Trending: Wellington's best rooftop bars

Wellingtonian and Dish contributor Rhett Goodley-Hornblow discovers what's taking the capital's hospitality scene to dizzy new heights.

Not so long ago, the thought of opening a rooftop bar in a city like Wellington would have been a far-fetched idea, but dreams do come true.

In the past three years alone, the capital has seen six new rooftop bars pop up, each staking their claim for the hottest address in town. For those seeking a relaxing post-work drink and a hefty dose of fresh, open air – this is the place.

Here, I visit all six bars on a stunning Wellington day, to discover not only what I should be drinking and eating, but learning from the bar owners themselves what exactly inspired them to take their bar to the next level.

Bar: Queen of Jackson, Petone

What inspired you to build a rooftop in a city like Wellington?
Monique: "We opened in October 2014, and quickly became a celebrated and integral part of Petone's skyline, with yearly themed transformations to keep the excitement alive. Snuggle up with us during the Winter or lounge in the urban heat during summer. All you need to do is follow the calorie counted staircase to the top and then immerse yourself in the rich culture and colours of this year's theme 'Alice in Ciderland'."

What are you drinking?
"We have 12 or more cider flavours to choose from on the rooftop this summer – perfect for cooling off in this heat wave. We also provide full range of local and international craft beer and fine wine but our specialty is cocktails."

Crowd-pleasing cocktails:
Ginger Kiss – Tastes exactly like the Ginger Kiss biscuit
Bittersweet Symphany – Aperol, Vanilla Vodka, lemon, passionfruit
Banana Old Fashioned – Banana infused bourbon, smoked maple syrup.

What are the punters eating?
"A majority of the components in our dishes are handmade, from the bourbon sauce in our pulled pork tacos to the hand-rolled steamed beef dumplings – even the bowls they’re served in.

We change our menu regularly so that we can bring you the freshest produce available and there’s no food envy here because all of our dishes are designed to be shared, order a little or a lot. One dish that would never be able to leave our menu due to such popular demand is the chicken karaage, topped with sriracha kewpie, kimchi slaw."

Bar: Bethel Woods, Wellington CBD

What inspired you to build a rooftop in Wellington?
Jane: "We opened Bethel Woods in September 2014, the inspiration behind the rooftop stemmed from providing a garden-like sanctuary for our customers. We are situated on The Terrace, in a corporate environment so we really wanted to create a setting where our customers can relax and unwind in a peaceful, outdoor, sunny space."

What are your drink recommendations? 
"We pride ourselves on serving a selection of craft beer. We have 18 rotating taps that feature a mix of local and international brews. One of our favorites is The Naturalist by Fortune Favours, an unfiltered pale ale, which boasts citrus flavors, hoppy notes a little orange marmalade and sherbet too! And of course, what would a rooftop bar be without frozé (frozen rosé) topped with edible flowers."

What's are the most-popular menu offerings?
"The menu at Bethel Woods is inspired by American Barbecue. We smoke all our own meat, in-house low and slow for the perfect smoky barbecue flavour. One of our most popular dishes is our pulled pork poutine. Crispy fries topped with house-made pulled pork, melty cheddar cheese, gravy, sour cream and spring onions, it's perfect for sharing and goes great with The Naturalist by Fortune Favours."

Bar: Arborist Rooftop Bar & Eatery, Wellington CBD

What inspired you to build a rooftop in Wellington?
Matt: "We opened the rooftop bar in early October 2015 after refitting and establishing our street level eatery. we knew it was possible After visiting many rooftop bars around the world, cities like Melbourne and San Francisco have similar climates to wellington and still boast numerous successful rooftop venues.

Our goal was to build a secret treetop garden oasis in the heart of the city, taking inspiration from our favourite spots we had visited over the years. We created a vibrant environment with plenty of greenery and low comfy seating, perfect for stretching out and relaxing in the sun."

What should the punters be drinking?
"We recommend guests try one of our frozen cocktails. Made with real ingredients (no fake flavour additives here). They are super refreshing and perfect for when the sun is out. Flavours change from time to time, right now we are loving the Margarita, Singapore Sling and froze’ that we have on."

