Above Fifth

Came here for drinks and ended up having a full on dinner! The food was top notch and the service was as well. The oysters were some of the freshest I’ve had. Jell and Riza were the two employees that took care of everything, they were delightful. I’ll be telling my friends and family to stop in and experience the great food and incredible views of downtown San Rafael!

Above Fifth is the rooftop bar of the AC Hotel in San Rafael, CA. The hotel is part of the Marriott hotel franchise. Yes, a franchise hotel is in downtown San Rafael. Times are a changin'. Anyways, the bar is open 4pm-11pm Wednesday-Sunday, closed on Monday - Tuesday. The hotel is about 54 feet tall so it is not particular tall, but tall enough for some awesome views of downtown, surrounding hills, and Mount Tam. The seating area, like the hotel, has modern upscale aesthetics with relaxed vibes. The views are gorgeous. The staff are sweethearts, five star service. The drinks and tapas menu price points are of course pricey. But what was up with the stained paper menus. Eww. Anyways, the fam ordered drinks (cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks) and tapas of olives, hummus and pita, and fingerling potatoes. The olives were delicious and it was a good medley of various kinds. The fingerling potatoes were a bit boring tasting, it could use more seasonings for added zing. Not sure how the green hummus tasted, I snoozed on that one. Overall, the drinks are good, ambiance fantastic, and the food is meh. This is a type of place I would go for special occasions and not on a regular basis, my wallet cannot sustain it.

Absolutely beautiful place with customer service that is above and beyond. The drinks are made perfectly and the views are beautiful. A must see!!

My review is mostly on the service and atmosphere. The view at Above Fifth is so beautiful! I enjoyed my time here getting drinks before dinner. The bartender Jenny made my experience fun as she was welcoming and funny. She recommended the sunset colada. It was delicious and creamy.

It's a beautiful night in San Rafael on the roof of 5 above. Elise gives great, personalized service. I 100% recommend stopping by if you're down town.

Above Fifth, downtown’s only rooftop bar with panoramic views of Mt. Tam and Marin, serving craft drinks and seasonal small plates .

As a visitor to San Rafael, I had a fantastic evening at Above the Fifth—Elise was a wonderful server who made us feel right at home. The cozy fire pits and gorgeous view over the city created the perfect vibe for relaxing with drinks. Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking to unwind in a welcoming, scenic setting.

Marin locals, steer clear. Food, service and atmosphere were OK. The issue? The criminal prices and weak drinks are the problem. This is clearly a commercial business that thinks it can jack up prices and give you half the product without you thinking you’re getting ripped off. Sure, the view is nice but if you’re a Marin native, it’s not worth 3 drinks and a bowl of olives for over $100 dollars. Disappointed and not going back. This place is rigged to rip off businesses travelers and tourists.

Gets very busy and the drinks can be a bit pricey but lovely views hard working staff and great fun twists or food on the menu - a must if in the area

This place is the worst. I gave it another chance after a pretty disastrous experience shortly after they opened and planned to meet a friend for a drink... turns out they're closed FOR THE SEASON. when I told them that both Yelp and their website said the rooftop was open and they should correct it, the employee just straight face told me that - no it doesn't say that. That was a month ago and it still hasn't been corrected. Such a disappointment.

It has a great view and comfortable seating but... The portions and quality are not high enough for the prices they charge. Our bartender was friendly but the drinks were either OK or sub par. I'd still try again to just sit there and hang out with friends on a gorgeous night.

Views 10/10 Service 8/10 Food 6/10 This place has SO much potential! The views are stunning & the seating is perfect: big lounge areas. Unfortunately you have to wait downstairs for 5 minutes to get access to the restaurant, and it was sunny & yet too windy to have the umbrellas us. When we asked for the bottle of wine we wanted, they didn't have any extras, only the open one behind the bar. And my friends who got cocktails didn't have very good things to say about the bartender. The food menu looks amazing, but sadly most of it just wasn't the best. Hummus & Ahi were actually really good. But somehow the simple bruschetta was awful and the prosciutto plate was literally just prosciutto & fruit. Tips: 1. definitely go check out the view, but bring a hat since the umbrellas aren't always allowed. 2. stick to beer & wine, but be okay to get what you get 3. get the ahi & the hummus, skip the rest

