Beacon Rooftop Sky Bar

NOT CLOSED. This place is a gem. Great service (ask for Cha), nice view, and pleasant ambience. I’m almost reluctant to sing its praises here or else it’ll turn into a crowded mess. A diamond in the rough (with the best staff in town).

Always passed by DC but never got to explore until this MDW. Went here and was blown away by the service provided. The hostess was very friendly and accommodating. I asked her for some recommendation for spots around the Dupont area. Not only did she recommend some great clubs and lounges she took some time to make a list of must see places in the area. The rooftop had a great view as well. I ordered and steak and asparagus salad and it was DELICIOUS! my trip to DC as been amazing and it started from this place! I definitely recommend it.

Unilocal says this place is closed but it was open when I visited this month. View/​ambience is fun and not something you can find everywhere.

I was leaving a beautiful art soirée event on the roof top tonight when the elevator to go down got stuck and then dropped and caught 3 times before shooting back up to the top. When we finally got out– the staff member said he didn’t hear the alarm and said we couldn’t use the emergency stairs until his boss yelled at him to get an engineer to unlock the stairs. Another set of people got in then they came out after the same thing happened to them. The elevator continued to make strange noises like it was catching. The staff member then took us down a floor in the stairs to another set of elevators. When I asked where the stairs were that we could continue down, he casually pointed at another door then left. I’ve never been treated so poorly and shocked at the reaction of the staff. Also, the fact that we couldn’t use the emergency stairs seemed extremely unsafe. I won’t be going back.

Went on a Wednesday night. Great bar. Wonderful views, extremely nice bartenders. Pretty pricey but the atmosphere is worth it!

The view and ambiance are awesome. There is no sign downstairs to go up to the bar so I think that keeps it less crowded and then once you’re upstairs it’s pretty and there was an awesome guitar player the whole night! We had such a good time except that each time I went to the bar I had to wait about 30 minutes.
I was meeting my husband who was at s work HH so I opened a tab at the bar and ordered a beer (that took 30 minutes to order/​receive). Upon receiving my already expensive tab, I saw that there was an 18% gratuity added on, so I asked the bartender why there was an added gratuity and he (John) rudely responded «if you’re too poor to pay, don’t come out.» I wouldn’t recommend this bar if John is bartending as he is slow and rude, but it’s definitely worth it if he isn’t for the view and live music.

The scenery is beautiful especially at sunset. Limited menu options however the quesadillas were very good. I ordered a Margarita it was pretty strong but great. Our waiter’s service could have been faster and more accurate he accidentally added a $ 6.99 fee to our tab. Overall this is a nice laid back place for drinks. The inside and restaurant downstairs is BEAUTIFUL!

We came here after STK to watch the sunset on the rooftop; what a great view! Cocktails are served in small plastic cups with small pours and around $ 13 – 15. But that’s not why you come here so you should probably just stick to house wine and domestic beers. The sunset views are incredible and really make the moment. There’s a fun little fountain as well which just adds to the beauty. We saw people dressed casually and people dressed up for a night on the town. I really enjoyed watching my first sunset with my bf here, great experience.

Such a great atmosphere, beautiful view with a nice fountain providing soothing running water sounds to lull you into a feeling of pure contentment. During the twilight hour, it really is magnificent.
Over the summer, they hosted weekly art soirée events where there would be live art in progress to the accompaniment of a dj. I hope they never stop doing it because I came back 4 times and was never disappointed. Even the one time a torrential rainstorm came out of nowhere. They did a great job jumping into action and covering the roof with a secure tarp and keeping the party going.
As you might expect from a roof, the menu is limited. They offer a few small bites, a very small list of cocktails, and an equally small list of beers. Given the atmosphere and uniqueness of the events, I can live with limited options.

We had a work party here and I really had a good time. The views are pretty awesome but I agree with some of the reviews that this is not a true rooftop bar. in More precisely, this is a rooftop patio where you can get a drink but it is otherwise lacking in that it does not have a true bar and does not much have much atmosphere. But I was in the presence of over 100 drunken co-​workers so we pretty much made our atmosphere.
The bathroom situation is pretty limited as well because there was almost always a wait. So if you’re expecting a happening nightspot you’ll be disappointed. But if you want to place to have drink and watch the sunset over the D.C. skyline, you’ll probably be fine.

Love this place in DC! One of the best rooftop bars!
Service was super nice and friendly. Drinks are good but very strong — we had to ask our waiter to add juices in ours because they were way too strong at first.
There’s a lot of very comfy couches you can just lay on.

I want to like sky bar at Beacon, but I can’t. I don’t like the crowd for some reason, even though if they were at a different club I would probably like them. Very international and mature. The music they have for the art soirree is always pretty bad (I’ve gone 3 times now) but others seem to like it, so maybe I’m just a snob. I wish they had drinks for HH prices, as they are in very small cups. There are lounges and stuff to hang out on, which is nice. The view is not very good, but it’s good to be outside.

For some reason I’d always thought this place had a pool — my mistake.
It’s still super cramped because it’s pretty small. The view is decent, though nothing breathtaking. They don’t offer happy hour on the roof, and yet don’t specify that clearly. I had the wisdom to ask beforehand, but one friend had to find out the hard way — when the check came.
The shape of the sky bar resembles an L with a sharp corner forming an angle. When I go to a roof bar I would like to have an expansive and encompassing vista, not a claustrophobic nook.
The $ 5 summer martinis are pretty watered down (and you may only get them downstairs to begin with, anyway). The thing that I do hate though, is they advertise happy hour specials on the banner outside along with the sky bar, while you can’t have these two at the same time.

