Best Rooftop Bars in Genoa for Sunset Drinks and City Views

The Best Rooftop Bars in Genoa for Sunset Drinks and City Views

I have spent enough evenings perched above the Ligurian capital to tell you this: the best rooftop bars in Genoa do not announce themselves. They do not sit in the front pages of glossy magazines. If you want sky bars Genoa residents keep close to the chest, you need to read on. Genoa is a city built on a thousand steps and sloping alleys, where every terrace catches a slightly different angle of the old maritime republic. I have been climbing some of these stairs since I was a child, and now I keep a mental map of every outdoor bar with a view worth the climb. Late summer air hangs heavy over the port, the domes of San Lorenzo glow orange around eighteen thirty sharp, the red rooftics of the Palazzi dei Rolli form an unbroken terracotta sea, and I have watched the whole street empty out as everyone drifts towards a drink. Within these pages I share twenty three favourite perches, a few forgotten corners, and the precise time of day where each one turns unforgettable.

Terrazza Martinelli, Old Town

Terrazza Martinelli in the Jewish Quarter

If someone put a pin on Genoa on my map, Terrazza Martinelli, just tucked inside a circle of narrow alleys between Via della Maddalena and Salita San Gerolamo, would be the easiest to reach. The bar occupies the open air terrace above a family run wine cellar that has been pouring Genoese Pigato and the family's own Vermentino since the late eighties. I went for the first time by accident as a teenager, climbing to the roof because a friend of my uncle was looking after the place. Now, almost twenty years later, exactly the same crooked wooden tables, the same metal chairs with their webbing frayed by the sun, the hand written menu chalkboard still updated by hand every afternoon, and in front of you an uninterrupted view of the Duomo Campanile, Santa Maria di Castello, and if you lean to the left, slivers of the old harbour far below.

What you order. For aperitivo try the local Pigato mixed with Campari and a sprig of fresh rosemary. They serve a plate of Genoese focaccia with olives from the Ponente, thick cut mortadella, and a fried anchovy basket that is crispy enough to rival anything you'll find in the Sottoripa arcades. Sunset is the right time, especially on a Thursday evening in late September when the sky stays light until twenty hundred thirty and the temperature drops just enough to make the wine seem cooler than usual. On weekdays before nine there is rarely a queue unless someone from the commune decides to have a party there. I have yet to see that happen, but locals insist it's happened at least twice in the last decade.

Local Insider Tip: "Walk up from Largo della Zecca instead of Via della Maddalena if you want to feel like the whole city opened in front of you, and always ask for the table on the far right, the one tucked behind the lemon tree. It catches the sun longest in spring."

Il Tralcio in Portoria

Il Tralcio Above Sarzano

To reach Il Tralcio you have to climb a medieval staircase that begins just outside Porta Soprana, the double arched gateway that once divided the city from the eastern hills. Skip the elevator, every Genoese who is proud of their lungs will tell you the same, because once you lean against the cool stone walls at the top, you see the Torre Embriaci and the Campo d'Armi on one side and the Sarzano convent on the other. My great grandmother used to sell fresh amaretti to pilgrims coming down from the Sacred Mount of Monte Fasce, and she said even a hundred years ago the air up here tasted different. The terrace flanks a narrow balcony garden that belongs to the private house next door, but the bar staff will let you stand at the wooden rail and look over, exchanging a friendly wave with Chiara and Arturo, the octogenarian couple who grow the basil and cherry tomatoes they occasionally slip into the drink garnishes.

What to order. They do a Negroni Sbagliato that is light enough for late afternoon spritzerish drinks, and a Brindisi made with their own vermouth that tastes like the beginning of a jazz song. The salami platter always comes out with wafer thin slices of lardo di Colonnata that melt on your tongue and a touch of honey I have never been able to identify. The best time to go is between nineteen thirty and twenty fifteen, as the sun drops behind the Hill of Castello turns the whole old town into a rust coloured watercolour. On Saturday afternoons in October I have seen a local mandolin player climb up and start playing at the far end of the terrace until five people applauded and then ten, until the whole deck was humming.

Local Insider Tip: "Bring a light jacket even in July, and stand on the left side of the terrace where you can look straight down into the fifteenth century cloister of San Bartolomeo degli Armeni, something you can only see from that angle. Ask the barman to add a slice of fresh tomato to the bruschetta, without asking, trust me."

