Best Rooftop Bars in South Bay

Flora sits atop the AC Hotel Los Angeles South Bay in El Segundo, pouring botanical cocktails built around herbs grown in its own rooftop garden alongside a shared-plates menu. It's one of the few true rooftop lounges in this part of the South Bay, with wraparound views that catch the sunset over the El Segundo dunes.

Restaurant 917 occupies the top floor of the Porsche Experience Center in Carson, with a dining room that looks straight down onto Porsche's driver development track. The menu leans upscale, think duck confit, pork chops, and Alaskan halibut, and it's one of the most unusual settings for a meal anywhere in the South Bay.

The Strand House's second-floor patio looks straight out over the sand in Manhattan Beach, pairing a seasonal, ingredient-driven menu with a cocktail list built for watching the sun go down. It's the most polished sit-down option on this list.

A few blocks off the Strand, Ocean View Cafe serves easy American and Mexican comfort food, chicken pesto sandwiches, ceviche tostadas, Belgian waffles, on an open-air rooftop patio strung with colorful umbrellas. It's the low-key, no-reservation option on this list, good for a casual breakfast or lunch with a peek of the water.

Esperanza blends Sonoran-inspired cooking with a serious bar program in a half-indoor, half-outdoor lounge just blocks from the Strand. The couches and low tables give it more of a beach house feel than a typical rooftop, and the weekend brunch is a local favorite.

SkyDeck sits atop the Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, wrapped around a small pool with craft cocktails and coastal sunset views. It's open to the public, not just hotel guests, which makes it an easy add-on to a beach day.

Sea Level, at the Shade Hotel in Redondo Beach, pairs a rooftop pool with a full waterfront restaurant and lounge serving California coastal food, raw bar oysters, and craft cocktails. Fire pits and couches around the pool make it one of the more comfortable hangout spots in King Harbor, with views that stretch from Palos Verdes to Malibu on a clear day.

Tony's On The Pier, long known locally as Old Tony's, has been a Redondo Beach Pier fixture for decades, with a casual upstairs cocktail lounge over a seafood-heavy dining room. Expect classic pasta dishes, raw oysters, and a Mai Tai served in a souvenir glass you get to keep.

R/10 Social House sits right on the King Harbor marina in Redondo Beach, a two-story gastropub serving farm-to-table food and a solid beer and wine list alongside its cocktails. The Baja-style fish tacos are the move, and the harbor views make it one of the better sunset spots on this list.

This El Torito sits right on Fisherman's Wharf on the Redondo Beach Pier, serving affordable, crowd-pleasing Mexican food, fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, margaritas, with beach views from the dining room. It's the most budget-friendly pick on this list and a reliable choice with a group.

This Cheesecake Factory location sits right above the Redondo Beach boat harbor, with the chain's famously massive menu, pastas, burgers, steaks, seafood, and of course cheesecake, and genuinely good harbor views from the dining room. It's an easy, no-fuss pick if your group can't agree on a cuisine.

Tower 12 sits a block from the Hermosa Beach Pier, a casual bar and restaurant with California spins on American classics (the Beach City Fried Chicken Sandwich is the signature order) and decor that leans into the neighborhood's surf and music culture. The upstairs patio has solid pier and ocean views for a casual weeknight drink.

Hennessey's Tavern sits directly on the Strand in downtown Hermosa Beach, serving classic pub fare with an outdoor patio built for people-watching along the boardwalk. There are two more Hennessey's locations, in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, but this is the flagship on the Strand itself.

The rooftop lounge at H2O Hermosa hotel is a quieter, lower-key alternative to the bigger hotel rooftops on this list, with couches, ocean-facing views, and a short list of wine and bar bites. It leans more toward hotel amenity than full-service bar, so don't expect a full kitchen or late-night crowd.

The rooftop at SW Beach Hotel in Hermosa Beach isn't a walk-in bar, it's a private event space (about 1,800 square feet, room for 80-plus guests) with panoramic ocean views, fire pits, and a built-in bar setup for parties, proposals, and corporate events. If you're planning a private gathering in the South Bay, this is one of the more scenic rooftops to book.