The Bay Area has embraced sky-high hospitality. Rooftop restaurants and bars are attracting diners for fresh-air views paired with shareable small plates at sunset, brunch on sunny weekends and drinks late into the cool evenings.
Here are five to put on your must-visit list:
President’s Terrace, Palo Alto
For a 360-degree Peninsula panorama – plus bites, drinks and a dose of history – head to the top of the Graduate by Hilton Palo Alto.
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Enter through the ornate, art-filled lobby of what was once the Hotel President. Named after Herbert Hoover, who attended Stanford University, the President opened in 1929 and operated as a hotel for 40 years, then as apartments for 50-plus years until its conversion back into a hotel.
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Since the reopening, the lovely rooftop terrace atop the Spanish Colonial Revival building designed by noted architect Birge Clark has been a big draw. On any given night, the clientele is likely to include longtime locals enjoying a light dinner and the views, tech bros talking too much to take in the views and Stanford students sipping the nonalcoholic specialty, “Lou’s Brew,” a fruity, fizzy tea drink ($15) from the “School Nights” menu.
Those 21 and over have an impressive array of wines from which to choose as well as a Stanford-themed cocktail list. Try the gin-based “Crimson Cooler” ($20) or start a conversation around the table with the “Banned from Disneyland” rum concoction ($19), a cheeky nod to the marching band’s antics.
Seafood choices dominate the small plates, including the particularly popular West Coast Oysters ($25 for six) and Warm Crab Dip ($24). On the Land side of the menu, Meatball Sliders ($22 for three) and Artisanal Cheese & Charcuterie ($30) are the most often ordered.
When the evening gets chilly, overhead heaters click on. If you need more warmth, grab a blanket from the basket near the elevator. The walls in the alcove are worth your attention too as they are papered in vintage postcards, menus and other Palo Alto ephemera. Makes for some nice, nostalgic “Who remembers Rickey’s?” talk as you descend to University Avenue at the end of the evening.
Details: Open daily from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday, 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 488 University Ave., Palo Alto; www.graduatehotels.com/palo-alto.
Rooftop Restaurant and Bar, Walnut Creek
This trendy third-floor restaurant in the heart of Walnut Creek’s bustling downtown was definitely built to fulfill its function as a rooftop restaurant.
Located at the top of an old-time, warehouse-style, brick and steel building, Rooftop has two balconies overlooking the city’s premier intersection. And, on a summer evening, a retractable roof and sliding glass walls on both sides can open up pretty much the entire bar and restaurant to the sky, soft breezes and views of Mount Diablo.
Rooftop, the latest in a line of Walnut Creek hotspots operated by longtime restaurateur Jeff Dudum, is both casual and classy, a setting for a date night, a girls’ night out or a special-occasion family gathering. There’s a three-sided bar with large TV screens for watching sports but the rest of the dining room avoids a sports-bar vibe, with low-key techno pop or live music in the background.
Diners can start their meals with a handcrafted cocktail, a sparkling wine or a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir to accompany a plate of Hog Island oysters ($22-$39) or a ginger-spiced tuna tartare ($24). Chef Hugo Arias brings flair to Rooftop’s take on American and Asian classics, such as steamed pork dumplings with tamari broth ($20), a wedge salad with chunks of bacon and blue cheese ($16) and the crispy duck breast with grilled peach salad ($39).
Rooftop recently started offering a special late-night menu for Friday and Saturday, featuring its popular Rooftop Burger ($23) and Dungeness Crab Cakes ($29), ideal for those hungry after a movie at the nearby Cinemark Theatre or a concert at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
Details: Open 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m, Sunday-Thursday, with the bar closing at 10 p.m.; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday, with the late-night menu starting at 10:30 p.m. and the bar closing at 12:30 a.m. 1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek, www.rooftopwc.com/.
Copita Tequileria y Comida, San Jose
It’s a beautiful evening. Are you feeling lucky? Head up to the Copita rooftop, overlooking Willow Glen’s restaurant row, to see if you can score a table or one of the four coveted lounge areas with a fire pit. The view extends from the lights of Lincoln Avenue below to the Santa Cruz Mountains in the distance.
