Singapore is, by some margin, the most concentrated rooftop city on earth. In an island just 50 kilometres across, you can hit a 57th-floor sky bar with a Marina Bay Sands view, a Sentosa beachfront rooftop, and a hidden Chinatown rooftop on the same night and still make it home before midnight. The skyline is genuinely cinematic — MBS, the Singapore Flyer, the river curving past the colonial buildings, and the new towers along Anson Road all lit up — and almost every serious rooftop has a view of it from a slightly different angle.
The catch is the price. Singapore rooftop cocktails are some of the most expensive in Asia, and the dress codes are stricter than almost anywhere on the continent. Worth knowing what you're walking into.
We've worked through every venue in our Singapore directory — 29 of them — and ranked the 12 that genuinely earn the trip up.
01LAVO at Marina Bay Sands — the iconic Singapore rooftop
Marina Bay Sands · Tower 1 · Level 57
LAVO is one of the most-reviewed rooftops on the planet. From the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands you get the entire Singapore skyline laid out beneath you — the river, the financial district, the Flyer, the Gardens by the Bay domes — all of it. With 4.3 stars across nearly 5,800 reviews, it delivers the experience most visitors come to MBS for: the photo, the view, and Italian food and cocktails that hold up against the setting. Book ahead, dress sharp, and arrive before sunset.
02VUE at OUE Bayfront — the best view of MBS
Collyer Quay · OUE Bayfront · Level 19
Here's the secret of Singapore rooftop photography: you don't want to be on Marina Bay Sands. You want to be looking at it. VUE sits on top of OUE Bayfront on Collyer Quay, directly across the bay, and gives you the postcard shot — MBS, the river, the financial towers — that you can't get from MBS itself. With 4.7 stars across 1,650+ reviews, it's also one of the highest-rated rooftops in our entire Singapore list.
03SkyPark Observation Deck — the highest review count
Marina Bay Sands · Tower 3 · Level 56
Not strictly a bar, but it earns a place on this list. The SkyPark Observation Deck is the highest publicly accessible rooftop on Marina Bay Sands, with 13,500+ reviews — by far the most-reviewed rooftop in Singapore. The view is the view: 360 degrees of Singapore from the top of MBS. Best paired with drinks at LAVO either before or after.
04Artemis Grill & Sky Bar — the CBD pick
CapitaGreen · Market Street · Level 40
Artemis sits 40 floors up in CapitaGreen with a wraparound view of the financial district, the Singapore River, and Marina Bay in the distance. It's a Mediterranean-leaning grill with a serious cocktail program and a 4.6 rating across 1,600+ reviews. The crowd skews business-after-work in the early evenings and shifts more social later. Strong choice for a CBD-based date or post-work drinks.
05Olibier Rooftop Bar — the highest-rated hidden one
Dunlop Street · Little India
Olibier is in Little India, on a Dunlop Street rooftop most rooftop guides don't bother with — and that's exactly the appeal. 4.8 stars across 130+ reviews. The room is small and quiet, the cocktails are properly made, and you're well away from the MBS crowd. If you've already done the famous rooftops and want something with a different feeling, this is where to go.
061-Altitude Coast — the Sentosa play
Sentosa Island · The Outpost Hotel
Singapore's rooftop scene is overwhelmingly Marina Bay-focused, so 1-Altitude Coast on Sentosa offers something different: a beachfront rooftop with a view across the South China Sea rather than the city skyline. Day pool by afternoon, restaurant and bar by evening. 4.6 stars across 460 reviews. Worth the trip across to Sentosa for an evening that feels less like Singapore and more like a holiday.
07Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie — the dinner-first option
Alexandra Road · Momentus Hotel · Level 7
Most Singapore rooftops are bars that happen to serve food. Verandah is a restaurant that happens to have a rooftop — a proper rotisserie with a strong dinner menu and a relaxed, plant-heavy terrace at Momentus Hotel. 4.6 stars across nearly 1,000 reviews. Best when you want a sit-down, two-hour meal with the rooftop atmosphere as backdrop rather than the main event.
08Moon Rooftop Bar & Lounge — the design pick
Anson Road · Hub Synergy Point · Level 27
Moon's moon-themed rooftop with a circular installation as the centrepiece sounds like it shouldn't work. It does. The space is genuinely well designed, the cocktails are creative without being silly, and the Anson Road location gives you a slightly different angle on the financial district skyline than the MBS-side rooftops. 4.5 stars across 450 reviews.
