Forget flight fears and panic packing—sometimes the best getaway is a staycay. Ditch the keys, keep the vibes and hit pause without leaving town—Raleigh’s hotel and nightlife game is staycation certified. PTO preserved, DND mode: on.
Wine, dine and float on cloud nine at these popular Raleigh rooftop bars and restos.
Alexa, play “Rooftops” by Wiz Khalifa. … Come for the views and stay for the vibes (and the food and bev options, natch) at these high-in-the-sky spots around Raleigh as the summer begins. We’re seeing lots of alfresco meals in your future!
La Terazza Post up (literally) on The Dillon rooftop for approachable spins on Mediterranean-meets-Southern Italian at this Warehouse District masterpiece showcasing elevated urban dining ops (think: tuna tartare, burrata, cheesy cauliflower to pizzas and homemade pastas)—and a bev program worth heading up for. laterrazzaraleigh.com
Taverna Agora An alfresco outing on Taverna Agora’s rooftop could easily be mistaken for a night out in Greece—what with its lush greenery, string lights and live Greek music on select nights, NTM those delish authentic Mediterranean dishes. Opah! tavernaagora.com
Courtesy of Taverna Agora
10th & Terrace The perf Instagram backdrop doesn’t exis-… Don a fancy fit and venture to the rooftop of DTR’s Residence Inn for drinks and dinner—and that perf ’Gram-worthy photo op of course. 10thandterrace.com
Courtesy of 10th & Terrace
Level7 Hop on the stairway to seven… or settle for the elevator that takes you to the rooftop lounge of the AC Hotel Raleigh North Hills (a 2021, 2022 and 2023 RMBest Rooftop Bar winner!). This swanky and sophisticated space offers sips and samplings ideal for your next date night, GNO or any occasion in between. level7roofbar.com
Courtesy of Level7
Raleigh Beer Garden With three floors, there’s plenty of alfresco seating ops on which to cop a squat and sip one of RBG’s 350+ beers on tap—but, obv, the rooftop provides the best perch for panoramic views of Glenwood South. We’d tap that! theraleighbeergarden.com
Raleigh Times Bar Here’s one hot off the presses!Raleigh Times Bar’s rooftop is a DTR hidden gem—the ultimate spot for an alfresco outing with the crew, co-workers or your SO—whether for lunch, dinner or drinks. Essentially, it’s always time for those famous Times Nachos (!). raleightimesbar.com
The Willard Take your next night out to new heights at The Willard, a can’t-miss sip and sup spot located atop DTR’s AC Hotel—and don’t miss the bar’s regularly occurring events and pop-ups. thewillardraleigh.com
Courtesy of The Willard
Highgarden Rooftop Lounge Ride the high at one of our 2021–2024 Best Rooftop Bar winners, Highgarden. This Glenwood South addition offers a 100% open-air setting—aka views for days! And if you’re going with a group, you’re gonna wanna order the G&T tree (aka five G&Ts mixed to perfection) that’s as ’Grammable as it is sippable. highgardenraleigh.com
Highgarden photo by RDP3 Photography
High Rail Sip, snack and soak in the city skyline with a handcrafted cocktail at this Seaboard Station mainstay paying homage to Raleigh’s industrial heritage. highrailraleigh.com
Hibernian Pub Get the paddy started with a Guinness and some pub grub at Glenwood South’s staple Irish bar and restaurant. How grand! hibernianpub.com
Courtesy of Hibernian Pub
Jolie Transport yourself a la Paris via this Person Street rooftop where the elevation serves as the perf match for elevated French dining at the hands of five-time Beard-nominated chef Scott Crawford. restaurantjolie.com
Tin Roof It’s all in the name. … Head to this lively Glenwood South live music bar every weekend to jam out to tunes from local DJs—or work your own vocal muscles during karaoke every Wednesday night. tinroofraleigh.com
Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern For impeccable views that aren’t tall buildings, head to Lynnwood Grill’s super-popular rooftop boasting a casual atmosphere and even better bites (Pizza! Wings!)—plus beer, natch. lynnwoodgrill.com
Urban Oak An elevated experience awaits atop Raleigh’s tallest rooftop bar. Done your proper attire (smart casual recommended!) for craft cocktails and curated bites on the chic patio amid lush greenery and starry skies. urbanoakraleigh.com
No matter how you spin it—er, stir it—Negroni Week is one of the most highly anticipated celebrations in the bar community. Taking place worldwide Sept. 16–22, the weeklong event sees thousands of bars and restaurants in participation, with funds raised for Slow Food, a movement that aims to “ensure good, clean and fair food for all.” There are a plethora of Raleigh hot spots participating this year, giving you plenty of ops to cheers to a great cause. Here’s where to imbibe.
Given Negronis hail from Italy, it only makes sense to pair with some unique pasta from chef David Ellis. Choose your adventure with ops like a classic Negroni, mezcal Negroni, Negroni Bonal and creative riffs like the Appalachian Negroni (gin, Campari, Amaro Oscura, candied orange)—best served with the likes of tagliatelle, raviolo and malfadine.
Beverage Director Jordan Joseph’s third seasonal Negroni in the Adriatic-inspired restaurant’s drink menu series (avail through October!) is a play on an elevated white Negroni made with Uncle Val’s Gin, Salers aperitif, grapefruit oil and Contratto Bianco—the latter of which Joseph notes is made with Chardonnay and Cortes grapes, along with 50 herbs and botanicals. “This has forever been one of my favorite Bianco Vermouths,” he adds. “Think of chamomile, aloe vera and bergamot. It plays right into the other ingredients, making what I believe a great cocktail.”
Photo by Jessica Crawford, courtesy of BrodetoPhoto courtesy of Il Falo
Feeling smoky? This Italian-inspired resto offers a smoked Negroni feat. the addition of smoked gin and a charred orange that’s guaranteed to add a fire to any sip sesh, esp when enjoyed with a wood-fired pizza, pasta and more.
Choose your fighter between a subtly sweet and herby blackberry basil Negroni (blackberry-basil-cucumber-infused gin, Bianco vermouth and dry vermouth) and coffee Negroni (gin, Campari and coffee-brewed Antica sweet vermouth) for an extra caffeine jolt while taking in views of DTR.
Whatcha know about a Montenegroni? Spice things up on the rooftop of the Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown with this Tanqueray gin, Amaro Montenegro and Carpano Antica vermouth number.
If a whiskey sour and Negroni had a baby, it would be WK’s Negroni sour riff, made with Conniption American Dry Gin, Campari, Macino Sakura vermouth, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and orange bitters. Talk about the best of both worlds!
Durham’s ground-to-glass cocktail basement bar is offering three Negroni spins, each of which source ingredients from a different nonprofit farm. See: the lemongrass and lime leaf white Negroni (Transplanting Traditions Community Farm); bitter melon, purple turmeric and redistilled scotch (Utopian Seed Project); and salted tomato and pickled okra Negroni spagliato (Urban Community AgriNomics).
Not one, not two, but eight Negronis are gracing this Bull City cocktail bar’s Negroni Week menu—also available throughout the entire month of September. Choose from the likes of a frozen Negroni, Cedar Grove Negroni (Tanqueray No. 10, Maple Spring Gardens amaro, Cap Corse Rouge, gentian) and the Stubborn Uncle (Ardbeg Wee Beastie Smoky Islay scotch, Cynar 70, Punt E Mes)—to name just a few.
Sometimes the best vacation is a staycation. So if you’re looking to go offline for the weekend, here’s how to stay and play in Raleigh this summer—and beyond. Bonus: Staycation calories still don’t count.