This place is pathetic. The wait to get up to the roof despite a reservation is ridiculous especially since once on the roof bar there will be like 4 or 5 people total. They protect this place like it's a 5 star club for vips or something. Anyway, once we made it up the staff literally looked at us like we were annoying them already just by our presence. One, I think the manager, whispered in the ear of a server and they both looked right at us, why?! I haven't a clue. The vibe was truly bizarre. The view is gorgeous and there's lots of seating and variety in that area, but the drinks are overpriced and sub par. This could be a hot destination but they really need to work out some kinks. Btw, this is my first review but second visit and nothing has changed in between the two. I hope they figure it out.

I would do two stars, they get an extra for the view. This place has a LOT of potential. They food is so BLAAA and is way overpriced. The only thing that was good was the pizza. The drinks are ok.

They opened too early. The general manager needs to be replaced. The food and beverage manager needs to be replaced. Or... someone who knows what they are doing should purchase this place and turn it into what it has the potential to be. We showed up on Saturday 8/26 at 5:30 not knowing we needed a reservation for a drink on the roof. The man at the host stand practically laughed in our faces. He was at the podium by himself. He took a party of 5 up the elevator, you need a key to access the roof, and was gone for over 10 minutes. There is no signage anywhere indicating anything about the roof top bar. The bar in the lobby wasn't open. We left. We decided to stop back at 8:30 after we had a lovely dinner someplace else. There was no one at the podium so we hopped in the elevator and a nice young man that was at the reception counter ran to the elevator and asked if we were going to the roof and then used his key card so we could get up there. WOW! It's a lovely setting, the furniture is nice, the view is nice and then we look to the right and the bar is so brightly lit I felt I needed sunglasses or a visor. The entire rooftop was a little less than half full. We chose to sit at the bar. We watched a guy wipe crumbs from the counter onto the bar stool. As he was leaving he looked at the crumbs on the stool and walked away. My GF ordered a Manhattan, which she said was not very good. I asked to see their wine list. "We don't have a wine list yet. All of the wine hasn't been delivered." What wines do you have? "Sonoma Cutrer, a pinot grigio and a red wine." What is the red wine? (She walks to the end of the bar to look at the bottle.) "A Cabernet." Where is the wine from? (She walks to the end of the bar to look at the bottle.) "It's from California." May I see the bottle? (She walks to the end of the bar to get the bottle.) It's from Lodi. I order the Sonoma Cutrer. We looked at the menu and didn't see anything that would make us want to come and order food here. At 9:30 someone yelled last call. Classy. Our bartender never once came back to see if we would like anything else. I said to one of the bartenders "I thought you were open until 11:00." No, 10:00. I just went online to look and it says open until 11:00. During the evening I saw what appeared to be either wait staff or managers hanging around at the back of the bar talking. Take it off the floor guys, it doesn't look good.

Really wonderful servers and scenery, but that's where the positivity ends. The drinks are poorly designed and just don't taste great. I asked for an off-menu old fashioned which was better. The pizza we ordered was pretty bad too. Simple cheese pizza that was undercooked and didn't have enough sauce or cheese on it. It's too bad because the setup of the place was great. Cabanas, bar seating, tables placed to see the nature that the spot affords. But MAN do they need help on their menu. And those price points - at $16 per cocktail and $17 for the small pizza - were as hard to swallow as the food and beverages themselves.