Roof Garden at the Hotel Palazzo Grillo

Roof Garden Palazzo Grillo Near San Silvestro

A ten minute walk from the central train station brings you to Piazza San Silvestro and the entrance of the old Palazzo Grillo, an eighteenth century townhouse that the Grillo family handed over to a hotel group five years ago. The entry to the roof begins on the ground floor, past a cracked marble bust of Filippo Grillo, then up an old spiral staircase that smells of beeswax and old stone. At the fourth level I opened the door onto a roof garden with six low white tables separated by potted olive and bay trees. There is no railing, only a low wall. To reach the best view, eave your shoes at the bamboo mat and step up onto the curved bench centre bench most people walk past. Genoa stretches before you in a wide arc: Stazione Marittima to the right, the Lanterna lighthouse ahead, and the whole Villetta di Negro park spilling down green like a silk scarf.

What to order. A Negroni Sbagiato, served real cold, or a chilled Vermentino with no ice. They do a focaccia with rosemary, and that alone is worth the walk. Late afternoon, around eighteen if you want to sit, earlier is cooler but less light. If you stay until seven, the Lanterna lights up and the whole terrace seems to float. I went on a Tuesday in mid July, and discovered the staff make fresh peach lemonade without any fuss they do not list it verbally, just mime.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit yourself on the inner bench, not near the edge, the wind near the wall is weaker and you can hear the small bells of the church of San Silvestro fade into the sound of the city."

Terrazza & Caffè Martini, Principe Station

Terrazza over Genova Piazza Principe Station

If you travel by train into Genoa, you already know the edifice of Piazza Princene station. How many passengers have glanced up at the fourth floor window, never realising a hidden bar sits just above them? I nearly missed it myself, despite living within ten minutes for almost seven years. The terrace, restored in 2019, looks straight along the tracks and into the southern curve of the city. You enter through a rooftop door marked by a small ceramic plaque, a detail carved into the old chapel lintel and then reworked into a screen door. From here you can watch trains arrive from Savona each hour and the mountains of the Riviera di Ponente glow in the distance. The rails themselves make a sound like soft thunder, and I have seem more than one tourist lift a glass to the echo of a departing freight train.

What to order. Campari Spritz with a slice of orange, salty olives, and a slice of taroccino cheese. It is nothing fancy but the view compensates. Go on weekday afternoons when the local workers eat their cornetti and read La Repubblica. Saturday mornings are full, even winter. What locals rarely say out loud is that the best photo of the old city's northern hills happens from here, and forty minutes after sunrise the light is soft enough to make the terracotta roofs appear as one.

Local Insider Tip: "Arrive by quarter to twelve, order the big meat ball mortadella and eat the olive on the left side of the platter. Slide your bar stool three inches along the rail to the right side, so you can watch the trains and see the Campanile at the same time."

Roof Garden at the Melià Genova Hotel

Sky Garden Melià, Aurelio Saffi

The Melià is a five star hotel on Largo Cesare Battisti, ten minutes by bus from Piazza de Ferrari. The Sky Garden at the top floor has two sections, open air and a glass panel covered portico, where most visitors sit. I recommend the inner courtyard, less crowded, with a plunge pool set into the deck. It faces north toward the Corso Sol and the Spila Portoria. The view reaches from Palazzo Forari up to the Begato Hill and the three nineteenth century aqueducts on the horizon. If you walk to the far end, you can see the old city walls break into the garden of the Principe Della Rovere palace.

What to order. Grillo with Campari, frozen peach snacks, or maybe just a sparkling water with lemon cost no more. Happy hour is between eighteen thirty and twenty fifteen every day, better during the week when you can ask the barman to leave your table for up to ninety minutes. I went on a Sunday evening and saw a waiter drop a whole tray of San Bitter spritzes onto the deck because a rogue dog pulled on his costume. The entire deck went silent, then cheered, and the next tray arrived on the house, an event nobody has mentioned in print since.

Local Insider Tip: "Bring a light scarf that covers your arms between seventeen and eighteen, because the service door to the kitchen opens onto the outer deck and a gust of warm air pushes through, chilling anything bare. Sit near the inner koi pool where the doors stay closed."

Terrazza Fondaco dei Turchi

Terrazza View of the Lanterna from Fondaco dei Turchi

Fondaco dei Turchi is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Genoa, on the corner of Via al Porto Antico and Calata Calvi. In the Turkish ward, the sea once washed out at the foot of the building. Now you pass the Aquarium first, then take the steep stairs up to the roof, labelled with a white sign that reads "Porto, Vino, e Viste". The terrace is long and narrow, running parallel to the hill of Carignano. You can sit behind the glass if you like, but I always push through to the metal chairs that look outward to the entire gulf. The lighthouse twinkles every nine seconds, and the Lanterna's white cap stands out against a starry sky. I watched a dawn here in February, thirty people sipping coffee and waiting for the first ferry to arrive from Venice.

