Singapore's rooftop bars are the cheapest way to buy a skyline view, but only if you go at the right hour. Nearly every big name runs an early-evening deal, and the gap between a 3pm drink and an 8pm one can be $20 a glass. We checked the level, opening hours and current promotions of 8 rooftop bars straight from their own websites, last re-verified on 7 September 2026, and lined them up side by side: CÉ LA VI on Level 57 of Marina Bay Sands, LeVeL33 (Guinness World Records' highest microbrewery in a building), Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel with drinks from S$10++ from 3pm, Milli (the brand-new National Gallery rooftop from Labyrinth's chef Han Liguang and Native's Vijay Mudaliar, which took over the old Smoke & Mirrors space in May 2026), SKAI on Level 70 of Swissôtel The Stamford, Southbridge on Boat Quay with a different deal every night of the week, Kinki's neon graffiti rooftop at Customs House, and 1-Altitude Coast on Sentosa, where the Sentosa fireworks go off twice a night. Two things worth knowing before you book: Smoke & Mirrors and the original 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place have both closed, so half the rooftop listicles you'll find online are out of date.
A rooftop bar in Singapore is really a transaction: you pay a premium on the drink and you get the skyline in return. The trick is that the premium is not fixed, so the hour you arrive matters more than which bar you pick.
> Quick view: cheapest skyline drink → Lantern from 3pm (S$10++) · best value all week → Southbridge, a different deal every night, 5–8pm · best on a Saturday → Kinki, 4–8pm · beer → LeVeL33 · highest → SKAI, Level 70 · newest → Milli · sea + fireworks → 1-Altitude Coast.
The one on every postcard. CÉ LA VI sits 57 levels up on the roof of Marina Bay Sands, sharing the SkyPark with the famous infinity pool, and the SkyBar is the open-air terrace where most people end up, looking straight down over Gardens by the Bay, the Supertrees and the water. The open-air Sky Bar itself runs 4pm to 1am daily, with last entry an hour before closing, so the noon opening quoted in most guides belongs to the indoor Club Lounge rather than the terrace. One thing to get straight before you book, because most guides blur it: CÉ LA VI is three rooms on that roof, and the weekly deals do not all happen on the open-air SkyBar terrace. Ladies Night (Wednesdays 10pm to 12am, a complimentary glass of Prosecco) and the Sunday 'Liquid Brunch' (12 to 4pm, $168++ per person for four hours of free-flow Champagne, mimosas, Bloody Marys, Aperol Spritz and beer) both run in the Club Lounge, while the Saturday 'East Meets Extra' brunch, free-flow Champagne and a roving magician, is a Restaurant sitting. So the weekend is a two-day brunch, just not on the terrace. Budget for the door as well as the drinks: entry to the Sky Bar is S$38 nett before 10pm and S$48 nett after, each including one house pour, though children under 12 and Marina Bay Sands hotel guests get in free outside special events. A reserved table carries a minimum spend (from $200++ per person for the 4–7.30pm sunset session, and from $1,000++ per table from 8pm). CÉ LA VI also notes that the cover charge can differ for special events, holidays and guest DJs, so check the What's On calendar for the night you are going. These are the highest prices on this list outside a deal. BEST FOR: first-time visitors, big nights out and anyone who wants the definitive Marina Bay view, not a bargain.
