5 Places to Catch Some Rays

[ 0 ] May 17, 2013 |
1905 Restaurant Rooftop Patio

1905 Restaurant Rooftop Patio

The search for good patio space in the District is rampid.  Everyone wants a piece of the action when the temperatures reach 70+ so its no surprise every restaurant is doing their part in providing the goods.  Below are five patios that will not disappoint during this Spring/Summer season:

DNV:  Does anyone remember summer nights on the rooftop of the Donovan House Hotel?? If you don’t, then you should run, not walk, to the reopening of this rooftop.  I love it.  The rooftop rests 14 floors above downtown DC and after a $300,000 revamp, it is scheduled to reopen in late May.  GrizForm, a local design firm, is the team behind the new design, while  Zentan’s bar manager Josh Berner has crafted the cocktails and Executive Chef Jennifer Nguyen has a collection of Asian style tapas. Officially, the name DNV stems from the abbreviation for the Donovan House Hotel and provides a little mystery with being named after former CIA operative Bill Donovan, but informally it also represents a “Damn Nice View.”

1905 Restaurant:  Besides having the largest individual fried pickles on this side of town, the chill rooftop space offers an escape away from the crowds of U Street on a Friday night.  Just off the U Street corridor, 1905 offers a cool, hipster vibe for those looking to indulge in the DC happy hour scene.

Mi Cocina:  The 60-seat courtyard patio is located in the heart of Friendship Heights shopping.  Tex-Mex and famous cocktails like the legendary MamboTaxi® are slated to line the menu of this new Chevy Chase restaurant.

Ambar:  New to the Eastern Market neighborhood, Ambar has a 10-seat sidewalk patio but it’s the rooftop that will really be the fun playground.  The patio can accommodate up to 40 guests and happy hour is available Monday through Friday from 4 PM to 7 PM.  Happy hour features $4 beers, wine, and cocktails as well as a variety of $4 small plates.

Vinoteca:  A new grill menu, wine and bocce (*a sport that encourages more drinking), are something to look forward to at Vinoteca’s PLAZA.  Vinoteca offers happy hour every day (Monday-Sunday) on the PLAZA from 5 to 7 p.m. with $5 wines, $5 Peronis and discounted small plates. Brunch is also served on the PLAZA and sidewalk patio on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Category: Announcements, Food.Fun.Stuff., Happy Hour, Washington D.C.

About the Author ()

Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.

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