The Conrad, the newly minted crown jewel of Hilton’s D.C. properties, is primed to open a rooftop bar in CityCenterDC that will attract the type of people who can afford to shop in the posh Penn Quarter development.
Summit the Rooftop is slated to start service on Monday, May 20, luring customers to the 11th floor with cocktails ranging from an Old Fashioned and a margarita to a peach caipirinha. Zach Luther, the venue’s lead bartender, has also come up with a Parisian Party — La Colombe cold brew with vermouth, absinthe, Demerara sugar, and soda — and a Glasgow Maid that blends Johnnie Walker Black with vermouth, cucumber, lemon, and a salt garnish.
In addition to a buffet of panoramic views that could make Summit a launching pad for enjoying Fourth of July fireworks, the rooftop will serve small plates including roasted pork “wings,” Maryland crab mac and cheese, and bone-in short ribs with a Calabrian chile glaze that come as part of a multi-person taco platter for $40. Scotch-smoked s’mores are available for an outdoor dessert.
Summit menu by on Scribd
Summit isn’t affiliated with Estuary, the modern Chesapeake restaurant and bar from the Voltaggio brothers in the third floor of the sharp, minimalist building, but at least one item is one the menu at both places. Cured Surryano ham from Edwards Virginia Smokehouse is part of the charcuterie plate at the rooftop perch.
The Conrad officially announced its opening in March. Estuary soon garnered attention for an open kitchen featuring Top Chef alumni working at a Ferrari-red Molteni stove and inventive dishes such as Maryland crab rolls served with crab-spiced plantain chips, avocado confit, and pastrami made out of sous vide cuts of lamb. The restaurant started serving brunch last week.
Summit isn’t the only new rooftop bar with monumental views to open this spring. The InterContinental at the Wharf recently unveiled 12 Stories, an indoor-outdoor venue overseen by New York-based Gerber Group. Skybox, a retro bar accessible from an elevator at the Players’ Club in Logan Circle, opened early last month.
POV, the scene-y rooftop bar at the W hotel downtown, recently re-opened after a renovation that was part of a total makeover for the building. That includes plans for a new restaurant fueled by a giant, wood-burning hearth.
Summit the Rooftop (950 New York Avenue NW) is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and closes at 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
- Estuary Opens With a Theatrical Open Kitchen for the Voltaggio Bros. [EDC]
- What to Order at Estuary, the Voltaggio Bros’ Ode to the Chesapeake [EDC]
- Estuary Introduces Brunch With More Modern Twists on Classics [EDC]
- The Wharf’s Stylish New Rooftop Bar Opens Tonight [EDC]
- Logan Circle’s Retro Arcade Bar Is Adding a Groovy Rooftop [EDC]
- D.C.’s W Hotel Will Roast Chickens in a 15-Foot Wood-Burning Hearth [EDC]