Washington is home to a bunch of atmospheric rooftop bars. Lady Bird is primed to soar to the top. The sky-high bar and lounge perched atop Dupont Circle’s new Kimpton Banneker hotel opens on Friday, October 8 with White House and Washington Monument views, cocktails, and bites fit for a socialite (like the namesake First Lady, Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson).
The 1,200 square-foot space is designed for all seasons with an indoor/outdoor layout and moveable glass walls, umbrellas for sunny days, fire pits for cool evenings, and space for live entertainment. Design elements and fabrics around the U-shaped bar and lounge nod to the color and speckled pattern of DC’s official bird, the wood thrush.
Chef Laurent Hollaender, who also helms French restaurant Le Sel below, is behind the menu of hors d’oeuvres. Guests can snack on goat-cheese beignets, elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards, and heirloom tomato tartines. Drinks match the cocktail party vibe, whether you’re still feeling summery (caipirinhas, new-wave pina coladas) or are ready to embrace the fall with a fizzy bourbon Bramble with blackberry liqueur and ginger beer.
Lady Bird. 1315 16th St., NW. Open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 4 PM.
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.
