The DNV rooftop pool bar is open to locals for swimming, drinking, and feasting. Photograph courtesy of the Donovan House hotel.
You want to drink outside, preferably elevated above the fray of all those sidewalk patios and crowded beer gardens. We put together a map of over 60 great rooftop bars in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. There’s a deck for all needs—whether you’re looking to cool off by a rooftop pool, catch great city views, grab a casual drink and a meal, or dance the night away.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.