Ladies Night every Wednesday 10pm–12am at the Club Lounge (complimentary glass of Prosecco; complimentary entry for ladies, S$48 nett for gentlemen including one premium house pour) · Liquid Brunch at the Club Lounge, Sundays 12–4pm, free-flow Champagne, mimosas, Bloody Marys, Aperol Spritz & beer · 'East Meets Extra' brunch at the Restaurant on Saturdays, free-flow Champagne and a roving magician · open-air Sky Bar 4pm–1am daily, Club Lounge from 12pm, last entry 1hr before closing, Level 57 Marina Bay Sands · Club Lounge & Sky Bar cover charge S$38 nett before 10pm / S$48 nett after, each including one house pour; free for children under 12 and MBS hotel guests outside special events (rates may differ for special events, holidays and guest DJs)
The one for people who'd rather have a beer than a $28 cocktail. LeVeL33 occupies Level 33 of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 at 8 Marina Boulevard, brews its own beer on site in copper tanks you can see from the dining room, and holds the Guinness World Record for the highest microbrewery in a building, measured at 149.321m and verified in December 2024. Five signature brews are poured year-round alongside seasonal specials, and the terrace looks across the bay at Marina Bay Sands and the Flyer, a better angle on the skyline than being inside it. Open 12pm to 11pm daily, which makes it one of the few rooftops that works for lunch: there's an executive set lunch on weekdays from 12–2.30pm, a 'High Beer' sitting from 2–3.30pm on weekdays, and a Weekender sitting from 12–2.30pm at weekends. BEST FOR: beer drinkers, long lunches, and anyone who wants the Marina Bay Sands skyline in the photo rather than under their feet.
Weekday 'High Beer' sitting 2–3.30pm · Executive Set Lunch weekdays 12–2.30pm · Weekender sitting 12–2.30pm at weekends · beer brewed on site; Guinness World Record holder for the highest microbrewery in a building (149.321m, verified December 2024) · open 12pm–11pm daily, 8 Marina Boulevard #33-01
The value pick among the hotel rooftops, and the earliest opener. Lantern sits on the roof of The Fullerton Bay Hotel at Collyer Quay, low enough that the water and the skyline feel close rather than abstract, with a pool deck, rattan lounge seating and a view that runs from the CBD across Marina Bay. Its happy hour, 'The Skive Life', runs Monday to Friday from 3pm to 6pm (excluding public holidays) with selected drinks from S$10++, the cheapest way onto a proper hotel rooftop in this part of town. There's also a Tuesday Ladies Night, 'Golden Beats, City Lights', from 7pm till late with two hours' free-flow for ladies from S$38++, Brazilian Funk BBQ Sundays from 5–9pm with live samba on the last Sunday of the month, and a resident DJ from 7pm to 11pm Wednesday through Saturday. Open 3pm–1am Sunday to Thursday, and to 2am on Fridays, Saturdays and public holiday eves. One diary note: from 9 to 11 October 2026 the hotel has private events booked, so space is limited and designated areas are reserved for in-house guests. BEST FOR: after-work drinks that don't hurt, dates, and getting a railing seat before the sunset crowd.
'The Skive Life' happy hour Mon–Fri 3–6pm, selected drinks from S$10++ (excl. public holidays) · Ladies Night 'Golden Beats, City Lights' every Tuesday from 7pm, two hours' free-flow for ladies from S$38++ · Brazilian Funk BBQ Sundays 5–9pm (live samba on the last Sunday of the month) · resident DJ Wed–Sat 7–11pm · 9–11 Oct 2026: private events, limited space, areas reserved for hotel guests · open 3pm–1am (to 2am Fri, Sat & PH eves), rooftop of The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The new opening worth changing your plans for. Milli launched on 31 May 2026 across the top two floors of National Gallery Singapore at 1 St Andrew's Road, taking over the Level 6 rooftop that Smoke & Mirrors made famous, with the head-on view of the Padang, Marina Bay Sands and the whole civic-district skyline. Milli Sky Dining & Bar occupies Level 6 with alfresco seating; Milli Lounge on Level 5 is a club room running pop, disco funk, hip hop and R&B into the small hours. The team is the reason to pay attention: chef Han Liguang of the one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth, Vijay Mudaliar of Native, and Bae's Cocktail Club, with cooking and cocktails that push a modern Singaporean angle rather than hotel-bar standards. Open 11am–1am Sunday to Tuesday, 11am–3am Wednesday to Friday, and 11am–4am on Saturdays and eves of public holidays, with a DJ on the Level 5 lounge floor from 10pm daily. Set lunches start at $38++, which is the cheapest way to eat Han and Mudaliar's cooking without committing to a dinner bill. BEST FOR: dinner-then-dancing in one building, cocktail nerds, and anyone whose 'best rooftop bar' list still says Smoke & Mirrors.
