Best Rooftop Cafes in Beijing With Views Worth the Climb
Words by
Mei Lin
Finding the Best Rooftop Cafes in Beijing: A Local's Guide to Elevated Coffee and Skyline Views
I have spent the better part of a decade chasing views in this city, and I can tell you that the best rooftop cafes in Beijing are not always the ones with the most followers on Dianping. Some of the finest spots perch above hutong rooftops near the Drum Tower, while others occupy the upper floors of converted warehouses in the Caochangdi art district. Beijing is a city that rewards anyone willing to climb a few extra flights of stairs, and the higher you go, the more the chaos of ring roads and construction cranes starts to look almost poetic. In this guide, I am taking you to the outdoor cafes Beijing locals actually return to, the ones where the coffee is served with a genuine sense of elevation, both literal and figurative. I have dragged friends, dates, and laptop-bound work sessions to every single one of these places, so consider this the no-filter version.
1. Cafe Zarah (Modern Skyline Over Gulou)
61 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
Cafe Zarah sits on the rooftop of a sleek three-story building on Gulou East Street, and it remains one of the original rooftop cafes in Beijing that made people realize coffee and skyline views could coexist here. The outdoor terrace faces west toward the Drum Tower, and on a clear afternoon, you can watch the shadow of the tower stretch eastward across the hutong rooftops like a giant sundial. The interior downstairs has a European cafe feel with dark wood and leather, but everyone heads upstairs, where the open-air seating and parasols give you the city's flat expanse stretching in every direction. I have come here mostly in autumn, when the light turns warm and the smog occasionally lifts just enough to make the distant CBD towers visible. It does not always get the hype it deserves, partly because it is tucked between louder bars and tourist shops, but the locals who know it treat it as a refuge.
What to Order: The Zarah iced coffee with condensed milk is a local favorite, and the avocado toast is surprisingly well done for a place that is really about the terrace. If you visit in winter, the hot chocolate comes in an oversized mug that keeps your hands warm even when the wind picks up.
Best Time: Weekday afternoons between 2 PM and 5 PM, when the terrace is quiet and the late-afternoon sun hits the Drum Tower at its most photogenic angle. Weekend evenings get crowded with music and DJ sets, which changes the vibe entirely.
The Vibe: Relaxed and cosmopolitan, with a mix of expats, local creatives, and occasional tour groups who wandered off the beaten hutong path. The one complaint: the rooftop Wi-Fi tends to cut out intermittently, so do not rely on it for a work session.
Tourist Secret: There is a small hidden corner on the terrace, behind the service door near the east railing, where you can see a narrow sliver of Jingshan Park's hilltop pavilion between two buildings. Most visitors never notice it because they face the Drum Tower.
Local Tip: On weekends the ground floor hosts occasional vintage markets. Arrive early to browse before heading up, and you might snag a retro Beijing postcard for less than 10 yuan.
Beijing Connection: Gulou Dongdajie was once the city's timekeeping center, where the drums and bells regulated daily life in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Drinking coffee with the Drum Tower in your direct line of sight puts you in literal conversation with 600 years of the city's sense of order.
2. The Rooftop at The Orchid (Hidden Courtyard Elegance)
65 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
The Orchid is a boutique hotel and restaurant in a restored courtyard house deep inside a Baochang hutong, and its rooftop terrace is one of the most understated outdoor cafes Beijing has to offer. You find it by entering through an unmarked wooden door and following a narrow staircase past the hotel reception. The terrace itself is small, maybe ten tables, but it feels like stepping onto the roof of old Beijing, with grey brick courtyard walls and aerials surrounding you and the hutong grid spreading out in every direction. The Orchid has been on the map for years, partly because of its excellent Yunnan-inspired restaurant downstairs, but the rooftop still gets fewer visitors than you would expect. I have brought friends here who thought they had seen all of Dongcheng, and every single one of them was surprised.
What to Order: The hand-drip Yunnan coffee is the signature, roasted in-house from beans sourced in Pu'er. It is unlike anything chain cafes serve in the CBD. Pair it with the coconut tart, which has a lightness that complements the slightly earthy brew.
Best Time: Mid-morning, around 10 AM on a weekday, before the lunch rush downstairs filters upward. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable temperatures on the open terrace.
The Vibe: Quiet, intimate, almost residential, like you are sitting on someone's rooftop who happens to brew excellent coffee. The drawback is the limited seating; if you arrive after noon on a weekend, you might wait 20 minutes for a spot.
