Orange County beaches have seen record tourism in recent years, with SPF-slicked sunbathers packing the sands. As summer heats up and the desire for outdoor frolicking grows, look skyward for relief. The county offers a handful of choice rooftop restaurants that come with jaw-dropping views and al fresco eats. While skyscraper-studded metropolises like Los Angeles and San Francisco have the lion’s share of top-floor options, Orange County boasts a few standouts that compete with the best.

For this article, I’ve primarily selected truly high-elevation venues. This means some of your favorite rooftop eateries and lounges, like the Ruby’s in Corona del Mar or The Rooftop in Yorba Linda — both absolutely worth a visit — won’t be found on this list. Save for a couple, these dining experiences will be of the towering variety.

The Fifth Rooftop Restaurant and Bar

Found atop the Grand Legacy at the Park Hotel, this spot has views of Disneyland Resort and the theme park’s nighttime fireworks spectacle, making it a choice for day or night. Menu highlights include pork belly flat bread, Fifth and Chips (aka fish and chips), a cheeseburger with chopped bacon on a brioche bun, chorizo mac and cheese, surf and turf tacos, rib-eye steak, bread pudding bites, craft cocktails and more. The venue hosts Tiki Tuesdays and Whiskey Wednesdays with a bevy of Tiki-themed and rye-based cocktails, respectively, for $16 a pop.

1650 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim. 714-772-0899, thefifthoc.com

Mozambique

This Coast Highway spot, owned by restaurateur Ivan Spiers, who hails from South Africa, offers guests not only open-air dining in a spacious space with a dedicated bar, but a reprieve from the congested downtown Laguna area that sees a swell in tourists come summertime. Table umbrellas provide shade during sunny days, while heat lamps give diners warmth during chilly nights. The menu here focuses on wood-fired steaks, fish and other seafood, in addition to weekend brunches and daily happy hours. Halal lunch and dinner menus are also available.

1740 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. 949-715-7777, mozambiqueoc.com

Offshore 9 Rooftop Lounge

This lux spot overlooking the Pacific bills itself as “Orange County’s highest coastal, rooftop experience.” There’s the regular menu of shared plates (like oysters, a cheese and charcuterie board, beef sliders with truffle aioli, seafood chowder tots, carrot cake, creme brulee and more) plus craft cocktails, wines and Champagne, but Offshore 9 also hosts tony viewing parties during Independence Day and the annual Pacific Airshow, offering table buyouts for watching the pyrotechnics and aerial acrobatics.

21100 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. 714-845-8409, instagram.com/offshore9rooftoplounge

The Rooftop Lounge

Perched on the top floor of La Casa del Camino Hotel along Coast Highway, this lunch, brunch and dinner destination boasts 360-degree views of the ocean and hills. Truly, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Beyond an impressive list of cocktails and wine (including six Champagnes) are whipped feta, crabcakes, prosciutto, fig and goat cheese bruschetta, empanadas, sliders, tacos, salads and more. And if a sparkling wine-infused brunch leaves you feeling a bit too high on life, a leisurely one-minute stroll to the beach below is the remedy.

1289 Coast Highway, fourth floor, Laguna Beach. 949-497-2446, rooftoplagunabeach.com

Rise Rooftop Lounge

Offering views of Disney California Adventure, with the Pixar Pal-A-Round and the Incredicoaster seemingly within arm’s reach, this lounge at the Westin Anaheim Resort is a choice for an evening out in Anaheim. When night falls, diners can also check out Disneyland’s fireworks display (after 10 p.m., guests must be 21 or older). Comfy lounge couches and fire pits help give this sky-high venue a lounge feel, while umbrellas and glass panels shield patrons from the elements. Rise has a weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and dinner and cocktails from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Menu highlights include chicken tinga tacos, Thai “popcorn chicken” wings, queso fundido, oysters spiked with michelada sauce, pizza, sushi, an ube tres leche cake, and coconut and melon panna cotta.

1030 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 657-279-9786, rise-rooftop.com

Rosewood Social

Orange County’s rooftop dining experiences aren’t limited to ocean locales. Take this spot, with its expansive dining terrace (smack dab above Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria) overlooking Verdugo Street and Camino Capistrano. This Franciscan Plaza gem offers a unique vantage point of the weathered 1776 Mission San Juan Capistrano, providing a glimpse into California history. The South County eatery serves American and Asian-inspired fare. Notable dishes include wagyu dumplings, papaya salad, adobo pork ribs, miso cod, chicken karaage and filet mignon.

31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano; 949-503-2693, rosewoodsocial.com

Top of The V

The 12th-floor setting features a sleek, contemporary look with lounge seating galore, a dedicated bar and Spanish fare. The menu includes Ibérico cured meats, pan cristal (toasted bread slathered with tomato), charred cabbage with a honey-chile glaze, sea bass with brown butter and marcona almond, rack of lamb with tximitxurri (Basque chimichurri), shrimp al ajillo, charred octopus, bomba rice, chocolate flan and more. And as with the aforementioned Anaheim digs, guests can view Disneyland from afar as well as the Anaheim cityscape and busy freeway below.

1601 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim. 657-439-3289, topoftheviv.com