Newly opened 31 May 2026. Milli Sky Dining & Bar (Level 6 rooftop) + Milli Lounge club room (Level 5), from Labyrinth's chef Han Liguang, Native's Vijay Mudaliar and Bae's Cocktail Club · open Sun–Tue 11am–1am, Wed–Fri 11am–3am, Sat & eves of PH 11am–4am (Level 5 lounge DJ from 10pm daily) · set lunches from $38++ · #05-02 / #06-01, 1 St Andrew's Road, National Gallery Singapore
The altitude pick. SKAI occupies Level 70 of Swissôtel The Stamford at 2 Stamford Road, higher than anything else here, and the view is the inland one most rooftops don't give you: the city stretching west and north behind the bay rather than the same Marina Bay postcard. It's a restaurant with a separate bar: SKAI Bar runs daily from 5pm to 1am (last reservation 11pm), while the dining room opens at noon. Programming is steady rather than rowdy. 'SKAI After Dark' runs nightly from 9pm with special DJ performances every Thursday, and the bar pours a cocktail list called 'SOLLA SYSTEM' by head mixologist Solla Park: 12 zodiac-inspired drinks grouped by element (fire, earth, air, water), plus four zero-proof versions. One rule to plan around, because no other bar here has it: the bar is 18 and over after 6pm. The themed high tea has changed hands too. The Winnie the Pooh sitting ran to 31 August 2026 and has been succeeded by a Disney and Pixar Toy Story-inspired high tea at SKAI, now dated 1 September to 30 November 2026 and served 12pm to 5.30pm with seatings from noon to 3.30pm, a two-hour table limit and a confirmed booking required. One date to check before you go: SKAI Bar is closed on 7, 8 and 9 September 2026 for private events, and the bar posts these one-off closures on its own homepage rather than anywhere else. Being indoors behind floor-to-ceiling glass also makes it the reliable choice when the weather turns, which in Singapore it does. BEST FOR: the highest view, rainy evenings, high tea, and a quieter drink than the party rooftops.
SKAI Bar open daily 5pm–1am (last reservation 11pm, last food order 11.30pm, last drinks order 12.30am), Level 70 Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road · minimum age 18 to enter after 6pm · 'SOLLA SYSTEM' cocktail list by head mixologist Solla Park: 12 zodiac-inspired drinks across fire, earth, air and water, plus 4 zero-proof versions · 'SKAI After Dark' nightly from 9pm, with special DJ performances every Thursday · Disney and Pixar Toy Story-inspired high tea at SKAI, 1 Sep–30 Nov 2026 (succeeding the Winnie the Pooh sitting, which ended 31 Aug 2026), served 12pm–5.30pm with seatings from noon to 3.30pm, confirmed booking required, 2-hour limit · SKAI Bar closed 7, 8 & 9 Sep 2026 for private events
The best-value rooftop in town, and the least pretentious. Southbridge sits on Level 5 of a heritage shophouse at 80 Boat Quay, low over the Singapore River with the CBD towers rising directly in front of you and Marina Bay Sands off to one side, a closer and more human-scale view than the Level 50-plus bars. It's open daily 5pm to midnight, and it runs a promotion every single night, each from 5–8pm: 'Ash & Agave' on Monday with mezcal cocktails at $16; Tiki Night on Tuesday (Hurricane and Pineapple Daiquiri at $16, Zombie Bridge at $20); Ladies Night on Wednesday with 1-for-1 Aperol Spritz and 1-for-1 Prosecco by the glass plus discounted bar snacks; and 'Sip & Swagger' on Thursday with the Boulevardier, Baracca Old Fashioned and Gin Fizz all at $18. Friday and Saturday bring discounted champagne (Remi Couvreur Brut NV at $98, down from $128; Billecart-Salmon at $158, down from $188; Ruinart at $288, down from $358), and Sunday runs 'Spritz Soleil' all day at $15 a glass. Two things to budget for: prices here are subject to 10% service charge and prevailing GST like everywhere else, and it's strictly 21 and over. BEST FOR: value, groups, and having a different reason to go every night of the week.
