Florence Rooftop Guide: Bars & Hotels with Amazing Roof Terraces (+Map)

Florence is one of the most picturesque cities in Italy. With its gorgeous setting surrounded by green Tuscan hills, the Arno River, and incredible architecture all around, one of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of Florence is to see it from above.

Of course, you can climb some of the famous towers or enjoy the views from the nearby hills. But nothing quite compares to the amazing and relaxing experience you get when visiting some of the best rooftops in Florence. Even if you just have a drink at one of the many amazing rooftop bars in Florence, it will make your entire trip so much more special!

Being obsessed with rooftop terraces myself, I did quite some research for my recent trip to Florence. On the quest to find some of the best rooftops in Florence, we ended up booking a hotel with a rooftop terrace and visiting at least one or two rooftop bars in Florence every day.

And no, we didn’t manage to see all the best rooftop places in Florence (just one of the reasons to go back to the city!). But we visited some of the best. In this guide, you can find some of my personal favorite rooftop bars and restaurants in Florence.

Whether you are looking for a rooftop bar for a cocktail with amazing views or want to stay at a hotel with a rooftop terrace, this guide should give you plenty of ideas. And while some of the best Florence hotels with rooftop terraces are luxury 4-5* hotels, this selection includes quite a few more affordable options as well. Take a look!

READ ALSO: Best Things to Do in Florence

 

Good to know: Most of the rooftop terraces in Florence are part of a hotel, but each place in this selection can be visited even if you are not staying there. However, if you are looking for a rooftop restaurant in Florence for dinner, you absolutely have to reserve in advance.

Some rooftop bars allow reservations for drinks too. If you are planning to go for a cocktail after 6 pm, it’s often a good idea to call them and reserve in advance as well.

Here are some of the best rooftop bars and hotels with rooftop terraces in Florence:

1. SE·STO on Arno Rooftop Bar & Restaurant – The Westin Excelsior Hotel

If you are looking for an ultimate Florence rooftop experience, look no further! The Westin Excelsior is the best Florence hotel with the most extraordinary views from its rooftop terrace.

The Westin Excelsior itself is a high-end 5* hotel. It has everything for a perfect luxury vacation in Florence, including rooms with amazing views over the city and the river.

But the absolute highlight is their SE·STO on Arno rooftop bar and restaurant. After having visited quite a few rooftops in Florence, we agreed that this one is a definite winner.

The panoramic views from here are unparalleled! From the top, you can see the Arno River, multiple bridges, and the entire city center with Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, and other landmarks. Tuscan hills in the distance make the views picture-perfect.

TIP: If you can, try to come here for sunset. SE·STO on Arno rooftop bar is also one of the best sunset spots in Florence! The featured image at the top of this article is taken at this rooftop bar at sunset.

Good to know: You don’t have to be a guest of the hotel in order to visit the bar or a restaurant. But I do recommend making a reservation, especially if you are planning on coming for dinner. This is a luxury hotel, so be sure to dress up a bit nicer and be prepared to pay 20-25 Euro for a cocktail. However, you also get quite a few nice snacks with it – excellent value compared to many other places. And those views!!!

 

2. La Terrazza Rooftop Bar – Hotel Continentale

Our second favorite of all the rooftops in Florence is the La Terrazza rooftop bar at Hotel Continentale. The terrace here is much smaller than most others in this selection and the panoramas are not as ‘wide’, but the atmosphere and the views more than make up for it.

Hotel Continentale is a beautiful 4* hotel, part of the Lungarno Collection. Many of the rooms here offer stunning river views – staying here, you’ll probably never want to leave your room.

This hotel is located just steps from Ponte Vecchio, the most iconic bridge in Florence. From their rooftop bar, you get a unique high-angle view over Ponte Vecchio. Depending on where you sit, you might have quite a good view over the river and several bridges in the distance and/or Duomo and the rooftops of the city center.

In addition to the great views and delicious cocktails, the La Terrazza rooftop bar somehow felt more relaxed and accessible than the others located in similar style high-end hotels. The staff was friendly everywhere, but there was just something extra about La Terrazza that made us feel more at ease. Absolutely recommended!

Good to know: You don’t have to stay at the hotel in order to visit the rooftop bar. If you are coming here for a cocktail in the evening (after +- 5.30 pm), it’s best to reserve in advance. Also here, be prepared to pay 20-25 Euro for a cocktail.

