16 Cincinnati Rooftop Patios Where You Can Enjoy a Cocktail With a View

The outdoor rooftop patio overlooking Lytle Park

Vista at Lytle Park Hotel

311 Pike St., Downtown
Cincinnati’s new Lytle Park Hotel features a spectacular rooftop patio named the Vista at Lytle Park. The over 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge offers panoramic views of the Queen City and Ohio River. The space is equipped with an "indoor" lounge (where the bar is located) lined with windows that open up to the outdoor patio with two fireplaces, lounge seating and tables. Vista's menu differs from Subito's, offering a more shareable approach. Choose from a selection of cocktails, wine, beer and spirits, or opt for their large-format cocktails that serve four or more, like the Magnolia Muse with Karrikin's Shuga rum, magnolia blossom tea, pineapple, mango and passionfruit puree. Their food offerings range from a charcuterie board to "naanchos" or peel-and-eat grilled shrimp.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Yonder

621 Main St., Covington
Inspired by owners Chris and Tess Burns' love of Kentucky State Parks, this breezy bar concept is by the folks behind Covington's Commonwealth Bistro and features a chic treehouse-esque rooftop bar with a small rotating menu and craft cocktails, as well as inventive mocktails.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Top of the Park at The Phelps

506 E. Fourth St., Downtown
On the roof of this downtown hotel, catch 360-degree views of the city and the river from its vantage point at the base of Lytle Park. Amenities include tabletop fire features, TVs and live music, plus a tapas menu shareable bites.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Braxton Brewing Company

27 W. Seventh St., Covington
Braxton Brewing Co.'s 5,000+ square-foot seasonal patio features a living wall and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati. Guests can head to the rooftop to enjoy an entirely new experience when visiting the brewery, with plenty of seating, shady umbrellas and a full bar.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

AC Upper Deck

135 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown
On top of Cincinnati's AC Hotel at the Banks, the Upper Deck boasts excellent views of the riverfront and Great American Ball Park. Lounge under string lights while gorging on loaded nachos and sipping a local craft beer or craft cocktail.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The View at Shires’ Garden

309 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown
Located on the 10th floor of downtown’s City Club Apartments, this spacious rooftop spot features an indoor dining room, an outdoor patio, two full bars, outdoor small and group dining and cocktail tables with impeccable views. Tables are currently spaced out in compliance with COVID regulations.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Rhinegeist

1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Rhinegeist has worked quickly over the past half-decade to become one of the city’s favorite local brewers. Their 25,000-square-foot warehouse tucked away on the north end of Elm is home to boozy alchemy and big house parties. Head upstairs to the weather-dependent giant patio. This very chill wooden rooftop deck features ample seating and an upstairs bar with 15 draft beers and ciders, plus a selection of wine and draft cocktails.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Krueger's Tavern

1211 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, this Over-the-Rhine restaurant offers an upstairs patio with a birds’-eye view of the action on Vine Street, plus Krueger’s full menu. Try their popular veggie burger — it’s the best in the city. But if you’re looking to drink your dinner, opt for a shareable pitcher like the Gin and Juice, with house-infused bathtub gin, fresh-squeezed orange juice and West Sixth Brewing Lemongrass wheat beer.
Photo: Kellie Coleman

Overlook Kitchen + Bar

5345 Medpace Way, Madisonville
Temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, this funky Madisonville hotel boasts a restaurant and rooftop patio with some unique views of the neighborhood. Guests can expect lounge and table seating, with fire pits available for colder evenings.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Littlefield

3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside
This Northside bourbon bar features two beautiful patios — both rooftop and ground-level — and offers an incredible food menu in addition to its cocktail menu in an artful setting. Guests can expect simply delectable dishes like the pulled barbecue pork sandwich, bourbon brown butter pecan pie or, for the brunchers, the goetta, egg and cheese sandwich.
Photo: Provided by The Littlefield

Commonwealth Bistro

621 Main St., Covington
Commonwealth’s beautiful rooftop patio is perched right above Covington’s MainStrasse, making it a relaxing destination for a tasty, Southern-inspired meal while you watch the hustle and bustle below.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Northside Yacht Club

4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside
A loosely nautically themed and ironically landlocked Rock club from two local music and mixology veterans, the Northside Yacht Club is all fun. The cocktails — served by tattooed bartenders in the vein of Sailor Jerry — are masterful, made with fresh juice, fruit and herbal garnish. The tropically themed and navy-inspired drinks are served in Tiki glasses and deceivingly potent. Lay down a base layer with a bar-food menu that features satisfying items like house-smoked wings, poutine with duck fat gravy and vegan lentil chili fries.
Photo: Kellie Coleman

The Blind Pig

24 W. Third St., Downtown
This downtown pub features a rooftop patio on top of Lola’s coffee shop. The bar is located just across the street from The Banks and serves a full menu of bar food and daily drink specials. A perfect stop for a Reds pregame party (perhaps we will experience one of those again in the future).
Photo: Kellie Coleman

Gaslight Bar & Grill

351 Ludlow Ave., Clifton
The Gaslight Bar & Grill is located in the old Clifton branch of the public library. It serves lunch and dinner six days a week, includes an expansive bar with a dozen seats and Clifton’s first rooftop patio.
Photo via Facebook.com/GaslightBarandGrillClifton

21c Museum Hotel's Cocktail Terrace

609 Walnut St., Downtown
21c Museum Hotel's swanky and seasonal Cocktail Terrace will be opening July 15. Guests can look forward to washing down their city views with a boozy summer slushie in hand.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Incline Public House

2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill
While not technically a rooftop, this eatery boasts some spectacular views of the Queen City. With a 1,400-square-foot deck for soaking in vistas and cocktails, IPH’s name is derived from the actual Cincinnati Incline that existed there from the late 1800s to the 1940s. Their upscale twist on pub food features sandwiches, salads, epicurean appetizers and a slew of craft cocktails and draft beers. Build your own pizza with toppings ranging from pepperoni and prosciutto to fried egg and sun-dried tomato.
Photo: Paige Deglow