A deal every night, all 5–8pm. Mon 'Ash & Agave' mezcal cocktails $16 · Tue Tiki Night $16–$20 · Wed Ladies Night: 1-for-1 Aperol Spritz & 1-for-1 Prosecco by the glass · Thu 'Sip & Swagger' Boulevardier, Baracca Old Fashioned & Gin Fizz $18 · Fri & Sat champagne discounts (Remi Couvreur Brut NV $98 was $128, Billecart-Salmon $158 was $188, Ruinart $288 was $358) · Sun 'Spritz Soleil' all day $15. Prices subject to 10% service charge & prevailing GST. Age 21+. Open daily 5pm–12mn, 80 Boat Quay Rooftop Level 5
The fun one. Kinki's rooftop bar sits above its Japanese restaurant at 70 Collyer Quay, #02-02 Customs House, right on the waterfront, with Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum framed head-on across the water. The look is deliberately un-hotel: neon signage, murals by street artist ANTZ on the rooftop level, communal high tables and DJs building through the evening, which makes it the pick when you want a rooftop that feels like a night out rather than a lobby. Japanese food comes up from the kitchen downstairs, so bar snacks are a cut above. The rooftop opens 5pm till late Monday to Friday and 4pm till late on Saturday, and is closed on Sunday; last food order is 10pm and last drinks 10.45pm. It also runs the most overlooked happy hour on this list: 'Super Happy Hour', exclusive to the rooftop bar, Monday to Friday 5–8pm and Saturday 4–8pm: a Drinks Duo at $23++ (gin & tonic, vodka soda, highball, Chandon Spritz, sparkling, house red or white), a Draught Beer Duo at $26++ (Sapporo Premium, Conner's Stout Porter, Kronenbourg Blanc), 20% off the signature cocktails, and 'Geisha's Pour', two hours of free-flow at $48++ a head. That six-day window is wider than anything else here except 1-Altitude Coast, and on Saturdays, when Lantern's happy hour doesn't run at all, it's the only proper deal left in the city centre. Other perks: free corkage on Mondays, and a Saturday and public-holiday bottomless brunch at fixed 11.30am and 1.45pm seatings. Dress code is smart casual, with no singlets or flip-flops. BEST FOR: groups, birthdays, Saturday drinks, late DJ sets and the best straight-on Marina Bay Sands photo without paying Level 57 prices.
'Super Happy Hour' at the rooftop bar, Mon–Fri 5–8pm and Sat 4–8pm. Drinks Duo $23++ (gin & tonic, vodka soda, highball, Chandon Spritz, sparkling, house red/white), Draught Beer Duo $26++ (Sapporo Premium, Conner's Stout Porter, Kronenbourg Blanc), signature cocktails 20% off, and 'Geisha's Pour' 2-hour free-flow at $48++ per person (Saturdays: free-flow only) · Free corkage every Monday · Bottomless Brunch Saturdays & public holidays (fixed 11.30am & 1.45pm seatings, reservation required) · rooftop bar open Mon–Fri 5pm till late, Sat 4pm till late, closed Sunday (last food order 10pm, last drinks 10.45pm) · 70 Collyer Quay #02-02 Customs House · smart casual, no singlets or flip-flops
The one that swapped the CBD for the sea. After the original 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place closed permanently, the brand moved to Sentosa: 1-Altitude Coast now occupies Level 7 of The Outpost Hotel at 10 Artillery Avenue, a short walk from Imbiah monorail station. Instead of office towers you get open water, the shipping lanes and one of the few genuinely west-facing sunset views in Singapore, plus a rooftop infinity pool. It's also the earliest opener on this list, from 11am, with a Coastal Happy Hour running Monday to Thursday 11am to 7pm, a seven-hour window and the longest here by a distance. Sentosa's nightly fireworks are visible from the deck at roughly 7.40–8pm and 8.45–9pm, which no city rooftop can offer on a schedule. Hours are 11am–10pm Monday and Tuesday, 11am–12am Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 11am–2am Friday and Saturday, with Ladies Night on Fridays from 6pm. Where you sit decides whether there is a minimum spend at all: the poolside high tables, which seat two, carry none, while the pool deck lounge is $50++ per person on a weekday, $40++ per person for a weekend day session and $80++ per person at night. BEST FOR: sunset over water, fireworks, pool-deck afternoons and anyone who'd rather look at the sea than the CBD.