Tourist Secret: The terrace's northeast corner gives you a direct line of sight to the white pagoda in Beihai Park, framed perfectly between two gable walls. Bring a zoom lens if you have one.
Local Tip: If the terrace is full, the hotel's ground-floor courtyard restaurant serves the same Yunnan coffee and has its own quiet seating area that almost no tourists find.
Beijing Connection: Baochao Hutong was historically a printing hub, home to bookstores and publishing houses during the Republican era. The Orchid's courtyard dates to that period, so every cappuccino you sip up there comes layered with the character of a neighborhood that once fed Beijing's literary appetite.
3. At Cafe (Coffee Above Caochangdi's Art World)
261 Caochangdi Village, Chaoyang District
Caochangdi is an artist village on Beijing's northeastern fringe, wedged between the airport expressway and farmland, and At Cafe perches on top of a converted warehouse building surrounded by galleries. It is one of the sky cafes Beijing art-world regulars rely on for a caffeine fix in between gallery openings, and it has a raw industrial energy that the Gulou cafes do not. The rooftop is open-air with metal chairs and a view of low-rise buildings, tree canopies in summer, and the occasionally surreal sight of a half-demolished building next to a gleaming white gallery cube. The coffee is Japanese-influenced, brewed with precision, and the pastries are minimal. This is not a place for vanity; it is a place for people who care about what is in the cup and what is on the gallery walls below.
What to Order: The iced pour-over, served in a simple glass carafe, is the reason most people come. It costs around 35 yuan and is brewed with single-origin beans that rotate seasonally. The matcha latte is also well executed for a non-Japanese cafe.
Best Time: Saturday afternoons, when Caochangdi hosts gallery openings and the rooftop fills with artists, curators, and the occasional collector. Weekday mornings are dead in comparison.
The Vibe: Artsy, unfussy, slightly gritty. The rooftop space is basic, no frills, and the service can feel slow when a gallery event floods the place. In winter, the terrace is closed, and only the ground floor operates, which strips away half the appeal.
Tourist Secret: From the rooftop railing on the west side, you can see the edge of the UCCA Dune Art Museum's concrete curve in the distance, embedded beneath a grass mound. UCCA is worth the 10-minute walk.
Local Tip: Take the stairs all the way to the top floor even before the rooftop, because the window on the landing offers a framed view of the 798 Art District's iconic pipe-covered rooftops in the far distance.
Beijing Connection: Caochangdi emerged in the early 2000s when artists fleeing rising rents in 798 moved into former agricultural warehouses. At Cafe became a gathering point for that community, so drinking coffee here is an immersion in Beijing's grassroots art movement rather than its commercial gallery circuit.
4. Yuan Cafe at Beijing National Stadium (The Bird's Nest View)
Inside the Beijing National Stadium complex, Olympic Green, Chaoyang District
Most people associate the Bird's Nest with the 2008 Olympics, not with coffee. But Yuan Cafe, located within the stadium complex, gives you a vantage point that is unlike any other rooftop experience in the city. It is not a rooftop in the strictest sense. Instead, there is an elevated seating area and terrace that puts the stadium's lattice steel skeleton directly above and around you, turning every sip into an architectural experience. The view stretches south across the Olympic Forest Park and north toward the shimmering Water Cube, and in the early morning light, the whole complex feels frozen in a moment of national ambition. I came here for the first time expecting a tourist trap; I was wrong. The execution is thoughtful, the space is well designed, and it feels less like a vanity project and more like a legitimate cafe that happens to live inside an icon.
What to Order: The Yuan signature latte comes with a latte art swan that is admittedly touristy, but the espresso base is solid. The red bean bun is a better bet if you want something to eat, freshly steamed and not overly sweet.
Best Time: Weekday mornings between 8 AM and 10 AM, before the tour buses arrive. On weekends the surrounding Olympic Green fills with families flying kites, which is its own spectacle, but the cafe itself gets crowded.
The Vibe: Sweeping, monumental, almost cinematic. You feel small in a good way. The downside is that the space is not cozy; it is a giant venue, and on quiet days, the echo inside the stadium structure can feel slightly eerie.
Tourist Secret: If you sit on the terrace's north-facing side near the railing, the Water Cube aligns perfectly with the glass facade reflecting it, creating a double-image effect that looks unreal in photos.
Local Tip: In cooler months, the Olympic Green hosts a free outdoor skating loop around the park paths. Skate first, then come inside for a warm drink; the contrast makes both activities better.
