Nothing beats a view of Los Angeles from above. Peer downtown and you’ll spy City Hall and the US Bank Tower. Head toward Hollywood and you’ll glimpse its rolling, mansion-dotted hills and its eponymous sign tucked between them. Keep going west and you’ll eventually spot the Pacific coastline with its jutting piers, foaming shores and jagged cliffs. And there are countless more neighborhoods between those horizons that boast their own spectacles.

As for where to soak in the sights, you have a slew of options. There’s the reward of hiking to the top of a trail, but as summer approaches, L.A.’s rooftop restaurants and bars prove more tempting, offering incomparable vistas alongside sparkling pools, creative cocktails, prime people-watching and, of late, memorable meals. While delicious food can be a bit of an anomaly for rooftops, where the focus is often on socializing and drinking, several newcomers stand out with worthwhile culinary programs in addition to remarkable views.

In downtown, a hospitality group led by Issa Rae is offering a lush, Mexico City-inspired nightlife option, complete with tacos and churros to fuel late-night dancing. At the Original Farmers Market, you can pair views of the historic marketplace with a panko-oyster topped hand roll. And in Westchester, you can order hyperseasonal ceviche as airplanes roar overhead.

Perched in these uplifted environments, it’s hard not to be enveloped by a sense of optimism. It’s similar to looking out the window on a descending flight home, silently naming landmarks as they come into view and chuckling at the blinking brake lights on the zigzag of freeways below. With a distanced and wider perspective, you’re reminded of all the reasons you love this city.

We get a little loose with the definition of rooftop for this guide, including a multilevel terrace and pool in Silver Lake and a farm-to-table restaurant at the edge of Malibu Pier, but we promise you’ll be grateful for these liberties once you take in the panoramas. Some are perfect for a dinner date, while others are great for catching up with friends over drinks and a few are best suited for dancing after dark. Here are 50 of the best rooftop restaurants and bars, overlooking Disneyland resort, Laguna Beach, downtown L.A., Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice and beyond, ranked by height. — Danielle Dorsey