The Penthouse at La Vie

This was our version of a belated "Friendsgiving" ...and The Penthouse at La Vie certainly delivered!The customer service, the ambiance, the food, and the attentiveness were all spectacular. The igloo is super cute, and I absolutely loved it from the moment I stepped in. We were assigned the purple theme (my favorite color), and it was smooth sailing from there.Our food was overall served in a timely manner, but since there's a strict 2 hour limit, I was a bit concerned that we would pushed out prematurely to finishing our courses...but the staff worked overtime to keep everything on schedule.The space heater was perfect for our igloo since it was just me and the bestie..but I could see things getting kinda toasty if there are more than 2 ppl. present in your party. So plan accordingly in how you dress. The mini bluetooth speaker is a nice added bonus..and the chairs and table offered plenty of strategic space. There is a main center table and 2 end tables. James, the manager, was gracious and amiable throughout our visit, and he asked how our dining experience was going and encouraged any and all feedback.And Maria (our server) was fantastic! She's a gem when it comes to customer service..she gave great meal recommendations without me asking, and consistently checked on us throughout our meal without being intrusive or overbearing.Im already planning to return and hope my subsequent experiences are just as good (or better) as the amazing one we had here.yelp pro tip-getting to the bathroom is a bit of a pain, especially if you're in an igloo. You have to take a side hallway behind the kitchen area..a bit awkward, and I think there's only 2 stalls. positive note-the bathroom is clean and cutely decorated.Overall, Highly recommend! and get there before 10-15 mins prior to your reservation time, so you can maximize all of your time in the igloo.

As you can tell by the pics! This place is sooooo cute! We were in the Winter Wonderland Igloo; there were 6 of us. We had unlimited mimosas-different flavors of juice and mockaritas for the non-drinkers. The Igloo sat 6 people which also included a littlest sound bar for music to connect to your phone. This was a brunch birthday celebration and they actually let us stay an hour over time as the Igloos are portioned out at 3 hour time limits. The food was delicious overall: turkey bacon, french toast, potatoes is what I ordered and I had enough to carry home as leftovers. Other orders included steak and eggs, hummas, salad, pancakes which were had a more of an apple taste. The presentation of the food had a contemporary feel. Our server, Ever ensured that we had everything that we needed and provided excellent care. The manager, James, was great in ensuring that our experience was great! We paid about a little over $100 per person and well worth it!Overall, this was an experience! From walking in at the lower level, going up to the main restaurant and having to get a special escort to the penthouse rooftop where the Igloos were situated! The decor of the main floor was exquisite and unique. Very demure...lol! Full of character.The weather was a beautiful 70 degrees so we did not need the igloo heated. The overlook view of DC was breathtaking! The only thing that I would suggest is to add larger tables if possible. We had so much food and mimosas coming that we ran out of space....lolThere's a paid parking garage outside of the restaurant and be sure to park in the yellow section if you can as this puts you closer to the restaurant since parking is for the restaurants at the entire Wharf.I'll certainly return!

Two stars because the staff was fairly friendly and genuinely seemed to want to give us a good experience. However, I received probably the worst cocktail I've ever had.We came here on a whim because the other place we wanted to grab a drink at was closed. It turned out that the main dining area at La Vie was closed for a private event too so we were directed towards the Penthouse instead. First of all, it was pouring rain on this particular evening and the inside was FREEZING. It was very uncomfortable since we were literally soaked from walking from our car to the door. The interior is very colorful and, while I think that's part of the draw at a place like this, I found the cheap looking pink furniture and superfluous amount of fake flowers to be extremely tacky. It all just looked so cheap. And for a place charging premium prices, I'd expect something a little more elegant. I ordered the Purple Blossom cocktail because it closely resembled a French 75 which I usually enjoy. The description notes "Bluebutterfly infused ford's gin, fresh lemon, fresh pineapple, berry syrup, and prosecco". As expected the drink came out a vibrant purple hue - very pretty. But unexpectedly, the drink came with a giant ice cube. Super odd since French 75s are never served on rocks. The prosecco tasted extremely flat even though the bartender had seemingly just opened the bottle and that was probably due to the ice cube watering it down. The pineapple and berry syrup either didn't have any flavor, or there wasn't enough mixed in. The drink was so strong, disgusting, and unbalanced - and this is coming from someone who usually loves gin and can handle a dirty martini or a strong French 75. It's actually one of the first drinks in recent memory that I just couldn't finish. It was so bad. We asked for more pineapple juice but it still didn't help. My boyfriend got the Fire on the Penthouse cocktail which is mezcal based and that actually tasted so much better than mine and I don't even like mezcal. All in all, I won't be back. This seems like your typical DC bar where you're paying for ugly decorations and a nice view rather than quality menu items.

