13 DC Area Rooftops Where You Can Eat, Drink, and Watch the Fireworks This July Fourth

Looking to avoid the crowds on the National Mall this Independence Day? Head to these restaurant and hotel rooftops for food, drinks, dancing, and fireworks.

VUE Rooftop

If you’re feeling patriotic, the Fourth of July celebration at this lounge atop the Hotel Washington is for you. Tickets for the Americana-themed bash—which include live music, multiple food stations, and an open bar—begin at $250, but seating for the best fireworks views is going for $410 and up. The 21+ event lasts from 6 to 10 PM.

L’Ardente

This swanky Italian restaurant, on the ground floor of the Capitol Crossing development, will welcome guests to its glass-enclosed rooftop space 13 stories above the city. Tickets are $234 per person and include an open bar with specialty cocktails, light snacks, and a dessert buffet. Meanwhile, L’Ardente’s dining room will offer its dinner menu from 11:30 AM to 11 PM on the Fourth.

The LINE DC

A more intimate Independence Day celebration is happening on the rooftop of this Adams Morgan boutique hotel. Space is limited but entry is free with an RSVP (food and drinks are for purchase). From 6 to 10 PM, grab all the cotton candy and popcorn you can eat, check out the full-service bar and food menu, and listen to DJs spin at the turntables. Once the fireworks are done, the party shifts indoors.  Festivities at lobby bar No Goodbyes will run from 10 PM until midnight.

Good Fortune

Soak in an Old Town sunset and celebrate America’s 249th birthday at the Hotel Heron’s “Red, White & Boom” rooftop social. The 21+ party runs from 6 to 10 PM and will feature free-flowing cocktails, BBQ and ice cream stations, and music from a live DJ. Tickets start at $172.

Skydome Restaurant

The area’s only revolving rooftop restaurant, located at the DoubleTree Hilton in Crystal City, promises a view of the fireworks with seating and a dinner buffet. Tickets are going for $205, and there’s also an $80 celebration just one floor below, with a buffet and live music in the hotel’s Monument View Room.

Top of the Gate

The Watergate Hotel’s luxe rooftop lounge—which offers views of the downtown DC, Georgetown, and Arlington skylines—is hosting a fireworks-viewing party with an open bar and food for purchase from 7 to 10 PM. Tickets start at $252, and go up if you want early entry, reserved seating, or VIP tables for up to four guests. The event is 21+.

Summit at The Conrad

This sleek downtown hotel’s rooftop terrace is hosting guests from 7 to 10 PM. A $250 ticket—which includes 20 percent gratuity and tax—gets you access to an open bar and food stations that will remain open all night. Seating is first come, first-served and the event is 21+.

Crimson Whiskey Bar

Get lit in Chinatown at Crimson Whiskey Bar’s rooftop party, running from 7 to 10 PM. It’s a relatively affordable option—a $100 entry fee gets you access to live music, all-you-can-eat hot dogs and sliders, drink specials (and unlimited beer), and of course, the fireworks display.

Moonraker

Moonraker, the rooftop lounge at the Wharf’s Pendry hotel, is throwing a star-spangled 21+ celebration from 7 to 11 PM. Tickets ($200) include food and drink, and the menu features wagyu sliders, kurobuta pork ribs, Kobe hot dogs, and summer cocktails.

Hi-Lawn

At this open-air rooftop party at Union Market—running from 2 PM to midnight—you can chow down on grilled eats, sip on retro coolers and cocktails, play lawn games like cornhole and giant Jenga, and cool off with ice cream in the air-conditioned dome space. You’ll also catch neighborhood fireworks (though not the display over the National Mall). The event is free to attend, but groups of eight to 16 people can reserve picnic tables for up to five hours, with prices from $80-$160.

The Graham

Tickets for the fireworks watch party at the plush rooftop lounge of this Georgetown hotel are $84 per person, and include a welcome cocktail and passed hors d’oeuvres. The event runs from 7 to 10 PM and is 21+.

The Ven at Embassy Row

Between gorging on the buffet, rushing the open bar, and dancing to the live band, try not to fall in the pool at this standing-room soiree. The Dupont hotel’s 21+ rooftop party runs from 7 to 10 PM and general admission tickets are $132 per person. A VIP ticket, $204, will score you early entry, access to seating, and a dedicated open bar.

Perch SW Rooftop Lounge

Another affordable option—and it’s on the waterfront—comes courtesy of the Navy Yard Cambria Hotel’s rooftop bar. The 21+ party goes from 5 to 11 PM, and will feature two DJs, a full menu of food and cocktails for purchase, and access to Perch’s indoor and outdoor lounges. The price of admission is only $10, but put down $110 and you can book a table for four guests.

Sam Cabral

Editorial Fellow