Beijing Connection: The National Stadium's construction that began in 2003 and its opening at the 2008 Games remain a defining chapter in Beijing's modern identity. Yuan Cafe lets you inhabit that history at a leisurely pace, turning a moment of spectacle into an afternoon of quiet observation.
5. The Rooftop at Migas Mercado (CBD Views and Spanish Flair)
Top floor, Nali Patio, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District
Migas Mercado is a Spanish restaurant and bar on the rooftop of Nali Patio, the outdoor courtyard complex in Sanlitun that has been Beijing's dining centerpiece since 2008. The rooftop terrace is one of the most popular outdoor cafes Beijing visitors seek out, and for good reason: it faces west toward the CCTV Headquarters and the CITIC Tower, two of the most distinctive structures on the skyline. In the evening, the towers' angular silhouettes glow against the dusk, and the terrace fills with the city's hospitality crowd, expats, and well-heeled locals. I have to be honest: the food is overpriced by local standards, but you are paying mostly for the perch. Still, even as someone who grumbles about the markup, I keep coming back because there is genuinely no better spot in Sanlitun to watch the skyline shift color after sunset.
What to Order: A glass of house red sangria during happy hour (from 4 PM to 7 PM, significantly cheaper). The patatas bravas are good enough to justify the price, but skip the tapas if you are on a budget and focus on drinks.
Best Time: Around 6 PM on a weeknight, when the terrace is lively but manageable, and the sunset gives you the best light on the CCTV building. By 9 PM on weekends, the queue for tables can stretch to 30 minutes.
The Vibe: Stylish, social, loud. This is a meeting place, not a contemplative space. The music is upbeat, the cocktails are colorful, and the people-watching is some of the best in the city. My one real complaint: service during Saturday evening rush is painfully slow, and you might wait 15 minutes just to get a drink menu.
Tourist Secret: The small terrace section on the north side, past the main bar, has a direct view of Taikoo Li's open-air complex lit up below and is far less crowded. Staff rarely direct people that way, so you can often find a seat there even when the rest is full.
Local Tip: During Beijing Design Week in autumn, the Sanlitun area hosts pop-up installations. Stop at a few before heading up to the terrace; the walkthroughs add context to the skyline you are about to admire.
Beijing Connection: Sanlitun was the first area in the city to develop as an international dining and nightlife district in the 1990s, anchored by the Friendship Store. Migas sits at the neighborhood's rooftop, both literally and figuratively, representing how far this part of Beijing has evolved since those early days of cautious openness.
6. Hive Cafe by PDO (Above the 798 Art District)
798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District
PDO (Pace Design Office's associated space) operates the Hive Cafe on the upper level of a multi-use building in the heart of 798, surrounded by some of China's most prestigious galleries. This is one of the sky cafes Beijing creatives treat as a rotating campus, a place to decompress between exhibitions while maintaining proximity to the art. The rooftop seating is open to the sky in warm months and gives you a 360-degree view of the district's iconic Bauhaus-style factory buildings, their rounded chimney stacks punctuating the skyline like industrial totems. Inside, the design is clean and minimal, all white walls and reclaimed wood, and the coffee is more carefully sourced than most cafes in the area. I bring my laptop here when I need to work near the gallery scene but do not want the formality of a 798 gallery visit.
What to Order: The long black is reliable and strong, and the lemon cheesecake is a cult favorite, dense and tangy with a buttery crust. By local standards, the cake costs around 28 yuan, which is reasonable for the quality.
Best Time: Weekday mornings, before the galleries open at 10 AM and the crowds pour in. Sunday afternoons are the worst time; the entire district swells with domestic tourists, and rooftop seating fills within minutes.
The Vibe: Design-conscious, calm during off-peak hours, slightly pretentious during peak art hours. One issue worth noting: the rooftop is not heated or covered, so on rainy days, there is effectively no outdoor seating at all.
Tourist Secret: Walk to the far west end of the rooftop and look down the alley to spot a faded Workers' Cultural Palace sign on a building facade, a relic from the factory era that most visitors walk right past.
Local Tip: Stop by the nearby UCCA Center for Contemporary Art's ground-floor bookshop before or after your coffee. It stocks design monographs and exhibition catalogs that you would struggle to find in central Beijing.
Beijing Connection: 798 originated as a military electronics factory complex built in the 1950s with East German assistance. The cavernous spaces and red-brick walls that now house galleries, including Hive Cafe's building, carry the weight of Cold War cooperation repurposed into the present-day art market, making every coffee in the district a sip from layered history.
