Drinks were good. The nice selection of appetizers. Highly recommend the brussel sprouts. I made a reservation for the top deck, but we ended up getting seated on the first level. We were kind of disappointed, but we still had a great time. They have a lot of screens on the first floor. Would love to go back and see the top level! read more

Rooftop Recess - Cheers! - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My daughter and I came to Arlington Virginia to spend the night and celebrate her 21st birthday. After looking at reviews on yelp, we decided to check out rooftop recess. What a fun place! We sat at the bar they had football games on the TVs. It took a minute for us to get waited on, but we decided to get an orange crush and a Moscow Mule. We enjoyed both. It did start to get busy and really loud in the restaurant, but it was Saturday night so it wasn't a dealbreaker. We ordered bang bang shrimp. They were full of flavor and nice and crispy. The only disappointment was that the server brought the food over with no plates or even offered utensils. Since it was so busy, I had to go to the hostess stand to get utensils in a napkin. We had another round of drinks and decided to go check out another bar. When we're back in the area, we will definitely go to rooftop recess. read more

Rooftop Recess - Bang Bang Shrimp - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Came in to rooftop recess on a Saturday evening. There's street parking and multiple garages within walking distance. I like how there were 3 different floors with rooftop access. Although we went during cold weather the patio looked so fun! We sat at a booth on the ground floor and I got the chicken tenders. They were very average. The truffle fries were great and drinks were good. However we ordered during happy hour & the waitress charged all of us full price. We let her know and she got the manager to get us our new receipt with the HH prices. Service was a little slow but that's because it was starting to get very crowded. The holiday decorations were adorable and the bathrooms were clean. The pizza wasn't that good but it was definitely standard bar pizza. read more

See all

I would probably give this a 3.5. We can for the $2 mimosas but if you're on the rooftop you will not be served in a mimosa type glass but a little plastic cup. I only ended up having one since they didn't get great to me and then I ordered a Moscow mule and that wasn't made well either. The elevator that you can take to get to the rooftop smelled horrible- take the stairs. The reviews mentioning slow service did not lie. I had the steak and eggs and that was the redeeming grace- that was actually good. However they had no desserts outside of the churros. read more

See all

This place just opened, so naturally it has a few kinks to work out. However, I enjoyed my experience compared to other Yelpers so far. The space is bright and extremely cute for dinner or happy hour. The waiters and waitresses are extremely nice, albeit a bit stressed. Everything we had was warm and yummy. I enjoyed the Basil Lemonade mocktail as well. I think the music gets a bit too loud with a love dj as people are still trying to eat so that could be fixed. I also noticed a lot of lost waiters bringing food to the wrong tables--hopefully they can fix this soon. Other than this I'd come back especially when it isn't raining to try the rooftop.! read more

See all

Given this place is newly opened, it's evident they are still working out the kinks. We came by on a Monday for drinks & a quick bite. You have to go up a few flights of stairs to get to the rooftop. There is a floor below the rooftop that has a nice size bar & cute seating. At the time, this floor was not in service though. Immediately when we got there, we noticed the service was very slow. We were seated right away, but it took a while for them to take our orders and serve us drinks. I think this was because there was only one bartender & seemed to only be one server working the whole rooftop floor. Our first round of drinks we ordered signature beverages on the menu. They weren't strong & they were not tasty. Though their prices are better than most places for the drinks, the drinks are really small. For my second round of drinks I ordered a long island & it was the worst long island I've ever had. This was a regular sized drink, though. For food, we ordered the shrimp tacos (2/10), chicken tenders (7/10) and brussel sprouts (3/10). The shrimp tacos were cold and subpar for even bar food. The chicken tenders were beer battered & actually decent. The brussel sprouts weren't cooked long enough. They were hard and cold and lazily prepared. They do have decent restrooms, but you have to go down the stairs to access them from the rooftop. Overall, I would not come back to this place unless they get a serious revamp to their menu. read more

Rooftop Recess - Long Island (do not order) - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Went for a Saturday brunch.., the open late so good for those late risers. Great rooftop spot to enjoy the weather. $2 mimosas... they were fine. Remember they were $2. I wish they had a few more juice choices for them. My eggs were good. Friend had the ricotta toast- waste of money! Tiny serving and the sand price as our other dishes. Others had breakfast burritos they enjoyed these! Cute decor- a fun swing on the indoor area that was a great photo opportunity! Service was great! We really enjoyed chatting with our server. read more

