I wish I could give this place a 2.5 but alas a 3 it is - average. The Willard Hotel is on Glenwood in Raleigh. It was a bit hard to find but once we arrived we were happy to be outdoors on the rooftop . My girlfriends came here for my friend's birthday for a girls night out. We intended to get drinks and maybe an app. We all ordered their margarita and split several apps. We asked that they be brought out in 2 different rounds but unfortunately it was all brought out at once. With 2 tiny end tables, it was very cluttered. We ordered the Halloumi, Charcuterie, Roasted Potatoes, and a shrimp dish. I was surprised how little there was for the prices. The charcuterie was the worse I've had. Meats weren't fresh and totally overpriced. There were more condiments (mustard, honey) than actual food. The fried potatoes were amazing! Crisp, hot and soft in the middle. The halloumi was a good size piece and would have been delicious I think if it was hot. It was lukewarm and not gooey like halloumi should be. The shrimp dish was okay - mostly sauce. The margaritas were tasty - almost tasted like a Paloma. If there wasn't so much construction taking place outside, it would be a beautiful view. I don't think I'd go back. read more

See all

First impressions - I was impressed by what it looked like. I kind of look at it as Level 7's downtown cousin which is located in North Hills. It has the best view of the Raleigh skyline view, better than 10th and Terrace which is a lot smaller. They have outside heaters that hangup from the wall, they aren't like the typical lamp looking heaters you see at most bars. The inside is more spacious than Level 7, but the layout is a bit different, not quite as wide open as it is. Beer is fairly priced, but I'm not paying $20 for a cocktail, LOL. The downside is that I did find one of the bartenders a bit condescending to me and a few friends, and it took a pretty long time to get a drink. You can't bring a big group of friends there like you can Level 7 without some sort of paid reservation, so thats also a down side, so I'm going to knock off a star for that. I think 4 stars is good though, just improve with the service and I think its worth 5 stars for sure. read more

The burger I ordered was burnt, the hostess gave me no options on seating and sat me in the sun when it's 95 degrees outside and they just sat a couple in front of is in a shaded section. The waitress did not give good service and only checked on us once the whole evening. The ambience and seating arrangement looked like a hotel lobby instead of somewhere to make reservations for. Not a fan, won't be coming back. read more

Very nice setting but don't go there looking for a good meal. We had to send food back, which is something we never do unless it's basically rancid. So do the math. Won't be back to eat but would consider it for drinks. read more

Our group was so excited to have dinner and drinks at The Willard. We were seated and after 15 min still no server. One of the members of our group went to see if he could tell someone we needed a server. Once the server finally arrived she immediately had a chip on her shoulder. Throughout the entire evening the service was horrible and the server was condescending and passive aggressive. The food was eh. The two stars are only for the beautiful view of the city. read more

The views of downtown Raleigh are very good here (5 stars for the view); HOWEVER, be aware that you cannot alter anything on the menu - not even "sauce on the side" "no cheese and it was American Cheese - too pricey to just offer American Cheese" "no onions", you get my point. The reason (even though I should not have to justify "sauce on the side") I order items this way is I am a migraine sufferer of 30+ years so I try to be careful and all the items I listed are known suspects. Our waiter was very understanding but when he returned from asking the "chef", he said he sticks to his "NO SUBSTITUTIONS" and apologized. Too bad, as the views were nice, but I CANNOT recommend this place - unless you go to have a drink. read more

The venue locale itself is great and is very hard to mess up. Some of the best views of the downtown skyline (but read: not the best views in or from the skyline) in Raleigh. While my group overall had a good time as we hadn't gathered in a while, I think the Willard left lots to be desired. First, my group of approx. 15 people were told we had two options: spend $750 minimum to have some designated space, or show up when the venue opens (5pm; late for a happy hour spot) and it's first-come; first-served. We got there first at 5:02pm, and while there were plenty of good spaces in the shade and which could accommodate our group, we were told the only space possible was a corner in the sun, secluded from the rest of the bar. The host was very unwilling to fix the issue or even explain the decision. When we inquired with our (only one) server about switching to a shaded area, we were told "they've been blocked off for 7pm and 8pm." Yeah...we wanted a 5pm happy hour. It made no sense, and when we left around 7pm, the shaded spots hadn't been used at all. The drinks were good, but are no doubt the most expensive in Raleigh's Glenwood south. A basic cocktail is over $13; many are $16 or $19. And there is nothing overly special about them. Go for the views only; don't go for the service or prices. read more

