That view you know so well is back. After an extensive renovation, a menu refresh and a Mukbang video featuring Antoni from Queer Eye, the new POV Rooftop at W Washington D.C. is calling your name. It’s still the polished party palace you know and love, but with their wild new cocktails and extensive food menu that bounces from bar staples to chifa-style dishes, there’s a lot more going on here. In classic W style, it’s over the top in a way that keeps you on your toes.
Unlike the drastically different lobby, the bones of POV are still basically the same. Their killer view is front and center, it even gets some added attention with a series of new retractable windows that pop open at the push of a button. The result is insane. It’s impossible to look out at that view and not be impressed. There’s already a million Instagram shots from POV, and the relatively tame renovation all but guarantees there will be a million more.
While the insane view of the Washington Monument is still the main course, the cocktail and food menus might just be wild enough to pull your attention away. That’s especially true of the drinks, which were designed by the wacky people behind Cocktail Professor and feature a bevy of weird props.
Order The President’s Book of Secrets and you’ll be handed a hollowed out book filled with a flask of rich liquor. Go for the Ghost in the White House and you’ll get a sweet and smokey cocktail bottled in a glass shaped like a skeleton. Craving something light with a bitter edge? Check out the Bi-Partisan, which is actually two different cocktails that are served on a full blown scale. Go for a bigger table here. You’re going to need the space even if you’re only having drinks.
The POV Bites menu continues the W Washington DC’s penchant for cheesy names. Ordering the Wobster Roll (I’ll never get over this name) will net you a Maine style lobster roll dressed with a zippy ginger lime mayo, while The Big Belly is a two patty burger topped with pork belly.
And yet, The Big Belly was our favorite dish by far. The pork belly, in all its rich, fatty, meaty glory is out of this world addition to the already serious patties. It’s indulgence at its finest. If you’re looking for something a little less rich, the Hong Kong style fried rice (which tastes like it would be at home at China Chilcano), with its mixture of succulent shrimp and wok fried lobster is the kind of dish that still feels luxurious, but doesn’t make you want to immediately take a nap.
You’re still eating with your eyes first at POV. There’s not a dish alive that can beat that view, but its menu puts up a good fight. At the very least, you’ll never forget the time you were served a working scale alongside your cocktail.
POV Rooftop is located at 515 15th Street, NW.
