Top of the Town

We have used this venue for our annual Washington, DC area fundraiser for the past eight years. We believe our guests are continually inspired to contribute more to our organization because of the space and the view. Our cocktail party event during the early evening hours in October offers the most stunning views of the capital and surrounding area. Overlooking the Iwo Jima Memorial, with the Potomac River in front and the Pentagon off to one side, the views are a stunning back drop to our event. From either inside the space or outside from the roof deck, our guests always remember to bring their cameras for the spectacular shots of the greater capital area at sunset and at night time. The Top of the Town staff are wonderful and our event always comes off without a hitch.

Great venue! Great value! We had our corporate holiday party here and everyone loved the view, the space, the staff — everything! The team was great to work with during all of the planning stages. Very professional and helpful with suggestions! I would definitely recommend holding an event here and hope to return again next year! Thank you ladies!

We had our wedding at Top of the Town three years ago. After reading people’s reviews, I felt that it was my duty to clarify a few things. Most importantly is that Top of the Town is a venue and shouldn’t be reviewed for its vendors. So if the food sucked at a wedding you went to at Top of the Town, that’s on the caterer (which varies with each wedding and is independent from Top of the Town), not Top of the Town.
With all that said, for this venue you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Yes, it’s in a residential area and the condo building looks rather old. The lobby and elevator aren’t all that impressive either. But as soon as you the elevator takes you up to the top floor, you begin to see what all the fuss is about: the view. The pictures just don’t do it justice. If you’re considering a wedding venue, you must at least go to the venue to get a first-​hand look of the view yourself. For my wife and I, after we saw it, we were mesmerized and hooked. After our wedding, all our guests kept talking about the view — it’s really something everyone will remember.

What a beautiful location to have a special event. My Über driver dropped me off on the side street and I had to walk around before I saw the front of the building which is nondescript and its located in a random residential area. When I got in the foyer of the building I really wasn’t impressed and then there’s the one slow elevator that takes you up to the 12 floor. When you get to the 12^th floor you have to walk down a really long hallway, which is equal to the length of the building. Walking down the hallway isn’t too bad because of the gorgeous views.
My friend’s wedding couldn’t have been at a better location. I would never tell her this but there were just too many seats in the room where her wedding took place. I guess that’s what she agreed on but it would’ve been nice if they had just lifted one of the dividing doors and spread the chairs out. I felt claustrophobic and my knees were literally touching the back of the chair in front of me.
Her wedding reception took place right next door in the rooms nearest the patio. This is where we had our cocktails and waited for the chairs to be placed at the table so the reception could begin. We took so many beautiful photos but there’s one whole wall of floor to ceiling windows and there was so much light coming in that a lot of my photos came out dark but the photos I took outside on the rooftop deck were beautiful and perfect.
The food was terrible. That’s all I can say.
I would love to come back for another wedding, New Year’s Eve or to watch the fireworks during Fourth of July.

We had contemplated this place as a wedding venue because it boasted a great view. This isn’t untrue; it does have a nice view of DC. We were here for my husband’s work holiday party.
There is a separate parking lot for the venue, which is good. In order to get to it, you have to pile into an elevator that goes straight to the 12^th floor (separates apartment tenants from top of the town guests). I personally didn’t like this because when the night was over, there was a long line of people waiting to crush into an elevator to get back down.
The main room is a nice size for a dinner, but it would have been too small for our wedding.

We booked Top of the Town for a weekday alumni reception event. There are discounted rates for nonprofit groups, which helped make the rental more affordable. You truly can’t beat the view of DC that this venue offers, which also has an outside terrace for further skyline gazing. Tables and chairs were included in the rental fee, which was helpful, but you will need a caterer or someone with insurance coverage to help with set up (FYI!) The space fit our group of 85 perfectly, and the staff was extremely helpful on-​site making sure everything ran smoothly. The booking and sales agents were also very communicative leading up to the event to answer all of my questions and help get us settled. Definitely consider this space if you are looking for a venue that is atypical and has an amazing view!

My wedding ceremony and reception were held at Top of the Town in March 2014. The venue is unbeatable if you’re looking for a location that is not your typical hotel ballroom or winery. My husband and I checked out 7 – 10 other locations and none compared to the view and the set up of Top of the Town.
The ballroom is beautiful but it is quite narrow so seating options for a wedding reception are limited. I would also recommend having no more than 145 people in that space for a plated dinner wedding… the space fills up fast once you add tables, guests, wait staff, and decorations.
The rooftop terrace is a lovely addition to this venue and it’s a great space for guests to capture pictures of the DC mall. Being that our wedding was in March, we had a heated tent put on the terrace to make sure guests stayed warm while outside. The tent was used by many guests and I would highly recommend to any winter bride to do the same thing. Side note: We hired A Grand Event to set up and break down a clear sided tent all on our wedding day and they did a fantastic job!
The ladies at Top of the Town were very helpful in answering all my questions and always accommodated my requests for additional site visits, pictures, and layouts. I really enjoyed working with this team and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for a venue for a special event.

Top of the Town was fabulous for our event! The guests were blown away by the views and the classic beauty of the ballroom. The patio overlooking the Potomac and DC skyline was just icing on the cake. We had 100 hair stylists attend a hair-​show with a World Renowned stylist. Top of the Town was open-​minded and willing to help us in any way to make our event as successful as possible. We will definitely be hosting an event at Top of the Town again!!!