7. LeAPPING at National Centre for the Performing Arts (Under the Egg)
West side, National Centre for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District
The National Centre for the Performing Arts, known locally as "The Egg" for its titanium-and-glass dome, sits in an artificial lake west of Tiananmen Square. LeAPPING (sometimes written as Leaping Coffee) operates a small elevated cafe area near the building's public spaces, and although it is not a rooftop in the conventional sense, its semi-outdoor terrace and interior lounges with floor-to-ceiling windows give you a water-level and elevated view of one of the most symbolically loaded stretches of the city. Looking south from here, you see the Great Hall of the People across Chang'an Avenue; looking north, the Egg's reflective dome ripples in the lake. I have found this place useful as a decompression zone after the intensity of walking Chang'an Avenue, and the coffee is a genuine cut above what you might expect from a cultural institution.
What to Order: The coffee beans are from a rotating roster of domestic Chinese roasters, and the flat white is consistently smooth. There is also a selection of artistic desserts, one shaped like the dome itself, that are more photogenic than delicious, but worth one order for the experience.
Best Time: Early evening, around 5 PM, when the light on the dome turns gold and the lake reflects the building in its most symmetrical form. Performance evenings at the Centre create crowds in the lobby, but the cafe area stays relatively accessible.
The Vibe: Refined, slightly sterile, more museum than cafe. The seating is comfortable but generic, and you will feel the presence of institutional management in every detail. The real drawback is that the terrace section is small and closes without warning for official events, so you might arrive to find it roped off.
Tourist Secret: Stand at the terrace's south railing and use a wide-angle shot to capture both the Egg's dome and the Great Hall's marble columns in the same frame, a juxtaposition of futuristic and Maoist architecture that tells Beijing's story in a single image.
Local Tip: The Centre's underground corridors connect to a small exhibition hall that often hosts free art and architecture exhibitions. You can catch a show and return to the cafe without re-entering the security line.
Beijing Connection: The Egg's placement on Chang'an Avenue, Beijing's ceremonial spine, was deliberately chosen by architect Paul Andreu to sit in dialogue with the monuments of political power surrounding it. Drinking coffee here gives you a front-row, beverage-in-hand perspective on the architecture of authority.
8. The Rooftop at Dusk Dawn Club (Chaoyang Quiet Above Sanlitun South)
3/F, Building 16, Sanlitun South Street, Chaoyang District
Dusk Dawn Club operates in a low-rise building near the southern edge of Sanlitun, farther from the main bar street congestion. Its rooftop is a compact but creatively arranged space with string lights, low wooden furniture, and views over the quiet residential lanes that surround the area. This is more of a sky cafe in spirit than a formal one, because the coffee side operates mainly during the day and early evening before the DJ and bar scene ramps up. The view is not the CBD skyline or the Great Wall; it is the intimate, low-rise side of Sanlitun, where residential siheyuan roofs and rusting air-conditioning units coexist with the odd luxury apartment development. I like this place precisely because it resists spectacle and offers something closer to the everyday texture of the neighborhood. It is one of the rooftop cafes Beijing insiders cite when they want to escape the polished version of the city.
What to Order: The cold brew is smooth and not overly acidic, brewed in small batches each morning. There is also a decent cheese toastie with pickled vegetables that hits the spot around 4 PM when the kitchen first opens.
Best Time: Late afternoon, from around 4 PM to 6 PM, transitioning from the coffee crowd to the early evening bar crowd. By 9 PM, the music volume makes conversation difficult, and the space shifts fully into nightlife mode.
The Vibe: Warm, small, slightly grungy in a way that feels intentional. It is the kind of place where the bartender remembers your order and the playlist is genuinely interesting. My one gripe: the single bathroom upstairs is perpetually in questionable condition, so plan accordingly.
Tourist Secret: The rooftop's east-facing edge gives a clear view of the Workers' Stadium's renovated facade, rebuilt with a new steel-and-glass design for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The old stadium was a landmark of Beijing sporting life since 1959, and watching it reborn from this quiet rooftop adds a layer of nostalgia to the scene.
Local Tip: Walk two blocks south to Sanlitun South Street's cluster of small shops and vinyl record stores. These independent retailers predate the neighborhood's nightclub era and represent a Sanlitun that is slowly disappearing.
Beijing Connection: Sanlitun South, unlike its louder northern section, retains traces of the residential and diplomatic character that defined it through the 1990s and early 2000s, when embassy workers and translators populated the apartment blocks. Dusk Dawn Club's rooftop lets you glimpse that quieter version of the neighborhood before the noise swallows it each evening.