ONE star for our experience last night, even though the food was delicious, the rooftop ambience lovely, and the service at the restaurant great. The restaurant is on top of a new Marriott Hotel, and we were excited about dining there for the first time. Upon approaching the hotel, we drove to the "Hotel Parking" sign, indicating parking under the hotel. The ticket machine and arm would not let us in, so the parking attendant walked over. She actually said to us, "The parking area is for hotel guests only, we do not accommodate restaurant guests." We were so floored by her response that I think she picked up on our shocked faces, so then she said, "Well, you can park here this one time." I have traveled and stayed at hotels with restaurants all over the world and have never had this kind of rude experience. We will not be going back to the Willard, and the other couples who joined us (and had the same parking experience) said they will also not be going back either. We will also share our experiences with our friends and on social media. Very disappointed in the Marriott organization for treating any guests so rudely. We'll vote with our wallets and dine elsewhere. read more

Decided to try the views at the Willard amidst a popular summer sunset, but unfortunately had a bad service experience here - although they were quite busy, I would hope they would have better policies to rectify mistakes. When our food came out, they gave our order to someone else who had arrived and ordered much later after us, despite my having waved down the server down and making eye contact with him. Then after that customer got their new correct order and we still had not gotten our order, they put in our order at the bottom of the queue, and it took another 1hr+ to get our simple order. No apologies, no comp for the mistake. We missed out on other evening activities due to this terrible service. Burger was ok but nothing special. read more

I was really hoping I would be able to give this place 5 stars because it really is a cool spot with an awesome view! However, I didn't have the best experience with food and beverage manager, Jordan. He was friendly but didn't exactly fix the problem. My friends and I went here on a Saturday night and ordered two rounds of espresso martini's. They aren't on the menu but I assumed they'd be about $15 each. I got my credit card statement and I had a charge for $275. I called and spoke with Jordan and he said there was probably an error because their espresso martini's are $15 each. He checks into it and calls me back and says actually they're $18 because I received the premium espresso martini's. He also said these are the martini's that are listed on the menu but I can't find an espresso martini on their menu. If I felt like my martini's were premium quality or if I had asked for it, then I wouldn't be writing this review but I never requested premium and our drinks were good but they looked like something from a dive bar. They were served in all sorts of glasses and not a single espresso martini glass. Some were in wine glasses and some were in champagne glasses and none of them were garnished with anything. When I told him this, he still didn't offer to refund me or make it right. It's disappointing because this place has so much potential but the service is a bit slow and the bar isn't quite 100% yet. They need to make sure their prices reflect that until they're ready to be a premium bar. read more

The Willard Rooftop Lounge - "Premium" espresso martini in a wine glass - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

We went up to the roof top bar which is beautiful and quite large!!! We ordered a bottle of wine and told Jesse the bartender it was our anniversary !! She then brought us a complimentary dessert tray with delicious macaroons and salted caramel cookies!! We ordered the potatoes which were a perfect snack! We hung out until the rain stopped! Loved it! Will be back! read more

Food is really good. The view is amazing. The service is good as well. I don't recommend hummus plate as it was flavorless. read more

Made a reservation and showed up to find that they had a banquet going on. Not a single table available. They didn't even bother to notify us. Not apologies, nothing. Shame on you. read more

Not worth the hype. Went to celebrate my sister's birthday. Was truly disappointed with food and service.