Was super excited to try this new roof top bar because of the amazing views marin has to offer and it's a 5-10 min walk from where I live. Upon entering the hotel, you have to wait by the elevators in order for the host to come down which can be kind of inconvenient if they are upstairs for a while, we waited for 15 mins for a host to come down and walk us up. The great thing is that we were sat immediately, luckily because there 15 reservations cancellations due to it raining earlier. There was so many options for seating and we were sat on the couches, which were comfy and had a beautiful view of Mt.Tam! Their craft cocktail menu is rather small, but it's understandable considering that they opened not that long ago. We started off with the tam cooler and red zeppelin. They were both pretty good but not my favorite cocktails. I think it would've been important to list the spirits that they do have on the list bc I didn't realize it was an open bar until I realized others ordering a margarita. Their food is good but overpriced in my opinion for the portions they give you. I understand it's bar food but still paying 20-24 for something smaller than an appetizer portion doesnt feel adequate. I'm willing to give this place a try again maybe in a few months when they expand or reup their menu

Such potential but total failure on so many levels . Don't bother coming here you would be better off saving your money and going elsewhere

The views alone are worth a visit. I met some friends for drinks and we had a great time. We were seated after a short wait at the host stand and no reservation was required. I tried the Red Zeppelin cocktail and I wasn't a fan, but there is a full bar, so I ordered a dirty martini and it was perfect. They also have beer and wine. They serve small bites/tapas. We tried several of them (Sonoma County Lamb Meatballs, Fresh Oysters, Mary's Chicken Souvlaki, Grilled Skirt Steak Crostini, Baked Oysters and Cowgirl Creamery Grilled Cheese) but the Chilled Oysters, Baked Oysters, and Mary's Chicken Souvlaki were our favorites. *It does get cold when the sun goes down, they have heaters but I suggest bringing a jacket or sweater.

We had high hopes for this bar. Made a big deal downstairs in the lobby, reservations recommend (at a bar?) Bar was half empty! They are very understaffed. The employees were friendly and polite despite the fact that they were all clearly very overworked. We ordered a chicken appetizer and two cocktails. After 25 min the appetizer arrived. It was just ok. After 40 MINUTES our drinks arrived, but the ice had mostly melted ruining the taste and on a hot day quite unappetizing. The prices are high. Food mediocre, stressed staff. First impressions count. Clearly Marriott is not prepared. We will give them another try in a few weeks. Lots of room for improvement here.

Love the rooftop...but the lounge is great! Great selections of liquor... MAX: knowledgeable with his mixology skills NICO: made an incredible drink on Christmas! Mezcal, apperol, and have no clue...what else was in it. That night we named it " Nico Suave " highly recommended!!!! Big shout out to RIZA/CINDY...they have a great team!

I wanted to Love Above Fifth, but it fell a bit short. It seems like they are still figuring out their grove. I visited on a Friday night, and it was busy but not packed. First off you are escorted upstairs at the elevator by a host. The host then asks if you want a table or to sit at the bar when you arrive upstairs. They have many seating options from lounge seating to fire pits to bar seating and tables. Once sat, the service was very slow as it took awhile for someone to come check on us and take our order. Once our order was taken, I found out they didn't have the ingredients for the cocktail I ordered from the menu, so I was asked to get something else. The drink arrived and it was quite lackluster flavor wise. This place has a good view and atmosphere and could be amazing! It just seems like they need to figure out their staffing and cocktail recipes a bit more. I'd love to come back and see this place succeed in the future!

This roof top bar is a true gem! Great views and better service. Even with a party of 50 guests I still felt well taken care of. I believe the bartender was Jell. Wish they would bring back the raw oysters but the cooked ones are good too. Will be back again

I had drinks here once with some girlfriends. Cocktails are pricey, and it's cold (obviously) in the cooler months so be sure to bundle as they don't have blankies. Our server really wanted to go home, which he talked about the entire time. TOTALLY get that, but he rushed us and it didn't make us feel welcome. The view is spectacular. The bartenders are friendly. The drinks are good. Bye!

Im so sorry to say, this place misses the mark on nearly every level. How does a brand like Marriott not research the market its opening in? There is literally no wine menu. You ask for sparkling and they have prosecco and no clue the brand. You ask for a cab, they have no idea. If you are opening a roof top bar in the heart of Marin. Do better. The service was slow to start, but we ended uphaving a wonderful waiter that felt like his hands were tied. There is just no variety of drinks. Kraft cocktails yes, but very few with NO WINE list. There were very strange things as well: extremely high security with absolutely no reason. We were excorted to the rooftop but given an inquisition about reservations, which we had. Then getting up to the top, it looked like we were at an applebees, with an extremely casual crowd. It was just an extreme miss, the whole experience. Ironically ive been to many roof top marriots and they blow this place out of the water. Its an absolute shame to waste a vary needed venu like this, with tons of hype and nothing to back it. Do better Marriott. Simply research the demographics before investing. Its a shame!

