We came here to grab a drink and food on a Friday. We arrived at the restaurant and were NOT acknowledged or greeted for about 7-9 minutes. Finally, a server arrived, he took our orders and asked for ID. My ID is out of state but up to date. He took a close look and then asked if that was my only ID. I said no. He seemed to be looking for a fake or something wrong. Then he took my friend's ID and saw it was expired, in July of this year, so last month. He said he had to get it checked. After that the manager came to our table and said he couldn't accept it, but wasn't apologetic. The manager knew full well we were far above legal age. While we understand that restaurants have to abide by certain rules, the staff was rude from the start. We got the feeling we would have been received differently if we were perhaps a different complexion. We left and will not return. read more

I really wanted to LOVE Betsy. We live in the neighborhood, so Belga is a recurring stop for us. We went to Betsy for a late lunch this Sunday. For starters, the website has the wrong times listed, so we thought it was closed when it was actually open. We got there, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, decor-wise, but Betsy did not live up to any idea I would have had. It looked like someone's yardsale--- and not in a cute, mix match way. Also, Bart, the owner, was there smoking on the small patio, which was gross because even though it is open air, it filled the eating area with the smell of cigarettes. We ordered a drink - they were out of the wine I ordered- and sandwiches. I thought the sandwiches were slightly overpriced, but figured it was fine because I was so excited for french fries. Imagine my surprise when the sandwiches came with no sides! No french fries, no salads, etc. That's so unusual! Anyways--- Betsy is not a place I will return to. I will say that the sandwiches were good and my fiance, who is a gin nerd, loved his gin and tonic. read more

Really cute ambience and outdoor roof/patio. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive for small portions of food that was frankly quite unimpressive. Literally whole uncut fruit with seeds/pits in them dumped on top of a waffle. read more

This place is amazing! I went here for my 21st birthday with some friends and it was a wonderful experience. The gin and tonics are consistently delicious, the beer selection is good, and the fries are great too. The service is exceptional and the atmosphere is cute and cozy. It may be a rooftop bar, but they keep it nice and warm inside with blankets and pillows in the winter. I honestly cannot wait to take more of my friends here once it gets warmer. I would definitely recommend!!! read more

I thought the cocktails here were really great, but the ambiance was lacking. The place feels like a high class backyard BBQ, with checkered tablecloths and wooden folding chairs and kitschy decorations. The staff are young and casual. The drinks are around $13 and are inventive and playful twists on gin and tonics, using really quality ingredients. I had the buffalo chicken croquettes which were pretty good little bursts of flavor, though not very substantial. I probably won't be back, though that burger looked to die for. Also, they have three tables next to a huge loud generator. read more

Great concept and I loved the décor, including the little hen prints leading you up the stairs. Really nice comfortable space with a bedoin feel under the canvas and all the big cushions on the benches. However the food was just ok and the service was pretty poor. Took ages to get anything from the servers. read more

This place is secluded and hidden but is a well kept secret. The variety of gin and herbs are amazing and Nate the bartender is sure to create a drink that meets ur needs! read more

To summarize, this is a cute rooftop bar with some AMAZING Gin and tonics, but is a bit over priced. My boyfriend and I came here for some after dinner drinks, and had trouble finding the place- it is set back far from street, and you have to go down this alley to get to it. Luckily there was a sign showing the way to the alley, but it was a bit unique. Once there I was shocked by how small the roof top was, this is really a small deck with a small bar (not a negative, but I would not come here with a large group). The door that led indoors leads directly into the kitchen, and you have to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. However I was super impressed by how the place was decorated, it was really cute and quirky and fun! We were there on a weeknight around 7pm, so it wasn't very busy, and we found it to be a cute, intimate place to conclude our date night. The waiter was very nice and immediately explained to us some of the gins and answered our questions, and recommended a sweet and fruity one for me. I can't remember what we got, but both were really good (and generously strong). The G&Ts are served with these special ice cubes with fruit in them, and i recommend waiting till the ice cube melts a little to drink, it really gets the flavor in there. The drinks were expensive, but worth it for the unique experience, great service, and clearly premium ingredients. read more

The Betsy - Our drinks! - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It's a great concept that was executed poorly. Fun back entrance & lovely decor. I wish the ceiling was more open instead of covered by canvas. The tables are very close together. I'm a petite woman and I had to squeeze in and out of my table. We came for gin but it was odd that there are Chimay signs on the wall yet no Chimay beer on the menu. Service from slow and confused. Multiple staff members asked if we had ordered yet. When the drinks came the ice cubes were half thawed, as if the drinks had been sitting out a while. Otherwise I enjoyed the drink. Finally another guest brought a large dog inside. It was leashed, but she allowed it to wander up to multiple tables. Then she unleashed it and it came up to our table several times. I didn't say anything as she was clearly friends with the staff, but this is so rude in a small space where people are eating. read more

