After a warm day of shopping, swimming or work, the only thing on a lot of people’s minds is to find a nice rooftop bar, get something good to drink and feel the cool breeze blow by. Finding a rooftop terrace when you’re exploring new cities is now easier than ever. Two years ago Hans Ebenman and Rikard Fredricson founded therooftopguide.com with the aim of helping travellers find the best rooftop bars.
Hans, how did you get the idea for the site?
Rikard and I have travelled the world together through the years and when we visited big cities we almost always ended up hanging out at rooftop bars. It became a thing: before we would visit a place we would research the best rooftops, but we could never find a good website with all the information. We therefore did it ourselves, and started by talking about the places we had visited ourselves.
How many entries are there on the site?
Right now we have around 1,400 bars from over 100 cities, and of these we have visited around 500. We check, among other things, social media for reviews of the places we haven’t visited. The idea is that it should be as simple as possible, say if one goes to Barcelona you can check the city [on the site] and see the best rooftop bars. Every entry has all the info you need, from social media links, booking links, photos, opening hours and dress codes.
Can you define what makes a world-class rooftop bar?
As a main requirement, it should have 360 degree views, a pool and a really pleasant lounge with good sofas and seating. It should also be open from lunchtime and the service must be of a high-level, which is often not the case. For example, we were in Bangkok where The Hangover was filmed, and it was packed with people all the time, the drinks were extremely expensive and the service was lousy.
What are the new trends in the area?
Recently we’ve noticed that these rooftop terraces are being used for other things as well. It’s become a big thing to have yoga classes on the roof, and certain places have also begun screening films and serve brunches.
Rooftopguiden’s Stockholm Favourites
1. Tak Stockholm
The best in Stockolm is the new rooftop bar between the Nordic Choice hotels At Six and Hobo at Brunkebergstorg. It’s big, and has a lovely view out towards Gröna Lund, Södermalm, parts of the city centre and Kungsholmen. The bar has a relaxed atmosphere, and serves fantastic bar food as well as great cocktails, wine, sake and beer. The have live DJs on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays for all the party goers, and when the weather allows they even have gigs on the terrace.
2. Pane Fresco
On top of the Åhléns building you’ll find Paolo Roberto’s restaurant. It’s one of Stockholm’s best rooftop terraces with a view over Sergels Torg and the central parts of the city. The food is genuine Italian and the place has become unbelievably popular in a very short time.
3. Takbar by Urban Deli
At Sveavägen 44 there’s a newly renovated rooftop bar on the ninth floor. They have different DJs all during the summer, and they serve light meals and drinks. It’s pretty sizable, and the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed than the other places.
4. The Winery Hotel
This big rooftop winebar is on a hotel in Solna, and has, among other things, a heated pool. The lounge has comfy sunbeds and it’s an ideal location for a relaxing afternoons and evenings. In the Italian wine bar one can enjoy a pleasant glass while one watches the sun set over the National Arena.
5.Gondolen
Great food, great drinks and a superb view over Slussen and half the city. The terrace’s tables have white tablecloths and it’s overall pretty stylish.
