Rooftop bars are hard to come by in downtown Bethesda, unless you’re swigging lite beers at Tommy Joe’s. Hip Flask, the indoor/outdoor bar atop the new downtown Bethesda Marriott, is aiming for a swankier vibe.
The no-reservations bar, which opened this week, sits on the hotel’s 12th floor. It features cocktails like the “Tiger Vogue,” which is a mix of bourbon, chicory, tiger nut, and orange bitters served in a flask hidden inside a book. Other cocktails—which range from $12 to $18— include a banana daiquiri, Ramos gin fizz, and the non-alcoholic “Running Man,” made with espresso, vanilla, cinnamon, and Fever Tree tonic. There are three Maryland beers on draft, and a short wine list.
Longtime Marriott chef Dupree Braswell is behind the menu, which includes easy shares like pimiento-cheese deviled eggs, honey-habanero wings with blue cheese, crab dip, and a charcuterie board with meats from Georgetown’s Stachowski Market.
The deep-blue interior space features retractable floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a terrace with seating that looks out to the city. Non-hotel guests can access the bar through a separate elevator in the lobby.
Hip Flask is the third dining spot to open inside the hotel, which is located at Marriott’s headquarters. Seventh State, a Mediterranean restaurant, and Greatroom, the lobby bar, opened when the hotel debuted in early March.
Hip Flask. 7707 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda. Open Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 11 PM, Friday through Saturday 5 PM to midnight.