Strictly rooftop review on a Saturday night... Walked right through up to the rooftop. The second floor has cute decor, lots of space and seating for groups and either stairs or elevator option to get up to the roof. The bar is quite small on the roof but they get the job done. Drinks are well priced and service was fast! There was a DJ with great music and vibes and lots of seating so almost everyone had a table! I think it's a cool pre-game and chill spot! Not too loud so you can still converse. Def need to try some food next time ! The flatbread looked yummy! read more

3.5 stars. The fish and chips were okay. Decent favors while the Cole slaw was a little too moist and not that fresh. Service was kind of slow even after the restaurant crowded died down. Place was lively though early on. Would probably come back just for drinks. read more

Rooftop Recess - Fish and chips - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Lots of great food options. The fried chicken sandwich was great! Also lots of great drink options including mocktails. Service was fast and the rooftop was so cute. read more

See all

Stopped by for brunch with a group of bookclub friends and had a really solid experience overall! Ambience: The space is bright, welcoming, and has a nice vibe perfect for catching up with friends or a low-key weekend outing. There's a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, and everything felt clean and relaxed. Food: The star of the show for me was the Parmesan truffle fries. They were SO GOOD, crispy and flavorful without being greasy. I could've eaten a whole bowl of just those. My main dish was tasty and portioned well. Drinks: The mimosas were fresh and hit the spot! Not watered down like some places definitely worth ordering. ‍ Service: This is where I docked a star. The staff was friendly, but the service was a little slow, especially considering it wasn't super packed when we arrived. It didn't ruin the experience, but it's worth noting if you're on a time crunch. Would I come back? Yes especially for the fries and chill atmosphere. Definitely recommend giving it a try if you're in the area! read more

See all

First time at the new restaurant since it used to be Clarendon rooftop. Loved the vibe! Appetizers were pretty good. Many of us got the pizzas and we wished those were cooked a little more. Drinks were great and they have a good happy hour deal. Will definitely be back read more

First time at Rooftop Recess after seeing it on TikTok! I came for happy hour with my boyfriend, he got the burger and fries, I had the steak frites and Caesar salad. Food was solid (8/10), but my steak was a bit dry and needed more chimichurri. Tried a beer + liquor drink (bad call on my part, I don't like beer ), but our server was super nice and took it off the bill, which I appreciated! The rooftop is cute but small and has barely any shade. Definitely recommend going when it's cooler out. Honestly, the indoor vibe was even better, next time I'll probably sit inside! read more

See all

I was really looking forward to enjoying this spot, but unfortunately the service on the rooftop was extremely disappointing. We waited over 20 minutes just to get water, and my friend actually had to walk to the bar to request it, which is completely unacceptable. Our waiter was unprofessional and noticeably impolite, which made the experience even worse. We didn't even end up eating--just had one drink before deciding to leave. I brought this to the hostess's attention inside, and after pointing out the waiter, she mentioned that there had already been a few complaints about him and his attitude. She seemed very understanding about the situation and apologized. Not sure if I'll return, but if I do, I'll definitely avoid the rooftop. If you decide to visit, just be aware that service on the rooftop might not match the rest of the establishment. read more

The host is really nice. The breakfast Burrito is amazing! You know some people are just haters to hate

We were so excited to have a rooftop bar open in Arlington, but were really disappointed by our experience here. I feel like it's called Rooftop Recess because all the staff are on recess... When we arrived, the hostess told us it would probably be a 40 minute wait then walked away and didn't take our names. When she came back she said it was her first day and she was replaced by another hostess who also walked off for five minutes without asking for our name. Every staff member blamed another person for the wait or mistakes. The poor food runners had no idea where they were bringing the food and would stand by the tables looking around until someone claimed their food or the servers came back and directed them. We ordered drinks with our appetizers and we got one after we finished our app and the other after we finished our meals, and they were not the same drink. The fries were the highlight of the meal and the Halloumi sandwich was okay, though it wasn't what I expected based on the description and the added chicken was minuscule. The burrata was decent. The roof itself is very small and feels like it shouldn't be an operable rooftop for a business, half of it is obstructed by HVAC. The building also isn't tall enough to offer much of a view. I do hope the staff are able to work out the kinks in their service, because the entire time we were there it felt very chaotic like no one had been properly trained or it was their first Saturday working. Overall, there aren't many rooftop bars in the area, so if it's a nice day and you don't care much about the quality of service, it's still an okay option to get a drink and stand by the bar. read more