 

3. View on Art Rooftop Bar & Restaurant – Hotel Medici

If you are mostly interested in the best rooftop views in Florence (rather than an entire experience), then definitely check out the View on Art rooftop bar. Located in the heart of the city center, this rooftop terrace offers the very best view of Florence Duomo and Giotto’s Tower.

View on Art belongs to Hotel Medici. Contrary to the other Florenc hotels with rooftop terraces, this is a rather simple, budget 2* hotel. The location and the view from the terrace cannot be beaten, so if you are looking for an affordable rooftop hotel in Florence, you may want to check it out. However, many reviews aren’t great…

Now back to the very best part of this hotel – the View on Art rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant. While this is also a restaurant, we recommend just coming here for a drink. Based on the reviews we read, the food isn’t great, and we also found that the service was a bit slow. But if you know what to expect and just come here for the drinks and jaw-dropping views, I really don’t think you can go wrong.

Good to know: Also here, you don’t have to stay at the hotel in order to visit the rooftop bar. I’m not sure if they take reservations, but we visited in the afternoon in high season, and there were plenty of free tables. However, the nicest side of the terrace with the best view of the Duomo was packed. Cocktail prices here are on-par with what you pay at the most luxury rooftop bar in Firenze.

 

4. Angel Roofbar & Restaurant – Hotel Calimala

Another nice rooftop bar in Florence, Angel Roofbar is located on the top floor of Hotel Calimala. It’s right in the heart of the old city center, a few blocks from Piazza della Sigonoria and Palazzo Vecchio.

Hotel Calimala is a beautiful 4* hotel, belonging to the category of somewhat more-affordable contemporary-style luxury hotels. The location is amazing, the rooftop bar and restaurant are really nice, and they also have a tiny rooftop pool (more of a plunge bath). Guests love it. However, if you are not staying at a hotel, it feels like they treat you quite differently…

Angel Roofbar is spread over a rather large area, so the views you get will highly depend on where you’re sitting. Overall – compared to the other rooftop terraces in Florence – we found that the views here are not that special. The nicest view is in the direction of Palazzo Vecchio, but for the rest, the rooftop was just not high enough to look over the other buildings nearby.

This is a bar/ restaurant, so you can come for cocktails or for dinner. We had dinner and while it was absolutely ok, it definitely wasn’t wow. Reading the other reviews now, it seems that it’s a bit of a hit or a miss… Or maybe we just expected too much…

I think we would have enjoyed the experience much more if we had just come here for a drink. So from now on – rooftop bars are where we go for cocktails. For dinner, we much rather preferred traditional-style trattorias in Florence.

Good to know: You don’t absolutely have to stay at the hotel in order to come for drinks or dinner at Angel Roofbar, but they seem to give preferential treatment/ priority to the guests. Maybe it also depends on how busy the hotel is… Either way, for dinner, you definitely have to reserve in advance. Be sure to dress up a bit nicer – and warmer – if coming here later in the evening.

 

5. Hotel Croce di Malta & Rooftop Bar

Hotel Croce di Malta is one of the nicest affordable 4* hotels with a rooftop terrace in Florence. Located just a few minutes walk from the railway station and a bit outside the old town, it offers nice panoramic views of the city and the Duomo.

Croce di Malta is the hotel we stayed at on the most recent visit to the city. We chose it for various reasons (location, pool, price quality), but the rooftop terrace was definitely a deciding factor.

The views from the rooftop terrace at Croce di Malta are absolutely amazing. This is also one of the few rooftops in Florence where you have a 360° panorama. You can see Duomo in the distance and a few other church towers, for the rest – it’s mostly red rooftops, and hills in the distance.

There was just one thing I found a pity – that they do not serve breakfast on the roof. But this seems to be the case in pretty much all Florence rooftop hotels that I researched for our trip. After all those amazing breakfasts on the rooftop terrace of 9Hotel Cesari in Rome, I realize how much it adds to your overall hotel experience. It would be nice if more hotels would realize this and let their guests enjoy the amazing views of their rooftop terraces at breakfast as well!