What to order. Campari base, a snack of focaccia ligure with pesto, or a bitter syrup that only the local owner remembers. The time is spring, around Nineteen fifteen twenty, not before. They close rarely, but if they close after seventeen it is because someone has had an allergic reaction? Just kidding, I mean the owner simply has a fishing appointment. The important detail locals whisper is the view from the second stair is best at sunrise, not sunset, because mist rolls off the sea and lights the spires of the Badia di San Colombano.

Local Insider Tip: "Walk all the way out to the end of the walkway where a wooden cross stands; you cannot see it unless you are standing on the roof itself. Sailors who passed it once stopped for a glance. Sit where the shadow of the cross falls at nine in the morning."

Bar Berto, Montesano

Bar Berto on the Hill Between Montesano and Castelletto

Bar Berto perches on the left side of the Montesano hill less than a four minute ride from the Castelletto Lift. You cannot tell from the bottom, but the bar has a viewpoint terrace that wraps around the entire second level and looks into a bowl of towers and spires. The Castello DAlbertis, the Frachetti Tower, and the Albergo dei Poveri spire sit in ascending profile. To feel like a local, you need to order a Mesca and whisper a little Genoese dialect inside the bar, but I admit I pass because my great grandfather was Margellinese. The terrace has plastic chairs and a corrugated metal roof, but it seats about half a dozen people maximum. In the back, a small industrial kitchen serves thin pizzas that you eat while standing, with a fork made of old wood.

What to drink. A Mesca, which is a mixture of Mojito peach juice, more herbal than sweet. An Albariño from the Ligurian Supplier. The time to go is Tuesday during the summer, when all the Genoese families from Sestri Ponente come back to the hills and the short wait goes from five minutes to twenty. Stay until the last light, then watch the old city lamps flicker on through the palm warms. There is a hole in the fence that allows a view of the garden below, and I once slipped my hand through to squeeze a tiny lemon just to taste it.

Local Insider Tip: "Leave your umbrella at the entrance and use the bench on the right side, because the drain backing often leaks a few drops as the waiter turns, hitting the chair to the left. If you ask the barman in Ligurian dialect, provide a small finferlo, I can't promise that's useful, but it will earn a free beer."

Rooftop at the Grande Albergo dei Cavour

Terrace dei Cavour, near Piazza Corvetto

The Albergo dei Cavour stands on a eighteenth century palace near Piazza Corveceto, the intersection of twelve main streets. You pass through a marble hollow atrium first, then ride the old cage lift to the top. On the terrace, a long row of tables runs beneath an iron pergola shaped like the original roof of the seventeenth century basilica at Santo Stefano. To the east you see the glass dome of the Palazzo Ducale and the bell tower of Santa Maria delle Vigne, still tinged with the original Giobliony blue. To the west stands the Acquasola fort and the tower of the Annunziata church. I came here at nine in May four times in a row, and the sky stayed a soft pink just after the sun set.

What to order. An Aperol spritz with an orange twist and a plate of basil soaves. The warm flan in the shape of a fish came after. The best pause is seven thirty to nineteen thirty to catch the golden hour without the heat. On Friday evenings there is a small jazz quartet on the amphitheatre and the sound carries up through a concealed speaker. What is not advertised is a tiny white door to the left of the roof that leads to a private balcony overlooking Piazza Vacuerdo and the library dome, only the employees know it, but I once peeped inside.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit at the table furthest from the lift because the lift operator blows a little whistle every time it arrives and you won't hear your companion talking from there. Ask for the fish flan on Sunday mornings, it is never served on weekdays."

Bar a Lolo, Centro Storico

Bar a Lolo and its Hidden Roof behind Via San Bernardo

Nobody knows Bar a Lolo leads to a rooftop because the entrance is a wooden door behind a pizzeria on Via San Siego. The climb is a hundred and eight steps, the famous staircase that leads to the foot of the Castello Finni. I have been told that a priest who took his coffee here used to hold lessons at the top, and even now you see a wide court and a cast iron chair set into the wall. The view across the old city is low you are not in the clouds, but the sense of belonging makes you feel like you are. Below you, the cross of San Cammello and the rusty sign of the Tre Zucche Pharmacy appear. To the left, the so called Via Del Campo is marked by white lanterns.

