ABOUT US
About
TECHO PALMA
The rooftop formerly known as El Techo is entering a bold new era as Techo Palma- a lush, high-energy hideaway bringing Tulum-inspired vibes, DJs, cocktails, and late-night energy to one of D.C.’s newest, hottest revitalized corners.
Sitting above the buzz of Shaw alongside breakout bar Eebee’s, Techo Palma is poised to become the neighborhood’s next weekend day spot, all-night destination.
Behind the transformation is longtime D.C. hospitality veteran Daniel Joseph Hatem, who has spent more than two decades working nearly every role imaginable in the city’s restaurant and nightlife scene since 2003. Now, for the first time, he’s stepping into ownership with a project that is personal.
Inspired by years of traveling to Tulum- “back when it was just dirt roads,” Hatem says-Techo Palma trades ordinary rooftop bar energy for something transportive: open-air windows, jungle textures, eclectic poolside furniture, lush greenery, and the feeling of stumbling into a beach club vacation without ever leaving U Street.
The food keeps fan favorites like tacos, guacamole, nachos, and tostones while introducing Mediterranean-style tapas inspired by the cultural crossroads of Mexico and Hatem’s own Lebanese roots. Behind the bar, expect tropical cocktails by industry-loved barman Jacob Simpson, built for long afternoons that turn into late nights.
Music is the heartbeat of Techo Palma. Rotating DJs will soundtrack the rooftop with downtempo grooves, Afrobeat rhythms, Latin house, and sunset-ready beats that slowly build into a party after dark.
And the reinvention goes deeper than décor. Techo Palma also launches with a progressive profit-sharing ownership model, an idea Hatem has carried since his Lima days in the early 2000s, designed to create more opportunity for the people helping bring the rooftop to life.
The result is part rooftop oasis, part dinner party- a tropical escape in the middle of D.C. where guests can come for tacos and cocktails, stay for the music, and leave feeling like they just spent the night somewhere far from the DC proper.