1. Hugo’s Terrace, St Julian’s

Overlooking St George’s Bay in St Julian’s, Hugo’s Terrace is busy most nights of the week, but it truly heaves and thumps on the weekends. The rooftop terrace atop this watering hole offers the Hugo combination of classic cocktails – the mojito is a perennial favourite – and food inspired by the four corners of the globe. The view really comes into its own at night, when it twinkles with the lights of hotels and bars around the bay.
Hugos Terrace, St George’s Road, Paceville. Tel: +356 2016 2495. Opening hours: every day from noon – 4am.

2. Lounge 360 at The Palace, Sliema

The hotel with, probably, the best views in Sliema, The Palace hosts Lounge 360 on the top floor and, as the name suggests, offers 360-degree views of the surrounding areas. And, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the sight of the Valletta skyline at sunset – an iconic vista you’ll want to revisit time and time again.
Lounge 360, The Palace, High Street, Sliema. Tel: +356 2133 3444. Open every day from 5pm.

3. City Lounge, Valletta

As you walk through the main thoroughfares of the capital, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this grid-like city also never quite gets its shuteye. Once the bars and restaurants pull their shutters down, the shops pull theirs up, in a synchronised movement of daily routine. City Lounge, overlooking one of the city’s most striking open-air piazzas – St George’s Square, presided over by the Grandmaster’s Palace – takes you off the streets for a time-out, in which you can observe the rhythm of routine with a glass of prosecco in hand.
City Lounge, St George’s Square, Valletta. Tel: +356 2122 8144. Opens from 11am – 2am.

4. Taza Skybar at db San Antonio, Qawra

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between the three towns of St Paul’s Bay, Bugibba and Qawra: their limestone reaches bleed into each other. But, from above, away from the crowds of the promenade and the British-style pubs and restaurants selling anything from fish and chips to all-day English breakfasts, Taza Skybar is high enough to be able to spot the distinguishing features of each town. But, above all, the view, featuring St Paul’s Islands and wide sea vistas, gives you a taste of what this area of the island has to offer.
Taza Skybar, db San Antonio, Qawra. Tel: +356 2158 3434. Opening hours: 7:30pm-10:30pm.

5. RedWhite, Rabat

This restaurant-cum-bar, nestled in one of the ancient streets of Rabat, sits atop a five-star eatery, but the rooftop terrace itself offers affordable food and drink you can imbibe at leisure. The view is as village core as it can get – church domes, knitted streets and wooden balconies predominate.
RedWhite, 62, Triq San Pawl, Rabat. Tel: +356 9910 9911. Open every day from 11am.