The rooftop was nice, the food was good, the server was good. The hostess would not and look up at us as would stood directly in front of her. Another female staff member went to get something from the hostess stand, she spoke to us then the hostess finally acknowledged us. read more

I think you should visit at least once. Great service! I think the drinks were pricey and weak.

I had a great experience at The Willard with a group of girl friends this week! The eight of us met up around 6:00pm on Monday and had the outdoor patio pretty much to ourselves. We took up some prime real estate under the phenomenal heaters and right in front of the fire. We enjoyed lovely cocktails and bites and had a great time! Our waiter was attentive and patient with our large group, and when we asked if he could turn the music down outside so that we could focus on a live Q&A event that we were tuning into, he obliged. I personally had the Joel Lane's Refresher and the Kentucky Mule. Both were delicious! A few of the girls also ordered food and had nothing but positive things to say! The fried manchego and the papas bravas were both very popular. And of course, I cannot finish this review without mentioning the view! Raleigh doesn't have the biggest or most memorable skyline but our city is growing and it was awesome to see the city from the vantage point of the Willard! I will definitely be back and plan to add this stop to my rotation when friends and family come to visit! read more

Difficult to find seating without reservations and must order at bar. There are better cocktails bars in Raleigh.

Great views and lots of seating with a cool bar and great craft cock. Be sure to get the potatas bravas and arugula salad - yum!

While it may be fine as a bar- do NOT attend an event/ class here. Attended their cocktails and cuisine class (at 50 a person) which was advertised as learning how to make cocktails and having apps paired with each. They taught you how to make zero drinks, there was absolutely no hands on portion, and the staff do not even break down step by step how to make the drinks. They just make small portion cocktails and hand them to you while giving a few random facts. The apps were not good (there were two and one was a rather bad bread pudding). For 50- I could have ordered 3 full size cocktails of my choice that were actually good. This is NOT an experience and certainly not as described read more

some hits and some misses. views from the top of the ac hotel were stunning and location to where things were going on was great. ambition was there for the dishes just didnt deliver. read more

My college friends and I came from out of town to celebrate two of our friends birthdays (a group of 26 year olds). The restaurant turned us away cause our IDs were from out of state - three of us drove 7-9 hours to be here. When we asked to speak to a manager to understand why, we were given a huge attitude. Truly unprofessional and if this is an issue, I'm shocked that they wouldn't buy an ID scanner or something. Truly disappointing. read more

The views were good, the patio well appointed and cozy and the service friendly. The food was decent. I'd go for a drink the next time.

If I could give this establishment zero stars I would. The manager Conrad was extremely rude when we asked a few questions to him about the restaurant policy and brushed us off. He seemed to be going on a power trip and proceeded to refuse to serve us. I found the service extremely unprofessional and will never be returning to this bar. If anyone wants to have an enjoyable experience in Raleigh I would also recommend to avoid this place like the plague. read more

I met five other ladies here for lunch and a social. The place is really nice with a good view. My burger was good and enjoyed the coffee and mock tail. The discount on stars was for the difficulty in settling our bill. We were not allowed to have separate checks or split it. We wasted our afternoon trying to determine how to have one person cover it and Venmo each other. I haven't ever had this experience before for a small group. read more

Came with a reservation to celebrate a friends birthday. the manager, Conrad, didn't give us his name after he said he refused to serve us as some had out of state IDs for at least the age of 25. told us they didn't have a scanner to prove our IDs were real. We all refuse to give this establishment any money now or in the future. read more

Loved this spot. Had aweome service from Amber! The atmosphere was awesome on the rooftop! All aroundnice spot with DELICIOUS Food.