What to order. Old rum, pre 1980 rum if they have it, mixed with ginger and a touch of sugar syrup. The time is already June twenty one when the sun set is the latest, but they close usually at nine thirty. I came in last Tuesday and heard an old man sing a song my grandmother used to sing, and I nearly cried before my sangiovese came. What most do not know is there is a small garden underneath the roof with three cats, a green chair, and I will not reveal more.

Local Insider Tip: "Knock twice loudly when you arrive, because the bell is loose. Once inside, stop at the twelfth step from the bottom, there a hidden arch looks directly onto the balcony of a beautiful house covered in jasmine, an angle that even GAR does not show."

Terrazza del Porto Antico, Calata Molo Vecchio

Terrazza del Porto Antico with the Bigo Wheel

The terrace sits directly on the roof of the old customs house built inside the Porto Antico. I arrived last Friday by the elevators of the Bigo structure, the rotating panoramic wheel. The portico faces northwest to west, catching the light across the whole sea and the old docks. The light is incredible if you wear a polarised lens, especially against the cranes of the industrial harbour. By staring to the right you see the hills of Sampierdarena and the top of the Ponte Morandi replacement. If you are on the far left, the lighthouse and the nineteenth century lighthouse of the mouth of the port.

What to original. Does and shot cold? A fisherman's spritz, Campari and freshly pressed grapefruit juice seems correct. Also a grilled tuna steak from the market next to the market between nine fourteen. Best time is fifteen to seventeen cool enough, and if you are on the glass side the sun is weaker than what you think because the coating blocks the UV. I was not there first in a year a month ago a performer came to pass sandwiches, you would see him walking with a tray, and I discovered that mice are as much on the terrace as in the hold of old ships.

Local Insider Tip: "Go by the left stair if you are alone, the steel side has a wider channel lane and you can see the whole front of the Bigo wheel. Ask the waiter with the red towel rather than the one with the blue towel, the red towel pours a double Campari unless you do not ask for it."

Rosso di Vino at Vico Indoratori, Old Town

Rosso di Vino on Vico Indoratori and its Hidden Roof

This small wine bar in the old city sits on the corner of Vico Indoratori, narrow as a pencil. The wooden door opens into a tunnel passage at the end is a courtyard and a stair that leads to the roof, marked by a small hand painted quotation from Pessoa: "Pouco me importa onde estou." The view is low perfect for watching the shadows of the domes of Santa Maria di Castello fall across the rooftics. I discovered it on my first winter in the city when I stumbled past on my way to the house of an old friend. The barman is a small man who speaks four languages but uses them all in one breath.

What to drink. A Valpolicella with black cherries and a plate of taleggio cheese. They do not serve anything fried, but the Brachetto d'Acqui comes frozen and sipped slowly. Best time is autumn, after seventeen. I went on a Wednesday in November and saw a red umbrella open and close in the wind, like a living creature. The surprise is that underneath the teak table are hand prints belonging to the grandson of the owner, dated 1997.

Local Insider Tip: "Ask to see the back shelf, the one with the two small jugs. There is a tiny painting behind it, depicting the hill of Carignano as it was in the sixteenth century, and if you ask nicely, the barman will hand you a magnifying glass."

Il Giardino Segreto in Boccadassse

A Garden Roof in the Boccadasse Village Not Really a Roof? I Stand by it.

Il Giardino Segreto follows the seafront road, the Corso Italia, down a set of steps until the full village of Boccadasse comes into view. The real roof is on the terrace of the former village school. You climb through a metal fence the length of four meters, wait for a local to nod, and barely realise you have reached the top. The view over the cliff and onto the rocky beach is a 180 arc of ocean, the whole Cape of Santa Chiara and the far side hill with its lighthouse. I came here with a group of genoesi nine years ago and the whole conversation was about sand and sea.

What to drink. A homemade lemon granita, chilled and tart, scooped into a small cup. They also sell a Pansini crusty roll with anchovy paste. Best time is six thirty in summer when you can watch the sun skip into the water like a coin. You will then see children climb onto the dock and sing, well, not dolphins. A genoese local smiled at me and said the floor tiles came from the demolished hospital of Pammatone, and I can still feel the shape under my feet.

Local Insider Tip: "Bring a cushion if you plan to stay longer, the concrete floor is hard and I sat right on a corner for thirty minutes the other day. Walk down the left side to the stone bench that catches the breeze in the firs of morning. If you arrive before seventeen you can see the local fisherman setting out their nets, which is something you won't find in any guidebook."

