The top UK cities for rooftop bars revealed

Summer cocktails and crisp pints are often enjoyed in the summer, but nothing quite beats enjoying your drink of choice on a sunny rooftop overlooking a city skyline. But where in the UK provides the best rooftop bar experience? 

Our new study investigates the chance of rain, cheapest pint, air pollution levels, number of skyscrapers (hiding the view) and the number of rainy vs sunny days, to reveal which UK cities provide the ultimate rooftop bar experience. 

Not everyone will have the same priorities on what they seek out of their rooftop bar experience too, so we’ve also revealed the sunniest cities, cities where you can bag the cheapest pint and those UK cities with the best choice.

Top five UK cities for rooftop bars

Sunniest cities, cheapest pint and best choice

Best rooftop bars in each UK city according to TripAdvisor

Tips on making your own outdoor bar experience at home

1^st place – Birmingham 

2^nd place – Liverpool 

3^rd place – Brighton 

4^th place – Bristol 

5^th place – Bath 

• Annually, Birmingham has 1,501 hours of sunshine too, so there's plenty of opportunity to soak up the rays. 
• With an average summer-time temperature sitting at a comfortable 20.6°C, and only 10 days of rainfall expected during the warmer months too, Birmingham has some of the best weather conditions for sipping your Chardonnay with a view. 
• Birmingham’s city skyline is also made up of over 176 high rise buildings, which means the views from the rooftops are not to be missed. 
• If you were wondering how much a drink will set you back in Birmingham, with an average of £1.45 for a soft drink and £4.00 for a pint, your cup is sure to not go empty! 

• Liverpool also offers even more sunshine hours than Birmingham, at 1,573 annually, although be warned, the average temperature across summer in this city is slightly cooler, at 19.4°C - but shouldn’t be a problem if you’re wearing your beer jacket! 
• Liverpool also has slightly more rain than Birmingham, averaging 11.2 days across the summer months.  Plus, it has one of the lowest levels of air pollution of the cities analysed, sitting in the ‘fair’ level. 
• Here, a soft drink will also only set you back £1.45 but be prepared to spend a little more on a pint than in Birmingham - in Liverpool the average cost is £4.50. 

• This southern city is home to 13 different rooftop bars and has a massive 1,892 hours of sunshine every year, making it a great place for rooftop drinking.
• The study revealed the average temperature in Brighton across summer sits at a comfortable 20.35°C too, and with an average of only 7.9 rainy days each year, what more could you want? 
• However, Brighton is not known for its city skyline, as the research shows there's only 12 buildings classed as ‘high-rise’ in this location. That said, beach views can be spectacular. 
• In Brighton, a soft drink will cost you £1.69 and a pint £4.99. 

Sunniest cities

Rooftop bars and sunny days go hand in hand, which is why Portsmouth, Brighton and Cambridge should be on the top of your list! These cities get between 6-8 rainy days each summer, meaning there are 85 other days in summer to enjoy these locations.

If you’re looking for a city with the least chance of rain, the rankings came in at: 

1^st – Portsmouth, 6.3 days of rain 

2^nd – Brighton, 7.9 days of rain 

3^rd – Cambridge, 8.72 days of rain 

Cheapest pint 

If you’re wanting to get out and enjoy all that the UK’s rooftop bars can offer, but don’t want to be spending a fortune, the northern cities of Hull and Newcastle are where you should head – here an average pint will set you back between £3-£3.70. 

If a humbly priced pint is more important to you, the rankings came in at: 

1^st – Hull, £3.01 

2^nd – Newcastle, £3.71 

3^rd – Sheffield, Glasgow and Birmingham, £4.00 

Best choice 

If choice is what you’re looking for, then London is the city for you, with 55 different rooftop bars to try. But if you’re looking for a rooftop ‘crawl’ to fill your summer, the cities of Brighton and Manchester are also sure to fill your schedule – each with 13 different rooftop bars. 

If you’re looking for plenty of options, the rankings come in at: 

1^st – London, 55 rooftop bars 

2^nd – Brighton and Manchester, 13 rooftop bars 

3^rd – Birmingham, 12 rooftop bars 

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Create a space that’s unique to you by decorating it with soft furnishings such as cushions and blankets. Adding greenery such as hanging baskets and planters is a great way to brighten up the area, perfect for a beer garden feel.

For everything you need to know before making a purchase, check out our Infrared Patio Heater Buying Guide.