The Betsy — Restaurant in Washington

I will be fair and say that I have been to Betsy many times and always enjoyed the drinks and setting. However, I visited tonight (2/28) and I was astonished by how rude the bartender was and by how he ushered my friend and I out of the restaurant.

For context, we came while it was raining and 1/3 of the other tables were occupied, and most of the unoccupied tables were covered in water (Betsy has a leaky roof). A very kind couple offered us their dry table as they were leaving, and as we were sitting down my friend accidentally knocked over some of the glasses from the table which spilled and/or broke - which, is totally our fault, and annoying, but also very common in all restaurants. We apologized immediately but the bartender came over and immediately said “come on!” and was complaining about how we didn’t sit at the bar like he told us to because he “knew this would happen!” (he never asked us to sit at the bar) and made a big deal out of this as my embarrassed friend apologized profusely. We were moving to the bar, shocked by how belligerent and visibly angry he was continuing to be with his comments, when he told us “I’m getting ready to close up now either way” (hours before their posted closing time) and asked us to leave then. As we were leaving my friend apologized again and told him it was an accident, and he slammed the door shut in our faces.

Like I said, I have been to Betsy and enjoyed the (overpriced) drinks, and I have brought many friends here before because it is a good spot. However, this wildly negative service experience really has ruined this amazing spot for me. I see other comments talking about rude service and I really hope management is willing to address this because I would love to come back if I can expect a normal and non-aggressive...

I pride myself in knowing Washington, D.C. well. That means I know all the great places to go. Well, at least I think I do. The fact that Betsy has been in my backyard for THREE years know puts me in my place. Maybe I don't know this city as well as I thought. To help my ego, the bartender did say they try to keep Betsy a secret and don't do tons of marketing so it stays a true hidden gem.

The Betsy can only be accessed through the alley behind Belga Cafe. If you're facing the front of Belga, go to the alley to the right of it. Follow the bird feet marks along the rainbow mural and go left. You'll see the small sign. Go up the long stairs to the very top and you're here.

Betsy is a small rooftop garden gin bar. There's a small bar and about 12-15 tables. Despite the small setting, it feels bigger and you won't feel cramped.

Their menu is large serving cocktails, beer, wine, and other drinks. They also have a dinner menu and appetizers. I ordered the trio mayo French fries platter and it was amazing (especially the saffron mayo).

One very cool thing is they have a wall garden of herbs for the cocktails. If you order a drink with herbs in it, they go over to the wall and pick it right there.

It's a kid friendly area with high chairs and TVs.

We're going here every week....

Betsy is the rooftop bar behind Belga Café. To enter you need to go around the back entrance in the alley and up a staircase. It's technically a gin bar and they have an amazing array of gin and tonics and gin based cocktails. I recommend the Tested Negative off their cocktail list.

My partner and I shared the mussel pot and the burrata salad, both were good, the mussels were a bit small and chewy but the sauce was so delicious. They did charge extra for bread.

Service was prompt, if not very friendly. They are not following all Covid regulations for restaurants, they are not taking or making reservations, they are not contact tracing, they only have one small hand sanitizer on a side table available for all guests. I saw a woman come into the restaurant completely unmasked and use the restroom and walk out. I'm not sure where she came from or what. Everyone else was masked.

The menus are standard, leather bound, which I am not sure how they are cleaned between guests. We were glad we brought our own hand sanitizer and portable disinfectant spray. It is outdoors...