A new rooftop bar called Carla has opened at 18th Street and Florida Avenue in Adams Morgan, and it is built around a simple pitch, a cocktail that does not cost $20 and a room where a solo drink at the bar feels normal again.
Jack Rose’s Owner Chases Early 2000s Adams Morgan Energy
Carla opened in September 2026 at 2001 18th Street NW, led by Bill Thomas, the owner of Jack Rose Dining Saloon, alongside partner John Roberts. Thomas told Washingtonian the goal was to get back to a cool vibe where people can pop in for one drink and not feel bad, a nod to the neighborhood’s older, looser bar scene.
The space includes two open air roof decks, one set aside for cigar smoking, plus a whiskey lounge with games downstairs.
Six Cocktails And A Happy Hour Built For Regulars
The drink menu keeps things tight with six cocktails, including a dirty martini, an espresso martini, a lychee martini, a chilcano, an armagnac old fashioned, and a spicy margarita, with prices topping out around $13.
Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. with $10 cocktails, $9 wine, and $6 beer, and small plates like bang bang shrimp bao, berbere chicken skewers, and poblano croquetas mostly land between $5 and $24.
The no reservation, walk in only format and the low price ceiling make Carla an easy stop for a casual date or a quick round with friends before dinner elsewhere in Adams Morgan.
More To Come Downstairs In 2027
Carla already books DJs, live bands, and vinyl nights into its rooftop programming, and Thomas has plans for a members only whiskey and spirits club to open in the building in 2027.
Vintage photography from Adams Morgan’s old bar scene lines the space, tying the new room to the neighborhood’s history even as the drink list stays current with a dedicated spritz program built on a carbonation machine. For a neighborhood known for cover charges and long waits, Carla is positioning itself as the low pressure option.
Carla is located at 2001 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, at the corner of 18th Street and Florida Avenue in Adams Morgan. Cocktails run up to $13, with happy hour pricing Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m., and small plates generally fall between $5 and $24.
The bar does not take reservations, so seating is walk in only.
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