As you sip on signature drinks such as the Red Diamond Fizz—a cocktail of sparkling Cava wine, almond syrup, lemon, gin, and egg white—and sample appetizers such as roasted bone marrow and grilled foie gras with wild zaatar and white wine chimichurri, don’t forget to look out at the ancient city walls, lit up against the dark Jerusalem sky.
- Blue Sky, Tel Aviv
Since drinks always go better with great appetizers, we suggest getting the eggplant carpaccio, served with tahini, date honey, pistachio, feta, coriander seeds, rosewater, and fennel flowers, or the Andalusian seared tuna and Jerusalem artichokes to go with your glass of Israeli wine and the view of the Tel Aviv Port and illuminated skyline.
- The Effendi Hotel Rooftop, Acre (Akko)
The artfully decorated, refurbished Ottoman building feels like a Crusader castle. But head up to the rooftop to see what Akko is really all about: the sea. Out in the open air, with a glass of local boutique wine and a cheese plate with specialty cheeses from the nearby Barkanit Dairy, you really can’t go wrong.
- Esperanto, Tel Aviv
As romantic as its name suggests, it is the place to go from May to October to have an exceptionally classy night out, dining on little bites like labaneh arancini (crispy risotto balls with locally produced labaneh cheese), sipping inventive cocktails like the “Havier Pina”—which features dark rum and grilled pineapple—and chatting with friends while you let the cool sea breeze drown out the reality of your face likely melting off once you’re back down at street level.
- Waldorf Astoria Garden Terrace, Jerusalem
Pink and white cabanas, private well-spaced-out tables, lit-up citrus trees, and planters filled with fresh fragrant herbs help set the tone for a sensory experience of the delicious food of Chef Itzik Barak and signature cocktails such as the classic gin and tonic using Spanish Gin Mare.
- Brown TLV Urban Hotel, Tel Aviv
Inventive cocktails utilize seasonal fruit and homemade infusions and liquors (yum, limoncello!). “The Rose” is on trend, including rose wine in the mix with dry vermouth, homemade rose syrup, lime, and floral St. Germain elderflower liqueur from France, which goes well with the bar’s well-executed little bites.
7. Notre Dame Rooftop Cheese and Wine Restaurant, Jerusalem
A place to rest your sore heels after a day of sightseeing and trekking in historical Jerusalem, the Notre Dame Rooftop Cheese and Wine Restaurant welcomes weary travelers with a glass of well-earned wine and intricately adorned cheese plates.
But it’s the view here that will blow you away. You get 360-degree views of the Old City and all its landmarks spectacularly well from your table.
- Poli House Boutique Hotel Rooftop Bar, Tel Aviv
Custom cocktails combine top-shelf bottles like Patron tequila with tropical fruit purees, while small tapas dishes like tuna tartare feature elements such as Persian lemon powder, Uzbeki apricots, and yuzu and yogurt foam. Lounge next to the infinity pool and admire the view of Tel Aviv’s legendary Bauhaus buildings and Mediterranean coastline.
- Speakeasy, Tel Aviv
See one of Tel Aviv’s most trendy districts from above at Speakeasy rooftop bar on historical Rothschild Boulevard.
The “easy sangria,” made with homemade berry gin, raspberry sorbet, hibiscus, and sweet white vermouth, and the Eastern European-inspired “Beat it” (which mixes both Russian and Polish vodka with beetroot, triple sec, and lime) pair well with appetizers on a stick like the house-smoked roast beef with aioli dipping sauce or seafood sashimi with Thai papaya salad. So Tel Aviv.
- Kanta, Tel Aviv
Drink and dine at Kanta on renovated Ibn Gvirol Street atop the Gan Ha’Ir mall. There, stories above this upscale street, under a canopy of string-light-lined trees, you can sip cocktails that represent different cities around the globe.
You’ll want to try “Jaffa,” with Ouzo 12, beets, watermelon, lime, and mint, for a real local experience. It’s like a boho-chic summer wedding, but with dreamy dishes such as fresh burrata with tomato cream and candied Israeli cherry tomatoes, and sweet potato ravioli with lemon butter, thyme, and Italian parmesan cheese, you won’t want to leave until the morning light.
About the author:
Jessica Halfin is an American immigrant who arrived in Israel in 2006. She is an Israeli-trained baker, gourmet cook, and food and culture writer, and gives foodie tours to tourists in Haifa City.