Ehh.. I've had better. Plus the restaurant owners have false advertising. The website claims Happy Hour until 6 pm, but when we sat down the waiter said it was over at 5:30. Even after showing him the website. I've had conversations with the wait staff there - they apparently have tried to get the false happy hour times off the website, but the ownership won't budge. The owners apparently have poor business ethics and have no problem lying to customers. And the wait staff has to deal with the unhappy customers. I had the same problem with Belga Cafe, which is owned by the same people. read more

Although it's a bit hard to find down the alley next to Belga Cafe, this rooftop bar extension of the cafe is worth the walk. Loved the setup of the tables and decorations, everything was so cute. They had a ton of brunch cocktails that sounded delicious and I tried the Bloody Mary which was pretty good. Had the smoked salmon eggs Benedict dish which had some quality smoked salmon in it for sure. The dish was well received by 2 of us at the table. They also have a ton of delicious sounding waffle dishes which I can see myself coming back to try. It's a bit on the expensive side but when it's nice outside I'd say it's worth the fun outdoor atmosphere. read more

I wouldn't go back here if YOU paid ME. The ambiance of the ten rooftop AC units running isn't nice, their service was so bad: the servers disappeared and we never really knew who was our server. Halfway thru dinner, I was able to flag down a server to ask for a NAPKIN--we hadn't had a single napkin for the first half of dinner. Then, fifteen minutes after asking for a beer, I actually went to the bar to get my own beer--of which no one even noticed. Finally flagged down a server to request our check and handed over our credit card. He brought back three different credit cards--none of which was ours. He finally located our card and we left. The food wasn't high-quality and portions were surprisingly small. It should be noted the salmon is four bites of salmon. I won't be back, and I don't look for this place to be around soon. read more

GREAT weekend brunch spot. Service from Justin and the rest of the staff was top notch! Eggs and steak with an early riser beer were a great way to start the day. This is our new favorite place in town with a lovely roof deck and great atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

HOST YOUR PRIVATE EVENT HERE. Full disclosure: I may be slightly biased, as I used to work at Belga Cafe (and if that violates Yelp's review standards, so be it), and I have always loved Chef Bart's food. HOWEVER, if I wasn't thrilled with what they did I simply wouldn't have written any review at all. The team at Betsy/Belga did an amazing job hosting our wedding reception. They managed to configure their relatively small space to accommodate a seated dinner for 40 people. The food was wonderful, the service was inconspicuous yet very attentive, the vibe was laid back and perfect. Great cocktails, great wine, great beer, great food, great service, great atmosphere. Could not have asked for better. read more

Totally agree with the description "hidden gem." Delightful in warm weather but now cozy and comfy under its winter tent and heaters. If that isn't heat enough, there are blankets on each chair for an extra hug of warmth. Amazing HH snacks--love them, especially the grilled avocado, a generous plate of heavenly tastes. Not to mention the incredible variety of gin and gin drinks. Don't let winter keep you away! read more

8th streets best kept secret. Wonderful atmosphere courteous employees an the food is awsome!!! Can't wait to go back....

Cool little spot in the back (and on top) of Belga Cafe. Menu looks similar to its parent restaurant but with a dedicated kitchen. It's a very nice place to enjoy an expensive drink al fresco. The entrance can be a bit difficult to find. It is back the alley mid-block a couple of doors down from Belga. You then turn left and ascend a staircase. Not sure what the plans are for a winter but would definitely recommend a stop for a pre or post dinner drink while the weather holds out. read more

Cool atmosphere, unique location, creative gin drinks...however the service was terrible, specifically Justin J (server/bartender). He was rude and took him about 45 minutes to take our food order, which we had to ask him to do...keep in mind this rooftop has about 10 tables and it was not overly busy. read more

Most to the reviews are generous here. For what this place wants to be (and the price they charge) they come up short. I came here with friends so I really we in a good mood but was quickly unimpressed with the noise from 4 big air conditioning units drowning out our conversation as we waited for a table. Once at the table, I was unimpressed with the garage sale-quality fans providing circulation. Drinks were very nice, but at $12, I expect them to be, since it was essentially a jigger of gin, 2 slices of cucumber, a watermelon ice cube (nice touch) and a bottle of tonic I was supposed pour myself. We had some apps which is about as far as I'd take this menu if I'd come here again. They were tasty, but the main course (chicken for me and a short rib for my friend) were uninspired. I felt bad for my bud because the short rib was no more than a snack and neither dish was overly amazing. They have great presentation, but at the end of the day, that only goes so far. I will not be back unless something changes substantially in their food and setting. read more

Ehhh - this needs some work. For such a small spot it's pricey and the bartender took forever to make our drinks, and as hot as it was we had to ask for water. We refilled our carafe four times before we got our drinks and had mostly finished our drinks before the apps arrived- this is how slow the service is. And you have to listen to the Belga AC unit- a lil music piped in would've helped. read more