Nice place, rooftop bar with great view, we had average food, with average drinks. I hear thursday nights is life music, we came on a saturday and it was electric dj tunes with an art show going on at the same time. drinks were ok, food was average to below average. noise level was decent for conversation, that I enjoy in any bar/​lounge. Scenic and affordable… decent date spot.

It is a very mind blowing atmosphere, the view from the rooftop and the music are great!
Good selection of cocktails, and they even make a good «Dirty Martini». Not often found out of NYC.
Just try to make it when it’s not too cold.

I was fooled into thinking this would be a sky bar. Like a rooftop or something similarly sexy. In fact, its just an average hotel bar with less than average service. Drew, our server, was nice but seriously spacey.
Our wine was only served after repeated asking, my friends diet coke came at the end of the meal… though we ordered at the beginning, the hummus was something out of a costco tub for sure, my salad, though generous, was topped with some kind of mayonnaise situation and we had to beg for silverware. Sure, I like eating lettuce with my hands as much as the next guy but it was a little ridiculous on a crowded DC sidewalk.
Not a terrible experience but certainly one that does not bear repeating.

I was excited to try out the bar I had walked by on my way to and from school for a year now and finally had the chance last Thursday! A few things:
— Happy Hour specials listed for the hotel bar do NOT translate to the roof
— They will charge you a $ 10 cover at 5pm for «live music» which didn’t happen until 9
*If you’re going to charge a cover for band that’s on at least have good specials! We got nothing for our $ 10
— Ordered the bbq chicken quesadilla which was good but small portion size… theme of that place
So it’s swanky and a nice roof but not worth the $ 10 drinks and cover.

Only because in the heat of summer, it’s nice to have some breeze running through your hair as you sit back and watch lines upon lines of scantily clad Russian women eyefuck the shit out of some poor bloke who’s desperately trying to get laid.
Am I allowed to swear on Unilocal?Because I feel like I just used up my quota for the whole year on that last sentence.
I came here with two good friends of mine, and we were all pretty nicely dressed, but WHOA I didn’t expect what came next… this place is not my scene. The amount of silicone prancing around could have filled the little fountain pool they had in there.
Anyways – listen, maybe it was just the night. There WAS some weird DJ-​ing going on that night. Maybe it’s otherwise good. But the drinks weren’t amazing. The space wasn’t very well utilized (they could have definitely put more chairs out). There was nothing here except the nice night breeze to make me want to go back.

I stopped by Beacon Sky Bar with some friends for happy hour recently. It was a nice day so we wanted to check out a rooftop bar. There’s only one elevator to go up to the sky bar, which is just right past the bar when you walk into Beacon Bar & Grill. We went on a Wednesday night and there were two private events going on, but only a part of it was sectioned off. It’s not a spectacular view or anything, but it’s a nice rooftop bar with enough seating and plenty of space to stand/​mingle.
Happy hour is 4 – 7 pm M-​Sat. and they have food & drink specials ($ 1 off draft beers, etc.). Overall, a great place for happy hour when the weather’s nice out, especially if you need some happy hour specials to get you through the week!

This spot seems surprisingly totally under the radar. I kinda like it! You didn’t hear about this place from me [press memory eraser button here!] I’d like to keep it that way! Just kidding, or I would totally be selfish and not Unilocal about it.
Occasion: Swung by for a friend’s birthday.
Ambiance/​Atmosphere: Located inside the Beacon Hotel, this rooftop bar labeled as the Sky Bar, has got GREAT potential. There is an elevator which takes you up to the PH level where the Sky Bar is located. Like the rest of the hotel, it elegantly screams, yet whispers with class — chic boutique.
I really love the layout — the inside is lined with intimate-​like table areas with comfy lounge seating sectioned off by small rooms. The outside offers plenty of seating and lounge areas with a rectangular-​shaped fountain that allows for some seating/​leaning as well. Lounge/​House music is lightly played in the background — just enough that it doesn’t drown out conversation or has you screaming in someone’s ears. Did I also mention that it is MUCH bigger than the pretentious, overrated rooftop area at the Donoval Hotel? Yes, my friends. Bigger rooftop space, friendlier management and service, and offers much easier access to the rooftop.
Bar: Drinks were about $ 10/​each — typical DC price. I ordered a passion fruit martini, which unfortunately, didn’t have the slightest drop of vodka, and only juice and sour mix in it. So naturally, after a long week on a Friday night, I went for what never fails — patron and pineapple. =) Staff seemed minimal, but then again, it was a bit of a floating mini-​bar on wheels. They were accommodating though.
Upside: Very laidback. Offered the same classy ambiance without the pretentiousness that you would typically experience at the Donovan Hotel. Upon entering, a hotel employee will direct you straight to the elevator to the rooftop on the PH level, not the fake red carpet line you experience at the Donovan complete with ID check and bracelet, and the labeling factor of if you’re «hot or not,» and best of all no hassle or waiting in line.
Downside: Rooftop area is only open ’til 11pm to prevent noise for hotel guests. Doesn’t offer a spectacular view of the city, but the space itself does the job.
Tips: Really enjoyable place to hold a happy hour or small gathering for a group of friends and knock back a drink or two.