The Best New Rooftop Bars in Sydney

A scattering of impressive new rooftop bars have opened in Sydney lately. It's as if proprietors knew summer were coming (and that it would be a real, sunny one this time). Their drinking dens with altitude are each thoughtfully conceived and well executed, offering something for every mood from Williamsburg cool to 1920s garden party, lobster feast to glinting Sydney Harbour appreciation.

These are the five new rooftop bars that have proved perfect for a balmy summer evening. They're a welcome addition to great existing rooftop establishments, such as the Darlo Bar and Corridor, which we rounded up here.

Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ

Sweethearts Rooftop Barbeque is the Cross's open-air diamond in the rough. After you've caught your breath after a heavy-going four or five flights of stairs, kick back at one of Sweethearts' long bench tables, in amongst a mountain of trees, beneath some kitsch but redeeming pastel-coloured fairy lights. Reward yourself with a glass of King Valley Prosecco ($10). And don't be alarmed to see the charismatic barman pulling it as he would a coldie; the wines are on tap here. The food menu, meanwhile, is all about skewers, with a range of meat, fish and vegetable on sticks ready to inhale.

33-37 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point; 02 9368 7333; www.sweetheartsbbq.com.au

The Glenmore

The Glenmore is hardly new, but it certainly has a new lease of life. After being closed for nine long months to accommodate renovations, the doors have once again been flung open. The much loved local's-style pub remains on ground level, but as you head up the stairs towards the first level and rooftop terrace, you can see just how much this oldie has been spruced up. It has one of the best views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and the retractable roof is a great addition, along with the rustic style wooden benches and red industrial chairs, to go with the new kitchen. You have to try the Rocks favourite, corn on the cob with chilli lime butter and a sprinkling of cheese ($8), and BBQ-style lamb and chorizo skewers, with a topping of corn and tomato salsa ($16).

96 Cumberland Street, The Rocks; 02 9247 4794; www.theglenmore.com.au

The Rook

Perched up so high, it's a slightly smug experience peering eye-level into office workers' windows as they hunch over computers. As you sit here with a cocktail in hand, lobster tail in the other, you know they might just be staring back thinking, "man I'd really kill for that". We're not a lobster-obsessed nation like the States, so it's a bit of a strange choice for an inner-city rooftop bar to specialise in it, particularly at $50 per half with a side of truffle fries. It feels a bit extravagant and incongruous to the casual bar vibe. The lobster itself, however, is super-fresh and handled beautifully. Half of this eclectic, recycled, and colourful space is seating for eating and half is a bar for cocktail sipping, with drinks being mixed by Cristiano Beretta from the highly regarded Black Pearl in Melbourne.

56-58 York Street, Sydney; 02 9262 2505; www.therook.com.au

The Local Taphouse

Located at the intersection of South Dowling and Flinders Streets in Darlinghurst, the Local Taphouse can go slightly unnoticed. Which is why we didn't notice it our first round-up of the best rooftop bars in 2011. With 1920s inspired decor and a garden-like roof, the Local is anyone's wonderland. The beer haven is the brainchild of Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone, two beer enthusiasts who conceived the inspired idea of opening a taphouse for all those budding beer buffs. Providing more than 20 beers on tap and an extensive range of bottled ales, stouts, pilsners, and ciders of local and international origin, they don't make your decision too easy. They do, however, offer beer pairings for their exceptional food options, most of which incorporate beer in the cooking process. Start with the smoked ale meatballs ($13) to nibble on.

122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst; 02 9360 0088; www.thelocal.com.au

The Oxford Terrace

The Hunky Dory Social Club was a pioneer among Sydney rooftop bars, but it and its Little Golden Book menus ran its course. In its place now is the Oxford Terrace, a bar where the exposed brick walls and abutting sky still dominate the decor. Among all the rooftops, this is the one that makes wistful Sydneysiders feel like they might be in Williamsburg. The Oxford Terrace shares owners with the downstairs Konoba restaurant, and the menu carries on the inflections of the Croatian island of Hvar, with woodfired pizzas, grilled seafood, and other Mediterranean-style selections well suited to summer. Get in during the 5-8pm happy hour, where you'll not only get a cocktail for $10, you might also get a seat.

215 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst; 0421 013 254; www.facebook.com/pages/The-Oxford-Terrace/

By the Concrete Playground team.