Sacramento sunsets and skylines: Here are the best restaurants and bars with great views
Sacramento’s summer heat can be oppressive in June and July. It’s still hot during the day, but August and September evenings are ideal for getting outside to enjoy time on the river or looking at Sacramento’s skyline.
Eating and drinking outside is where Sacramento excels. There are plenty of great places to enjoy a view or catch a vibe accompanied with good music and food. Before summer ends, which probably won’t be until mid-October, check out some of these places rooftop bars and riverfront restaurants in Sacramento.
Revival at Kimpton Sawyer Hotel
Revival is a sophisticated bar and lounge on the third floor of the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel and on their terrace is a rooftop atmosphere that overlooks DoCo. It’s the perfect place to start, spend, or end the night as the venue offers appetizers, small plates, desserts and premium beverages. It sits next door to the Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings.
500 J St.
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Dinner until 9 p.m.)
Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight (Dinner until 10:30 p.m.)
Guests must be age 21 and over to enter.
Clayton Club Rooftop Lounge
Spend the end of the week at Clayton Club at the Hyatt Centric on the rooftop terrace in an adults-only atmosphere. Enjoy the selection of small bites, fine wine or craft beer. The bar and lounge is the intersection of upscale and laid back.
1122 7th St.
Hours:
Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight
Guests must be age 21 and over to enter.
Darling Aviary
Darling Aviary is a fairly new bar and looking to establish itself as a chill hangout where people come to spread love in a socially safe environment. The Darling Aviary bar is owned by the same owners of The Flamingo House, hence the bird reference. The establishment has a rooftop option on the second floor to enjoy the Sacramento evenings with views of K Street and the Golden 1 Center.
712 K St.
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Guests must be age 21 and over to enter.
Midtown Gastro Bar/The Rooftop/Sacrament Brewing
This spot on J Street was formerly known as Burgers and Brews. It now operates as three distinct businesses running in the same building, each with their own operating hours. Downstairs, Sacrament Brewing has its beer on tap. On the next level is the Midtown Gastro Bar and inside is where you can enjoy their food and beverages. On the roof is The Rooftop bar, which is where you can enjoy cocktails on cushioned seats watching the Sacramento sunset.
1616 J St.
Hours:
The Rooftop
Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. to midnight
Midtown Gastro Bar
Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight
Saturday, noon to midnight
Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.
The Virgin Sturgeon Restaurant & Marina
The Sturgeon, as some call it, is a little hideout located along the Sacramento River. The establishment opened in 1976, offering an assortment of seafood and classic American bar food. Whether you bring a date, friends or family, the restaurant has a nice view of the river if you choose to eat out on the dock. You can drive to the eatery or travel via the river, as The Sturgeon offers free dockside parking. Space inside the restaurant is limited, so if you’re dining with a party larger than six, reservations are recommended and can be made at 916-921-2694.
1577 Garden Highway
Hours:
Monday and Tuesday, closed
Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Bar closes at midnight on Friday)
Saturday, 10 a.m to 10 p.m. (Bar closes at midnight)
Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
All ages welcome, 21 and over after 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
Chevy’s On The River
Chevy’s Fresh Mex is an American food chain founded in 1986. The casual dining restaurant is popular for its Mexican food options, but probably even more known for happy hour and daily specials beginning at 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and served all day Sunday. The cantina offers a weekend brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring mix and match bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys for $12. Whether dining inside or outside for a riverfront view, Chevy’s is a good fiscal option.
1369 Garden Highway
Hours:
Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Crawdad’s On The River
Crawdad’s On The River has served Sacramento since 1986 and is established as one of the city’s favorite seafood restaurants and bars on the river. The food is fresh and the drinks are stiff. The location is prime for sunset dinners accompanied by a riverside view. Crawdad’s offers live entertainment on the weekends where patrons can relish in music sets by guest artists and musicians. It transitions into a nightlife bar from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. as a part of Sunset Sunday events.
1375 Garden Highway
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight
All ages welcome.
Swabbies on the River
Swabbies sits on the Sacramento River covered by the shade of 60-foot trees. They serve authentic marina food for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Guests adore the tacos, burgers and cheesesteaks, accompanied by 19 beers on tap. Mostly on the weekends, Swabbies hosts ticketed live band performances. The riverside restaurant and bar allows guests to feel like they’re visiting a beachfront ambiance on the ocean.
5871 Garden Highway
Hours:
Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m to 9 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Joe’s Crab Shack
Joe’s Crab Shack was founded in Houston in 1991 and now has 46 locations around the country serving casual seafood, including crab buckets and stuffed shrimp. The location in Old Sacramento is open daily and includes happy hour, Monday through Friday. The seafood junction is a place for the entire family to enjoy coastal plates such as fried shrimp platters, steam pots and fish entrees. Sit on the patio deck, grab a bib and enjoy.
1210 Front St.
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Rio City Cafe
The Rio City Cafe opened its doors to Old Sacramento in May 1994. It’s a casual dining experience with a view of the Tower Bridge and West Sacramento’s Ziggurat building (the one that looks like a pyramid). The restaurant sits on the Sacramento River, where they serve an assortment of dishes to enjoy on an outdoor patio. There’s also indoor seating, which has a fireplace for guests to stay cozy during the winter. The cafe focuses on California cuisine and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Be sure to check for fine wines from Napa and other wineries in California.
1110 Front St.
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Pilothouse
The Pilothouse Restaurant and Delta Bar and Grill is located inside of the Delta King Hotel, which sits on a dock along the Old Sacramento waterfront and shares views of the Sacramento River. It’s an upscale-casual eatery offering fresh seasonal dishes featuring ingredients from local farms. Thursdays through Sundays, there is live music to set the ambiance. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, however breakfast is for hotel guests only. Reservations are recommended. Call the Pilothouse Restaurant at 916-441-4440.
1000 Front St.
Dinner hours:
Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Scott’s Seafood on the River
Some consider this to be fancy living, fine dining, so expect to spend hard-earned cash. Scott’s Seafood opened in January 2008 and has since won many awards for its cultivated dishes and an outside terrace which looks over the Sacramento River. During the wintertime, they bring out the fire pits and activate a heated patio. If your pockets don’t stretch that far but you still want to go enjoy the atmosphere, visit Scott’s for happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
4800 Riverside Blvd.
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All ages welcome.
Anchored Eats
If you ever find yourself at Folsom Lake or Lake Natoma on the weekends or holidays, search for the “floatin’ food boat.” Anchored Eats was established in 2021 by a group of friends who had a vision of bringing a food boat to the place they frequented the most during summers — the lake. Their goal is to provide high-quality food at an affordable price. And please be sure to keep the lake clean.
Folsom Lake / Lake Natoma
Hours:
Saturday and Sunday (and holidays), 10 a.m. to sunset
This story was originally published August 5, 2022 at 5:25 AM.