Terrible Margarita! When I suggested it could use some more tequila the lovely server brought a large glass with a shot of tequila to the table. Of course they added $13 to the tab making my bad Margie $30. My companion ordered Hendricks and tonic. She said it was watery. We had to ask for napkins and were delivered plates and flatware along with a dinner napkin. No cocktail napkin. They don't know what they are doing.

Took 45 minutes to get our drinks. Server was rude and dismissive. Asked for our check 3 times and still had to ask a different server to get it for us. The manager kept ignoring us for 5 minutes when we walked straight up to him to ask for help getting our drinks and check. He never talked to us. On top of the terrible service, there was no music for the entire hour and 15 minutes we were there.

Espresso Martini was ehh. Had weird experience where both servers only talked to my partner and completely ignored me. Other then that, the decor and seating is beautiful especially on a nice warm night.

Great vibe the fire pits were perfect & drinks were worth it! The view is probably much better when the sun is out.

Is this the first restaurant and bar that Marriott International has ever operated!? It seems like it. What a cluster this place is. The "escort up" process from the lobby is a mess, with finally someone from the front desk coming up to us and saying "I don't know if you have a reservation or not but just get in the elevator." Wow, that's a nice welcome. They were out of half of the beers on their very limited menu. Plenty of staff standing around but it takes a long time to actually get one to help you. And yes, they need more umbrellas big time. Extremely sunny. The menu looked like it had been printed on someone's laser printer and then thrown on the floor for people to walk on. Service is almost non-existent and the attitude varies between fear "I don't know what I am doing" to indifference "why are you here." No wine selection, just a white and a red so we opted for the beer, which they were out of. They know they are in California, right? So much potential here, but they need a new food and beverages director who can actually run a bar/restaurant, hire, staff and train. Whoever is doing it now is completely out of their league. Looking for pretty views and excellent service / cuisine? Go to RH Corte Madera while they figure this mess out.

Yahoooo! A new rooftop bar in Marin. Something this long time resident has been waiting for. Unlike the RH rooftop, this is a full service bar. The views are incredible. The seating is ample. Parking garage under the AC Hotel. That said, this is the first week, lots if kinks to work out. No Espresso Martinis (don't panic, they will be on the menu soon!) If you arrive during peek hours 5-8pm, be prepared to wait 40min + between beverages. Help yourself to water located in a dispenser on the bar. I did not order food as I wasn't willing to wait, so unable to give feedback on that but will update my review once I do. They are doing their best. Be patient and grateful we have this new beautiful space to connect with friends, family and colleagues. Looking forward to seeing this spot shine.

This place has so much potential but I've been twice now and both times it was a horrible experience. We had a reservation but were stuck waiting in the lobby for 15m past our reservation time. When we finally got up to the roofed and were seated, we sat, waiting for service for 25 minutes. And this was after asking several servers who walked by to please either take our order or send someone who could. I won't be back anytime soon. Not a good place to go. Not yet anyway.

I was excited for this place to finally open after years of construction. The rooftop bar ambiance is nice--it's a large space with great views of Mount Tam. They are only open 3pm-later, not for lunch unfortunately (I'd hope that might be a future addition.) BUT be sure to keep your credit card receipt. They took my card to start a tab ( a little strange at 4pm with table service for just 2 of us) and I signed off on a receipt for around $40. I was charged over $170. I guess they let another party charge their bill on my tab? I don't know. Thankfully I kept my receipt (a rarity these days) and shared a copy of it with the manager. Yet more than 3 phone calls, several emails and 2 weeks later, the issue still was not resolved! I finally had to file a complaint with my credit card company who dealt with the issue. I can understand being a new business but kinks like this will keep the locals from coming back. 3 stars for nice ambiance but 0 stars for customer service. -1 star for AC marriott flagging my review 6 months later so I am re-posting. (Above 5th is the bar inside AC marriott so seems accurate enough to post my review to the hotel website...And I dealt with the hotel on the credit card issue.) I am also a frequent business traveler and this experience isn't consistent with other AC Marriotts I have visited. Improve your reviews by improving your service...not by trying to improve your yelp rating by flagging legit reviews!