I attended a wedding reception here and it was perfect for our celebration. Located 12 stories up atop of a condominium building, the windows and open air patio offer a spectacular view of many sights across the river in Washington, D.C. Closer by, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, the Netherlands Carillon and parts of Arlington National Cemetery are visible.
This conference and banquet center is very nice indeed. It was a short walk to the Virginian Suites hotel where many of us were staying. The caterers were fantastic, the cash bar was kept busy all night and the singer for the evening kept everything light and lively.
I highly recommend this establishment for conferences and celebration events.
Notes:This facility has an amazingly stunning view of Washington DC. Actually, the view is perfectly aligned with the major monuments and attractions on the National Mall.
Previous reviewers commented on the catering staff. Please know that the wedding couple contracts the caterer. TOT has several approved vendors for catering. TOT has a policy that requires all events vacate the premises by 11:30 p.m. Be aware of this when scheduling the event. The caterer gets fined if the event runs over the 11:30 p.m. deadline.

Was a guest at a wedding at Top of the Town. Great view… has to be one of the best in the city. Unfortunately, the staff left much to be desired. The representatives of the facility were very flippant and rude. The ceremony started a little behind schedule. However, one staff member in particular, made mention of this several times throughout the course of the evening and throughout the reception. I was utterly amazed at her lack of professionalism. She even made a point to make mention of this to children that were guests who were waiting on others to finish taking photographs.
Additionally, the wait staff was terrible. Throughout the reception, they were very slow with removing and bringing plates, and towards the end of evening, dirty plates, etc. were left sitting on the table. However, when it was time to break down the tables, etc. I was surprised at their efficiency, considering the inefficiency that was on display during the course of the reception.
And my last complaint is that the venue staff began setting up for another event literally while people were on the dance floor, eating cake and taking photographs. I know this is a popular venue, with a beautiful view, but the service was very shoddy. If it was my reception, I would have been VERY displeased. (Glad the bride still had a wonderful time!)

I love the view, the space is beautiful and I like that fact that tables, chairs and dance floor were included in the price. I didn’t like that I couldn’t for the life of me get the representative to call me back It was amazing, I tried every possible way to get in touch with her and nothing. But as soon as she needed something from me bamm, on my butt. Location really isn’t all that convenient, quite a hike from the Metro, I was told and I’m not a huge fan of the parking lot being a block away. It is a good sized space for a medium sized crowd but the logistics can be challenging due to the fact that it is a skinny room but really long.

I attended a wedding here yesterday. It looks like crap from the outside but once you get to the top the view can’t be beat. You pretty much get a 360 view of the Washington and Arlington skylines. The food was pretty decent as well but it was just the standard catered fare.

The panoramic view of the Washington, DC skyline from Top of the Town (Arlington, VA) is absolutely spectacular. Longtime residents of the DC area will be reminded what a truly beautiful city Washington is. Visitors will be spellbound. I am serious; you could sit there for hours and just stare at the breathtaking overview of the Capitol, Washington Monument, Kennedy Center and the other landmarks.
Top of the Town is actually the top of a condo, so the way in — — through the lobby and up the elevator — — is not so impressive; however, the actual event area is just lovely.
Rental of the room for the evening (7 – 11 pm) runs anywhere from $ 2200 to $ 6900 depending on the night of the week (Saturdays the most expensive) you chose and the season (low, medium or high). This place used to be a restaurant. And you wonder how a restaurant could not make it with a view like that as a draw, but the restaurant failed and now, if you have an event, you have to have a caterer bring it in. Food and beverage, the whole shabang. Guess that’s probably ok, it’s going to add another couple grand to the cost of your event.

I give this place 6 STARS!!!
This place is truly in a class all on it’s own. Breath-​taking view!!! I haven’t seen anything prettier in DC… or rather I should say, of DC.
Top of the Town is a facility that hosts private events. It’s not a restaurant, or bar/​lounge, or café, or catering business. Your only reason for going here is if you are invited, or if you are planning the event.
If you should be so lucky to attend an event here, the food and drinks will be from a catering company and shouldn’t bear any reflection upon the Top of the Town.
The entrance to this place is a bit akward and unassuming. Because the Top of the Town, aptly sits atop an apartment building… the entrance to Top of the Town is actually on the side and away from the main apartment entrance. Walking through the dark red double doors, will put you into a spacious elevator foyer. The elevator has just 2 floor buttons (lobby, and Top of the Town). As the elevator begins to ascend, the view through the glass window becomes apparent. By the time you reach the top floor, your heart is just pumping full with excitment and anticipation. As you walk down the glass corridor, and into the main ballroom, your imagination is laid to rest as you enjoy the next few hours of your «fairy-​tale» view of DC.
…and I was only here scouting out locations for a wedding venue. It pains me that I can’t have my very own fairy tale ending here. sigh…

We went to a wedding reception here on the 14^th floor and the view was gorgeous. You are directly opposite the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, and Lincoln Memorial and you can take in the view of the rest of the skyline from inside or out on the deck.
The food was fine… standard wedding fare. The drinks were good, no watering down of mixed ones at all.
Other than the fact that you can’t do a lot of stomping around because of the apartment below, it is a great place to have your reception!