Rooftops in Washington, D.C.: the federal capital seen from above
A capital like no other
Capital of the United States since 1800, Washington occupies the District of Columbia, a federal territory that belongs to none of the fifty states. It stretches along the left bank of the Potomac, where it meets the Anacostia, and is home to just under 700,000 people. Its street plan is divided into four quadrants around the Capitol, NW, NE, SE and SW, and the abbreviation ends every address.
A city without skyscrapers
Here there is no forest of towers as in New York or Chicago: a 1910 law limits the height of buildings according to the width of the adjacent street. The roof of a hotel a dozen stories high is therefore enough to look out over the city. In the center, the National Mall links the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial; between the two rises the Washington Monument, a 169-meter obelisk that can be spotted from most terraces.
Where to rise above Washington
Around the White House and Downtown
On the 11th floor of the Hotel Washington, Vue, formerly POV, looks straight down onto the White House and out to the Washington Monument. At CityCenterDC, Summit opens its garden on the 11th floor of the Conrad during the warmer months. Near the convention center, Ciel Social Club offers an almost circular view from the top floor of the AC Hotel all the way to the dome of the Capitol, while Lucha Rosa, on the 13th floor of the Moxy, serves tacos and mezcals under a retractable roof.
Foggy Bottom, Georgetown and Adams Morgan
On the riverbank, Top of the Gate crowns the Watergate Hotel: its 360-degree panorama takes in the Kennedy Center, the bridges over the Potomac and the Washington Monument. In Georgetown, CUT Above extends the hotel's steakhouse onto the roof of the Rosewood, and The Rooftop at The Graham shelters its lounge under a canopy adorned with wisteria. In Adams Morgan, the Japanese restaurant Perry's sets its tables on the roof, under strings of lights.
The Wharf and the Washington Channel
On the piers of The Wharf, along the Washington Channel, Moonraker turns its terraces with fire pits toward the marina from the 14th floor of the Pendry; 12 Stories, at the top of the InterContinental, opens its tall windows onto the Potomac and the memorials; La Vie, a Mediterranean restaurant with floral decor, adds a garden terrace and a penthouse perched even higher. At sunset, the whole marina lights up below the terraces, with the Potomac as a backdrop.
Capitol Hill, NoMa and Union Market
Between Capitol Hill and Navy Yard, Smoke & Mirrors faces the Capitol from the 11th floor of the AC Hotel, fire-pit terrace included. To the northeast, Sly Rooftop occupies the roof of The Morrow, and Hi-Lawn turns the roof of Union Market, the big food hall, into a lawn with picnic tables and a bar in a shipping container.
Food and cocktails up high
For every budget
Expect to pay $12 to $15 for a cocktail at Hi-Lawn, $14 to $20 at Smoke & Mirrors, $21 to $26 at Summit and up to $38 at Moonraker, before tax and tip. At Moonraker, the signature cocktails blend Japanese whisky, sake, yuzu or matcha. On the plate, you can go from Vue's Maryland crab cakes to Moonraker's small Japanese plates, from La Vie's Mediterranean cuisine to the tacos at Lucha Rosa, all the way to the caviar dishes at CUT Above.
Brunches and nights out
On weekends, brunch is a ritual at Vue, Smoke & Mirrors, La Vie or Perry's, where drag queens host it on Sundays. On Friday and Saturday nights, Ciel Social Club takes on a club feel, and DJs set up at Lucha Rosa, 12 Stories or Top of the Gate.
A rooftop for every season
From the warm season to winter
Top of the Gate reopens every year from April to mid-October and Summit from spring to fall; the terrace at Perry's and the garden at La Vie depend on the weather. The other spots stay open year-round thanks to their glassed-in rooms, fire pits or retractable roof, and winter has its own events: CUT Above turns into a chalet, La Vie sets up heated igloos and Hi-Lawn hosts a ticketed immersive experience under its dome.
Tips for enjoying Washington's rooftops
Getting around and booking
The Metro serves most of these spots: Metro Center for Vue, Mt Vernon Sq/7th St–Convention Center for Ciel Social Club and Lucha Rosa, Foggy Bottom–GWU for Top of the Gate, Waterfront and L'Enfant Plaza for The Wharf, Navy Yard–Ballpark for Smoke & Mirrors, NoMa–Gallaudet U for Sly Rooftop and Hi-Lawn. Georgetown has no station: allow about fifteen minutes on foot from Foggy Bottom. Book ahead on weekend evenings, especially at Vue, where hotel guests have priority. Several bars are restricted to guests 21 and over in the evening, with ID required, and some require smart attire: check before you go.
Photo : Shawn Miller / Library of Congress (compte Flickr « Library of Congress Life ») / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (domaine public)