Came here on opening night and had an amazing experience at the rooftop bar, despite the understaffing. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and the drinks were top-notch. The staff, though overwhelmed, did their best to make us feel welcome. I can only imagine how incredible this place will be once they're fully staffed. A hidden gem with so much potential!

Place is beautiful and also great service but the wind any place we moved was terrible very uncomfortable, sorry

Worst service ever. Our server Carlos ignored us. I waited 30 minutes for my drink, and 20 minutes to pay. If you can, please avoid this place.

idk what all the hate is about. the food is great and everyone's service is really great too. people need to chill out. we stayed at the hotel it was a really great experience

Was finally able to check Above Fifth out and had an amazing experience! The views were what our group came for, but the staff both in the hotel lobby and upstairs made us feel like VIPs. They kept checking in, brought over a space heater when it got chillier, and even sent small sangria tasters over as a gesture when we were closing out. Will definitely be back

Beautiful view, great service, tasty bits. I heard service was slow last year, but they must have fixed all the issues because they couldn't have been more attentive. Make sure to make a reservation before you go. Great girls night out!

The place has some serious kinks to work out. Not sure we'll ever go back as there are plenty of other lovely places in the area that are much less annoying. The wait in the lobby to be "escorted" to the rooftop area is very overdone and annoying, esp when there is plenty of space for guests to wait up top. We had to wait a while even with a reservation and then they couldn't tell us if or where we had a table when we got up there. While we waited for them to sort that out, we approached the bar to get a drink. The bartender was gruff and told us that "for future reference" we needed to order from a server. He then poured us 1/4 of a glass of white wine that ended up being $25 each. This initial experience was not pleasant and we felt like we were simply a burden to the entire staff. When we finally did get seated, it took over 30 mins for a server to finally get to our table. After that, the experience was ok and the drinks were good (no more $25 wine for us) but we already were past the annoyed stage by that point. We decided to skip any food to keep our time there short. Also, wear sunscreen if you do go. The place has very little shade despite what a few properly placed umbrellas could do for it. This place is going to wither in San Rafael if they don't get the logistics issues worked out and soon. It's a shame because the space has a lot of potential and great views. We'll go to RH next time.

See all the other 1 star reviews. Ditto to all comments. The place has great ambiance and I truly hope they get their act together and succeed. We will give them another try in about 6 months or when reviews improve. We left after 40 minutes of not getting our drinks. Beautiful spot, but the service and logistics leave a lot to be desired.

Great food, great drinks, amazing view! I love this place but my only complaints are it is a bit over priced and the service takes much longer than it should. Worth it to check out though!

