2KW Bar and Restaurant, Adelaide, South Australia © Jonathan van der Knaap
5 of Australia’s best rooftop venues
Take your event to new heights with five of Australia’s best rooftop venues. From relaxed bars and restaurants overlooking iconic Australian beaches to sophisticated spaces in the heart of Sydney and Melbourne, the sky is the limit with these memorable locations.
1. Harbourside glamour in Sydney
Zephyr bar, Hyatt Regency, Sydney, New South Wales © Geoff Lung
Located on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Regency Sydney, Zephyr offers front-row views across Darling Harbour. With timber flooring and a sleek design, this glamorous space can accommodate up to 200 guests for a cocktail event. Resident mixologist Grant Collins has crafted a menu of innovative cocktails especially for Zephyr, including barrel-aged vermouths served on tap and high-tech sous-vide infusions. The kitchen also draws inspiration from the bar, enhancing its canapés with fortified wines and rum reductions.
2. Inner-city cool in Melbourne
Rooftop at QT Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria © QT Melbourne
The QT Melbourne boutique hotel made a splash when it launched in 2016 thanks to its cutting-edge interiors and innovative dining options, including chic bistro Pascale Bar & Grill, hip Asian eatery Hot Sauce Laneway Bar and a French-style patisserie. The jewel in the QT crown is the 11th-floor Rooftop at QT, a faux-industrial space featuring polished concrete, timber and exposed light globes. Giving guests view of the city’s skyscrapers and laneways, it offers a quintessentially Melbourne setting. Reserve a space for 20 to 60 guests, or take over the entire Rooftop for up to 185 guests.
3. Alfresco entertaining in Adelaide
2KW Bar and Restaurant, Adelaide, South Australia © South Australian Tourism Commission
With an almost 360 degree view of Adelaide from the ocean to the Adelaide Hills, River Torrens and Government House, 2KW Bar and Restaurant delivers some of the city’s best vistas. Located on the eighth floor of a heritage-listed former bank, 2KW has been designed with flexibility in mind. The venue can comfortably hold 260 people with room on the outdoor Terrace for up to 120. Smaller groups can take over the tranquil Garden, or one of five of 2KW’s cabanas.
4. Iconic beach scenes in Sydney
Coogee Pavilion, Sydney, New South Wales © Coogee Pavilion
For spectacular beach views just 20 minutes from the centre of Sydney, ascend to the third floor of the Coogee Pavilion. Overlooking Coogee Beach, the Rooftop has been designed to look like an eccentric botanist’s conservatory, right down to the leafy greenery, vintage wildlife prints and cabinets filled with specimen jars. A choice of four indoor and outdoor bars offers flexibility, with the outdoor terrace the pick of the bunch for alfresco functions. The entire space can be exclusively hired for between 100 to 600 guests.
5. Framing the skyline in Brisbane
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane, Queensland © Tourism and Events Queensland
Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) may be packed with contemporary artworks, but on the GOMA Roof Terrace on level 4, all eyes are on the impressive views of the city skyline, Brisbane River and sculptural Kurilpa Bridge. This expansive timber-floored space strikes an ideal balance between interior comfort and alfresco charm – it’s open on all sides to allow maximum views, while a roof protects guests from the elements. The GOMA Roof Terrace can host up to 200 for cocktail events or 160 to 180 for seated banquets, and is available for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks functions. Catering comes courtesy of GOMA’s award-winning chef, Josue Lopez, who showcases top-quality produce from Queensland, including seafood, meats and Australian native ingredients.
