13 Best Rooftop Bars & Restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina

Increasingly recognized for its burgeoning eating and drinking scene, Charlotte is now known as one of the best places to live in the US, a place where rich history, great sports teams, and unique culture is all within easy reach.

Whether it’s authentic southern cuisine, delicious fine dining, or the city’s booming craft beer scene, the best rooftop restaurants in Charlotte offer up the pick of the area’s food and drink scene and glorious views of the city’s skyline.

Here, we’ll run through some of the best spots to catch glorious views, delicious food, and the best drinks that the state has to offer!

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1. The Merchant & Trade

Nestled high up on the 19^th floor, The Merchant & Trade offers up beautiful views of the Charlotte skyline from any of its four spaces.

Whether you’re kicking back on the lawn, taking a seat at the chic bar, or enjoying one of the terraces, it’s the perfect place to mix auteur cocktails and sweeping city views.

You’ll find it deep in the heart of Uptown, looking out over the glistening glass of the buzziest area of the city.

Head down here for cocktails made with care, great local craft beer, and a select menu of contemporary American fare, from the fresh hit of ceviche to the Southern-food-facing crab buns.

2. Fahrenheit

Farenheit — Photo credit: Fahrenheit Facebook Page

Head on up to the 21^st floor of Hyatt Place and you’ll be treated to panoramic vistas of the best that Charlotte has to offer.

This contemporary downtown Charlotte rooftop restaurant is primed for those looking to mix the city’s most inventive contemporary cuisine with the views to match.

It’s a feast for the senses, whether it’s your eyes trained on the distant horizon, the taste of carefully selected local craft beers, your pick of the seriously extensive wine menu, or just the experience of drifting between fire pits and the fresh, seasonal herb garden that colors the evening sky with its floral scents.

3. Cordial

Cordial can lay claim to being the city’s very first rooftop bar, and it’s still one of the best Charlotte restaurants with a view that spans out around the glittering high rises of the SouthPark neighborhood.

The menu here revolves around tapas-style Spanish eats and innovative signature cocktails, all to be picked at and sipped on by the firepit while enjoying the wide vistas of some of the best sights in the city.

4. Aura Rooftop

A relative newcomer to the bustling rooftop scene of the Queen City, Aura is a vibrant, extremely Instagram-able mix of gleaming city views and carefully arranged greenery.

You’ll find delicious floral-inspired cocktails alongside a carefully-curated wider drinks menu that let you luxuriate in the chic, trendy atmosphere.

It’s also the only bar with a rooftop Charlotte has that offers a pool as well, the perfect place to grab a drink, take a dip, and then chill out for the day in a luxurious cabana.

5. Ink N Ivy

Perched amid the glitz of Uptown, Ink N Ivy is one of the best Charlotte bars with a view out to streets and squares framed by the geometric glamor of American contemporary architecture.

Its menu has been cooked up by the in-house chefs to cater to everything from that brunch fix to some of the best steaks in the city, all washed down by craft cocktails and their pick of the best local and international beers.

It prides itself on its variety and you’ll find a little something for everybody here.

6. Charlotte Beer Garden

You don’t get any prizes for guessing what this place prides itself on.

Set over three levels, this joint’s four bars are home to the widest selection of draft beer that you’ll find anywhere in the world.

That’s right, anywhere in the world.

It’s a stylish mix of panoramic views, fire pits, and picnic-style seating set it out among the other best rooftop restaurants in Charlotte, the ultimate place in the city to bring some friends and kick back with more beer choices than you’ll find anywhere else.

7. Nuvole Rooftop TwentyTwo

Maybe the pick of the Charlotte rooftop bars, Nuvole is a gorgeous intermingling of smart, modern style and wide open panoramas.

The clean grey and stark lines of the interior frame the horizon that stretches and stretches around you, the perfect mix of modern comforts and timeless beauty.

Nestled up on the 22^nd floor, it’s the highest bar on the list and offers unrivaled views across Charlotte.

The menu is a feast of small plates and carefully curated cocktails, the perfect accompaniments to an evening spent watching the sun trace its way across the wide sky.

8. Whiskey Warehouse

But sometimes you don’t need twenty-two floors and wide-open panoramas.

Sometimes all you need is the open sky above you, great music, and a whole lot of whiskey.

This is the pick of Charlotte’s best rooftop restaurants if you want your evening to be washed down with some of the state’s best liquor.

They serve up great burgers, wings, and classic sides in a laid-back style that fits the chilled-out surroundings as music and chit-chat float around the open-air, reclaimed-wood bar.

But food aside, here it’s really all about the drinks, with the city’s best local beers and a whiskey-inspired cocktail menu.

Pull up a seat at the bar, and enjoy.

9. Cloud Bar

As the name might suggest, Cloud Bar is a place of wide open sky and views that stretch up and out around you.

You’ll find it high up on the 18^th floor of the luxurious Le Méridien Hotel and can enjoy specialty cocktails alongside modern takes on Southern classics, served up by world-famous chefs.

It’s the place to be for the best sunset vistas in Charlotte, pure luxury perched high up in the clouds.

10. Graham Street Pub & Patio

If you’re scouting for Charlotte rooftop restaurants with a more chilled, relaxed vibe, Graham Street Pub could well be the place for you.

Found in Uptown, it’s got a wide-open, sun-soaking patio for long evenings spent drinking, nibbling, and drinking with friends.

Its menu is an eclectic mix of dishes that are sure to satisfy anybody and everybody, and its location a couple of minutes walk from the Bank of America Stadium and Knights Stadium makes it the perfect location for any sports fans who are in town.

11. Gin Mill

Another great place to congregate pre- or post-game, you’ll find Gin Mill in the sweet spot between the Bank of America Stadium and the best distilleries and breweries of South End.

It’s a chilled place to hang out and enjoy some open skies and great drinks (you won’t be surprised to know there’s an excellent array of gins), and on the weekends the rooftop space fills up with people flocking here for some of the best live music events in the city. It’s just a good time.

12. Buho Bar

Buho is a heady mix of South American style and Carolina hospitality, a bohemian hangout that lets you soak in the skyline while enjoying some of the city’s best cocktails and smoothest music.

It blends a chilled-out vibe with smart attire (it’s recommended you dress up a little bit) to create a trendy atmosphere that sets it apart from the other rooftop restaurants in Charlotte.

Come along for the relaxed open-air space, stick around for the carefully curated selection of cocktails and small plates as the sky turns from glorious daytime blues to the golden hues of a Charlotte sunset.

13. Coin Bar

Take yourself along to the Omni Hotel, find the nearest elevator, and take it all the way up to sky-level, and you’ll find Coin Bar.

It’s a thriving little spot that lets you enjoy great drinks, delicious snacks, and luxurious seating, all with the pleasures of a sky-high pool to cool yourself off from the Carolina sun.

The huge screens in the bar are some of the biggest and best you’ll find in town, making it a popular destination whenever one of the city’s great sports teams are playing.

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