About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Who has the best water views at the Wharf—and maybe all of DC? As of Friday, November 17: Whiskey Charlie. The indoor-outdoor rooftop bar and lounge is perched on the tenth story of the new Canopy by Hilton hotel and offers a seagull’s vantage of the Potomac River. On clear days, you can also spot DC landmarks like the Capitol and Kennedy Center, rivaling only the Watergate hotel’s rooftop.
“Whiskey Charlie,” or “WC,” is the call signal that boat captains use when coming into the Washington Channel. Brown liquor isn’t the sole focus of the bar, but patrons can pick between 15 and 20 bottles, including Scotch and Japanese whiskeys.
A something-for-everyone cocktail menu runs the gamut from dark and stormies to dirty martinis, margaritas, and mules. All are priced at $13—not cheap, but not as pricey as some other rooftop bars with great views (i.e. POV and its $17 libations). Any of the regular cocktails can be sized-up for two guests in a carafe ($26) or served as “tankards” for four-to-six drinkers ($52). A handful of local beers and global wines round out the menu.
Whiskey Charlie is positioning itself as a before-or-after stop between the Wharf’s many big-name restaurants. A small “flying light” menu offers snacks like oysters, tuna tartare, empanadas, meatballs, and crab cake sliders. In cooler weather, patrons can order food and drinks around outdoor fire pits and heaters, meaning you can catch those river vistas all year long.
Whiskey Charlie. 975 Seventh St., SW; 202-488-2500. Hours: Monday through Friday, 3 PM to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to midnight.
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.
