Rooftop CUT Above in Washington, D.C.

CUT Above: Georgetown's chic rooftop

Above the rooftops of Georgetown

The Rosewood Washington, D.C. occupies a building on 31st Street NW, between M Street and the Georgetown waterfront. Its roof is home to CUT Above, an open-air lounge sheltered under a large striped awning, furnished with blue sofas, armchairs and high tables, and edged with boxwood hedges. The view takes in the brick rooftops of Georgetown, the Potomac and the Washington Harbour, the Kennedy Center and, farther off, the Washington Monument. At dusk, when golden light slides across the facades, the atmosphere becomes more hushed and residential than on the big, lively rooftops downtown.

Refined bites and seasonal cocktails

Shorter than the restaurant's, the menu lines up shrimp cocktail, a Maryland crab cake, smoked salmon rillettes, sliders with truffle aioli, spiced lamb chops and truffle fries, with caviar variations for special occasions and a few desserts such as churros. House cocktails change with the seasons, alongside a fine selection of spirits (Japanese whiskies, mezcals, cognacs) and wines by the glass or bottle.

The rooftop hosts DJ nights and, every winter, turns into a pop-up ski chalet called The Lodge, with seasonal bites and cocktails. It can be booked privately for receptions and weddings of up to 100 guests.

Practical information

Open Monday through Friday from 4pm to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 11pm; the kitchen is open from 5pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends. Reservations on OpenTable or by phone are strongly recommended; walk-ins are welcome as space allows. There is no metro in Georgetown: the nearest station, Foggy Bottom–GWU (Orange, Blue and Silver lines), is about 1 km away, roughly a fifteen-minute walk.