This contemporary Mexican restaurant is colorfully designed and tiled – with creative food to match. Bay Area celebrity chef and owner Joanne Weir and business partner Michael Mindel brought in Azari Cuenca-Maitret, a culinary star from Mexico City, as executive chef.
The rooftop offers a condensed menu – if you consider 25 items condensed. Order Chips & Salsas ($5), one guajillo, one tomatillo, while you sip a cocktail and peruse the menu. Consider sharing a seafood starter – the seared yellowfin Tuna Tostadas ($17) or the Coconut Campechano ($20), with shrimp, scallops and flounder.
Next, a main course. Seeing as how Chef Azari was once Mexico’s ambassador to the pork industry, you can’t go wrong with the 24-Hour Carnitas ($26) or the Trompo trio of tacos ($20) with marinated, spit-roasted pork and caramelized pineapple.
Copita backs up its “tequileria” name with dozens of tequila and mezcal options and also boasts not one but two full bars, one on this rooftop and one in the main dining room. Among this summer’s new cocktails is La Passione, a zesty, fruity margarita created by the bar team’s Adam Wilson and Janees Martinez that combines Catedral mezcal, mango and housemade cinnamon syrup.
Details: Copita’s rooftop is open Wednesday-Sunday, weather permitting. Seating is first come, first served. 1098 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. Main restaurant reservations: www.copitarestaurant.com/willow-glen-home/
Study Hall Rooftop Lounge, Berkeley
Perched on one of the tallest buildings in Berkeley, a Marriott Residence Inn, the Study Hall Rooftop Lounge is not actually conducive to studying. The vibe is low-key “party” with DJs and live music on weekends and island drinks the color of radioactive bubblegum. A commanding 360-degree view of the Bay tends to distract one’s focus.
Still, a dedicated student could probably pull it off by nestling into the comfy, heat lamp-warmed lounge furniture that dots the open-air terrace. Some brain food might help. The kitchen does Oceania-influenced cuisine, and the double-patty Wagyu cheeseburger with garlic aioli is a hearty meal ($24, add fries for $7), while soy-glazed Brussel sprouts with Fresno chile ($15) provide your nutrients.
Study Hall sits at UC Berkeley’s front door and attracts a hearty student contingent, plus their families staying at the hotel below. It’s become a regular drop-in spot before and after college games. Cocktails reflect school pride like the Berkeley Bash with Sonoma rye and Fernet and Campus Bird with reserve rum, pineapple and mole bitters ($18). Regular folks can join in the fun, too, by ordering a beer or glass of wine and watching ESPN at the bar.
Details: Open 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 4:30 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday at 2121 Center St., Berkeley; www.studyhallrooftoplounge.com.
Hotel Valencia Santana Row is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and Cielo, the hotel’s rooftop wine bar, is celebrating its grand reopening for the season on Tuesday, May 23. (Courtesy photo)
Cielo Rooftop Bar, San Jose
It takes a commitment to gaze at the sunset from Santana Row’s highest bar. First, you need to check the website to see if this alfresco lounge has been booked for the night by a private party. If all systems are go, then head to the Row and commence the search for parking. Once you are at the hotel, the doorman will guide you to the nearby elevator, the first of two you’ll take to get to the seventh floor.
You’ll be rewarded for the effort with widely spaced tables and lounge areas and a not-too-loud soundtrack, making conversation easy. The clientele represents a broad mix: BFFs catching up, tech and marketing folks taking a break from their latest projects, couples getting a drink before dinner. Snag a spot, maybe near one of the bougainvillea-adorned walls, then head to the bar to order food and drinks.
California varietals dominate the wine list (glasses from $19 up to $35 for a Silver Oak cab). The array of cocktails includes Lychee and Espresso Martinis ($20) plus mocktails like the Hibiscus Sparkling Lemonade.
Nibble on Ahi Tuna Tacos ($16) or Spicy Chicken Croquettes ($12) or go Iberian with the Spanish Charcuterie ($24) lined with three Spanish cured meats, three cheeses, cubes of quince paste, grapes and crackers. That tray can be dinner for two or snacks for four.
Details: Open from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday at the Hotel Valencia, 355 Santana Row, San Jose. Events calendar: www.hotelvalencia-santanarow.com/events-calendar.aspx