'Coastal Happy Hour' Mon–Thu 11am–7pm (the longest window on this list) · Corporate Night Thursdays from 6pm · Ladies Night Fridays from 6pm · Sentosa fireworks visible nightly around 7.40–8pm & 8.45–9pm · poolside high tables (2 pax) carry no minimum spend; pool deck lounge $50++ pp weekday, $40++ pp weekend day, $80++ pp night · rooftop infinity pool · open Mon–Tue 11am–10pm, Wed–Thu & Sun 11am–12am, Fri–Sat 11am–2am · The Outpost Hotel Level 7, 10 Artillery Avenue, Sentosa
| Rooftop bar | Where / level | Opens | Current deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CÉ LA VI SkyBar | Marina Bay Sands, L57 | Sky Bar 4pm, lounge 12pm | Ladies Night Wed 10pm–12am (Club Lounge) |
| LeVeL33 | MBFC Tower 1, L33 | 12pm–11pm daily | High Beer, weekdays 2–3.30pm |
| Lantern | The Fullerton Bay Hotel, rooftop | 3pm daily | Drinks from S$10++, Mon–Fri 3–6pm |
| Milli | National Gallery, L6 | 11am daily | New, opened 31 May 2026 |
| SKAI Bar | Swissôtel The Stamford, L70 | 5pm–1am daily | SKAI After Dark, Thu from 9pm |
| Southbridge | 80 Boat Quay, L5 | 5pm–12mn daily | A different deal every night |
| Kinki Rooftop Bar | Customs House, Collyer Quay | 5pm Mon–Fri, 4pm Sat | Super Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5–8pm, Sat 4–8pm |
| 1-Altitude Coast | The Outpost Hotel, Sentosa, L7 | 11am daily | Coastal Happy Hour, Mon–Thu 11am–7pm |
We went through eight of the city's best-known rooftops and pulled the level, opening hours and current promotions from each venue's own website rather than from the listicles, because two of the names those listicles still recommend have closed. Every venue and deal below was re-checked against its official site on 7 September 2026.
If a guide still lists either of the originals, it hasn't been checked this year.
Three names come up over and over when people search for a Singapore rooftop bar, and only one of them is still worth planning an evening around.
In Singapore the weather decides more rooftop evenings than the drinks list does, and "rooftop" here does not always mean "outdoors". Of the eight:
If you are deciding on the day and the sky looks uncertain, LeVeL33 or Milli keep both options open; if it is already raining, SKAI.
*Levels, opening hours, happy-hour times and promotion details in this article were taken from each venue's own website and last re-verified on 7 September 2026, and can change without notice, so confirm on the bar's site or socials before making a trip, and note that '++' prices gain service charge and GST at the till. Item photos: each venue's official photography. Cover image: Southbridge official.*
On straight price, Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel is the one to beat: its 'The Skive Life' runs Monday to Friday from 3pm to 6pm with selected drinks from S$10++, which is roughly what you'd pay at a regular bar for a view you'd normally pay triple for. It also starts earliest, at 3pm, so you can be seated before the after-work crowd arrives. If you want the most consistent value across the week rather than one cheap window, Southbridge on Boat Quay is the better pick, because it runs a deal every single night, each from 5–8pm: mezcal cocktails at $16 on Monday, Tiki Night on Tuesday, Ladies Night on Wednesday with 1-for-1 Aperol Spritz and 1-for-1 Prosecco by the glass, and 'Sip & Swagger' classics at $18 on Thursday (Boulevardier, Baracca Old Fashioned, Gin Fizz), plus discounted champagne on Friday and Saturday and Spritz Soleil all day Sunday at $15. Do note that Southbridge, like the hotel rooftops, adds 10% service charge and prevailing GST on top of the listed price, roughly 19% at the till, so a $16 cocktail lands nearer $19. It is also 21 and over only. The one most lists miss is Kinki at Customs House: its rooftop-exclusive 'Super Happy Hour' runs Monday to Friday 5–8pm and Saturday 4–8pm, with a Drinks Duo at $23++, a Draught Beer Duo at $26++, 20% off signature cocktails and a two-hour free-flow at $48++, and because it covers six days, it is the only city-centre rooftop deal still running on a Saturday, when Lantern's weekday happy hour stops. For beer specifically, LeVeL33 brews its own on Level 33 and runs a weekday 'High Beer' sitting from 2–3.30pm. Deals change, so check the venue's own promotions page before you go.
