Shanghai from above: rooftops and sky-high views

Shanghai is a city best seen from above, and best of all at dusk, when the Bund’s facades light up and Lujiazui answers across the river. The rooftops and high rooms in our guide, on both banks.

Every evening, a little before dark, Shanghai puts on its show. The granite banks and domes of the Bund light up in gold; across the Huangpu, the towers of Lujiazui flicker into colour, and the river fills with lit boats. You can watch from the promenade, but the best seats are higher up.

Lujiazui

On the Pudong bank, Flair, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong’s rooftop restaurant and bar on the 58th floor, is the city’s highest rooftop venue, in the hotel’s words, with the Oriental Pearl Tower almost close enough to touch. It opens from noon, so come for a late lunch or for sunset; the dress code is smart casual. Downstairs, the hotel’s Aura Lounge serves afternoon tea, then live music after dark.

At river level, Qi Bar at Mandarin Oriental Pudong looks straight across the water at the Bund.

The Bund

The Bund side looks the other way, at the skyline. The Peninsula Shanghai’s Sir Elly’s Terrace, at the northern end of the waterfront, takes in the whole sweep of the river, with the Compass Bar a few floors below. On Nanjing Road East, The Shanghai EDITION has ROOF, an open-air lounge on the 29th floor under an ivy-covered trellis, and the reservation-only Punch Room, whose windows are filled with Pudong’s towers. ROOF is closed for November 2026, so check before you go.

At dusk the Bund lights up, and Lujiazui answers from across the river.

The North Bund

Downstream, in Hongkou, Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund has TALES, its rooftop restaurant and bar, with a Sundown Ritual for the moment the lights come on.

Higher still

For the view without a glass in hand, ride to the Top of Shanghai Observatory, on the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower, at 632 metres the tallest building in China; the lift climbs to 546 metres and the view runs all the way round.

Our advice: book a terrace table for half an hour before sunset and stay for the lights, which usually come on as dusk falls; take the observatory in daylight, when you can see how far the city goes.