Complete guide

Rooftop Bars Johannesburg

2024 update

A complete guide taking you right to the best Jo'burg rooftop venues, packed with all info you need.

Country South Africa

Currency South African rand

Best time to visit September - April

Courtesy of Alto234

Johannesburg Rooftop Guide

By:Hans Ebenman

Updated:July 18, 2024

Johannesburg rooftop map

The financial and political center of South Africa is also growing into an urban city with a great nightlife. To get the best of the vibes, mixed with a pleasant breeze and lovely views, you should head up to one of the Johannesburg rooftop bars.

Spread out over the city, quite a few of the Jo'burg rooftops work as both event venues and public spaces, so it is always worth checking availability before visiting. But which is the best rooftop bar in Johannesburg? Just scroll down and find the one best suited for you.

The list

12 best rooftop bars in Johannesburg

Rooftop bar Johannesburg Alto234 in Johannesburg — 1

Alto234

57th floor | Sandown

Highlights

Amazing 360° views

Africa’s highest

$$$$

Opened during 2021, Alto234 is Africa’s highest urban bar, offering a truly elevated Johannesburg experience. Perched 234 meters up, on the 57th floor The Leonardo in Sandton, the modern and minimalist rooftop comes with both interior and outdoor seating, surrounded with absolutely **breathtaking 360-degree views** over Johannesburg and its surroundings. Up here you can enjoy a luxury tapas menu, along with fun, trendy and edgy signature cocktails, premium spirits and a great selection of wines. Open daily, from the 'Afternoon Experience' to the 'Night Light Experience'.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg The Highline in Johannesburg — 2

The Highline

9th floor | Midrand

Highlights

Panoramic views

Contemporary

$$$

Perched on the 9th floor of the Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City in Joburg's far north, The Highline Gourmet Lounge features a contemporary design aimed at evoking emotion in its visitors, complimenting the striking design of the hotel. Open all year round and no matter the weather, thanks to its enclosed glass facade, here you can enjoy **spectacular views over Waterfall City**, 'Sunset Sips', a distinctive beverage selection and light gourmet meals, all served in a sophisticated yet casual atmosphere.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Artistry JHB in Johannesburg — 3

Artistry JHB

3rd floor | Sandton

Highlights

Food & culture

3 venues

$$$

The brainchild of award-winning musician J’Something, Artistry offers the best of the culinary, cinematic, theatrical and musical world, divided into **a trilogy of spaces:** a street-level lounge bar, a middle level for live music and theatre performances, and a top floor urban rooftop restaurant and bar. Bright, airy, lush and modern, the spacious rooftop blends the inside with the outside, and here you can indulge in food made with love and an impressive selection of drinks, during a sunny lunch, a romantic dinner, or a fun night out with friends.

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Play

10 Spectacular Rooftop Bars in Johannesburg

Rooftop bar Johannesburg The Ivy in Johannesburg — 4

The Ivy

3rd floor | Bedfordview

Highlights

Amazing views

Morning to night

$$$

Located at the HQ Building in Bedfordview, The Ivy Champagne Bar invites to **high life leisure** under the African Sun. Airy, lush and vibrant, the rooftop comes with a retractable roof and infrared heating, so no matter the weather it's a prime spot for amazing views over the Johannesburg skyline and the worlds largest urban forest. Open for breakfast, lunch and social evenings, the rooftop menu features Afro-Asian cuisine and a wide selection of drinks, served in an intimate and relaxing atmosphere.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Living Room Rooftop Café in Johannesburg — 5

Living Room

5th floor | Maboneng

Highlights

Urban oasis

Weekend live music

$$$

An urban and lush rooftop café and event venue, located on the 5th floor of the Main Change Building in the heart of Maboneng. From this **inner city rooftop oasis** you get lovely views over the Johannesburg skyline, especially around sunset which is really something extra up here. Closed for private events a few days of the week, the Living room rooftop bar otherwise offers chill weekday vibes and very vibrant weekend gatherings with live music and lots of people. Natural and fresh in setting, which also shine through in the quite large food & drinks menu.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Flames at Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg — 6

Flames at Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff

4th floor | Westcliff

Highlights

Grill

Luxurious

$$$$

At the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, located close to the Johannesburg Zoo, you find a **beautiful and luxurious** rooftop bar and restaurant called Flames. Offering both stylish indoor seating and a spacious outdoor terrace, the rooftop is not sky-high, but the elevated position of the hotel means you still get some amazing views across Johannesburg and the surrounding greenery. Up here you can indulge in fine cocktails and a great selection of champagne, along with grilled regional favorites.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg San Deck, Bar & Restaurant in Johannesburg — 7

