Madrid has two dimensions: the one experienced at ground level, among streets and squares, and the one discovered at height, from those terraces and rooftops where the city unfolds like a map of rooftops, domes, and breathtaking horizons. The best rooftops and terraces in Madrid are not just viewpoints: they are bars, restaurants, and leisure spaces with their own identity where the landscape is part of the menu. Here’s a selection of the most notable ones, so you don’t waste time searching and can go straight to where it’s worth it.
The rooftops with the most history and the best views
Few terraces have the pedigree of the Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes, located on Calle Marqués de Casa Riera, next to Calle Alcalá. For many, it is the most authentic in Madrid: a platform from which to dominate the entire Gran Vía, with the rooftops of the city centre as absolute protagonists. There is an entry fee, but no one who has ever been up has regretted it. It opens every day from ten in the morning until midnight on weekdays, with extended hours on weekends.
In the same classic line but with an institutional plus is the Terraza Cibeles, located on the sixth floor of the Palacio de Cibeles, the headquarters of the Madrid City Council. From there, the views over the eponymous fountain, the Paseo del Prado, and the Sierra de Guadarrama in the background are hard to match. The venue, now managed by Cornamusa Cibeles under the Azotea Grupo brand, has completely renovated its spaces and can accommodate more than 350 people simultaneously across its more than 1,000 square meters. It’s not just a terrace: it’s almost a complete gastronomic destination.
Another classic that withstands the test of time is La Pérgola, in the Hotel The Principal Madrid, the first five-star hotel to open on Gran Vía. From its sixth floor, one has one of the most privileged perspectives over the Metrópolis building. The menu offers a refined version of Madrid’s tapas —ensaladilla rusa, bravas, calamari sandwich— and the cocktails are named after neighbourhoods and cultural movements of the city. A plan hard to beat at sunset.
The highest: vertigo and 360-degree views
For those who really want to go up, the 360º Rooftop of the Hotel Riu Plaza España is the most extreme option: located on the 27th floor, it is the highest rooftop in Madrid and offers a complete panoramic view of the city. Access has a fee for those not staying at the hotel, although the rate varies depending on the time slot. From up there, Madrid seems infinite.
Also in the Plaza de España area, but with a different visual twist, the Ginkgo Restaurante & Sky Bar occupies the 12th floor of the VP Plaza España Design hotel. What distinguishes this rooftop, besides the views over the square and the Royal Palace, is its glass pool suspended in the air, one of those details that turn a normal terrace into an unforgettable space.
Proposals with gastronomic personality
Beyond the views, some Madrid rooftops have strongly focused on cuisine and cocktails as differentiating elements. This is the case of Makáá, the space atop the Hotel Thompson, very close to Puerta del Sol. Managed by the Lamucca Group, it features fire and grill as the common thread of the entire menu: vegetables, fish, and roasted meats in an environment where an intimate bar surrounds the grill, chill-out areas next to the exclusive pool for guests, and more private corners. It works both for dining and for having a drink in the evening.
Doña Luz, above Calle Montera, is another proposal with its own character. Its staging resembles a Caribbean colonial patio and its cuisine draws directly from that Latin American influence: cheese and guava tequeños, corvina ceviche, tacos, Cuban sandwiches, and a rum cocktail menu that invites you to linger after the meal. The best part is that the prices are reasonable for its location, with views over Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol included in the ticket.
In the Salamanca district, the Âm-Bar, terrace of the Árdia restaurant by chef Nazario Cano, has bet on a program that goes beyond the simple summer terrace: guided whisky tastings, DJ Thursdays with champagne, and a nikkei bar pop-up with tiraditos and nigiris in collaboration with the Japanese brand Maguro Gishiki. The cocktails have evocative names like Campo Dorado or Arroz y Mar, with nods to the flavours of the Spanish Mediterranean.
On Gran Vía, the Picalagartos Sky Bar of the NH Collection Gran Vía has well-earned its reputation for the quality of its cocktails and a modern atmosphere that fits the spirit of the avenue. And for those looking for something between Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, La Nota Alta of the UMusic Hotel combines creative tapas, signature cocktails, and live music during the summer months.
The new openings not to be missed
Madrid continues to generate new proposals at height. One of the most anticipated of the season is the rooftop of Nômade Temple Madrid, the hotel that lands in the heart of Gran Vía after establishing itself in Tulum and Holbox. It is expected to be one of the most sought-after rooftops of the summer. In the same line of new openings is Urban Hive Madrid, which occupies a historic Telefónica building from 1954 near Plaza de Santo Domingo and boasts a 500-square-meter rooftop with a Mediterranean orientation.
Also worth mentioning is the Dani Brasserie of the Four Seasons, on the seventh floor with independent access from Calle Sevilla, where Dani García leads a proposal that mixes the best of Andalusian cuisine with calculated informality. The views are sumptuous and the atmosphere, designed by the Swedish studio Martin Brudnizki, moves away from the constraints of fine dining.
And for those wanting a different experience, El Cielo de Montera, on Calle Montera 47, offers cocktails inspired by Madrid’s monuments and a selection of tapas in a recent rooftop that has already earned its place among the regulars of the capital’s heights.
Madrid is a city best enjoyed when viewed from above. With so much on offer, the only real problem is deciding where to start.
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