No. Smoke & Mirrors, the rooftop bar on Level 6 of National Gallery Singapore, has closed, and the space is now occupied by Milli, which opened on 31 May 2026 as part of the Gallery's F&B refresh. Milli is a two-level concept: Milli Sky Dining & Bar on Level 6, the rooftop portion with alfresco seating and the same skyline view Smoke & Mirrors was famous for, and Milli Lounge on Level 5, a club lounge playing pop, disco funk, hip hop and R&B. It's a heavyweight team (chef Han Liguang of the one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth, Vijay Mudaliar of Native, and Bae's Cocktail Club), so the drinks and food lean modern Singaporean rather than classic hotel-bar. Opening hours are Sunday to Tuesday 11am–1am, Wednesday to Friday 11am–3am, and Saturday and eves of public holidays 11am–4am. Worth flagging because many 'best rooftop bars in Singapore' lists still name Smoke & Mirrors; the other common outdated entry is 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place, which is permanently closed and has moved to Sentosa as 1-Altitude Coast.
Smart casual is the safe answer almost everywhere, and a few venues state it outright. Kinki, for instance, specifies smart casual and does not allow singlets or flip-flops. Hotel rooftops (Lantern, SKAI, CÉ LA VI) are stricter in the evening than at 3pm on a weekday, so if you're going straight from the beach or the gym, go early or change. As for booking: for a weekday happy-hour drink you can usually walk in, especially right when the bar opens, but for a table at sunset, any Friday or Saturday, or anything involving dinner, book. Sunset is the single busiest slot at every bar on this list, and the good railing-side tables go first. Special sittings need a reservation outright. Kinki's Saturday bottomless brunch runs at fixed 11.30am and 1.45pm seatings, SKAI's high tea requires a confirmed booking with a two-hour limit, and CÉ LA VI charges entry to the Sky Bar (S$38 nett before 10pm, S$48 nett after, each including one house pour), with table minimums on top (from $200++ per person for the 4–7.30pm sunset session). Two age gates also apply: Southbridge is 21 and over at all times, and SKAI Bar is 18 and over after 6pm. Also check the day and the door policy: Kinki's rooftop is closed on Sundays, Southbridge admits 21 and over only, while Southbridge and Lantern otherwise open seven days.
Not the National Day Parade ones, at least not from the Marina Bay rooftops on this list. NDP 2026 was held at the National Stadium in Kallang on 9 August, its first return there in a decade, so the outdoor fireworks went off over Kallang Basin, not over Marina Bay. Bars looking at the Marina Bay Sands skyline (CÉ LA VI, LeVeL33, Milli, Kinki, Southbridge) face the wrong way for the main display, though Lantern and the eastern-facing spots are closer to the action. If fireworks are the whole point of the evening, either head to a proper Kallang vantage point, or go to 1-Altitude Coast on Sentosa, where the island's own fireworks are set off nightly at roughly 7.40–8pm and 8.45–9pm and are visible from the Level 7 deck. That is a scheduled, year-round show rather than a one-night event. For NDP itself, the trick in any year is to go for the rehearsals in the weeks before 9 August, when the fireworks run without the crowds of the actual parade night, and to check where the parade is being staged first, because the venue moves and the rooftops that work move with it.
