Best Rooftop Bars in Washington DC: A Local’s Guide

Washington’s rooftop bars and restaurants come with views you can’t get anywhere else, like the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol dome. The best rooftop bars spread from downtown to The Wharf to Chinatown. This guide covers the best rooftop bars in Washington DC and what to drink at each. My favorite is listed last, and it has the most unique view in the city. Be sure to go at sunset.

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Best Historic Rooftop in Washington DC: Top of the Gate

Top of the Gate is the rooftop lounge on top of the Watergate Hotel in Foggy Bottom, with 360-degree views of the Potomac, the Kennedy Center, the Georgetown waterfront, and the Washington Monument in the distance. In summer it’s one of the breeziest, most relaxed rooftops in the city, and in winter they set up private igloos for cold-weather drinks and dining. They offer classic and craft cocktails, as well as a light-bites menu to share.

• What to Order: A craft cocktail at sunset, with a few shareable bites. In winter, book an igloo ahead for a private table with a view.
• Best If: You want the widest panorama in the city, or a heated igloo when it’s cold out. And a bit of US history. Yes, it’s the hotel at the center of Richard Nixon’s scandal in the 1970s and the hotel embraces its past.
• Skip If: You want a quiet, low-key drink. Weekend nights carry a $75-per-person minimum and the room gets busy.

Best Penthouse Rooftop in Washington DC: Ciel Social Club

Ciel Social Club is the penthouse lounge atop the AC Hotel near the Convention Center, and the name comes from the French word for sky. The near-360-degree views take in the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and downtown, and the setting is opulent, with plush seating and low light. The cocktail menu changes with the season and pairs with a full food list, so it works for a full evening rather than just a drink.

• What to Order: A seasonal cocktail and a spread of small plates, taken in by the windows for the downtown view.
• Best If: You want a polished, dressed-up rooftop with skyline views and a full dinner menu.
• Skip If: You want something casual or cheap. Ciel is upscale and priced for the penthouse setting.

Best 14th Street Rooftop in Washington DC: Gypsy Kitchen

Gypsy Kitchen on 14th Street is a pan-Mediterranean spot with a rooftop for warm evenings. The downstairs has Moorish tiles and low light, and the roof has city views and plush seating with a strong cocktail list. The menu pulls from Spain, Greece, Morocco, and the Levant, so it’s built for ordering a lot of small plates and passing them around. It’s an easy pick if you’re already exploring the 14th Street corridor.

• What to Order: The lamb hummus and grilled prawns to share, with a cocktail up on the roof.
• Best If: You’re on 14th Street and want a rooftop with a full food menu, not only cocktails.
• Skip If: It’s cold and grey. The rooftop is for warm weather so save it for a clear evening. But the restaurant downstairs is also excellent for colder or gloomy days.

Best Wharf Rooftop for Sushi: Moonraker

Moonraker is the rooftop bar on top of the Pendry Hotel at The Wharf, and the sushi is the reason to go. The Japanese-inspired menu comes with a full list of Japanese whiskeys and cocktails, and the views stretch over the Washington Channel and the marina. I come here for the raw bar and a whiskey as much as the setting, and the sushi holds up against dedicated sushi spots in the city.

• What to Order: A spread from the sushi and raw bar, with a Japanese whiskey or cocktail.
• Best If: You want excellent sushi with a waterfront view, or a serious Japanese whiskey list.
• Skip If: You don’t eat seafood or you want a budget night. Moonraker is upscale and sushi-forward.

Best Wharf Rooftop for Sunset: Whiskey Charlie

Whiskey Charlie is the rooftop bar on top of the Canopy by Hilton at The Wharf, and it’s a great spot for a sunset drink over the marina. The outdoor deck faces west over the water, so the light at dusk is perfect. Inside there’s a stylish lounge for when the weather turns, and the small plates are made to share with a cocktail.

• What to Order: A signature cocktail on the outdoor deck, timed to sunset, with a few shareable plates.
• Best If: You want a waterfront sunset drink at The Wharf with monument views in the distance.
• Skip If: You want a full dinner. Whiskey Charlie is a cocktail-and-small-plates lounge, not a restaurant.