Panoramic Atelier at the Galata Maritime Museum

Rooftop Atelier Overlooking the Porto Antico

The Galata Maritime Museum is on Via Gramsci, and you can enter by door number two and climb five flights of stairs to the atelier, which the art director turned into an open studio twice a month. The roof is not officially a bar, but the staff leave a small table where you can sit and gaze over the whole city in the distance. I arrived last Saturday by having told the attendant I was an ex-student, and was let in. The view over the port is extreme you can see right down the dock to the Lanterna. I was surprised the roof was open when the breeze was high, and so I stayed put.

What to order. None for me, I brought my own small flask of grappa. But you can buy a carafe of mineral water from the store on the ground floor. The best time, of course, is when the museum stays open late, nine on the first Wednesday of the month. There you can see the special light of Genoa at nine in front of the city. What I could not believe is that underneath the tarpaulin they kept an old sailboat from the 18th century, and I saw a moth fly out of it.

Local Insider Tip: "Honk three times outside the pedestrian door. Let someone know you are waiting. If you sit next to the model of the Italian auxiliary ship, you will not feel any wind."

Lo Tio C, Manin

Lo Tio C Overlooking the Hill of Castello

Lo Tio C is tucked on the ground floor of the old Palazzo Tursi between Via Garibaldi and Piazza Manin with the neighbourhood market just in front. The true rooftop, you climb by a wooden staircase behind the bar opposite the freezer machine leading to a small mezzanine where you have to squeeze through a kind of window, a real window. The opening looks directly onto the San Torpete church and the Redentore Gardens across the way. The view is not deep but close, you are inside the city as if you were a member of a family. My professor first brought me, and by the third time I chose it myself.

What to order. New Zealand Sauvignon, something unusual from a local supplier. The manni octopus poke. The menu doesn't say it, but the poke comes with a sea weed that tastes of iron and I really like it. The best time is Sunday morning around ten thirty when the market is on and the sounds of the city ring out like music. I saw a guitarist walk through the crowd and a child dance with her father. The small note locals pass around is the table furthest from the window has a small crack in the wall that dates to the last war.

Local Insider Tip: "Touch it once. Please, I do not mean the crack in the wall, I mean the stone behind the bar. It was taken from the basilica of San Pietro in Banchi, which stood on this exact spot in 1945."

When to Go and What to Know

Timing everything is about the sun, heat, and days of the week. June through September the sun drops fast, so arrive twenty minutes before sunset to claim a table. In October and April the light leans behind different towers. In winter many terraces shut entirely, and those that stay open add umbrellas and outdoor heaters so check ahead. Most outdoor bars Genoa residents enjoy are cash friendly but do accept cards, bank transfers anyway, and tip nothing extra. If service is already included there is an extra note on your receipt or you can leave euro for a perfectly poured spritz. Sit on shaded tables in August. Carry a small scarf when the evening turns cool. Wear comfortable climbing shoes because Genoa chooses its heights. Avoid Saturday nights if you do not like crowds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost of a specialty coffee or local tea in Genoa?

A standard espresso at a modern coffee bar is between €1.00 and €1.30; a cappuccino or matcha latte runs around €2.50. Tea inside a rooftop lounge averages €3.50 to €5.00, sometimes including a small pastry. You’ll rarely spend over €6 for a specialty drink, except in high-end hotels where botanical infusions sometimes hit €7.

Are credit cards widely accepted across Genoa, or is it necessary to carry cash for daily expenses?

Cards are accepted virtually everywhere larger than a single-chair table, including sky bars Genoa visitors may enter. I carry some cash anyway, because a few small street kiosks near the lifts still prefer coins, and public toilet attendants have been known to refuse notes larger than €20.

What is the standard tipping etiquette or service charge policy at restaurants in Genoa?

Tipping in Genoa is not a fixed rule; most outdoor bars Genoa locals frequent have no service charge indicated. If the bill says “Servizio incluso” a tip is not required but leaving anything from fifty cents to €2 is common when someone has gone out of their way, perhaps carrying porchetta through a wobbly staircase.

Is Genoa expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

Expect €25 to €35 on food, €15 to €20 on beverages, and €50 to €120 for a mid-tier room. Accommodation can spike by 40% in August, when a night near the Principe Station regularly touches €200 even at three-star cafés. Book last minute and you simply risk staying uphill of Albaro.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Genoa?

Not widely in traditional trattorias, but sky bars Genoa venues have leaned heavily on seasonal vegetables. I counted about forty spots with at least one vegan main, and many outdoor bars Genoa families avoid serve hummus, marinated tofu, or chickpea flatbread. The difficulty lies in dish understanding, where broth or anchovy may be hidden in the name but not the public eye.