Which Bucharest hostel rooftop has the best view?

Neither is a traditional skyline rooftop — Bucharest is flat and the Parliament Palace blocks most long views from inside the ring. 5 Stars High's sun terrace faces a residential Sector 1 block; Popcorn's garden is interior-facing. For skyline views, you need Nomad Skybar or Linea (not hostels).

Are these rooftops open to non-guests?

Both are guest-only in principle. 5 Stars High occasionally lets locals in via the owner's invitation; Popcorn is strict guest-only. If you're staying elsewhere, a €4–9 drink on a downtown rooftop is the better path.

When are they actually open?

5 Stars High: sun terrace May–September only (garden closes in winter); Popcorn's garden is year-round but the BBQ and outdoor fireplace are May–October. Both close by 23:00 every night.

5 Stars High has the à la carte breakfast menu available on the sun terrace (limited dishes); Popcorn doesn't serve food — it's bring-your-own from Mega Image or Carrefour 3–8 minutes away.

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Bucharest Rooftop BarRanked guide

Best Hostels with Rooftop Bars in Bucharest

Bucharest's rooftop-bar hostel scene is tiny but concentrated: two of our five Bucharest hostels run a proper rooftop or sun terrace that doubles as a drinking spot. 5 Stars High in Sector 1 has a sun terrace with a bar that opens May to September; Popcorn near Gara de Nord has a sun terrace plus a garden with an outdoor fireplace and BBQ. Both are open to guests only, both close by 23:00, and neither has the "skyline view" of a Lipscani rooftop — Bucharest's rooftop-bar game is hostel-run, not a Hilton-scale operation.

◉ Ranking · 2 picks

015 Stars High Hostel€20
02Popcorn Hostel€14

§ 01 — Traveler's take

“I ran the two-rooftop tour over a Friday–Saturday in July. Friday I was at 5 Stars High in Sector 1 — the sun terrace is smaller than expected (maybe 25 seats) but the crowd was 80% guests and 20% locals the owner had invited in, and the bartender poured a proper Moscow Mule for 22 lei. Saturday I moved to Popcorn near Gara de Nord — the garden there is bigger, has an outdoor fireplace for evenings after the sun drops, and the BBQ scene is the whole thing: guests were grilling their own Obor-market mici on the terrace while the reception ran the Shoteria pub crawl pickup at 21:30. 5 Stars High is the quieter sunset pick; Popcorn is the louder social anchor. Pick 5 Stars High for a chill summer evening drink with your travel partner; pick Popcorn if you want to end up at Control at 01:00 with people you met three hours ago.”

§ 02 — The ranked list

Our Top 2 Picks

★ 8.5320 reviews€20/night

5 Stars High Hostel

5 Stars High Hostel is the 8.5-rated sun terrace + bar hostel on Strada Henri Coandă in Sector 1, a 10-minute walk from Piața Victoriei and the Museum of Art Collections. Private rooms only (no dorms), soundproofed walls, bar, garden, and the only 24-hour reception in the Henri Coandă cluster. Best value budget stay in the city per guests.

8.5 from 320 reviews with "best budget stay in the city" called out repeatedly — soundproof walls, heating that works through winter, daily housekeeping
Sun terrace with bar for evening drinks, garden seating downstairs, à la carte breakfast available (not buffet)
24-hour reception with actual humans — rare at this price point, useful for late Otopeni arrivals via the CFR train
Private rooms only (no shared dorms), family rooms with private bathrooms, ideal for couples and small groups wanting hostel-budget privacy

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★ 7.7420 reviews€14/night

Popcorn Hostel

Popcorn Hostel is the 7.7-rated backpacker hostel seven minutes on foot from Gara de Nord train station, with a sun terrace, shared kitchen, games room, outdoor fireplace, and evening entertainment programme. €14 dorms, walking-tour desk, BBQ facilities in the garden, and the most backpacker-heavy crowd of any Bucharest hostel we cover.

7.7 from 420 reviews — the highest review-count among Bucharest hostels we cover, with "close to station" and "great kitchen" cited repeatedly
Sun terrace, garden with outdoor fireplace, BBQ facilities — the social-scene anchor from May through September
Evening entertainment programme (live DJ nights, pub crawl pickups, trivia) — actually scheduled, not "ask reception"
7 min walk to Gara de Nord, 10 min by metro to Piața Universității / Lipscani; walking-distance to Otopeni CFR train platform

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§ 03 — Tips

Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Rooftop Bar in Bucharest

Tip Nº 01

5 Stars High's sun terrace opens in May and closes end of September; outside that window the garden shuts and drinks are served at the indoor lounge bar.

Tip Nº 02

Popcorn's BBQ kit is free to borrow but needs to be signed out at reception — grab pan and tongs, buy mici and beer at Obor or Mega Image, and set up in the garden on the picnic tables.

Tip Nº 03

Both rooftops close at 23:00 (quiet hours in dorms), so the Lipscani pub-crawl pickups at Popcorn time the 21:30 departure around that close — you'll finish drinks on the terrace, then walk to the first bar.

Tip Nº 04

Hostel rooftops in Bucharest aren't dressy — come in the shorts and flip-flops you were in all day, no bouncer is going to judge your outfit.

Tip Nº 05

The downtown rooftop bars (Nomad Skybar, Linea, Biutiful) are still worth one night for the skyline photo over the Parliament Palace — hit one as a splurge, but sleep and regular drinks at the hostel rooftops.

§ 04 — Other vibes