Best Chinatown Rooftop in Washington DC: Crimson

Crimson is the rooftop lounge on top of the Motto by Hilton in Chinatown. It’s an indoor-outdoor space with views over the neighborhood and downtown. It’s more casual and relaxed than the downtown penthouses, which makes it a good pick for a low-key date or drinks with friends without spending big. There’s also a Crimson diner and a whiskey bar in the same building, so you can move around.

• What to Order: A cocktail on the terrace, with bar bites if you want to settle in.
• Best If: You want a casual, central rooftop near the arena and Chinatown without a penthouse price.
• Skip If: You want the grand monument panorama. Crimson’s views are neighborhood-scale, not postcard DC.

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Best Rooftop View of the White House: VUE

VUE is on the 11th floor of Hotel Washington, on Pennsylvania Avenue at the edge of the White House Lawn, which gives it the closest, most direct rooftop view of the White House in the city. The Washington Monument and the Treasury sit right there too. The cocktails are seasonal and cleverly named, the crowd tends to be stylish.

🏆 My Personal Pick

VUE is my pick of every rooftop in DC, and it comes down to the view. Nowhere else puts you this close to the White House from above, with the Washington Monument lined up right beside it.

VUE is expensive, so I go for a drink and the view rather than a full dinner. I get a seasonal cocktail, grab a spot along the railing at sunset when the light hits the monuments, and then head somewhere else for dinner. That way you get the best view in the city without the full VUE bill.

• What to Order: A seasonal signature cocktail, taken to the railing for the White House and Monument view.
• Best If: You want one of the best rooftop views in DC before dinner elsewhere.
• Skip If: You’re on a budget or want a casual night. VUE is pricey and dressed-up.

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Rooftop Bars in Washington DC: What to Know Before You Go

A few things make a rooftop night here go smoothly:

• Go at sunset, when the monuments catch the light and the daytime crowds thin before the late rush.
• Book ahead for the downtown and Watergate rooftops on weekends, since tables and igloos go fast.
• Check the dress code at the upscale spots, where caps, gym clothes, and flip-flops may not be allowed.
• Research whether your selected spot is open year round, protected from the weather or just a good-weather-only spot.

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Where to Stay in Washington DC: My Top Picks

Budget

• Generator Washington DC is my go-to budget option. It’s comfortable and stylish in a way most hostels aren’t, and it puts you in Dupont Circle within walking distance of amazing restaurants and nightlife.
• Motto by Hilton Washington DC Downtown is right by the Chinatown gate, a close walk to Penn Quarter, the National Mall, and City Center, and it’s home to Crimson, the rooftop I recommend in my DC rooftop guide.

Mid-Range

• Canopy by Hilton Washington DC at the Wharf puts you steps from the waterfront restaurants, with Capitano downstairs for coastal Italian and a rooftop terrace looking over the Potomac.
• Hyatt House Washington DC at the Wharf is also in the middle of the waterfront restaurants, and H Bar on the second floor does cocktails and light bites with river views.

Luxury

• InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C. has hosted presidents since 1818, and the Round Robin Bar is one of the most historic places in the city to order a proper cocktail.
• Waldorf Astoria Washington DC occupies the old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue and is home to The Bazaar by José Andrés, which is my favorite fine-dining experience in the city. It’s also steps from the National Mall.

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🍪 Final Bite

DC’s rooftops come with a view no other city has, and these are the ones to book for it:

• Head to Top of the Gate at the Watergate for 360-degree views, or a winter igloo.
• Book Ciel Social Club for a dressed-up penthouse night near the Convention Center.
• Go up to Gypsy Kitchen’s roof for Mediterranean small plates on 14th Street.
• Order the sushi at Moonraker atop the Pendry at The Wharf.
• Catch the sunset at Whiskey Charlie over the marina at The Wharf.
• Keep it casual at Crimson in Chinatown.
• Get a cocktail at VUE for the closest rooftop view of the White House, my pick of them all.

Been to DC and found a rooftop I missed? Tell me in the comments.

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