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    Ellipse Rooftop Bar

    3.9 (50 reviews)
    Closed • 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Ellipse Rooftop Bar Photos

    ELLIPSE ROOFTOP BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Ellipse Rooftop Bar

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    Talika B.

    I was looking something different for my coworkers last day celebration. And we wanted rooftop. And this was giving everything. The ambiance. The scene. The food. The service. I just picked this place and decided we would come here. The view is amazing. The bartender is awesome. We had a great time. I am so upset I didn't take any pics of the view so now I have to go back. They have heaters for when it gets cold. If you staying downtown or at the Hyatt place make sure you stop in. They do HH Monday to Saturday from 3-6!!!

    Gin (happy hour)
    Tonia K.

    Variety of happy hour drinks? Check. Good bar food? Check. Views? Check. I visited the Ellipse on an extremely hot day in August for a happy hour get together with coworkers. When I say hot, I am talking about 97 degrees not factoring heat index. Let me tell you... So to the experience! This rooftop bar offers views of downtown DC (buildings, etc.) but it is still nice nonetheless. The music selection could be improved but honestly that is subjective and it is so loud with fellow patrons that you won't fully be able to hear it. The bar was busy but accommodating and the fries and wings were on point per my group. I always judge by the quality of fries...don't judge me though! Some drinks are a bit pricey even for happy hour but still decent. You can access ice cold water quite easily, which is as HUGE plus! So why not five stars? Appetizers came out on the slower side and while I was on a rooftop in August, a fan or so would be helpful for air circulation. As other reviewers have noted, the entire space is on the smaller side but still a good option if you're in the area!

    Nadjma R.

    Where do i start? It's on the rooftop of Hyatt hotel. Its located in the middle of the city. Lets start with the view, you get a nice view of the city, enough chairs and it wasnt too crowded. To my understanding u can also reserve a section and have a private event. There was a birthday happening. The prices of drinks and small bites are affordable . The music was blah, i felt they were catering more to caucasians with pop from the 90s.. I ordered a spicy drink(cant recall the name, made with jalapenos, refreshing but not too strong). They do not have waitresses so u need to order at the bar. The bartender was friendly.. i was able to get a free appetizer since when i check in (yelp) that was the offer. He said they stop doing the free appetizer but will overlook it this time. So i was thankful for that. I ordered the steak Tacos and they were tasty and delicious. I would definitely would come, i just whish the music was catering to everyone!

    The non happy hour cheese board ($15) with what we believe is actually Concord grape jelly
    Courtney W.

    With rooftop happy hour, it's always all about the view. This view is fairly decent in DC, and if you get there on the earlier side of happy hour time you can definitely snag some of the coveted seating. They have several high top table options along the far side of the rooftop, some large couch seating options covering the opposite side of the rooftop, and a mismatch of high top tables under the covered space. The happy hour does last a significant chunk of time, by any standards (4-8). The happy hour prices are OK- the drinks being a better option than the food, and the bartenders were definitely giving us our money worth with the pours (shutout to the bartenders, you the real MVP). Our 'bees knees' style cocktail (bourbon, honey, lemon juice) was $9/drink. The food options and pricing left much to be desired. Think TGI Friday's on a good day. We wanted nachos, included on the happy hour menu, but they informed us that the nachos wouldn't come with chicken because they had run out - ok - I cheekily asked then what the comped price of the nachos would be since they were omitting a key ingredient. Hah... well this is DC after all so no, same price as listed with half the topping. Anyway, we opted for a cheese plate (not happy hour price, $15) and fries topped with Parmesan ($5 fries, extra $2 for Parmesan). I will say that while we did eat everything, the cheese plate included a bowl of I kid you not, what HAD to have been Concord Grape Jelly. We also had to circle back a few times for utensils, napkins, and snack plates. BUT THE VIEW AND THE DRINKS. I joke... honestly, unless I was otherwise in the area and dying to find a happy hour spot... I probably wouldn't come back.

    Happy hour
    Brooke T.

    First things first: the view is beautiful. Now ceases the positivity unfortunately. Came here with some coworkers for happy hour, everything is expensive, but's that's downtown for you. What I was disappointed in was the drink selection and the food. Got the hummus, it's was $9 happy hour special and it was okay. Tried my friends jalapeño mule... made with tequila and OMG so strong. All I tasted was alcohol. I got the moscato and it was cheap wine that they charged $6 dollars a glass for. TL;DR: Basically an overpriced hotel bar with a great view of DC

    Kassie E.

    So Disappointed. Lets get this out the way. The view is GORGEOUS. But thats like a "duh" thats easy kinda thing. Anybody can create a great view on a roof of a building thats already there. Awesome! The Service, Food and Execution are a different story. It was very bad. Im not sure if its because I came 1 hr before they closed or if its because they had one birthday party going on in VIP but when I came yesterday it was a completely awful waste of my time. Lets get down to cleanliness. It was a ClusterF*(&! dirty dishes, cups and serving trays all over. Who was the busboy for 6/7? Cause he completely dropped the ball. Piles of dirty dishes were everywhere because there was no one to come collect them for washing. Guests had to come up to the bar and put their used dishes down. Which left it cluttered and yucky. The Food was awful. It looked like it should have been good. But I ordered the loaded tots and my tots were cold yet the cheese was warm??? When the server brought it out he forgot the bacon...Hello!? I took several bites and it tasted like burned, rubbery tires. My drink was a watermelon cocktail they ran out of watermelon puree and so I subbed with blueberry...Nope not a good idea. The service? Non existant. You wait in line at the bar to order and then take a number and a runner brings out your food. I had to have them take back the tots cause it was terrible. Maybe it was a fluke. But...yea no. Never coming back

    Kay P.

    Pros: Simple but sleek! Good view. Lots of seating for a small venue. Definitely will be able to find a place to sit if you come before 7pm. Friendly bartenders - was nice enough to concoct a non-menu drink for me for HH price. Cons: Terribly HOT/no fans. Only 2 beers on tap, low quality wines. OK food (wings we better than nachos and sliders).

    Justin M.

    If you are looking for a rooftop bar in DC once the weather stays nice, check out Ellipse Rooftop Bar. It is a little tricky to find, because it is inside of a hotel, but if you go into the hotel and straight back to the elevator, you will see a selection for the rooftop bar. The ambiance is nice, but it is a little hard to find seating when it gets crowded so you may end up standing for a while. I would recommend going during their happy hour (Monday to Friday 4pm - 8pm) because the food and drinks are pricey. All of their specialty cocktails and bar bites are $12 and over when it is not happy hour. Overall, i think it is a decent place to relax and chill for a while.

    Rooftop

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    3 months ago

    Tonya and her team are the absolute best!! The food and atmosphere rocks. Thanks for welcoming us with y'all warm personality!!!

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    4 years ago

    Fun relaxing atmosphere. Not too stuffy and a great place to spend happy hour. Happy hour is from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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    7 years ago

    Cute intimate spot close with a nice rooftop view and tasty sangrias. I work nearby so I will be back for drinks with friends.

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    Ask the Community - Ellipse Rooftop Bar

    Review Highlights - Ellipse Rooftop Bar

    “Cute intimate spot close with a nice rooftop view and tasty sangrias.”

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

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