Divided into two peninsulas, Michigan is set in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest. Filled with outdoor-fun all year round, it's during summer that the Michigan rooftop bars are in full swing.
From Detroit to Grand Rapids, and from the Lower Peninsula and to the Upper Peninsula, this guide will take you to the very best rooftop bars Michigan has to offer.
Located in Downtown Iron Mountain, Sandstone Terrace is the prime rooftop destination to enjoy the beautiful Upper Peninsula's summer weather.
Open from mid-May to late fall, the spacious and charming rooftop invites to sunsets, live music, craft cocktails, and all the fun.
Offering a rotating menu of craft cocktails and a variety of seasonal tap beer, Sandstone also host over 50 nights of live music.
Filled with a fun and energized atmosphere, you can visit to listen to your favorite bands and socialize with friends, or just sip a drinks to some smashing sunset views.
SANDSTONE TERRACE
On the 8th floor of the fabulous Canopy By Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown you find Knoop Rooftop Cocktail Lounge, an upscale venue specializing in craft cocktails.
Mixing interior and outdoor seating, the open, inviting and modern venue comes surrounded with stunning views over downtown Grand Rapids.
The rooftop bars offers a refined menu, featuring made from scratch sharables and small bites, as well as special craft cocktails, and a wide variety of local beer and wine.
For a stylish and elevated West Michigan experience, Knoop Rooftop is the plcae to go.
KNOOP ROOFTOP COCKTAIL LOUNGE
Perched on top of the superb hotel Element Detroit, The Monarch Club is a place like no other.
Set in the restored neo-gothic Metropolitan Building in downtown Detroit, the rooftop is just about as stylish as the building it sits on top. And with a 13th floor location, it also offers some very impressive and sweeping 360-views over downtown Detroit.
The rooftop menu features classic, yet innovative cocktails, a nice selection of beer and wine, as well as a variety of tasty small plates and shareables.
A great venue for fine rooftop drinks and bites during summer, but also dotted with rooftop igloos during the colder months.
THE MONARCH CLUB
Set atop the fantastic Graduate East Lansing, 200 metres from Jack Breslin Arena, Graduate Rock Bar offers that summer camp feeling year-round.
The 10th floor rooftop comes with throwback style, indoors and out on the impressive terrace, where you get unmatched views of East Lansing and the MSU campus.
Open every evening, and druing weekends from noon, the rooftop bar serves a locally inspired menu, including classic American fare, playful drinks and local beers.
GRADUATE ROCK BAR
Located in the former lobby and dining room of the 1914 New Hotel Mertens, Mertens Hospitality offers several venues to enjoy the best of Grand Rapids.
On street level you find Mertens Prime, a ground floor French steakhouse and bistro, as well as Cafe Mertens, a small venue focusing on street-food with French roots.
More elevated is the Mertens Roofop, a first come, first served space surrounded with unrivaled views of the skyline and unobstructed sunsets.
Open during the warmer months, here you can indulge in a selection of fine food and beverages, served in an elegant French ambiance.
MERTENS ROOFTOP
Located right next to Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, Tin Roof is a live music joint, offering 3 levels of tunes, food, drinks and good times.
The number one unique selling point for the wooden decked terrace are the views over Comerica Park, where you can catch the games being played.
Packed with a fun and vibrant atmosphere, Tin Roof has a hectic entertainment schedule, with national, regional and local acts on a nightly basis. Enjoy acoustic sets with original songwriters on weeknights, and weekends with both live bands and live DJs.
TIN ROOF
Found at the Amway Grand Plaza, IDC is Grand Rapids' most talked-about secret.
IDC stands for 'I Don't Care', and this is a private, covered, year-round balcony bar with indoor and outdoor seating, and a panoramic view of the street below and the city above.
Register to join those in-the-know, and to enjoy the cozy and relaxed atmosphere, and the expansive beer, wine and cocktail menu.
IDC
Rikard has spent the last 10 years exploring, enjoying, researching and working with rooftop venues. During these years he has visited more than 700 rooftops across the globe. The experience he has gained is used to create helpful, in-depth and accessible content, and to share his knowledge and rooftop expertise with fellow rooftop-lovers.
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