Porto offers some of the best rooftop bars in all of Portugal if not all of Europe. This is thanks in part to the city being overloaded with breathtaking views of the Douro River as well as architectural wonders like the Dom Luis I Bridge and the Clérigos Tower.
Yet it’s not just the fantastic views that make the rooftop bars so attractive. The city of Porto is also home to many of the best wine cellars in Western Europe. This has drawn oenophiles and master mixologists to the area, who offer their elevated takes on classic cocktails in Porto’s restaurants and bars.
If you’re planning a Porto food tour. I strongly suggest checking out a few of the following rooftop bars.
Photo credit: Glenda
The Douro Sky Lounge sits atop the Vincci Porto Hotel, offering up stunning river views with the Ponte da Arrábida in the background. It’s known for being popular with locals as well as tourists.
The outdoor décor is an eclectic mix of bar stools and sofa lounges. With spots where you can sit back to enjoy a quiet conversation with a friend or stand out in a busy throng of people.
The Douro Sky Lounge maintains a busy schedule with live music and several special events. Including watch parties timed around big match days.
They offer a tasty appetizer menu with plenty of interesting tapas, and elevated burgers. It’s a great place to get a light bite to eat or have a full meal while enjoying one of their carefully crafted cocktails.
When I was there, I ordered a refreshing Cattier Blanc sangria, made with white wine, triple sec, watermelon, and strawberry. Strawberries were in season at the time, and it gave the sangria a lovely summertime aroma.
While it has an indoor section that remains open all year long, the outdoor terrace is the place to be from April to October.
Douro Sky Lounge (€€€) – Rua Alameda Basilio Teles, 29-33 Hotel Vincci Porto, Porto, Protugal 4150-127 – Open every day from 1:00 PM to 11:30 PM.
Photo credit: Rooftop Flores
Rooftop Flores is the perfect place to enjoy a gentle glass of wine or a spritzer after enjoying a day touring the Misericórdia Museum. It’s arguably not the sort of place that’s going to draw a massive crowd, which makes it suited for slowly enjoying a glass of port wine as you ease into your evening.
The atmosphere is relaxed with organic elements that mimic a rooftop garden. The whole time you’re surrounded by a panoramic view of the heart of Porto, the Luís I Bridge, and the Porto Cathedral.
Rooftop Flores also has a cozy interior area, which can come in handy if the weather takes a turn for the worse. It’s available year-round, whereas the rooftop bar is usually only open from April to October.
The rooftop bar offers a wide selection of Portuguese wines, port wine, and creative cocktails that use fortified port wine as the base. I had a port wine spritzer that was surprisingly lively. Its effervescence added a refreshing lightness to the rich, sweet port, making it a crisp and invigorating drink.
The way the port is fortified with grape spirits kills the active yeast before fermentation is complete, while also boosting the alcohol content. The natural grape sugars left in the port carried over in a way that gave the spritzer more sweetness and fuller body than a spritzer made from an unfortified wine like French burgundy.
Rooftop Flores (€€€) – Rua da Vitória 177, 4050-634 Porto, Portugal – Open every day from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Photo credit: Marcelo Oliveira
The LIFT rooftop bar on the 14th floor of the Via Catarina boasts some of the best views of Porto. It’s a great place to relax after a day of shopping exploring the Bolhão Market, or Via Catarina.
The al fresco ambiance feels a little bit like you’re sitting in a carefully tended backyard garden. The lounge furniture and tables are cleverly set up around living greenery in a way that’s open enough for you to enjoy the view. Yet it still feels private enough to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend.
LIFT operates as a rooftop restaurant & bar during the warm months of the year. Their menu focuses on light meals with flavorful açaí bowls, cheese boards, and seasonal salads.
The mixologists at LIFT have a well-earned reputation for creative cocktails and refined adult beverages. I tried a Hawkins cocktail that had a candy-like sweetness, yet it wasn’t so sweet that it was cloying.
LIFT Rooftop Via Catarina (€€€) – Rua Santa Catarina 312 a 350 – 14 piso, Parque de Estacionamento, 4000-443 Porto – Open Monday to Thursday from noon to 11:00 PM. Open Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight. Open Sunday from noon to 10:00 PM.
Photo credit: Yeatman
The Yeatman is arguably the best hotel and restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia. It also hosts a bespoke rooftop bar with a reputation for offering luxury wines from some of the best wine cellars in Portugal. While it’s meant to cater to the Yeatman’s guests, people who aren’t staying at the hotel are welcome to enjoy the rooftop bar and restaurant.