Finally, I got to experience the Igloos! It's perfect for a date night or girls night out! When I saw on IG that they were waiving the fees for opening weekend, my fellow foodie and I decided right away to make a reservation. There's a $150 deposit required to make a reservation (it goes toward your final bill).If you need to cancel or reschedule, a 96-hour notice via email is required, and only for a 50% cancellation refund. It's not that many igloos and they're in high demand. We chose Sunday, November 5th, 5:00 slot. We had initially requested the front view portico, but it wasn't ready (they called in advance to let me know). We ended up at the side view, which was fine as we still got great views of the wharf and, of course, amazing pics.The reservations have a strict time of 2 hours. DO NOT be late! There's a 15-minute grace period! We chose the 5:00 slot! There's a minimum spend of $89/person. There's a 20% and a small "surcharge" (not sure what that's for). Our server, Maria, was great! She was very friendly and attentive. The menu is mezza style - small plates. We chose the lamb, chicken croquettes and we shared sides of mac n cheese, potato bravas, and brussels. The food was tasty and surprisingly filling.The drinks were good. We tried the Fire on the Penthouse and La View Espresso cocktails. They're good but not cheap! The igloos were beautifully decorated. Some were more aesthetically pleasing than others. I felt our igloo was the least "attractive." It was green with some hints of orange with a hideous heater on the table (see my pics). I asked to have it moved but they said there was no room to place it. I just felt it took away from the ambiance and not great for pics. There's an option to connect to the Bluetooth speaker. Overall, I still had a good experience. Luckily, it wasn't freezing cold, and I got to try a new and fun experience.

Great service and food! The appetizers, mains, sides, and desserts were amazing. The drinks were excellent. The eclectic ambiance was memorable with great views of the Potomac.

Went there for a night out with my daughters. We rent a penthouse igloo. The rental was pricey but worth every penny. Each person is required to spend at least $95 each. Each igloo is decorated with flowers or leaves and each has it own theme. You can play your own music and let your hair down. The food was excellent! I had lamb chops, one daughter had crab cakes and the other had a huge ribeye steak. We had its signature drink "all smoke no fire" but I would be remiss if I didn't speak on the crown jewel it's Baked Alaska. I cannot tell you how delicious it was and the presentation. Top shelf

A few reasons I'm not giving 5 stars. The first is my dinner was 'cool'. Not cold but not hot either. Secondly though, it was expensive and there are 'fees' that added up, 20%. While I loved the igloo experience, I reserved it for $235 ($209 + fees) and they applied $150 to my bill. So really, $85 was handed to them. The bill was $188 for 2 of us plus a tip. Just a lot. Also, the mezze menu that is shown on the website for the igloos was not the menu we were ordering food from. Just turned me off. However, food was delicious, view was great. The wind around the front igloos? Not so much. We moved to a side one (no discount because we asked to move, I guess). Not that my review will change anything, it's a cool spot, just be ready to pay more than some other rooftop kinda places.

This place hands down was amazing! Best brunch in town...it's a little pricey, but you get your moneys worth and the atmosphere is amazing!! The servers are all first rate and have great suggestions. If your visiting DC, make this a must stop.

La Vie, We'll this is my second year going. It's a nice romantic experience. The food was well seasoned, pricing is a bit too high in my opinion but again we're paying for ambiance as well. The servers are very welcoming and gracious hosts. Drinks are strong which is a plus. You can play whatever music you wish as well. And yes it's warm and they will provide blankets. I say it's worth the experience.

I had pretty low expectations for this place, but dining there was even worse. I will give 5 stars for the atmosphere though if you want an aesthetic picture. The food was insanely overpriced, not good, and definitely not worth it. My "meal" was about appetizer sized ($30) and the bread was so stale it cut my mouth trying to bite into it. They also cut corners with items that were clearly premade like avocado spread instead of real avocado. Portions were disappointingly small except for the most expensive item ($45) on the menu which was sufficient for a lunch with no leftovers. The steak and eggs is really steak and one egg which wasn't even cooked they way we asked and while the steak was good, I'm not entirely confident it was the cut advertised on the menu. On top of that they add 20% gratuity to your bill along with a 3.5% surcharge and service reflected that as they knew a tip was already guaranteed. (I will give another 5 stars for the staff water refills, our glasses were never empty). The place was surprisingly empty for peak hours on a weekend so it's clearly not doing well. I left pretty hungry after spending way too much on a snack I could barely eat. Definitely will not be returning. Save your money and go elsewhere, there's tons of great options at the Wharf and this isn't one of them.