Where to Drink Above Madrid (And What It Will Cost You)
Madrid takes its terraces seriously. On a warm evening, half the city seems to be perched above the rooftops with a cocktail in hand, and if you pick the right spot you get panoramic views of Madrid's skyline, the Guadarrama mountains in the distance, and a front-row seat for one of Europe's most theatrical sunsets. The best rooftop bars in Madrid are genuinely excellent. The less good news: a few are tourist traps where you pay €18 for a mediocre gin and tonic with a partial view of an air-conditioning unit.
Here are the rooftop bars in Madrid worth your time and money, with real prices and honest opinions.
Best Rooftop Bars in Madrid: The Shortlist
Madrid's rooftops spread across several neighbourhoods, each with its own energy. Gran Vía delivers the highest terraces and the most dramatic city views; La Latina is relaxed and local; Chueca is lively and unpretentious. Here are the standouts.
| Bar | Location | Entry (non-guests) | Cocktails | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azotea del Círculo | Calle Alcalá 42 | €6 (€5 reduced) | €10–15 | 360° views, value |
| 360° Rooftop Bar (Riu Plaza España) | Maestro Guerrero s/n | €5–10 (daytime/evening) | €12–16 | Highest point in the city |
| Ginkgo Sky Bar | Plaza de España 3 | €10–16 | €14 | Royal Palace views, pool |
| Azotea Cibeles | Plaza de Cibeles 1 | Free (drink minimum) | €12–18 | Emblematic location |
| El Viajero | Plaza de la Cebada 11 | Free | €6–10 | Local atmosphere, value |
Azotea del Círculo: The Best 360° View in Madrid
The rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes sits 56 metres above Calle Alcalá and delivers a full panoramic sweep: Gran Vía, the Retiro park, the Almudena Cathedral, and on a clear day the Sierra de Guadarrama to the north. Entry costs €6 (€5 with a student card, youth card, or senior ID), with access from 10am and no drink minimum. The building was designed by architect Antonio Palacios and completed in 1926; the stonework alone is worth a look on the way in.
One detail most visitors miss: sharing the rooftop terrace with you is a 3-tonne bronze Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts. She has stood on her pedestal up there since 1966, and she has considerably better views than anyone at street level.
360° Sky Bar at Riu Plaza España: Madrid's Highest Terrace
The highest public vantage point in Madrid is the 360° Rooftop Bar, on the 27th floor of the Riu Plaza España hotel. Non-hotel guests pay €5 to enter on weekday mornings (before 5pm) or €10 in the evening and at weekends. A glass balcony and walkway extend out from the building for a genuinely vertiginous experience, and the views of Plaza de España and across Madrid are spectacular. The Sky Bar opens at 6pm and runs until 2am nightly. Metro: Plaza España (lines 3 and 10), about a 2-minute walk.
Ginkgo Sky Bar: Royal Palace Views and a Transparent Pool
The Ginkgo Sky Bar at the VP Plaza España Design Hotel sits on the 12th floor with a direct sightline to the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral. Entry runs €10 with a soft drink or €16 with a cocktail; it is free if you book a table for lunch or dinner in the restaurant. In summer, the terrace has a pool with a transparent floor looking 25 metres straight down into the hotel atrium. It sounds gimmicky. It absolutely works.
El Viajero: The Neighbourhood Terrace in La Latina
Not every great rooftop bar in Madrid charges an entry fee. El Viajero in La Latina has been open since 1995, occupying a three-storey 19th-century building on Plaza de la Cebada. The top-floor terrace looks west over the neighbourhood toward the San Francisco el Grande Basilica, ideal for catching the sunset. Beers start at around €3, cocktails at €6. It fills up fast on weekends, so arrive before 7pm to guarantee a seat. From La Latina it is a short walk to Chueca, where the rooftop at Mercado de San Antón (11 Nudos, Calle Augusto Figueroa 24) serves Atlantic-style tapas alongside the cocktails from noon daily.
Year-Round and Winter-Friendly Rooftop Bars in Madrid
Many rooftop bars in Madrid close or scale back in winter, but several stay open all year. The Hotel Emperador on Gran Vía has a climate-controlled sky bar on the 10th floor, with a rooftop pool open to non-guests from May to September. The Ginkgo Sky Bar and the Azotea del Círculo are also open year-round. Azotea Cibeles, on the sixth floor of the Cibeles Palace (Madrid's city hall) at Plaza de Cibeles, is another year-round terraza with cocktails on a 400-square-metre terrace and some of the most emblematic views of Madrid. If you visit in cooler months, look for terraces with glass enclosures or outdoor heaters: There are more options for cold-weather terrace drinking than you might expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best rooftop bar in Madrid?
For 360° panoramic views and the best value, the Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes on Calle Alcalá is the top choice: €6 entry, no drink minimum, open from 10am. For the highest point in the city, the 360° Rooftop Bar at Riu Plaza España on the 27th floor wins outright.
Do I need to book rooftop bars in Madrid in advance?
For sunset (around 9–10pm in summer, 6–7pm in winter), yes: book at least a day ahead Thursday through Sunday. Daytime visits to most terraces are walk-in friendly. La Terraza at the Principal Madrid hotel is walk-in only at all times.
Which rooftop bars in Madrid have a pool?
In summer (roughly June to September): Ginkgo Sky Bar at VP Plaza España, Hotel Emperador on Gran Vía, and Room Mate Óscar near Chueca all offer rooftop pools that non-guests can access, usually for a fee or with a drink minimum.
What do drinks cost at rooftop bars in Madrid?
Budget terraces like El Viajero in La Latina start at €3 for a beer and €6 for a cocktail. Mid-range rooftops (Azotea del Círculo, Ginkgo, Azotea Cibeles) run €10–16 per cocktail. Premium spots such as the Principal Madrid and Dani Brasserie charge €16–20 and above.
Are there rooftop bars in Madrid that serve food?
Several: El Jardín de Salvador Bachiller serves brunch from 11am. Ginkgo Sky Bar has a full Mediterranean-Asian menu. Azotea Cibeles offers tapas alongside cocktails. The 360° Rooftop Bar at Riu Plaza España has a gastrobar on the same level with a kitchen open until 11:30pm.