The rooftop bar and outdoor pool area are typically open from April to October. Even in the colder months, there’s an indoor bar and lounge that offers the same high-end wines, and cocktails.
I ordered a wood-aged vintage port wine sourced from a Douro Valley vineyard. The fortified aguardiente brandy used to fortify the port gave it a robust body and heady aroma. It put me perfectly in the mood to drink in the lovely sunset at the end of a long day.
The Yeatman (€€€€) – Rua do Choupelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, 4400-088, Portugal – Open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to Midnight. Open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
Photo credit: VINUM
The VINUM restaurant & wine bar is part of Graham’s Port Lodge which still maintains its 19th century wine cellars. So, I already knew it was a great opportunity to try some of Portugal’s best vintages. I also think Vinum’s rooftop bar area offers one of the more charming terrace spaces in Porto with some of the best river views of the Douro.
Vinum’s rooftop bar is surrounded by greenery and natural vegetation which gives it an organic feel during the peak of summer. The tables and lounges are thoughtfully arrayed with green spaces and other décor elements to provide a sense of privacy.
I was impressed with their extensive wine list which has something to cater to any moment or budget. If you just want to take the edge off a long day you can get a simple glass of port for as little as 5€. If you want a truly bespoke wine experience you can get a 1940s Single Harvest Port.
I was there for something to tide me over until supper. I had a glass of Muscadet with some oysters from the Ria Formosa lagoon. The Muscadet had a bright acidity and minerality that perfectly complemented the briny flavor and seaside aroma of the oysters.
Vinum (€€€) – Rua do Agro 141, 4400-003 Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto – Open every day from noon to 1:00 AM.
Photo credit: Auge
The Auge Lounge serves as the rooftop bar for the Porto Palácio Hotel. It’s also a restaurant, with a dedicated high-end wine cellar which allows guests to enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying views of the city of Porto and the Douro River.
The Auge Lounge is also an extension of Chef André Silva’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Thus, allowing you to taste some of the best Portuguese cuisine in the city.
Most of the bar area is enclosed by massive floor-to-ceiling windows. This gives you the feeling of being outside, while still enjoying a climate-controlled environment.
On pleasant days when the wind is low, they open the wood-decked terrace area. It’s a great place to relax and have a cocktail while waiting for your table, or to enjoy an after-dinner glass of port wine.
Their in-house mixologist Pedro Paulo is known for his signature cocktails that use fortified port wine as the base. However, I chose a Lágrima White which is a somewhat uncommon fortified white port wine from the Douro Valley. The grape spirits gave it a light floral component. The natural sugars in the wine were perfectly sweet, without being too sweet.
The Auge Porto Palácio Hotel (€€€€) – Av. da Boavista 1269, 4100-130 Porto, Portugal – Open every day from noon to midnight.
Nestled in the Ribeira neighborhood of Porto, Bite Rooftop Gaia is my favorite rooftop bar for watching the sunset. It’s not a very popular bar, which makes it great for getting away from all the crowds.
The outdoor bar area is cozy, with natural plants that give each seating area a little bit of a private feel. If you want a late supper with a sunset view, you can order food from the Bite Restaurant menu. Even if the formal kitchen is closed, the rooftop bar still offers a perfect selection of snacks. Most pair nicely with their in-house selection of wines and curated cocktails.
The last time I was at Bite Rooftop Gaia, I timed it to be able to enjoy a drink on a clear evening to watch the sunset with a friend. We ordered a bottle of Carvalhais Encruzado from the Dão region of Portugal to sip and catch up.
The Encruzado grapes it’s made from gave the wine a bright citrus flavor and acidity. It went perfectly with the salty, aromatic rosemary fries I ordered as a sunset snack.
Bite Rooftop Gaia (€€) – Rua De Cabo Simão 10, Vila Nova de Gaia 4430-033, Porto Portugal – Open every day from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
There are some great rooftop bars to consider adding to your next Porto food tour. The Douro Sky Lounge is a great place to start. You can enjoy a cocktail, and maybe even catch a big match day crowd to get you into the energy of the city.
If you’re looking for something more relaxed, the LIFT Rooftop Via Catarina or the Bite Rooftop Gaia might be the perfect rooftop bar to suit your tastes. If you’re an oenophile, or you’d just like to explore the full spectrum of Portuguese wine, VINUM restaurant & wine bar in Graham’s Port Lodge is a rooftop wine bar worthy of a visit.
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