New Orleans is low-rise, below sea level, and the French Quarter height ordinance caps what can be built, so this is a short list on purpose. Fourteen rooms rather than twenty, and we are not padding it with balconies. Eight of these are genuine walk-in rooftop bars; the rest are pool decks, one indoor view lounge and a suburban deck, and we say which is which. Note too that none of them publish a cigar policy, so call ahead rather than assuming.
Tap a gold pin to see the rooftop and jump to its card below.
Eleven floors up on the Pontchartrain, a converted penthouse with a 1940s artist's-loft interior, glass accordion doors and a second terrace hanging over the St. Charles streetcar line. A 270-degree sweep takes in both the Mississippi and the downtown skyline.
Pip’s Tip Walk-in only, 21+. The one that would be worth it without the view
Thirteen floors up at Virgin Hotels with a wrap-around panoramic skyline and the biggest party of any rooftop in the city. DJs, Club Soleil Sundays and weekday Off the Clock sessions.
Pip’s Tip Rooftop opens to the public daily from 3pm. Pool costs extra
A planted European-garden terrace on the roof of Hotel Perle with a serious spirit-forward cocktail program from Latter Hospitality. Still new enough that hours are worth confirming.
Pip’s Tip The newest real rooftop in the city, opened May 2026
Fourteen floors up on Canal Street with the skyline, the French Quarter and the Mississippi in the distance. Quieter and more date-night than the downtown rooms, and well outside the tourist crush. No reservations.
Pip’s Tip The highest practical rooftop here, and the most underrated
The ninth-floor pool deck and bar at the NOPSI Hotel, reliable and mid-priced, with a downtown skyline view and happy hour daily from three. Weather dependent.
Pip’s Tip Genuinely open to the public at night, with weekend live music
Nine floors up on the Higgins Hotel on the National WWII Museum campus, with a Rosie the Riveter theme, crab beignets, live music and an expansive view across the Warehouse District.
Pip’s Tip Big sunset room. Often booked for private events, check first
The ninth-floor pool deck at The Barnett, formerly Alto at the Ace Hotel, with a lush garden feel and skyline views over the Warehouse District rooftops. Day passes available for locals.
Pip’s Tip A day venue. The bar closes at 7pm
Three floors up, which the French Quarter height ordinance makes the ceiling. You look down onto Bourbon Street and across Quarter rooftops rather than at a skyline, and it is genuinely fun for a group.
Pip’s Tip The only rooftop bar on Bourbon. A real Mardi Gras vantage point
Eleven floors up at the Westin, with the Mississippi's bend and the entire French Quarter through floor-to-ceiling glass. A view lounge rather than a rooftop, with no outdoor deck, so know that before you go.
Pip’s Tip Fully indoor. Arguably the best window view in the city
The seventh-floor deck at the Omni Royal Orleans, calm and sunny with a clean view of both the river and the Quarter rooftops. The pool is hotel guests only, and the bar shuts early.
Pip’s Tip Closes early. One of the few with both river and Quarter views
Donald Link's steakhouse on the fifth floor of the Four Seasons, with sweeping Mississippi views from a river-facing terrace. Elevated dining rather than a rooftop bar.
Pip’s Tip Not technically a rooftop, and the hotel says so itself
The fourth-floor pool deck at the Roosevelt, beautiful but firmly a hotel amenity rather than a bar destination. The Sazerac Bar downstairs is the actual draw.
Pip’s Tip Closed November through March. Day pass required for non-guests
A small third-floor terrace on a restored 1845 Creole townhouse, beloved under the old Selina brand. The hotel now presents it mostly for events and programming rather than as a walk-in bar.
Pip’s Tip Now largely a private-event space. Call before you plan a night
An upper deck in the old train depot building on Metairie Road, opened in 2024 with televisions and a sports-bar feel. Included for suburban coverage rather than for the view.
Pip’s Tip The only elevated deck in Metairie or Kenner
Eleven floors up on the Pontchartrain, a converted penthouse with 270 degrees of river and skyline, and the only one here worth the ride without the view.
Sixteen cities in. Come catch the sunset with us.