Outside happy hour, yes. A cocktail at a hotel rooftop typically lands between $25 and $30 before the '++', which is service charge and GST and adds roughly 19% at the till, so a $26++ drink is about $31 in real money. That's the number that surprises people. Inside happy hour the gap narrows sharply: Lantern's selected drinks from S$10++ work out to roughly $12 all-in, and Southbridge's $16 happy-hour cocktails come to about $19 once the same 10% service charge and GST are added, still less than half an off-peak hotel-rooftop cocktail. The practical move is to treat the rooftop as the first stop of the evening rather than the whole evening: arrive when the bar opens (3pm at Lantern, 5pm at Southbridge and SKAI, 11am at 1-Altitude Coast), have the view drinks at deal prices, then move on. Two other things that quietly add up: entry charges at club-leaning venues (CÉ LA VI's Sky Bar is S$38 nett before 10pm and S$48 nett after, every night, not just weekends), and table minimums if you want a reserved sofa, which at CÉ LA VI start from $200++ per person for a sunset slot. Neither applies if you're standing at the rail with a happy-hour glass.
It depends which skyline you mean, and there's a trap worth knowing: if you drink on top of Marina Bay Sands, Marina Bay Sands isn't in your view. CÉ LA VI on Level 57 gives you the definitive look down over Gardens by the Bay, the Supertrees and the water, but the building itself is under your feet, so it's the one view that can't include the icon. For the head-on Marina Bay Sands photograph, the postcard shot most people actually want, go to Kinki at Customs House or LeVeL33 across the bay at MBFC Tower 1: both look straight at it across open water, and Kinki is at second-storey height, so the towers read as towers rather than models. Milli, on Level 6 of National Gallery, gives the civic-district version, the Padang in the foreground with Marina Bay Sands behind it, which is the most 'Singapore' composition of the lot. For sheer altitude and the widest sweep, SKAI on Level 70 of Swissôtel The Stamford is the highest here, and it faces inland, so you see the city stretching west and north rather than the same bay everyone photographs. And if you want no skyline at all, 1-Altitude Coast on Sentosa faces open sea and is the only genuinely west-facing sunset on this list.
LAVO is open and it is genuinely up high, on Level 57 of Marina Bay Sands Tower 1, the same floor as CÉ LA VI, but it works differently from the eight above, which is why it sits in its own section rather than in the ranking. It came back in 2025 after a refresh as a coastal Italian restaurant with a rooftop bar attached, and its own listing gives hours of 11.30am to a 10.45pm last seating from Sunday to Thursday (drinks to 11.30pm) and 11.30am to 1am on Friday and Saturday (drinks to 12.45am), with a Social Hour on Tuesdays. What it does not have is a standing daily happy hour of the kind that makes Lantern, Kinki or Southbridge cheap to drop into, so if the plan is dinner with a Marina Bay view, LAVO is a fair booking; if the plan is a well-priced drink at 5pm, one of the eight above will cost you less. Two other names that come up in the same search and should not: Smoke & Mirrors has closed, and the original 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place is permanently closed.
Most of them. Lantern, LeVeL33, SKAI, Southbridge, Kinki, Milli and 1-Altitude Coast all let you walk in and pay only for what you drink, and there's no cover charge at the door, including at Milli Lounge, the club floor on Level 5. The exception on this list is CÉ LA VI's Sky Bar at Marina Bay Sands, which charges admission every night rather than just at weekends, with one house pour included in the price. Two groups skip that charge outside special events: children under 12, and guests staying at the Marina Bay Sands hotel; confirm the current rate when you book, as door policies at club-leaning venues change more often than happy hours do. Two other costs are worth separating from entry, because they catch people out. The first is table minimums: walking up to the rail is free everywhere, but reserving a sofa or a railing table at the busy venues carries a minimum spend, and at CÉ LA VI that starts from $200++ per person for the sunset session. The second is the '++' itself, 10% service charge plus GST and roughly 19% at the till, which applies at every bar here regardless of whether you paid to get in. In practice, the cheapest way onto a Singapore rooftop is to walk into Lantern at 3pm on a weekday or Kinki at 5pm, order inside the happy hour, and stand.
