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Where to soak up the sun while sipping a few cocktails
Spring is in full swing, which means it's time to kick back on one of D.C.'s many rooftops and enjoy views of the Potomac, the Washington Monument, and the White House. This list largely focuses high-up places, but a recent guide to patios offers more outdoor options.
Read MoreDive bars have rooftops too, as seen in chill neighborhood bar Red Derby’s breezy deck for burgers or beer-and-shot combos. The 14th Street mainstay opens at 5 p.m. with a “24/7” happy hour on $3.50 whiskey and tequila shots, and there’s more street seating out front.
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The terrace at Adams Morgan’s longstanding whiskey bar is the place to be at sunset, when Maryland crab deviled eggs, chicken skins, and Maine Lunch IPA beers are $2 off (Wednesday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). A few doors down, sister spot Imperial slings gin and tonic goblets and lobster risotto across a leafy rooftop.
Head to the top of this towering Shaw staple to encounter a breezy, 360-degree bar overlooking the nightlife neighborhood below. Executive chef Julio Estrada sends out top-selling tots, bottomless brunch, burgers, chicken wings, and sliders to go along with draft cocktails, mules, and domestic whiskey pours. Better Hospitality Group (BHG) is gearing up to open a sophomore Takoda in Navy Yard that’s nearly twice as large as the original.
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The cute Cuban cafe off 14th Street NW is known for its blue-toned rooftop, where rum cocktails, cafe con leche, and croquetas are set to a beautiful mural backdrop. Reserve a table here.
Packed with dangling flowers, neon-lit palm trees, and a tequila bottle-lined DJ booth, this (retractable) rooftop hangout in Shaw feels like a mini Tulum vacation. Friendly bartenders efficiently send out spicy mezcal margaritas, Tecate cans, and shots, with Mexican fare from its Rito Loco kitchen downstairs. Taco Tuesday calls for a trifecta of tacos and margarita or beer for $20. Reserve via Resy.
What once was El Centro D.F. on 14th Street is now Mission Group’s multi-level Salazar, serving up quesadillas, bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dogs, and 50 types of tequila. The expansive rooftop is made for all-weather conditions, with a lengthy bar and a retractible roof.
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The glass-enclosed rooftop oasis atop Matt Baker’s Michelin-rated tasting menu restaurant in Ivy City returned for the season last month. A la carte plates like vadouvan-crusted lamb ribs and wagyu beef tartare offer customers a taste of Baker’s fanciful, French-influenced cooking below. The indoor-outdoor rooftop bar covered in string lights also sends out wines, seasonal cocktails, and cheese and charcuterie. An adjacent urban garden supplies produce to Baker’s kitchen. Reserve via Resy.
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The roof of Union Market sets the stage for this artificial turf-lined bar serving pouched pina coladas, draft cocktails, and all kinds of hot dogs. Hi-Lawn comes from restaurateurs Greg Algie and Nathan Beauchamp (Tiger Fork, Calico, Fainting Goat, Hei Hei Tiger) and Paul Carlson (The Royal, Lulu’s Winegarden). Book a reservation online.
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Take in the a stellar view of the area around Union Market from the roof of this sushi spot and Japanese grill. The upper deck is one of many seating areas in the multi-level restaurant, and it fills up fast during happy hour. Book a spot online.
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Lined with communal tables, Dupont’s Bavarian beer hall is known for its solid selection of German brews (16 on tap at all times), two-pound pretzels, and people watching.
Georgetown’s adults-only lounge, open daily starting at 4 p.m., continues to be a hip hangout for espresso martinis, Hermann Moser Gruner Veltliner by the glass and bottle, flatbreads, and arancini. Certain seats on the wraparound rooftop sport monument views.
D.C. hospitality group Versus (HEIST, Casta’s Rum Bar, and Morris American Bar) brought a polished, penthouse-style hotspot to the top of AC Hotel Washington DC Convention Center last fall. The scene-y, indoor-outdoor setup with stunning city vistas stirs intricate cocktails behind a marble bar to go along with a list of small plates. Meanwhile, AC’s newest D.C. hotel in Navy Yard is home to another top rooftop contender (Smoke & Mirrors) with a direct view of the U.S. Capitol.
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The Watergate Hotel’s rooftop, which reopened for the season this week, has always been a draw for stunning views of the Potomac and Key Bridge. That view comes with steep prices on food and drinks — $27 for hummus? There are a range of wines by the glass and cocktails set at $25. A summery Ketel One and limoncello cocktail is $35, and a Manhattan with 12-year Macallan is $50. For an obscene splurge, Macallan “M” bottle service runs $60,000. There’s also seasonal salads, lamb chops, and charcuterie boards for around $30 and up.
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The pinnacle of this industrial-styled hangout is a prime pregame spot for a Capital One Arena show across the street. Known for its voluptuous burgers and nachos, Bar Deco’s weekly specials include $5 margaritas on Tuesdays, $7 Tom Collins cocktails and throwback tracks on Thursdays, and $10 wings by the pound and $8 martinis on Fridays. The roof is first come, first served.
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An impressive selection of gin and tonics steal the spotlight at chef Bart Vandaele’s open-air rooftop, tucked behind sibling Belga Cafe on Capitol Hill. The garden-style setup serving sharable American bites is also a popular meetup spot for weekday happy hour and brunch.
Todd Thrasher, the bar owner who helped pioneer the speakeasy trend at now-closed PX in Alexandria, owns and operates this massive tiki bar at the Wharf with a rooftop deck overlooking the Potomac. Tropical cocktails integrate Thrasher’s Rum, made in a distillery underneath the bar. They come in classic, “not-so-classic,” and frozen flavors, all for $15. Weekday happy hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays) includes rum drinks with a mixer of choice, Spam musubi, and shrimp dumplings ($5 each) and $4 bottles of Pacifico. Reserve indoors or outdoor seats here.
