Sneak into this exclusive rooftop pool club near Cathedral Heights
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

The Ridge Club rooftop pool and restaurant. Photo courtesy of David Madison Photography
A private rooftop pool club and Michael Mina restaurant just opened near Cathedral Heights, and the public can sneak in for a limited time.
Why it matters: The Ridge Club is the premier amenity of Roadside's $715 million City Ridge development — a luxe makeover of Fannie Mae's former campus that includes upscale apartments, an Equinox gym, D.C.'s first Wegmans, and of course, a Tatte.
- Limited club memberships are available only to residents, office tenants, and "neighborhood friends," and run upwards of $650 a year. But the public can drop in for a meal or reserve poolside cabanas through June and possibly July.
⛱️ What to expect: The scenic rooftop is designed to feel like a permanent vacation. An L-shaped pool overlooking the National Cathedral is ringed by lounge chairs and cabanas and boasts a theater-size screen for movie nights.
- Bourbon Steak celeb-restaurateur Michael Mina runs the club's poolside restaurant, which serves beach-y bites for sunbathers as well as a full New American menu for brunch and dinner.
🍹 How it works: For now, patrons can walk in and snag a sunset espresso martini at the bar, or a full meal indoors and on the firepit-lined terrace (we have our eye on lobster fritters and a truffle cheeseburger). Dining reservations are also available.
- For pool access, you'll have to reserve a cabana — available for three-hour windows, Friday through Sunday, with a food/beverage minimum of $25 per person.

👩👧👦 Good to know: The intended vibe is South Beach chic — but that doesn't exclude families. Kids are welcome and membership is free for children under 12.
🍕 Zoom out: Developer Roadside is testing out a unique vacation-mode model for urban living. Beyond the pool club — the only of its kind in the area — over-the-top amenities include a rooftop greenhouse, communal smoker and pizza oven, and a makerspace for private workshops and classes.
🍝 What's next: San Francisco-based Mina Group will open a street-level "fattoria-to-table" restaurant in the development — this time open to all.