Anyway, as a guest, you can come to the terrace of Hotel Croce di Malta any time you like. One morning, I even took my cappuccino and croissant to the top. But in general, the rooftop bar is only open for drinks from 5 pm to 8 pm. This is a truly beautiful rooftop terrace for a sunset drink in Florence.

 

6. Uffizi Gallery Rooftop Café

When talking about rooftop bars in Florence, I really want to mention the Caffeteria Galleria Degli Uffizi as well. This is a café of the Uffizi Gallery, accessible from the upper floor of the museum.

If you are exploring the main landmarks and sights in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery is absolutely not to be missed. And there’s no better way to end your visit to this amazing museum than with a drink on their beautiful rooftop terrace.

While you can’t compare this café to the luxury hotel rooftop bars in Florence, it remains a really nice experience. The terrace is quite big, with plenty of tables (most with sun umbrellas). The best view is that of the Palazzo Vecchio and Arnolfo Tower just nearby (by the way, if you are looking for amazing city views, be sure to visit Arnolfo Tower too!). You can also see the Duomo from here, but the view is obstructed by all the plants and flowers on the terrace.

It seems that someone decided it was too dangerous to have visitors get close to the sides of the terrace and so they placed big plants all around and put up signs asking you not to go past them. Unfortunately, it does take away the views. So if you are mostly interested in the views, then this is not the best choice. But if you want an affordable drink (or even a small snack) and a break from all the sightseeing, this rooftop café is a great choice.

Good to know: The café has the same opening hours as the museum. The reviews are somewhat mixed, so I think I’d pass on the food and just have a drink here. Our personal experience was great.

 

If you are looking for even more ideas and suggestions, below is our selection of the best hotels with rooftop terraces in Florence, sorted by budget. And yes, there are quite a few really nice affordable options as well – take a look!

Florence hotels with rooftop terraces

If you are looking for a hotel with a nice rooftop terrace in Florence, here is a summary of some of the best options for various budgets. Some of these hotels also have rooftop pools.

I indicated the price range for a double room in order to give you a somewhat better idea of what to expect. However, keep in mind that the actual prices depend so much on the exact travel dates and the room type you choose.

Florence hotels with rooftop terraces:

• €€€€€€€ The Westin Excelsior. 5* luxury riverside hotel with a beautiful SE·STO on Arno rooftop bar and restaurant.
• €€€€€€ Hotel Continentale. 4* luxury boutique riverside hotel with La Terrazza rooftop bar.
• €€€€€+ Grand Hotel Minerva. 4* luxury hotel with rooftop bar and rooftop pool.
• €€€€€ Plaza Hotel Lucchesi. 4* luxury riverside hotel with an amazing rooftop pool and Empire Rooftop View American Bar.
• €€€€+ Hotel Calimala. Contemporary 4* luxury hotel with Angel Roofbar and restaurant.
• €€€€ Grand Hotel Baglioni 4* luxury hotel with B-Roof rooftop bar and restaurant.
• €€€ Croce di Malta. 4* mid-budget hotel with a rooftop bar.
• €€+ Hotel Machiavelli Palace. 3* lower-mid budget hotel with a rooftop bar.
• €€ TSH Florence Lavagnini. Modern and funky lower-budget 4* hotel with a rooftop pool. Great value.
• € Hotel Medici. 2* lower-budget hotel with View on Art rooftop bar.

 

Map of Florence Rooftop Bars & Hotels

To give you a better idea of where some of the best rooftop bars in Florence are located, we created this map indicating the top rooftop bars and hotels mentioned in our guide above.

How to use this map: Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.

 

So, this is our selection of some of the very best rooftops in Florence.

If you can find a nice hotel with a rooftop bar or pool in Florence, I highly recommend that you stay there. It truly makes your entire vacation so much more memorable!

In addition, be sure to check out at least a few of the rooftop bars in Florence – the views are amazing and it’s such a fun experience that will make you fall in love with this beautiful city even more.

Have a great time in Florence!

More travel guides to Florence & nearby places:

• Top sights & attractions in Florence
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• Florence to Bologna (travel info and itinerary ideas)
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• Siena Cathedral
• Best things to do in Montepulciano
• Cinque Terre in 1 day (perfect day trip from Florence!)
• Info & Tips for Visiting Cinque Terre
• Where to Stay in Cinque Terre

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