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Dive bars have rooftops too, as seen in chill neighborhood bar Red Derby’s breezy deck for burgers or beer-and-shot combos. The 14th Street mainstay opens at 5 p.m. with a “24/7” happy hour on $3.50 whiskey and tequila shots, and there’s more street seating out front.
The terrace at Adams Morgan’s longstanding whiskey bar is the place to be at sunset, when Maryland crab deviled eggs, chicken skins, and Maine Lunch IPA beers are $2 off (Wednesday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). A few doors down, sister spot Imperial slings gin and tonic goblets and lobster risotto across a leafy rooftop.
Head to the top of this towering Shaw staple to encounter a breezy, 360-degree bar overlooking the nightlife neighborhood below. Executive chef Julio Estrada sends out top-selling tots, bottomless brunch, burgers, chicken wings, and sliders to go along with draft cocktails, mules, and domestic whiskey pours. Better Hospitality Group (BHG) is gearing up to open a sophomore Takoda in Navy Yard that’s nearly twice as large as the original.
The cute Cuban cafe off 14th Street NW is known for its blue-toned rooftop, where rum cocktails, cafe con leche, and croquetas are set to a beautiful mural backdrop. Reserve a table here.
Packed with dangling flowers, neon-lit palm trees, and a tequila bottle-lined DJ booth, this (retractable) rooftop hangout in Shaw feels like a mini Tulum vacation. Friendly bartenders efficiently send out spicy mezcal margaritas, Tecate cans, and shots, with Mexican fare from its Rito Loco kitchen downstairs. Taco Tuesday calls for a trifecta of tacos and margarita or beer for $20. Reserve via Resy.
What once was El Centro D.F. on 14th Street is now Mission Group’s multi-level Salazar, serving up quesadillas, bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dogs, and 50 types of tequila. The expansive rooftop is made for all-weather conditions, with a lengthy bar and a retractible roof.
The glass-enclosed rooftop oasis atop Matt Baker’s Michelin-rated tasting menu restaurant in Ivy City returned for the season last month. A la carte plates like vadouvan-crusted lamb ribs and wagyu beef tartare offer customers a taste of Baker’s fanciful, French-influenced cooking below. The indoor-outdoor rooftop bar covered in string lights also sends out wines, seasonal cocktails, and cheese and charcuterie. An adjacent urban garden supplies produce to Baker’s kitchen. Reserve via Resy.
The roof of Union Market sets the stage for this artificial turf-lined bar serving pouched pina coladas, draft cocktails, and all kinds of hot dogs. Hi-Lawn comes from restaurateurs Greg Algie and Nathan Beauchamp (Tiger Fork, Calico, Fainting Goat, Hei Hei Tiger) and Paul Carlson (The Royal, Lulu’s Winegarden). Book a reservation online.
Take in the a stellar view of the area around Union Market from the roof of this sushi spot and Japanese grill. The upper deck is one of many seating areas in the multi-level restaurant, and it fills up fast during happy hour. Book a spot online.
Lined with communal tables, Dupont’s Bavarian beer hall is known for its solid selection of German brews (16 on tap at all times), two-pound pretzels, and people watching.
Georgetown’s adults-only lounge, open daily starting at 4 p.m., continues to be a hip hangout for espresso martinis, Hermann Moser Gruner Veltliner by the glass and bottle, flatbreads, and arancini. Certain seats on the wraparound rooftop sport monument views.
D.C. hospitality group Versus (HEIST, Casta’s Rum Bar, and Morris American Bar) brought a polished, penthouse-style hotspot to the top of AC Hotel Washington DC Convention Center last fall. The scene-y, indoor-outdoor setup with stunning city vistas stirs intricate cocktails behind a marble bar to go along with a list of small plates. Meanwhile, AC’s newest D.C. hotel in Navy Yard is home to another top rooftop contender (Smoke & Mirrors) with a direct view of the U.S. Capitol.
The Watergate Hotel’s rooftop, which reopened for the season this week, has always been a draw for stunning views of the Potomac and Key Bridge. That view comes with steep prices on food and drinks — $27 for hummus? There are a range of wines by the glass and cocktails set at $25. A summery Ketel One and limoncello cocktail is $35, and a Manhattan with 12-year Macallan is $50. For an obscene splurge, Macallan “M” bottle service runs $60,000. There’s also seasonal salads, lamb chops, and charcuterie boards for around $30 and up.
The pinnacle of this industrial-styled hangout is a prime pregame spot for a Capital One Arena show across the street. Known for its voluptuous burgers and nachos, Bar Deco’s weekly specials include $5 margaritas on Tuesdays, $7 Tom Collins cocktails and throwback tracks on Thursdays, and $10 wings by the pound and $8 martinis on Fridays. The roof is first come, first served.
An impressive selection of gin and tonics steal the spotlight at chef Bart Vandaele’s open-air rooftop, tucked behind sibling Belga Cafe on Capitol Hill. The garden-style setup serving sharable American bites is also a popular meetup spot for weekday happy hour and brunch.
Todd Thrasher, the bar owner who helped pioneer the speakeasy trend at now-closed PX in Alexandria, owns and operates this massive tiki bar at the Wharf with a rooftop deck overlooking the Potomac. Tropical cocktails integrate Thrasher’s Rum, made in a distillery underneath the bar. They come in classic, “not-so-classic,” and frozen flavors, all for $15. Weekday happy hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays) includes rum drinks with a mixer of choice, Spam musubi, and shrimp dumplings ($5 each) and $4 bottles of Pacifico. Reserve indoors or outdoor seats here.
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