When to Go and What to Know
Beijing's rooftop and outdoor cafe season runs roughly from April through October, with May, September, and October offering the best balance of comfortable temperatures and reasonable air quality. Winter months from November through February are largely unsuitable for outdoor seating, as most rooftop terraces close entirely or operate with minimal covered seating. During summer, particularly July and August, afternoon heat and humidity can make midday rooftop stays uncomfortable unless shaded seating and cold drinks are available.
A practical note: many of the venues listed above are on upper floors of older buildings with narrow staircases and no elevators. If accessibility is a concern, call ahead or check Dianping reviews for details. Also recall that Beijing enforces its smoking ban inconsistently; outdoor terraces at places like Dusk Dawn Club and Migas Mercado may have other guests smoking nearby, which is worth factoring in if that is a dealbreaker. Payment is almost universally mobile through WeChat Pay or Alipay, so make sure your accounts are set up before you arrive, as cash is rarely accepted at cafes in central districts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are credit cards widely accepted across Beijing, or is it necessary to carry cash for daily expenses?
Credit cards are accepted at upscale hotels and some large chain stores, but the vast majority of shops, cafes, and restaurants in Beijing operate on mobile payment through WeChat Pay or Alipay. International Visa and Mastercard acceptance outside major hotels and airports is limited. Carrying even a small amount of cash, around 200 to 500 yuan, is advisable for small vendors, some taxi drivers, and older hutong shops that may not support mobile platforms. Setting up a Chinese mobile payment app linked to an international card through the "Tour Pass" or similar mini-programs is the most practical daily solution.
What is the standard tipping etiquette or service charge policy at restaurants in Beijing?
Tipping is not customary in Beijing and is not expected at local restaurants, cafes, or bars. A service charge of 10 to 15 percent is automatically added to bills at some upscale and Western-branded hotels and restaurants, particularly those catering to foreign visitors. For all other venues, including outdoor cafes Beijing visitors frequent in hutongs and art districts, no tip is expected, and service staff will sometimes refuse or be surprised by one. At sky cafes Beijing has popularized on social media, especially those in Sanlitun and Gulou, the same rule applies directly to what you see on the bill.
What is the most reliable neighborhood in Beijing for digital nomads and remote workers?
Sanlitun and the surrounding Chaoyang District offer the highest density of cafes with reliable Wi-Fi, English-speaking staff, and power outlets per table. Within that area, venues along Wai Dajie, Nali Patio, and the side streets off Gongti North Road provide the best combination of workspace-friendly seating and caffeination options. Gulou East Street in Dongcheng District is a secondary hub with several strong options, though Wi-Fi reliability varies more. Average cafe prices for a coffee and pastry combo in these areas range from 35 to 65 yuan, with some Western-style venues charging up to 80 yuan. Coworking spaces charge from 150 to 300 yuan for a full day pass depending on location and amenities.
Is Beijing expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers?
For a mid-tier traveler staying in a three or four-star hotel, a realistic daily budget falls between 800 and 1,500 yuan. This would cover accommodation (nightly rates from 400 to 800 yuan depending on location and season), meals (50 to 120 yuan per meal at a mix of local and Western-influenced restaurants), transportation (3 to 8 yuan per metro ride plus occasional Didi rides from 20 to 50 yuan within central urban areas), and entrance fees to major sites (40 yuan for the Forbidden City in low season, 60 yuan in peak season). Cafes with views in central districts charge from 30 to 60 yuan for a standard coffee, which means budgeting an extra 100 to 200 yuan per day if rooftop stops are part of your routine.
What is the average cost of a specialty coffee or local tea in Beijing?
A standard specialty coffee, such as a flat white, pour-over, or hand-drip, averages between 30 and 55 yuan at independent cafes across central urban districts. At rooftop cafes in Beijing with notable views or locations like Gulou, Sanlitun, and the 798 Art District, prices trend toward the upper end of that range, from 40 to 65 yuan. Local Chinese teas, including tieguanyin, pu'er, and jasmine, served at tea houses or cafes with tea programs, range from 25 to 80 yuan depending on the variety and vessel; gongfu-style tea service at dedicated tea houses starts around 50 yuan per person. Imported beans and rare tea vintages can push prices above 100 yuan, but for daily consumption, most local coffee drinkers budget 35 to 50 yuan per cup.
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