See all

We are Courthouse locals and saw Recess on Instagram and thought the food looked awful. To our surprise, it was actually great--especially for the value! Shoutout to our bartender Chad for the two dollar mimosas and a recommending a great breakfast burrito. We had such a good time, we came back after dinner for a late night bite. The prosciutto flatbread exceed expectations. We thought it was better than a nearby wine bar we regularly go to. We hope this place stays open because it's a phenomenal value and could be a new regular spot. Ambiance was mid. They were trying a little too hard. But the rooftop is great. It better not raise prices or get worse like everything else in Courthouse. - Will read more

Rooftop Recess - Breakfast Burrito - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I would never eat lukewarm, smelly, dry pasta. Will never come back unless it's for drinks. The service stopped once three people in our party returned their plates. Some things just aren't edible. I would never eat lukewarm, smelly, dry pasta. Will never come back unless it's for drinks. The service stopped once three people in our party returned their plates. Some things just aren't edible. read more

Rooftop Recess - Blackened shrimp and chicken pasta - American Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Excited for a new rooftop bar in the Arlington area since there's not many. It's a smaller spot but the place had cute decor inside and the rooftop was a nice vibe. The bartenders were very nice and made good drinks. We enjoyed some cocktails and an appetizer on the rooftop then moved inside for dinner. The food was good and we got good service. I liked my experience here and I'll definitely be back when the weather is nice. read more

See all

Came here when it just opened and loved it but last time I went to the rooftop there were so many mice everywhere! We had to leave immediately. They were all over under the tables where people were eating. Food is fine but the mice freaked me out that I'm sure there has to be some in the kitchen after seeing that read more

Great deals and great view. Friendly staff and reasonable prices. Would definitely try again!

Went for the rooftop vibes, it was okay, not a great view and half the roof top was an hvac system. when we got our mimosas they were disgusting like they have been sitting out for hours. Someone in my party got the chicken and waffles and his chicken was slimy. I got the steak and caesar salad and now I have food poisoning. read more

We made and confirmed a reservation at Rooftop Recess only to show up and see a sign on the door saying it was closed. We were quickly forced to find another place in Arlington for 8 people, which was very stressful. The restaurant should have never taken our reservation if the business is closed. read more

The rooftop ambiance is my favorite to enjoy the sky and sunsets. Good food and friendly staff. I appreciate that Management listens to and welcomes feedback. read more

It's honestly disappointing that I have to write this because I've been to this restaurant before and it was great. This time unfortunately that was not the case. We walked into an empty restaurant on a Sunday in the middle of brunch hours. First off the place stunk like dirty mop water and it was off putting. I put that to the side and decided I'd stay anyway. Again the restaurant is empty but for some reason it took about 30 minutes for my food to come out which and when it did come it wasn't good. The Caesar salad tasted like the lettuce was dirty... the ricotta and bruschetta toast was clearly left in the window too long because the bread was soggy. It was a good thing my boyfriend's food was some what decent so I was able to eat something. I'm not sure what was going on today but it was enough for me to not want to comeback here. read more

Jillian was probably the most professional bartender while simultaneously making it fun and informative about what was going in the cocktails. Rarely do I meet a bartender who is so obviously in the industry because they enjoy it, and not just for the job itself. Thank you, Jillian!! Will come back read more

This spot is actually less than one star. I came here for brunch and the hot tea came ice cold. My food was ice cold. Steak cooked wrong, eggs looked freezer burnt and the potatoes looked like microwaved potatoes from a local grocery store. While the waitress is nice, I'm curious as to who is managing this place? Very disappointing experience to say the least. Will not be back or recommend. read more

The aux is incredible - no misses playing on the rooftop every time I've gone. Great spot.

Rooftop recess is a perfect place for getting together for a girls night/date night, appetizers, happy hour, music, ambience. Ed, the manager, treated us so well. He checked in on us frequently and made us feel so welcome! Drinks made by Alex are fire. Shoutout to Brian #loveandhonor. We love it here! read more

Decent food. Service is really bad. Seen my server 3 times and had to go to the bar to ask for another drink. The bar said they'd put my order in but give it to my server and never saw the server until we were done with our food; which was frustrating because we were drinking our drinks after we got the check. read more

Stopped here this weekend for a few drinks and a bite to eat. Food was decent. Drinks were decent. The best part was the vibe. Very young crowd. Cute ambiance. Would come back just to hangout and drink. read more

The staff had no idea what they were doing and the drink and food quality did not make up for it. I had to send back a drink, which I never do, because it was actually disgusting and not drinkable. It also took over 30 minutes to get!! The Halloumi sandwich was 2/10. Also, majority of the rooftop was an HVAC. Will not be returning read more

Atmosphere, especially the rooftop, was incredible. Happy hour deals are great and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Will definitely be going back soon! read more