09Las Palmas Rooftop Bar — the pool-and-cocktail combo
Irrawaddy Road · Courtyard Marriott · Level 33
Las Palmas pairs a Mediterranean-style rooftop pool with a proper cocktail program at the Courtyard Marriott in Novena. The view skews north-and-central rather than the famous MBS shot, which means it's less mobbed and more relaxed than the marquee rooftops. 4.5 stars across 340 reviews. Strong choice if you want the rooftop-pool experience without the full Marina Bay scene.
10Barouv Rooftop Bar — the Chinatown hideout
Erskine Road · The Scarlet Hotel · Level 4
Barouv sits on top of the Scarlet boutique hotel in Chinatown, only four floors up — but the surrounding shophouses are low, so the view opens cleanly across to the financial district towers. The space is intimate, the cocktail menu is serious, and at 4.5 stars across 160+ reviews it's quietly become one of the favourite small rooftops in town.
11Abriza Rooftop Restaurant — the Tras Street pick
Tras Street · ST Signature · Level 4
Abriza on Tras Street has built a strong following with a 4.5 rating across 740 reviews — a busy, well-reviewed neighbourhood rooftop that does dinner and drinks both well. The Tras Street/Tanjong Pagar area is the right pre-dinner location for an evening that ends in Chinatown or Telok Ayer. Less famous than the Marina Bay rooftops, more reliably good.
12Cooling Tower Rooftop Bar — the value pick
Gopeng Street · Carlton City Hotel · Level 29
Cooling Tower at Carlton City Hotel sits 29 floors up with a clean view of the Tanjong Pagar skyline — and at price points well below the marquee rooftops. The vibe is casual rather than dressed-up, the food is decent rather than destination-worthy, and the rooftop atmosphere is reliable. 4.2 stars across 150+ reviews. A practical choice for a Tuesday after work.
How to do rooftop bars in Singapore well
Reservations
For LAVO, VUE, and SkyPark on weekends, book in advance. Almost every other rooftop on this list accepts walk-ins outside the Friday-Saturday peak hours.
Dress code
Strict in Singapore relative to the rest of Southeast Asia. No shorts, no flip-flops, no sportswear at LAVO, VUE, Artemis, and most hotel rooftops. Smart casual at minimum.
Weather
Singapore's afternoon thunderstorms can shut outdoor seating in minutes. Most rooftops have indoor sections that absorb the overflow, but the prime view seats are usually outdoors. Build flexibility into your timing.
Sunset timing
Around 7 pm year-round (Singapore sits almost on the equator). Arrive 45 minutes earlier for a view seat.
Cost
Cocktails run S$22–28 at the marquee rooftops, S$18–24 at the smaller ones. Marina Bay Sands rooftops are at the high end. Add a 10% service charge and 9% GST.
Two-rooftop strategy
The most efficient evening is one rooftop on MBS (LAVO) for the experience and one rooftop facing MBS (VUE) for the photo. Different views, both worth it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous rooftop bar in Singapore?
LAVO Italian Restaurant And Rooftop Bar on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands is the marquee rooftop. SkyPark Observation Deck on MBS Tower 3 has the most reviews of any rooftop in Singapore.
What's the best rooftop bar with a view of Marina Bay Sands?
VUE at OUE Bayfront on Collyer Quay has the postcard view of MBS — directly across the bay. Artemis Grill & Sky Bar at CapitaGreen also has an excellent angle.
Are Singapore rooftop bars expensive?
Yes — among the most expensive in Southeast Asia. Expect S$22–28 (USD 16–21) per cocktail at top-tier rooftops, plus 10% service charge and 9% GST.
Do I need a reservation?
For LAVO, VUE, and SkyPark on weekends, yes. Most other rooftops on this list accept walk-ins outside Friday-Saturday evening peaks.
What's the dress code?
Smart casual at minimum across almost every rooftop. The marquee venues (LAVO, VUE, Artemis) enforce no shorts, no flip-flops, no sportswear strictly.
Are Singapore rooftops open year-round?
Yes. Afternoon thunderstorms briefly close outdoor sections but the climate doesn't shut anything down seasonally.
