2/7
360 Bar
Crowning the stylishly historic Paris Department Store on Andrássy Avenue, this sprawling hangout occupies the highest publicly accessible rooftop in Budapest, taking advantage of this sky-scraping perch to provide urban revelers with a lofty lounge that’s completely surrounded by cityscape vistas. In addition to a luscious selection of liquids – including reasonably priced cocktails and an outstanding Hungarian wine assortment – 360 Bar offers Sunday brunches and hosts live concerts, and every Thursday night it stays open until 3am to dazzle drinkers with illuminated sights in every direction.
3/7
A38 Ship
While the roof terrace of this ever-popular party boat isn’t very high in the sky, its location directly beside the Danube still makes this a scenic spot for finding delight on summer nights, and the ongoing series of live concerts held here is unmatched among almost all of the city’s other venues. Upcoming alfresco shows by Magyar musicians include talented trumpeter Lőrinc Barabás playing avant-garde jazz on July 19 at 8pm, the Hungarian supergroup Turbo rocking out on August 6 at 8pm, Flour & the Filigrans blasting hip-hop beats on August 16 at 8pm, and brassy songbird Sena on August 28 at 8pm.
4/7
Corvintető
Located on the highest floor of a communist-era department store, this deluxe ruin bar is capped with a two-level rooftop playground featuring multiple bars and lots of special events. Frequent outdoor film screenings draw moonlit moviegoers – see Snatch for free here on July 17 at 9pm – and occasional daylong parties provide fun sunshiny shindigs for urban dwellers with a pool, barbecue, cool DJs, and a mist-shrouded dance floor; the next one happens from 10am to 10pm on July 26. After mixing and mingling on the rooftop, guests can step downstairs to shake a leg in the shimmering disco.
5/7
Gozsdu Sky Terrace
Getting to this downtown hotspot is like discovering a starry speakeasy: first you must find the minimally marked ground-floor entrance beside the exhibition of vintage cars within , then ride an elevator to an upper floor of an indoor parking structure before locating a staircase that finally leads to the club. No secret knock is required to get in – this is a friendly hangout with comfortable lounge seating and a professional DJ booth all overlooking a spectacular perspective toward Gellért Hill and the Citadel, making this one of summertime’s most appealing date destinations.
6/7
Raqpart
With a backdrop including Budapest’s most iconic scenery of the Chain Bridge and the Royal Palace, the elevated terrace here is only one story above ground, yet its riverside location makes this one of Europe’s most picturesque party places. However, this is definitely not a tourist trap – locals have made Raqpart one of the city’s hottest spots of summer 2014, hosting impressive Hungarian DJs to spin groovy tunes that drift up to the leisurely rooftop scene, an ideal site for sipping refreshing cocktails or spritzers at sunset while admiring the beautiful panorama (and the beautiful patrons).
