A light repast at the Kennedy Center’s Rooftop Restaurant

Whether you’re catching a show at one of the Kennedy Center’s performance halls or looking for a special sunset time dinner, the Roof Terrace Restaurant makes a meal into its own event. It’s a popular destination, I highly recommend reservations. You can even try to reserve a window seat, but donors do have priority.

I’d say dress is everything from business casual on up. Okay, I’m not from D.C. — I tend to dress up more than you’ll see at the Kennedy Center.

There is a bar in the entrance with snacky things that’s pretty gorgeous. Just across the entrance is a continuation of the bar, kind of an overflow. The way it’s set up, it looks like a private club!

Servers informed me how quickly things come out, pre-theater and all. So, if you want to take selfies and photos — and you do — get your pictures in before ordering. There’s a door to the roof right outside the restaurant and the views of the Capitol and Virginia are stunning.

When I’m writing about a place, I like to cover cocktails, opposed to something straight out of a bottle. Apple Brandy Fizz has apple brandy, triple sec, lemon juice, sparkling apple cider. It is very fruit-forward with a kick. It’s refreshing, but not really bubbly. It’s served in a rounded old-fashioned glass. I think I’d either rename it or re-imagine it served as a tall drink, more cider. I do like the seasonality of it.

Just before a show, I like something light, easy to handle, not drippy, not requiring sawing away with knife. Steak Tartare has hand cut beef-tenderloin, quail eggs, grilled sourdough. Okay, you’re thinking, “Steak tartare is raw. What kind of cheffing up could there be?” I’ve had and made many steak tartares and there’s definitely an art to it. This is definitely a good one. It’s finely chopped, not minced, so it’s toothsome. It’s mixed with onion, lemon. These give the meat a bright flavor. There’s a light amount of Worcester sauce, which I prefer. Cornichons, baby greens with a bit of flavor help garnish.

Then, I got some Pommes Frites to share, which is the perfect thing to do. They’re served with Parmesan, thyme, rosemary, truffle aioli. The fries were crispy and pleasantly salted. The aioli was so tasty, I ordered another round!

A festive night calls for dessert, no? It was clear that the restaurant has a pastry chef — or else, you tend to see things baked on a sheet, like bread pudding. I selected Pistachio Cake: layered pistachio and citrus cake, whipped cream, mandarin gel, candied pistachios. It was balanced, not too sweet, delicate with many layers of subtle flavors and textures. It made everything special.