Celebrity Chef Michael Mina Gives Upper Northwest a Rare Rooftop Restaurant

Fifteen years after bringing his resilient Bourbon Steak brand to the lobby of Georgetown’s Four Seasons hotel, James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Michael Mina introduces D.C. to a different kind of dining destination this weekend.

MINA Group’s scenic new Rooftop Kitchen, situated five floors up at the glossy City Ridge development near Tenleytown, swings open on Friday, April 12 (14 Ridge Square NW). The 3,000-square-foot perch originally arrived in June 2023 as the luxe residential complex’s private poolside club serving small plates and tropical cocktails. Now it’s a reimagined restaurant that’s open to the public for the first time. The year-round respite with views of the National Cathedral is one of the only rooftop dining options in the area.

Weekday hours are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Brunch goes until 4 p.m. with dishes like creme brulee French toast and filet and eggs.

Rey Lopez

David Madison Photography

The indoor-outdoor eatery showcases starters like ahi tuna tostadas, Maryland crab lettuce wraps, local oysters, and a bright beet salad. Mains include roasted Jidori chicken, grilled Ora King salmon, and spicy rigatoni. The catch-all menu also features pizzas like the “Forest,” loaded up with roasted mushrooms, wild ramps, and smoked mozzarella; a kid’s section; and fancy s’mores or soft serve sundaes for dessert. Burgers are a big focus at Rooftop Kitchen, built with dry-aged steak and salmon patties.

The celebrity West Coast chef made a big splash in D.C. back in 2009 with the debut of posh Bourbon Steak, long known for its luxe meats, Japanese wagyu, scene-y cocktail lounge, and a stone-lined patio.

Rooftop Kitchen’s breezy bar sends out a Wahakan Hat Trick (Ilegal Joven mezcal, Aperol, lime, and pineapple gum cordial) and classics like a French 75, negroni, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned made with small-batch bourbon. The most baller of the bunch is a “Millionaire” margarita ($40) made with Cincoro Anejo.

Mina’s sophomore D.C. project across town will eventually include a 7,815-square-foot Italian restaurant on the ground floor.

David Madison Photography

The 10-acre, mixed-use redevelopment of Fannie Mae’s old headquarters, anchored by D.C.’s first Wegmans grocery store, is also home to Tatte Bakery & Cafe, King Street Oyster Bar, and Taco Bamba’s big D.C. comeback project.

Mina’s San Francisco-based restaurant management company currently manages over 30 restaurants around the world. Along with eight Bourbon Steak locales from coast to coast, Mina Group also runs Bardot Brasserie in Vegas, International Smoke in San Francisco and Vegas, Wit & Wisdom in Sonoma, Mina Brasserie in Dubai, and Mina’s Fish House in Hawaii.

Rey Lopez

Rey Lopez