Have dinner on a rooftop

Dinner on a rooftop is a meal with the city laid out around you: the sky going orange, then the lights coming on below. Book the table for just before sunset and you get two views in one evening, which is why it's a favorite for birthdays, anniversaries and last nights.

Where to do it

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is famous for its sky bars. Hotel towers in Silom and Sathorn have open-air restaurants far above the river and the traffic of Thailand's capital. Dress codes are common (no flip-flops or sportswear), and open terraces close in heavy rain.

Istanbul, Turkey

Rooftop terraces in Sultanahmet and around Galata look over the water to the domes and minarets of the old city. At sunset the call to prayer drifts across the rooftops of Turkey's great city. Many small hotels have a terrace restaurant open to non-guests.

Marrakech, Morocco

Roof terraces around Jemaa el-Fna let you watch the square fill with food stalls and smoke as night falls, with the Koutoubia minaret lit nearby. Riads all over Morocco's red city serve dinner on the roof. Not every place serves alcohol, so ask.

Udaipur, India

Rooftop restaurants along Lake Pichola look across the water at the City Palace and the Lake Palace on its island, both lit after dark. It's one of the most romantic dinner views in India; ask for a table on the lake side.

Florence, Italy

From hotel roof terraces in the center you look straight at Brunelleschi's dome over a sea of terracotta roofs. Many rooftops in this part of Italy open only from spring to autumn.

Singapore

Around Marina Bay, rooftop restaurants look over the water at the skyline, with Gardens by the Bay below. In Singapore the weather is warm year-round, but sudden tropical storms can clear a terrace in minutes.

Mexico City, Mexico

Terraces around the Zócalo face the Metropolitan Cathedral and the giant flag in the square. Mexico's capital sits high on a plateau, so evenings get cool even in summer; bring a layer.

New York, United States

Rooftops in Manhattan and Brooklyn frame the Empire State Building or the skyline across the East River. Here, as in much of the United States, many rooftops open only in warm months, and sunset tables go first.

When to go

Look up the sunset time for your date and book 30 to 45 minutes before it. You get daylight, the sunset and the city lights in one sitting. Dry-season and shoulder-season evenings are the safest bets for an open terrace.

How to make it happen

• Ask for an edge or view table when you book, and ask whether it costs extra or has a minimum spend.
• Ask what happens if it rains. Some move you inside; some cancel.
• Bring a layer. It's windier and cooler up high than on the street.
• Check the dress code, especially at hotel sky bars.
• Do it cheaply: go for a sunset drink on the roof and eat dinner somewhere else, or pick a family-run rooftop over a famous one. The view is often what you pay for.
• For photos at night, turn off the flash, hold the phone against a railing, and shoot through gaps rather than glass.

Watch the same sunset from the water another night, or try a rooftop at home as a way to see your city at night.