Add me to the chorus of voices saying DO NOT GO HERE. As others have noted, the view of Mt. Tam is amazing; everything else falls well short. I came here with a friend, as both of us were having a difficult week and thought a rooftop cocktail or two would do us good. I did make a reservation, so no problem there (though it seemed a bit silly for a bar), and the greeter at the elevator was nice, so there's something. The menu didn't seem to be as extensive as what I found online. Only two specialty cocktails listed, so we both decided to try the Rose Many Ways. It was so-so. Tasted like watered down juice with a spritz of rose wine and tiny bit of vodka in it. The appetizers we tried were more basic than I was expecting though decently flavorful, but skimpy for the price. Not wanting to try the other specialty cocktail on the menu, I asked for a Vesper martini. So, I'd say about 50% of the bartenders I request this from know what a Vesper is, and it seems to depend on the caliber of the bar and bartender's skills. (Hats off to Guesthouse and Mamita, for starters!) Most are willing to make it if I tell them the ingredients. Our server echoed that they could make it if I told her the ingredients, but when I did, she said, "That's going to taste bad!" WHAAA?? LOL. Seriously? Tell that to James Bond, I guess. (The ingredients are gin, vodka, and Lillet blanc. I'd say the ingredients in some of their cocktails sound worse than that.) I mentioned I make these at home all the time, not to mention order them in other bars so.... Anyway, my apparently terrible taste aside, I ordered it but said they could sub in standard dry vermouth for the Lillet blanc (which they didn't have). FINALLY got my drink, though no garnish whatsoever (should be a lemon twist), and it was fine but nothing special. I knew what I was ordering, so no problem in that regard, though it should've had a garnish. I should note here that my friend also got a regular vodka martini, and both of our drinks came in the same type of glass with the same amount of booze in it. Why I'm saying this will become apparent in a minute. We eventually decided to ask for our check, and the server brought us a bill with a total amount owed noted but nothing itemized on it. That was odd; I've never seen that in a restaurant/bar before. We might have just paid it, but the total seemed unexpectedly high. We then had to ask for the itemized bill, and once we received it, realized that the server had charged me for TWO cocktails for my one martini--a charge for $16 and a charge for $19.50, listed as a custom cocktail! Again--WHAAA?? My friend's martini was clearly listed separately (another $16), as were our two Rose cocktails. Thinking this was an innocent mistake on their part, I pointed out the extra cocktail charge to the server, to which she responded that I got four shots in my drink, so that is the way she had to enter it. Four shots in my drink?? I wish! I'd be too happy-sloppy to care about the price at that point! And my drink was in the exact same glass and the same amount as my friend's. (For those who are unaware, a shot is an ounce and a half, so four shots would be six ounces.) If I had *slightly* more booze than her because her drink was displaced by a few olives, it certainly wasn't near twice as much, and the $19.50 charge for a custom cocktail definitely covered it. We were drinking out of small cocktail glasses after all, not highballs or something that you could fit a bunch more booze into! I tried to point all of this out to the server, but she wasn't having it. Said the manager told her to ring it up that way. I said that I have NEVER been charged double for a Vesper before, and she said that I would have to talk to the manager about it then. I feel I should say here that I GET that this place is new and the staff is obviously pretty green, but you just don't try to grift customers out of their money by not bringing itemized bills and charging them double for a run-of-the-mill, standard size drink. (Gin, vodka, and vermouth are standard cocktail ingredients, and, yes, we were charged the "call" price for requesting certain brands.) The server could have come back to me and said they needed to charge me double for the drink (before making it), which would have been technically wrong, but at least I would have had a choice. Or, if they felt like my drink truly had more booze in it, tell me they had to charge me the standard cocktail price plus an extra shot. But $35.50 for a regular sized martini that just happened to have both gin and vodka in it (also not unusual in the current craft cocktail era)? After all this, the manager refused to come talk to me (yes--really!), so the server--clearly irritated with us--removed a drink charge from our bill, and then ran my friend's credit card without bringing a final itemized check first. Lawdy--all this when we were just trying to chill and have a quiet drink! Buyer beware. We won't be back!

While the view of Mt Tam is very pretty, the server was rude. She double charged us for a drink and then conveniently failed to bring our itemized check with the bill. We noticed it was high and asked to see it. When we pointed out the error, she tried to defend it. She also tried to have her manager speak to us and he declined. Very poor service experience.

I went to Above 5th, in San Rafael, last night, for a DRINK! WHAT a ORDEAL!!! First of all you HAVE to have a RESERVATION!! For a DRINK! You can't just drop in (WHY?) After being notified FOUR times, to confirm my reservation, l finally arrived to a very unorganized situation. I was approached 3 times about my reservation, finally sat down. The view was ok, a little bit of Mt.Tam and ALOT of ROOFTOPS!! (The view from Restoration Hardware restaurant in Corte Madera is FAR SUPERIOR than this one!) We order our drinks. 2 Margarita's, 2 HOUSE wines and the bill was $80!!!!! WITHOUT a TIP!! SERIOUSLY?? Never planning on going back- that's for sure!! Stephanie Newhall

Unfortunately the service, knowledge of the staff, cocktails, and food all sucked!! There were very limited wine and beer offerings with items on the menu crossed off in black sharpie, the cocktails were actually tasteless, and the food selections terrible! I will not be going back! Just terrible!