Love love love this hidden gem!! Amazing view of the city, perfect breeze on a hot night, lots of room for seating and great cocktail selection! The food was shockingly delicious, specifically the roasted carrot and harissa appetizer and the caprese flatbread. Everything we ate and drank was excellent. New go to place! Parking tricky, but that's not their fault. read more

After a miscommunication, the management team here was able to accommodate our group of 10 people. A new bartender prepared two of our drinks wrong, and the waitress promptly offered to get new ones made. She was very friendly and efficient! The drinks are a little overpriced, but the food is very reasonable. Even the night before a snow storm the views were great. I wouldn't recommend coming here with a large group of people due to the set up of the tables and chairs. Definitely more suited for groups of 4-6 people. Overall, great food, drinks, and staff and I appreciate them going over the top to make sure our group could spend an evening there! read more

Here from California on business and decided to give it a try. Ordered a slushy or 3 with the Bumbu. Super tasty! The environment was dope and my server Camden was amazing and super hospitable! No complaints on any front. Prices are what we're used to in California. If I can get the repeat experience I'll be back! read more

The Willard Rooftop Lounge - The view - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Great ambiance, great service, great drinks, and great food. I've never left this place without feeling great about my experience. Their appetizers are quite good and priced surprisingly well. read more

Complete dump, went there last night and we waited for 15 minutes to not even get water or be greeted. First time I went here I had to go to the bar myself to get my drinks, still tipped, and was over charged because I was "drunk", congrats, you took advantage of the drunk guy over tipping everyone. Nice. Worst bar in Raleigh. read more

I loved the prosciutto toast, A M A Z I N G !! I went there for my bday with sone friends and it was cool and nice but we got sat outside and the heaters we on but barely, so we we're freezing cold. other than that, i will be returning read more

I was in town with coworkers for a conference and thought it would be nice to go here, but was very disappointed! Got seat inside because outside was full and the server barely came to our section to check up on us. Basically service here sucked and they only attend who they want to. The food and drinks were overpriced with little bit of food and drinks weren't prepared right. Would only go back for the beautiful view outside. The need to upgrade their service and menu. Don't go as a party of 6 or more they include the tip and it's way too much they give the server that sometime doesn't deserve it for their bad service. read more

Great food and atmosphere. We dressed up but you definitely don't feel like you need to. I'm still dreaming about the arugula salad. read more

See all

I asked for an old fashioned and the whiskey wasn't available. The recommended one I got was $27.00. For one drink?! Get the eff out of here. Not coming back read more

They don't even deserve 1 star. The manager and staff are as un professional as they get and I would say the manager is an idiot. No consideration what so ever for guest requirements and they ruined our planned party for family that flew in from out of state. Don't consider this an option if you want to have good time. Management, please take notice of your manager and teach him some manners. After all, you are in hospitality business. read more

Not enthused. For starters, there is no parking, so we had to pay $10 to park a few blocks away. Made reservations on the outdoor rooftop and were told since it had been raining they had to move us inside, which was no problem. We get there 10 minutes early and the outdoor area has several different parties seated. They then try to sit us right next to a party of 20 people celebrating a birthday so we ask for a different table, which we then sit at for 30 minutes before someone leans over the bar and asks if we are ok so we ask if we can place an appetizer order. After 30 more minutes of waiting with no one even batting an eyelash in our direction, we decide to leave. At this point almost all other restaurants in the area are closed and we almost didn't get to eat tonight. Wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for top notch service. read more

This place is alright. So so drinks. Got an old fashioned that the bartender raved about, but it was only ok.

Been here a couple times. First time the service was incredibly slow. The second time it was even worse. Came on a Friday evening without a reservation both times so had to sit on the first come first serve balcony. The waiter never addressed us in our entire 90 minutes there. They barely addressed our side of the balcony and repeatedly watched other customers have to flag her down. They were more concerned with serving the older patrons who would had bottles of wine and would probably tip very well? The other option is to self serve at the bar. (That option is incredibly slow too. Last time we waited 15-20min to get the check) However if you go that route be prepared to dine amongst dirty dishes. Several waiters walked past our table filled with dirty glasses and never made any effort to clean up. There was also food and sauce on the floor that we had to dance around all night. The main waiter working our balcony walked past us multiple times looked right at us and never once said anything: no greeting, didn't take our orders, didn't clean up from the previous customers. It was busy but it wasn't that busy. The view is incredible and I would recommend going just for that especially since apparently you don't have to order anything to enjoy it. read more