Pick of the menu?
"On the food front we keep it simple but delicious with our favourite bar snacks and burgers cooked right up on the roof.  We also offer a range of sharing platters, these are a firm favourite with groups looking for light lunch or early pre dinner bite."

Bar: The Hop Garden, Mt Victoria

When did the bar open its rooftop and what was the inspiration?
Ben: "We opened the rooftop on St Patrick's Day 2016, We are a garden bar with a glass roof down stairs so the natural step forward was to open a rooftop bar where the car park was located. It has a real urban feel as we are located just off the beaten track, on the lower slopes of Mt Victoria."

What are your drink recommendations?
"Gin is perfect, we have a range of over 30 boutique gins from around the world. Caorunn from Speyside is my current gin of choice, it's wonderfully floral, with hints of orange and rosemary, serve with East Imperial Yuzu tonic, a slice of orange and a couple of juniper berries to garnish.

We are also known for our ever changing craft beers, supporting local breweries as often as we can. North End 'Become the Ocean' is the top pick, slightly salty, sour but ever so refreshing."

Recommend a meal that the punters love?
"We offer a small plates and sharing menu. Our hand cut chips appear to have a cult following, especially when lathered in the various toppings we offer. Smoked beetroot is delicious, salt and pepper squid is a hit and we often sell out of chicken wings due to the high demand."

Bar: Basque, Te Aro

When did the bar open and what inspired the rooftop?
Maria: "We actually took over the site in winter 2014, The inspiration for Basque came from sailing around Spain, in particular San Sebastian with it's amazing pintxo bars, and the rooftops in particular. We had seen quite a few cool ones in Melbourne as well so we thought it could work here. We actually did crowdfunding for the rooftop and raised 40,000 in a week.

We had a heck of a lot of red tape to get through and didn't end up opening the rooftop until June 2015, one year on. Any half decent day in summer or winter is busy on the roof and we have some heaters to help with the elements."

What are the must-try drink recomendations?
"Our main drawcard is craft beer, of course, but predominantly our extensive sangria menu. Being a tapas inspired bar we wanted to offer the fun aspects of Spain too, and the sangria menu with 10 different flavours has been a huge hit.

The most popular flavours are the “Peach” – white wine, sparkling cava, peach nectar, sparkling peach juice, peach schnapps & raspberries and “Summer” – sparkling cava, strawberry liqueur, pomegranate juice, blood orange soda, strawberries, orange slices."  

What menu items do I need to order?
"If I was to suggest a perfect spread of tapas for two it would be this. Croquetas: three cheese with red pepper jam, paella: chorizo, prawn and chicken or the vege or vegan option of green and soy beans with mint and Serrano ham. Gambas – prawns in lemon, garlic and almonds and patatas bravas with spicy tomato and chipotle sauce and paprika aioli. Finish with some churros with Baileys and coffee aioli and chocolate sauce to follow."

Bar: Dirty Little Secret, Te Aro

What inspired you to build a rooftop in Wellington?
Lisa: "We opened Dirties in December 2015, so we have been open for just over 2 years. The fit-out was inspired by the rooftop bars and laneways in Melbourne. Our main service bar is made out of a shipping container and we have decorated the walls with local graffiti art, taking the street vibe into the skyline."

What are your drink recommendations?
"Dog Point Sav Blanc is our most popular wine here, it’s a crowd pleaser and customers love the fresh acidity and notes of dried herbs. Also, try the Red Cocktail which is a firm favourite here, made with Absolut Vodka, Mt Hector Pinot Noir, raspberry liqueur, berry jam and cranberry juice – perfect on a sunny day."

Pick of the menu?
"We specialise in platters and burgers here at Dirties, the most popular platter is our cheese platter, which great value for money and easily matched with our selection of fine wine and beer. Also, look out for our barbecue days on the rooftop with freshly cooked Kiwi classics served straight off the grill."

Do you have a favourite rooftop bar in Wellington? Let us know in the comments below.