Nightlife: Stairways to heaven

Is it warm yet? Did it stop raining? Can we please get on with our summer?

OK, good. Because we want to do what we do best in Minnesota: get outside where we can eat, drink and be merry.

The best outdoor dining and drinking is the rooftop experience -- sitting high above the world and enjoying a cool breeze.

These days, the Twin Cities has a bunch of rooftop patios, from perennial all-stars like Stella's Fish Cafe to those just making their debuts. This summer's most high-profile opening is definitely Seven Sushi's rooftop in downtown Minneapolis. The folks at Seven have been working on their enormous Seven Sky Bar for a long time -- and it shows.

Other rooftops are worth a look, too. This guide should give you all you need to know about rooftop nightlife in the Twin Cities. We asked the owners and managers to give us their picks for the best seat in the house.

Now go catch some sun -- nasty weather permitting, of course.

The spot: It's huge, and they've spared no expense. No plastic chairs here -- seating is a mix of cast-aluminum swivel chairs and eye-popping red super sofas. There's a fire pit, pergolas, two granite-top bars and a movie screen. Oh, and downtown's tallest buildings loom overhead.

700 Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-238-7777, 7mpls.com

The spot: This Uptown staple has been Minneapolis' most coveted rooftop destination. Luckily, the three-story mega-restaurant can fit a gazillion people on its rooftop, with a picture-perfect view of downtown.

Best seat: "The corner table that overlooks Lagoon Avenue," says owner Bob Carlson. "The downtown skyline is in your view and it's just awesome. It's where we sat Vince Vaughn this past summer."

1400 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-824-8862, stellasfishcafe.com

The spot: Perched high above the lights of Hennepin's theater district, its view is slightly obscured by a billboard. But the tapas joint turns this annoyance to good use, using the back as a screen for its summer movie series on Mondays and Tuesdays (next week: "Office Space" and "The Big Lebowski").

900 Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-338-0062, solera-restaurant.com

The spot: This Irish bar considers its second-floor sanctuary more of a terrace, but it's St. Paul's closest thing to a rooftop bar.

Best seat: "The best view is of the Cathedral [of St. Paul] shining down on us," says owner Kieran Folliard. "People can get dispensation to carry on and have a good time. And if things aren't going so well, you can look up and ask for forgiveness."

175 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-556-1420, theliffey.com

The spot: Fresh-cut grass and downtown car exhaust collide at Brit's. "The Deck" is 10,000 square feet of green where you can lawn-bowl, enjoy "Shakespeare on the Lawn" and watch outdoor movies. The recently added Veranda has more outdoor dining one floor up.

1110 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-332-3908, britspub.com

The spot: Five stories up, Chambers has an excellent nighttime view of the action on Hennepin. The boutique hotel plans some fun changes to its chic rooftop bar this summer.

Best seat: "A corner table where you can see both directions up and down Hennepin and 9th," says general manager Cliff Atkinson.

901 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-767-6900, chambersminneapolis.com

The spot: Uptown's other rooftop belongs to this always-packed party bar. The space is large enough for any number of revelers to clear up their beer goggles with a dose of fresh air.

1400 Lagoon Av., Mpls., 612-824-3333, theoriginalfunbar.com

The spot: Situated between bustling downtown and busy Uptown, the Loring Park rooftop has a tranquility amplified by the Basilica of St. Mary, which overlooks the bar like a guardian angel saying, "Don't drink too much."

Best seat: "If you sit at a round table in the middle, you can see downtown, then to your left you can see the basilica and to the right you can see the park," says owner Joe Kaplan.

1610 Harmon Pl., Mpls., 612-904-1163, joes-garage.com

thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909