San Deck, Bar & Restaurant

6th floor | Sandton

Highlights

Sunset views

All-day venue

$$$

San Deck is an all-day dining and drinking rooftop terrace, situated on the 6th floor of the fabulous Sandton Sun Hotel. Located north of the city center, this large venue offers **several unique outdoor spaces** and a lovely view over Johannesburg’s economic and lifestyle hub skyline. Open from morning to late night, here you can enjoy cusine being a fresh take on South African flavours along with a drink menu that also takes inspiration from the local, from wint to signature SAN cocktails. Relaxed and sophisticated vibes, with live DJs Thur-Sun.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg E|Bar at Thaba Eco Hotel in Johannesburg — 8

E|Bar at Thaba Eco Hotel

2nd floor | Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve

Highlights

Lush & natural

Nature reserve views

$$$

Nestled in the majestic Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve area, the beautiful Thaba Eco Hotel offers a **lush, natural, environmental and luxurious** rooftop bar and terrace, called E|Bar. Surrounded with panoramic views over the nature reserve, here you can indulge in a menu filled with everything from chilled champagne, signature cocktails, craft beers and high-quality wines, to delicious bar bites and platters. In an atmosphere that is both vibrant and modern, yet sprinkled with tradition, E|Bar rooftop is a prime spot to unwind in style, highlighted by live music performances monthly.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Elevate in Johannesburg — 9

Elevate

16th floor | Marshalltown

Highlights

360° views

Stylish lounge

$$$

Elevate is a hot and trendy rooftop bar and lounge, perched on top of the Reef Hotel in the heart of Johannesburg. Equipped with a stylish indoor lounge and a terrace with white lounge furniture, the 16th floor location means some **fantastic 360° views** over the city skyline. The rooftop bar offers a wide range of both drinks and bites, and it is a great spot for a cool after work while overlooking the city, or late nights with more of a club lounge atmosphere.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Sir James van der Merwe in Johannesburg — 10

Sir James van der Merwe

3rd floor | Kramerville

Highlights

Event venue

Beautiful setting

$$$

Located in Kramerville, Sir James van der Merwe is one of the most stunning venues in all of Johannesburg. Situated in a converted warehouse space, it is part of Katy's Palace Bar, and the venues are mostly used as event spaces, but **every Wednesday night** Sir James opens up to the public and becomes the perfect spot for after work drinks. With impressive views over the Sandton skyline, you can enjoy a trendy, hip and lively atmosphere, complemented with a fully stacked bar, bottles of champagne and tasty buffet-style snack boards.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg Copper Bar in Johannesburg — 11

Copper Bar

3rd floor | Bryanston

Highlights

Event venue

Live DJs

$$$

Exclusive and trendy rooftop bar, nestled away on a rooftop in Bryanston. With a garden-like setup, the terrace is both charming and stylish, and comes with **lovely panoramic views** over the surrounding landscape. Extra fantastic when the sun sets behind the majestic Magaliesberg mountain range. Working as a private event venue most of the time, the rooftop is only open to the public on Thursdays and Sundays. Then you can enjoy fine drinks and bites in a fun and vibrant atmosphere, usually with live DJs creating the soundtrack.

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Rooftop bar Johannesburg The Roof Fourways in Johannesburg — 12

The Roof Fourways

2nd floor | Fourways

Highlights

Event venue

Breakfast + Lunch

$$$

A stylish, contemporary and exclusive Johannesburg rooftop, situated on the second floor of the Infinity Serviced Office Park in Fourways. From the rooftop terrace you can enjoy a 180-degree view of Fourways, along with **magical sunsets over Broadacres**. First and foremost an event venue, The Roof is suited to hold corporate functions, product launches and premium events and celebrations. But it is also open to the public for breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm, and evenings the first Thursday of every month from 5pm.

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Hans Ebenman

Hans has visited over 500 rooftop bars, 200 rooftop pools and 300 rooftop restaurants since 2015. This vast experience has made Hans a true rooftop expert, and one of the most knowledgeable in the field. Today, numerous of travel magazines, bloggers and media websites contact Hans to get his expertise on rooftops.