Dinner with a view: 9 of our favorite rooftop dining restaurants in Jacksonville
On the one hand, who wouldn't want to eat dinner on a rooftop, taking in fresh breezes and views of the city skyline? On the other hand, who'd want to eat dinner on the rooftop, where it's hot and noisy and buggy?
Whichever camp you're in, there are lots of options for rooftop dining in the Jacksonville area. All of these establishments also offer indoor dining, so you're OK if it's raining or too hot, noisy and buggy. In some cases, the dining room is downstairs and the rooftop is more of a bar.
So grab a drink and an appetizer and let's meet on the roof, shall we?
Burrito Gallery
90 Riverside Ave.
A burrito, a margarita and a view — it's difficult to top that. One of four Burrito Gallery locations in Northeast Florida, the Brooklyn Station restaurant offers a look at the downtown skyline in addition to its Tex-Mex menu and multiple flat-screen TVs at the upstairs bar. Sit back with a Tecate and some tacos or really get the night going with a cucumber margarita. If you look close, sometimes you can even see boats sailing down the St. Johns River.
Casa Marina Inn & Restaurant
691 First St. N., Jacksonville Beach
Maybe the best word to use for the view from the rooftop at Casa Marina is breathtaking. It's the one everybody always seems to use. Located just a few steps from the ocean — perfect for a stroll down the beach after a dinner and a drink — Casa Marina has tasty food (think delicious crab cakes) and plenty of specialty cocktails (try a martini) that go perfectly with the relaxing sounds of waves rolling in.
More great views: 10 restaurants with a waterfront view at Jacksonville’s Beaches
Cowford Chophouse
101 E. Bay St.
An old bank building in the heart of downtown Jacksonville — one of the first to open after a fire devastated much of the city in 1901 — was converted into a high-end steakhouse, opening in 2018. The Cowford Chophouse's rooftop bar offers great views of the Main Street bridge and offers dinner service for parties up to six, but its real appeal is as an after-work watering hole for downtown office workers or a spot for a quick drink before a show at the Times-Union Center or Florida Theatre, both within easy walking distance.
Review: Cowford Chophouse a throwback to downtown's fine dining era
Estrella Cocina
100 W. Bay St.
Sitting atop one of the VyStar campus buildings in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, Estrella Cocina offers tastes of Mexico's two coasts, plus soups, salads and specialty cocktails, housemade tortillas and salsas, all served for lunch or dinner. A separate menu is offered for Sunday brunch. Gather around one of the rooftop fire pits or grab one of the 150 or so seats and look down on the bustling streets, surrounded by the downtown office towers.
Hoptinger Bier Garden & Sausage House
1037 Park St.
What was once known as Peterson's 5 & Dime has earned a reputation as one of the better spots in town for a brew with a view. Downstairs, Hoptinger is regularly packed — with beers on tap, brats on the menu and guests ordering quite a bit of both. Upstairs, the rooftop bar offers a full view of the entire Five Points strip and into Riverside. Take a chance on the burger roulette for dinner before trying a specialty cocktail (or two). This is one old building that still has plenty of stories to share.
Review: Hoptinger Bier Garden u0026 Sausage House has the best wursts
Intuition Ale Works
929 E. Bay St.
The Intuition Ale Works brewery really is Easy on the Eyes. (If you don't get that joke, check out their list of beers on tap.) One of the city's leaders in craft brews since originally opening in Riverside in 2010, Intuition's location is perfect for anyone who enjoys the vibes in the heart of downtown. Look out from the rooftop bar, and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, TIAA Bank Field, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Daily's Place and the Jacksonville Fairgrounds are short walks away — ideal for grabbing a drink before a concert or Jumbo Shrimp or Jaguars home game. An in-house kitchen doesn't hurt either.
O-Ku
502 First St. North, Jacksonville Beach
One of the Jacksonville area's newest rooftop options is O-Ku, which offers sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine, next to Lynch's Irish Pub in Jacksonville Beach. It's part of a chain with seven locations in the Southeast. The rooftop offers views of the ocean and the Jacksonville Beach pier. O-Ku's menu includes small plates and nigiri, sashimi and makinono sushi rolls. Entrees include miso salmon, curry udon and teriyaki chicken donburi. It's open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and plans are reportedly in the works to add lunch hours.
More: O-Ku opens in Jacksonville Beach offering 'fresh and innovative take' on Japanese sushi and cuisine
RH Jacksonville, The Gallery at St. Johns Town Center
4831 Village Shops Way
A high-end home-furnishings store with a rooftop restaurant? Sure, why not? RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware, but it's not the kind of place you go when you need duct tape or drill bits) opened a three-level "gallery" at the St. Johns Town Center in 2021, selling decor, furnishings and artwork on the first two floors. Up top, it's anything but "throw a couple tables on the roof and call it a restaurant." Instead, it's more of a European-style garden, with sliding glass walls, olive trees and a fountain. The dinner menu features a signature RH burger, shaved ribeye and miso salmon, but the prices can be a bit of an eye-opener (the burger is $22, lobster roll is $34).
Review: RH rooftop restaurant wows at St. Johns Town Center
More: RH Jacksonville brings luxury home furnishings, rooftop dining to St. Johns Town Center
River & Post
1000 Riverside Ave.
Restaurants with rooftop dining aren't exactly a dime a dozen in Jacksonville, but the Riverside/Five Points area has three of them, with Black Sheep, Hoptinger and River & Post, across the street from the Cummer Museum. River & Post has a ground-level dining room and a rooftop lounge (reservations are for the dining room; the rooftop is first come, first served). The rooftop menu includes charcuterie, salads, appetizers and sushi, plus handcrafted cocktails — plus one of the best views in the city.
Review: River u0026 Post brings Southern flavors, unbeatable views
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville restaurants with a view: The best rooftop dining spots