My wife and I had a great time here the other night! Our host, Mark, was very courteous and knowledgeable about the Marin area. He gave us great recommendations to try the Red Zeppelin and Rose Many Ways, very tasty. We will definitely be back

Lots of potential but they have some things they need to figure out. The host situation in the lobby needs to be improved- very chaotic. Also, they need a lot more shade on the roof- sitting at the bar was extremely hot even on a not very hot day.

The ambiance and the service is excellent! I recommend coming here for a good date night or friends gathering

If you want a stunning view of Mt. Tam, a suburban attempt at a Vegas pool party--of course without the pool--and uninspired water-juice cocktails, then Above Fifth is the ticket of your desire. If you want a best-in-class drink, good company, and a great vibe, go to California Gold down the street. To be fair, Above Fifth did 'comp' the water-juice cocktails after we brought the blunder to their attention, but nevertheless, a poor showing. This spot has amazing potential, but it will need some work to get there.

Amazing views. Great place to grab quick bites and a cocktail. Felt like I was on vacation in my hometown.

Great design and fantastic views. Strange experience trying to get up from elevator, and had to wait for staying guest in order to access roof as worker wasn't sure if we were allowed to go up and seemed to get mad and walk off (a lot of confusion and poor communication vs. professionalism, as we didn't know what we needed to do). Need more wine options (vs a few cheap house wines), better food options, and overall staff training/experience. Realize it may be hard to hire for these positions in Marin. Some of the staff seemed good, but this wasn't across the board. Unfortunate Mismatch - View and design was like a high-end resort, service and experience about equal to a cheaper holiday inn (sorry, no disrespect to Holiday Inn, but at least there you ae getting what you are paying for vs $20 for a cheap glass of wine, etc). This has a lot of potential. Stronger vision, management, operations can make this a great experience to match the views! Please make this place great. You can do it:) . Potential is 5 stars. Gave 3 stars out of hope. If the experience is the same on second visit this would probably go down to 1-2 stars as I need more than the view to visit again.

The best new spot in Marin ! Beautiful views - full bar - food - wow! So original to San Rafael ! Great looking spot and a great vibe. The place will definitely survive but not with this staff. Total circus. Went twice - because it's such a cool place ( being held hostage by panicked servers and management ). We went to bar and it was hilarious. They were freaking out - too busy !!! Yikes ! People want to order !! What do we do ??? I got it !!!!- make it a reservation only place that you need an app to book that says the time is an hour in the future and then maybe they won't come ! And make sure everyone at the front desk just acts confused-maybe they will just give up. But then use Jedi mind tricks to get on the elevator 10 mins later with the elevator keeper. He will then try to tell you where to sit - but you won't listen because it should be open seating and that is everyone's reaction .... Give me a break - just take our money and give us some drinks. That's the business model. It totally works if you have a staff meeting once in a while and review how things are going. Don't worry - the view and the tequila will take it from there.

This rooftop bar has a beautiful view and has a nice ambiance about it. Unfortunately, that's the best thing I can say about The Above 5th rooftop bar. We arrived on a Friday at 4:00 p.m. to a line in the lobby waiting to get up the elevator. There was a host taking one group at a time to the top. Many people were turned away and or told it would be two hours. We made it up within 30 minutes and when we got to the top of the bar it wasn't busy enough to warrant the wait. There were three bartenders, three weight staff and a manager. The rooftop is very large with plenty of seating. Unfortunately they have reservations signs on the areas with shade. We were there for about an hour and a half and in that time nobody sat in those reserved shaded spots. The only place you can order food is close to the bar and you must order through a waiter or waitress for drinks and or food. There is no walk-up service to the bar. This takes an unusually long time to get an order in and get a drink. Because it is a rooftop bar. It is incredibly hot. There's not a lot of shaded areas. The bright hot sun bouncing off of the stone rooftop flooring makes it really uncomfortable. They do not have help yourself water stands which would make it really nice to have water while you're waiting to order. The drinks were unusually high priced. About that and water with lemon was $17. There is no happy hour specials. I won't go again.